Any F1 racing fans?

[DustBun]

Thanks for the kind comments and Rush on!!!!

Oh you're spot on about the combination and timing. I don't think he's the most talented; but he's an outstanding driver. I'll liken it to my favourite driver of all time Alain Prost. I hated Senna, hated him (that was neccesary to be Prost fan....LOL); but never thought he wasn't a great driver and probably the most talented drive of all time (cannot speak of Fangio since never saw him drive). Senna was prone to stupid mistakes at times - thinking Monaco one year. That rivalry was the best there has ever been in motorsport - period. It divided nations!!! But good grief...Prost, Senna, Mansell, Piquet, Lauda - that level of talent was just shocking.

Ahhh another Rush fan, cudo's.

Again, I agree with you. Those are all great drivers. Looking back on it I marvel how they had to manually shift gears and steer with one hand. They were bad ass. I really liked Nigel when he drove the Lotus Jonh Player Special. I liked that car. For current drivers I really liked Kimi when he drove for the Scuderia. He was very aggressive. In recent years he just isn't as aggressive. Again I think some of it is the car/team. I wish him well in the future.

 

[DustBun]

Thanks for the kind comments and Rush on!!!!

Oh you're spot on about the combination and timing. I don't think he's the most talented; but he's an outstanding driver. I'll liken it to my favourite driver of all time Alain Prost. I hated Senna, hated him (that was neccesary to be Prost fan....LOL); but never thought he wasn't a great driver and probably the most talented drive of all time (cannot speak of Fangio since never saw him drive). Senna was prone to stupid mistakes at times - thinking Monaco one year. That rivalry was the best there has ever been in motorsport - period. It divided nations!!! But good grief...Prost, Senna, Mansell, Piquet, Lauda - that level of talent was just shocking.

BTW, does your handle BytorJr have anything to do with the Rush song By-Tor and the Snow Dog? Great jam. Classic.

 

[BytorJr]

BTW, does your handle BytorJr have anything to do with the Rush song By-Tor and the Snow Dog? Great jam. Classic.

Who? Rush? ROFL...can you speak up lad? Eh? Yes....yes indeed.

 

[bigdaddydmd]

As much as I don't like LH I do have to say I was impressed with his results in practice 1. He posted the fasted practice time on Hard Tires (tyres lol) when everyone else was running softs or mediums. Bottas was only a few hundredths off, but he was running on Mediums. Still waiting on what the Stewards say about Racing points car.

edit* just seeing results from FP2. Always a change. The wet weather sure made a difference. I need to see what the weather looks like for qualifying and Sunday.

 

[SN13]

A few days ago I was saying "RACING POINT'S CAR IS Merc 2019 repainted!"

. . . .Now my boy Vettel is eyeing Racing Point 2021 (Aston Martin) and I'm like

"STOP THE INVESTIGATION, IT'S FINE, LEAVE RP ALONE!"

LOL.

 

[BytorJr]

A few days ago I was saying "RACING POINT'S CAR IS Merc 2019 repainted!"

. . . .Now my boy Vettel is eyeing Racing Point 2021 (Aston Martin) and I'm like

"STOP THE INVESTIGATION, IT'S FINE, LEAVE RP ALONE!"

LOL.

I used to like Vettel; still do just, not as much as Max. Love Max's aggression. Much like Seb was when he was younger. That said, though I seriously doubt Seb will win another WC I like the fact that he (along with Max) want to RACE and not be burdened by the cry babies (you all know who I'm talking 'bout...ewww, I had to lift the throttle to avoid hitting him). That said, I see Seb much like Prost with Ferrari. Ferrari destroyed at least one WC for Prost and you could see the frustration on him like Seb (If you're old enough...lol). Ferrari has beaten Seb down - for his own good I'm glad Ferrari booted him.

Ferrari chews up drivers. I think had Hamilton gone to Ferrari, he'd have not done well either. If I were an agent, Ferrari would be one of the last teams I'd put my driver in, unless the driver knew that his career was going to be over in 2-3 years anyway.

 

[Jethro3898]

To me Ferrari's problem over the last few years hasn't been the car.......it's been the race strategists. I don't know if it is poor decision making or arrogance/blind spots regarding their capability, etc. Either way, Merc and Red Bull are stronger than Ferrari and have been for some time.
I don't think there is/was anything wrong with their drivers either. I think Vettel has lost a step, but he is still a good driver.

Obviously the car was fast last year. LeClerc did very well. This year they haven't figured it out.

