F1 2021

[Comrade 86]

5 hours ago, ziggyram59 said:

Bad day yesterday for Lewis Hamilton in qualifying so I think it's damage limitations and try and finish in the top 5 and hope Leclerc can win the race. 

Didn't seem to be able to hook up the car at all which is something of a rarity. The Ferrari team seem to have pulled some searring pace out of thin air which will liven up the championship some more. If Le Clerc gets away in font, hard to see anyone beating him today save for in the pits maybe, what with Monaco being effectively 60 formation laps. I guess safety cars will be key. Can see some in-race skullduggery which might make for interesting viewing