This year.....I don't know what's going on with Ferrari. I think they will correct the ship, but I highly doubt Mercedes is concerned.

 

[SN13]

I mean last year the Ferrari was lapping better on Mediums than on Softs, but they still insisted on transitioning to softs and then losing grip after 10 laps.

The races where they ran Med/Hard combos they did better.

Ferrari needs to stick to ONE pit strategies and go Soft/Hard or Med/Hard instead of Soft/Med/Soft

 

[Kartman]

I haven't followed that, I will look into it though since I am shopping for a new sport. I did follow the World Endurance Championship some.

SCORE Intl is the premier sanctioning body and has the marquee race, the Baja 1000 which runs in Nov.

 

[BytorJr]

I mean last year the Ferrari was lapping better on Mediums than on Softs, but they still insisted on transitioning to softs and then losing grip after 10 laps.

The races where they ran Med/Hard combos they did better.

Ferrari needs to stick to ONE pit strategies and go Soft/Hard or Med/Hard instead of Soft/Med/Soft

After Red Bull today the only question remains when does Hamilton win the championship. Bottas is just not capable. Not that I figured he would be. He just doesn’t have that extra whatever it is.

I’m also thinking Max should really think about going to Merc. Though who knows what 2022 will bring. Red Bull cannot get their act together with arguably the most naturally talented driver on track - certainly in Top 3.

I’m almost ready for next year. Then I’ll see if my prediction Danny Ric will never win WC is accurate. Reminds me of David Coulthard in that aspect. If DR couldn’t win it at Redbull when they were much stronger even with Renault power he won’t pull it out. My prediction is Landon will do better. Third season. He will be hard to handle.

I used to get sick of Ferrari winning with Schumacher. But Hamilton’s attitude since he started in 07 and especially since going to Merc is no match for Schuey. It makes it worse Than those days. Hamilton isn’t unbeatable it that metro wouldn’t have beaten him.

 

[Jethro3898]

Interesting race today.
the speed of the Merc is just plain nuts. If Lewis hasn’t have pitted on lap 66 (I think) he would have beaten Max (P2) by probably 28 seconds or more. Just crazy speed. There isn’t anything on the grid that can beat them.

Red Bull mechanics are the true hero’s today. What they did to Max’s car on the starting grid is bonkers. I’m so impressed.

I agree. Valteri doesn’t have it. And it pains me to say that because I genuinely like him. He seems to be very grounded and doesn’t try to be something he is not. He is a good, solid driver that would/should be welcome at any team, he just just doesn’t have that extra zip that it takes to win championships (especially multiple). He has the fastest/baddest car on the grid under his butt and he still couldn’t overcome his initial goof up on the start....not even in 70 laps.

If I remember correctly, Max’s contract had some weird verbiage in it to where he couldn’t leave Red Bull is he finished in the top 3 in points. I don’t know if that has fallen off or is still in there, but I always thought it was weird....almost penalizes him for doing well.

Just think about this: Stroll’s qualifying time this year in Hungary was over 3 seconds faster than his last year’s qualifying time. Last year’s Mercedes (aka this year’s Racing Point) was LAPPED by this year’s Mercedes. That level of development year to year is the difference....and it is amazing.

 

[BytorJr]

I didn't see the off by Max in real-time, as I was just getting up and at 'em. So I missed the "On-the-Grid" stuff and purposely didn't watch the Hungarian anthem. I take it he'd almost lost it a few times before he went into Turn 12 wall.

Max owes those guys big time. I cannot believe he spun off; yet, I remember Prost doing the same thing I think when he was with Ferrari (I think it was off camber left turn going downhill). So Red Bull mechanics kick serious ass!!!!!!!!!!!! And that Max hopped in and drove it without question of how it was going to handle, make up 4 places into turn one and making it stick is nothing short of astounding. I'm telling you guys, if Max had Valteri's car, Hamilton would not have won the last 2-3 WC's. Especially the last 2 and this years (foregone conclusion).

Watching Hamilton stick it in the chicane and seeing that car not even twitch tells me Mercedes has it completely dialed in. Though, I'm puzzled as to how much HP their engine makes now - just how did they get that much more over Honda (Ferrari got penalized, so we know that). Silverstone will likely be: 1) Merc, Racing Point, Red Bull/Ferrari in a fortnight. I'd love to know how much Mercedes pushed for the 1.6L engines. As that seems to be when their complete dominance started.

Great point about Valteri. He couldn't get to 2nd with having a car his teammate lapped everybody but what, the top 6? I can be assured Hamilton was "just driving" out there. Valteri looks more and more like Coulthard and Ricardo looking like Mark Webber. I think Valteri is at his limit, he cannot drive faster and doesn't have the natural talent nor mental fortitude to push through to the next level (Nor do I mind you...LOL). Nice guy, typical quiet Finn, but he won't win a WC either, and likely won't be a contender. I'd LOVE to know what happens to Perez if Vettel goes to RP, does Perez take Valteri's seat - he'd be faster. Or is Hamilton really controlling who he gets now after "metro" quit.

As for the others:
Nice rebound by Albon and interesting comeback from Max to George Russell on that subject of Alex's driving. Sad to see Lando didn't do well. But the real question is will Haas stay in F-1? No sponsors other than Gene himself. It's a pity the USA builds the best military aircraft, some of the best America's Cup boats, but cannot get anywhere in F-1. We're not members of the club. Granted, Gene got screwed financially when they basically let Racing Point take over Force India and some deal with F-1/FIA.

All in all, there were some good battles on the track today. Good race.

 

[Jethro3898]

I wish Bottas no Ill will, but if Merc decides to move on from him, I’d love to see Russell or Albon take his seat next season.

I have very high hopes for Russell in the future.

 

[BytorJr]

I wish Bottas no Ill will, but if Merc decides to move on from him, I’d love to see Russell or Albon take his seat next season.

I have very high hopes for Russell in the future.

No ill will here either. I think he's probably a super nice, but extremely low-key guy. It'd likely be Russell or Perez. Perez through the Merc-lite team, and Russell through the Merc racing program. I'm leaning toward Perez since he "claims" to have another team interested in him. But Russell would be THE key to the future.

 

[brianf]

Thanks for the kind comments and Rush on!!!!

Oh you're spot on about the combination and timing. I don't think he's the most talented; but he's an outstanding driver. I'll liken it to my favourite driver of all time Alain Prost. I hated Senna, hated him (that was neccesary to be Prost fan....LOL); but never thought he wasn't a great driver and probably the most talented drive of all time (cannot speak of Fangio since never saw him drive). Senna was prone to stupid mistakes at times - thinking Monaco one year. That rivalry was the best there has ever been in motorsport - period. It divided nations!!! But good grief...Prost, Senna, Mansell, Piquet, Lauda - that level of talent was just shocking.

if i remember prost would have won 1-2 titles from senna but the strange points scheme back then

 

[BytorJr]

if i remember prost would have won 1-2 titles from senna but the strange points scheme back then

You remember correctly sir - in 1984 he lost by 1/2 point to Lauda because the Monaco GP was rain shortened and Prost was award half points. There was also some craziness on how many races counted in your "score." Based on current points, I think I read where Prost would be 7x world champion. Another analysis I read was by a team who analyzed up through Schumacher's comeback each car and driver and scored them as they would a fighter simulation (home team vs adversary) through mathematical modeling in an attempt to take the car out of the equation. I think it was his Ph.D dissertation or Masters thesis - anyway, without being TOO controversial I do believe he came out quite a bit higher than his rivals. This didn't take into account Hamilton's recent run. I'll see if I can find that again. VERY interesting and really scientific analysis.

I'll be danged...had it bookmarked:

The Top 50 F1 drivers of all time, regardless of what they were driving

Mathematics is the language of the universe, and given the exponential growth of computing power and advanced modeling techniques, it is beginning to make sense of even the most complex of problems.

newatlas.com

http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/96995/14/WRRO_96995.pdf

Anybody that ever watched Prost (long before Senna & Prost at McClaren) will probably agree with this - he was so smooth and gentle on his car yet being quick - the professor. Results make sense too. Senna was unreal in the rain. I didn't watch much F-1 with Alonso in the mix so I cannot speak to this.

Based on the current numbers I think you can say now Hamilton is likely the best of all time, certainly pains me to say, even better than Prost. That said, I haven't personally programmed this paper into my computer .

 

[Jethro3898]

Holy crap!
What a race!


I don’t want to spoil the race for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet, but it was a fun one to watch. The last 4 laps or so were bonkers. The finish was something to behold. The midfield battle in this race was awesome.....lots of great racing.

I hope the race next week proves to be as exciting.

 

[BytorJr]

Holy crap!
What a race!


I don’t want to spoil the race for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet, but it was a fun one to watch. The last 4 laps or so were bonkers. The finish was something to behold. The midfield battle in this race was awesome.....lots of great racing.

I hope the race next week proves to be as exciting.

I didn't watch the middle portion, but just wonder if...you know the if I'm talking about...if the results would have been 2-1 or still 1-2. .

I won't spoil it with this but 2 questions on my mind: 1) will Haas stay in the game? 2) if they do, can they please get 2 new drivers or at the very least get rid of Grosjean...for the love of F-1....Romain needs to go to sports car/LeMans (and not prototype, his level is GT class (Daytona) and I'd be willing he'd have his butt handed to him there. K-Mag sucks too; just not as bad. Gene would have done himself favors if he could have gotten a seasoned guy like Jenson Button for a year or even Bottas at that time. Haas will be a back marker until they get real talent behind the wheel.

 

[Jethro3898]

I really hate it, but you are right, Haas cannot possibly stay in the game. Their investment certainly has not produced any results.

For that matter, what about Alfa Romeo or Williams? Alfa Romeo is this year’s Williams. It’s so sad.

The only thing we can hope for is that the new regs shake things up a little when they take effect. Mercedes is untouchable....more dominant now than they have ever been....and that’s saying a lot. It’s not even close. McLaren has been my joy to watch so far this season. I’d probably also pull a bit for for Racing Point if their cars weren’t pink (freaking ugly) and Stroll wasn’t one of their drivers (I can’t even really verbalize why I don’t like him....I just don’t....it’s irrational, but I can’t seem to help it).

I’m just so happy that F1 is back. Excited for next week.

 

[BytorJr]

I really hate it, but you are right, Haas cannot possibly stay in the game. Their investment certainly has not produced any results.

For that matter, what about Alfa Romeo or Williams? Alfa Romeo is this year’s Williams. It’s so sad.

The only thing we can hope for is that the new regs shake things up a little when they take effect. Mercedes is untouchable....more dominant now than they have ever been....and that’s saying a lot. It’s not even close. McLaren has been my joy to watch so far this season. I’d probably also pull a bit for for Racing Point if their cars weren’t pink (freaking ugly) and Stroll wasn’t one of their drivers (I can’t even really verbalize why I don’t like him....I just don’t....it’s irrational, but I can’t seem to help it).

I’m just so happy that F1 is back. Excited for next week.

LOL...Stroll. I have that same aversion. However, I saw an interview with him this morning that made me pause and say ...hmmm, maybe he's not a little puff. I too am liking McClaren; but man, you have to feel for Max. This kid should have 1 or 2 WC's by now. I truly believe he's the only one with talent enough to beat hamilton. Tempting to mention LeClerc, though I think Sainz is going to wipe his butt with Charles IF he gets fair treatment from Ferrari (Big IF since historically they have a favorite and railroad the "#2.")

I'd love to see Williams back; but sadly I don't see them lasting past 2023 - if their 2022 car doesn't perform, they're done. In 2 more years Norris and Russell are going to be madmen. Albon won't be in F-1 in 2 years or not with top tier; sad, I like that kid. I still think Vettel is done. Now that McClaren seems to be the top-tier midfield I think that Danny Ric may actually get podiums next year; but still unlikely he'll ever win a WC when you look at the younger talent that's now in the mix.

Gene needs to face the facts...he cannot win. Too bad he couldn't persuade Ford to build an engine for him and get that through FIA. Ford has the turbo technology and I'm sure they could figure out the battery part. Again, his time was wasted with two sub-par drivers with so little skill they couldn't figure out and articulate the chassis issue in an entire season. And..he got shafted by the Force India/Racing Point deal where Racing Point basically got prize money that Gene wasn't privy to his first year. Something like that.

I really wish the FIA wouldn't have written new rules that basically Porsche said..thanks but no thanks especially since Porsche was in a lot of discussion before the new rules were written. Granted, Porsche's game is and always has been endurance racing since that truly improves the breed. I'm sick of 4 engine suppliers. Let's put Ford, Toyota, Hyundai...any body willing to pump their money in.

 

[bigdaddydmd]

You summed it up very well, especially about Haas. I do disagree with the part about Albon not being there in 2 years. I think the kid is showing a ton of development and he can obviously drive. He had the fastest lap until the end when Max got his tires so the kid is fast and fearless. Maybe a little too fearless based on the amount of collisions and penalties he has soaked up already this year. I do hope Haas stays with it, but they needed points this year. My aversion to Stroll was his daddy buying him a seat. He has done better than I expected though and seems to settling in at Racing Point. This year has been a good year for McClaren fans so far. It has been fun to watch Sainz and Norris. The last race broke my heart on the final lap. So many good drivers out and the decision to pit Max for tires. A whole bunch of shoulda, woulda, coulda last Sunday all in the last two laps.

 

[BytorJr]

You summed it up very well, especially about Haas. I do disagree with the part about Albon not being there in 2 years. I think the kid is showing a ton of development and he can obviously drive. He had the fastest lap until the end when Max got his tires so the kid is fast and fearless. Maybe a little too fearless based on the amount of collisions and penalties he has soaked up already this year. I do hope Haas stays with it, but they needed points this year. My aversion to Stroll was his daddy buying him a seat. He has done better than I expected though and seems to settling in at Racing Point. This year has been a good year for McClaren fans so far. It has been fun to watch Sainz and Norris. The last race broke my heart on the final lap. So many good drivers out and the decision to pit Max for tires. A whole bunch of shoulda, woulda, coulda last Sunday all in the last two laps.

Don't get me wrong, I like Albon. He does drive well, considering how many times he's finished in top 6 and started near the back or been in last place after a pit stop. He seems like a very nice person and I wish nothing for the best for him. He's a guy you could just hang out with most likely as there doesn't seem to be much pretense there. Actually that goes for Max, George Russell, Lando Norris as well. Then we get to LeClerc who comes off a bit like Hamilton to me - just more of a reason to hope Sainz kicks his butt . Actually aside from LeClerc, Hamilton, and Grosjean most seem pretty cool and all (even hamilton) are much cooler than....yes...you're thinking it....Nico Rosberg!

 

[Jethro3898]

Let’s put it this way, if I was a rookie driver, the last person I would want to be my teammate would be Verstappen.

That is a VERY tough act to follow. He is a generational talent that has a 4 year jump in F1 on his peers. The only thing holding Max back is the hardware under his butt.

I hate to be a broken record, but I hope that the 2021 (or will it be 2022 now) regs shakes things up and puts ALL constructors back at square 1. Then and only then will we see Max’s true potential (assuming he stays at Red Bull before the reg changes).....because ain’t nobody gonna rain on Mercedes’ parade until then. Just think about it: the only way to beat Mercedes this season is for them to muff qualifying on a track like Monaco (no Monaco GP this season) or for them to retire during a race either by crash or mechanical issue.

 

[Jethro3898]

I’ll be honest, I’d love to watch an F1 race with you guys. There are ZERO F1 fans around here (south Alabama is NASCAR country) and when I start talking F1 to friends, they look at me like I have 3 heads.

It would be neat to watch a race with other people who get into it as much as I do. ha ha

 

[bigdaddydmd]

No Shit. Watching a race with some shooters would be fun. NASCAR just never held my interest. Around here nobody knows what the hell I am talking about or understands the nuances of F1 at all. They just go on and on about NBA, NFL, MLB. I walked away from all of those damn sports. MLB in 94, never really was big into NBA, and NFL just has pissed me off for a few years. Hell, I can't even get my adult son to come over on Sunday to watch the race with me because they have been at 0610. I get that he would be bored with practice and qual, but he keeps saying he will come watch a race with me. Got some shit from the wife a few days ago. No shit actual conversation when I was telling her about the race last Sunday. "Wait, you know all these drivers names, who they drive for, where they are driving next year and you can't even remember your fucking daughters birthday?" This year its just been me, my dog, and cup of coffee on a quiet Sunday morning. So glad I paid for F1 TV pass this year. bonus points is I get to watch practice on Fridays at work since they don't have the formula1 website blocked. *snicker.

I am a new convert to F1. Started watching in 2019 and ran with it hook, line, and sinker so I don't know the history like some of you that have been watching for years. To me its always been 3 tyre choices, 4 powertrains, and turbo engines, and Mercedes is the team everyone loves to hate.

 

[BytorJr]

I’ll be honest, I’d love to watch an F1 race with you guys. There are ZERO F1 fans around here (south Alabama is NASCAR country) and when I start talking F1 to friends, they look at me like I have 3 heads.

It would be neat to watch a race with other people who get into it as much as I do. ha ha

LOL...you'd have to drive north a bit. And I'm not into it enough to get up and have a watch party...well, not anymore. LOL. I actually think Max is on the Prost level and most of my old F-1 buddies are blown away by that statement from me. Correct only thing letting Max down is the car. Also correct that Albon is there with him and they appear to get along okay too. I mean, I'm hard on Albon, I know...I like him and let's face it...Gasley failed completely with Max and Max ran Danny Ric off because Danny Ric couldn't handle the internal competition. I don't think Max plays games either. He's WAY too much of a hard core racer for games. Same with Vettel. He's truly a racer (poor guy, his mojo is long gone).

I lulled a bit in the 90's after Prost retired, but remember recording the San Marino GP in 94 when Senna was killed. After that, I wasn't into it much as Schumacher took over. Went to 2001 USGP to root on Prost F-1 (sheesh) and stopped waking up and watching until about 2007 when I watched Hamilton choke. Then nothing for a few more years and had a few years in 2011/2012 with some guys at work. Then in 2015 I got back into it. And now, despite hamilton winning, the back markers are exceedingly entertaining and real racing is going on.

Still nothing like an F-1 start. How those guys do it is mind boggling. Reminds me of an article I read about Mansell riding with Piquet to Silverstone and Mansell said he was white knuckled by the time they got to the track...said Piquet is a maniac.

 

[SN13]

Maybe we should start a virtual watch party with all of the software available.

Zoom F1

 

[Shooter McGavin]

Nice Q1 today. I like the grid for tomorrow.

 

[Jethro3898]

I agree. Very interesting grid.

Nice to see Nico pulling a P3 after not getting to race last week and not driving an F1 car for a year.

Poor Seb.....guy can’t get that Ferrari to work for him.

 

[BytorJr]

Well, I'd have liked to see Max 3 and Nico 4; but good for Nico. He deserves a seat more than Grosjean and K-mag and obviously he proved he's quicker than Stroll and likely Perez as well. Congrats to Nico and congrats to Valteri.

It's going to be interesting to see where the two biggest cheaters end up. Merc and Racing Point. I just read an article that said Toto had bought shares of Aston Martin (racing) and is big buddies with Lawrence Stroll. Massive conflict of interest and I can only hope this ultimately leads to a lifetime ban of Toto - I don't like that guy and never have. Granted, Mercedes are "reverse" cheating, but cheating nonetheless. Who knows what else they are cheating on! Really opens the door up on what they've been allowed to get away with. I'd say a full investigation of Merc and Racing Point is in order and super hard financial penalties on prize money (like none for next 2-3 years) would be in order. I think now there is no question the Pink cars are indeed last years Mercs.

Should be an interesting race. If Max can get a good start on the "hard" (medium) tires he may have a chance, ever so slight, to win this thing. Nice to see strategy change by Red Bull. And with The Hulk in the mix it could get really sporty that first lap. Would love to see both Max and Nico pass Hamilton and box him out. Hopefully this strategy break this monopoly the cheating Merc team has.

I feel sorry for Seb. Either he's really lost his mojo or Ferrari are not giving him the car he should have and playing favorites (shocked Ferrari would play favorites..shocked). I'm still thinking there is actually a chance Seb ends back up at Red Bull; but Racing Point looks like best bet. I think though, he should just sit out next year. Take a long hard look at where he is and if he thinks he can be. Or just listen to Max's advice...retire and be an LMP driver.

 

[Jethro3898]

but good for Nico. He deserves a seat more than Grosjean and K-mag

Understatement of the year!
Nico proves that a good driver with a good car can produce results. I’m glad that he had a chance to show his ability....especially after being out of the game for a year.

He isn’t really driving/racing for Racing Point. He’s driving for the other constructors who may be looking for a talent. I’m genuinely happy for him. He deserves a seat more than about 4 drivers off the top of my head. I just hope a decent team picks him up for 2021.

 

[BytorJr]

Wooooooohooooooo...MAX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Shooter McGavin]

I am not a huge Max fan. However, Red Bull strategy won out yesterday. I believe Merc was planning on a two stop strategy because of tire degradation were as Red Bulls didn't have the same problems last week or this week that Merc was dealing with. I think Max could have won if he didn't do that last pit last week and I think Red Bull realized it. So the plan was to only do a one stop and try to win. Way to go Red Bull and Max.

 

[BytorJr]

I am not a huge Max fan. However, Red Bull strategy won out yesterday. I believe Merc was planning on a two stop strategy because of tire degradation were as Red Bulls didn't have the same problems last week or this week that Merc was dealing with. I think Max could have won if he didn't do that last pit last week and I think Red Bull realized it. So the plan was to only do a one stop and try to win. Way to go Red Bull and Max.

Well booooooo hssss you're not a Max fan . But I agree that they (RBR) know they messed up last weekend. Played not to lose and lost as a result. Overall it was a good race.

I think "The Hulk" though should be getting a call; by whom I don't know, but no doubt he's better than the Haas boys, probably better at this point than Kimi, and better than Giovinazi, unquestionably better than anything at Haas.

If I were a team owner, I'd definitely be picking Nico over Sebastian if I had the choice. I think Seb is done - his mojo destroyed, like so many before, by Ferrari. I've said this since 2018 German GP where he made a massive error. His teammate seems to be able to extract the most out of the car; but for how long will he continue to do that - not a fan of LeClerc, but he's definitely much better than his teammate. Seb cannot even keep the car on the road. Sad to see because when Seb was at RBR, I liked him - it's sad to see him as a shell of his former self. His last glory run was the Canadian GP last year and regardless of the penalty and I think he shouldn't have been given that, no doubt Hamilton drove him to that massive off. As a 4x world champ, his composure should have been better. You don't see Hamilton making those mistakes...not in a LONG LONG time (2016??).

There's not a single team that, if smart, would pick Seb. You have Verstappen, LeClerc, Norris, Sainz, Albon, Gasley, and Russell all sitting there and HUNGRY and are either at the top of their game (Max and probably Carlos), coming to the top of their game (LeClerc) or will be nearing their top by 2022 (the rest of those guys). Seb, he has lost it. Eddie Jordan pointed this out as well in a recent interview.

 

[BytorJr]

A great past 2 races with Spa and Monza, but I'm totally pumped up to watch the boys at Mugello. No room for error there. Going to guess we'll have a few folks stuck in gravel and a couple of red flags. During practice this morning they said they were likely up to 5.5G lateral acceleration. That's insane!!!

 

[IDbound]

Hopefully our man wearing his BLM t-Shirt ends up in the litter box. Oops, that was not nice and I will probably get kicked off this forum now!

 

[BytorJr]

I've never liked his style from day 1. I will say, I agree with my favorite driver of all time (no, not Max just yet) Alain Prost, who says it will be EASY for Hamilton to win 8 championships. That he's got the loyalty of the team behind him and he's formed a great relationship. As evidenced by him always thanking his team and the factor workers. He'll never IMO be the best F-1 driver. Heck, the ONLY reason he has that many championships is because his team has dominated. We can argue that he has helped the team achieve this goal, but it's obvious they built a quali-car and not a race-car. So long as they get out in front, they're golden.

I will say I think his heart is in the correct place as I supported and still support his push to get more minorities into STEM. Hell, let's just get more westerners into STEM forget the race issues. Get school choice and that in and of itself in the USA will help tremendously. However, I think his point was that being a professional will raise people out. He's just been brainwashed by the left and the marxists (that damn fist on his helmet really pisses me off) - he's got good intent but has sided with the marxists.

Hamilton is a generational talent, no doubt. But I think if Max had an equal car, Hamilton would not have won a WC since 2015 - max had 4 DNF due to mechanical in 2017 and 3 stupidity moves. Not saying Max would have one 4 WC's by now, but I bet he'd have won 2 and Vettel may have squeaked in 2017 or 18. No question in my mind Max is more skilled than Hamilton, he just doesn't have the car. Hopefully I didn't just curse Max. Sunday their can be no mistakes and quali is super critical. I'm really enjoying watching Lando and George too. Poor Perez...did he REALLY not see that coming? Really?

Lastly, a tip of my hat to Gasley. Pure class when he won. Him sitting on the podium was classic - no doubt thinking about his friend who was killed at Spa the year before.

 

[IDbound]

Bytor Jr: Can't disagree with anything you said. I just hope there is more parity in 2022 and that Gene Has doesn't throw in the towel before then. Maybe they pick up Sainz now that he is a free agent.

 

[BytorJr]

You mean Perez. Sainz goes to the prancing horse.

I just about couldn’t watch the pre-race and after race with Hamilton’s political distractions.

I’m wondering if and when this will start fracturing the team. There are signs of discourse - primarily with Bottas (he’s incapable of matching Hamilton and needs to play a different game. Needs to be more mind games with him. Hamilton is crackable because he whines so much. There is a way to get into his brain like girly man did in 2016.

But eventually I have to believe the team is going to tire of his politics being so overt and overshadowing their role. His shirt today was enough that if Mercedes had balls they’d either fire him or suspend him for rest of season. At that point he’s representing the brand and it’s not exactly what needs to be front and center for a brand. Maybe BOSS can make him so new t-shirts.

 

[IDbound]

You are exactly right. It’s bad enough that politics is ruining the NFL, now it has moved overseas to Formula 1. It as though they think everyone in the US is a racist!

 

[Sieg]

Merc has a substantial advantage somewhere, and I'm guessing it's FIA politics, the drivers are good but not superhuman. Ferrari was looking to give the Merc's some competition then the FI regulation issue turned them into field fillers. Pretty much done with F1 and I've followed it for decades. I just want to watch a deep competitive field compete for position vs watching who finishes 3rd.

Todays race was entertaining, it would have been really entertaining if the Merc's would have been taken out in the first incident.

Thankfully the MotoGP racing has been exceptional this year.

 

[BytorJr]

Toto must be blowing the new owners of F-1. I agree and though I don't like Ferrari, they either were MASSIVELY cheating or they didn't pay to play.

Today, had Max not had whatever electronic gremlin that was, I think he'd have gotten hamilton at turn 1 and if not, would have crashed trying. I don't think Max will bend because "it's Louis." I think the most entertaining thing was Kimi about ripping the head off the engineer about the penalty. I also now think that while Valteri is being screwed by the team. You know, he's never that far off in quali...what, 0.009 seconds - 0.1 seconds off; yet by the 2nd or 3rd turn he's getting caught by folks. Something's going on...reminds me of the treatment Prost received after Senna won his first WC.

I'm guessing Valteri is wishing HE'D have contacted Ferrari or McClaren instead of signing with Merc again.

 

[brianf]

championships stopped counting once they put in cost restrictions

the season is really a waste of time after schumacher retired from ferrari and they put rev limits on engines

they do a reverse order of wind tunnel time to final points in constructors championship

they have a stupid token system limiting large updates to the power unit

they should just take the times from winter testing in barcelona, if the car doesnt work well there isnt enough budget and room to fix it

used to be v10s running at 20k RPM, now we get 15k and no refueling

 

[bigdaddydmd]

I don't think the season is a waste of time. I am enjoying the best of the rest this year. Yes, the constructors championship and drivers championship is already in the bag, as expected from the start of the season. I am liking the addition of tracks you normally don't get to see like Mugello last week. I am looking forward to Nürburgring in a few weeks.

 

[Jethro3898]

I’m a fan of record breaking in sports. For this one reason, I want to see Lewis win two more races (surpass Schumacher) and ultimately win his 7th championship title (tie Schumacher). At that point I really don’t care if he ever wins another race. I just enjoy seeing records broken and history being made.

I truly don’t believe there will ever be someone that equals Lewis in total wins or pole positions. Regardless of my personal feelings about Hamilton, he is a very talented driver with the absolute best hardware under his butt and team supporting him. People who dislike him will poo-poo his achievements and say it’s just because of the car he has......but Bottas has the same car currently, Stroll and Perez have virtually the same car he had last year, and Rossberg had the same car as him for 4 season (yet only bested him one season, by the slimmest of margins). He is legit....just wish he would have kept his head about him.

I’ve been happy to see McLaren and Renault doing better this year. Ferrari is a total dumpster fire. If I were Sainz, I’d be one Nervous cat. I bet Danny Ric is counting his lucky stars that they chose Sainz over him.

 

[brianf]

Yeah Mugello was a great track

 

[vwhugger]

They remind me of slot cars.
To me, the best racing is at the home dirt track with sprint cars on Saturday night. Drinking beer and arguing Ford VS Chevrolet.
But, to each his own.

 

[Sieg]

I'd like to see Lewis and Max switch cars, same with Bottas and Sainz. There's just been too much dominance for too long to have it be just driver talent.

 

[THEIS]

championships stopped counting once they put in cost restrictions

the season is really a waste of time after schumacher retired from ferrari and they put rev limits on engines

they do a reverse order of wind tunnel time to final points in constructors championship

they have a stupid token system limiting large updates to the power unit

they should just take the times from winter testing in barcelona, if the car doesnt work well there isnt enough budget and room to fix it

used to be v10s running at 20k RPM, now we get 15k and no refueling

Hi,

So what you are saying is that "Tim Strikes Again", lolol??

Sincerely,
Theis

 

[Shooter McGavin]

Lewis looked like a sore loser on Sunday.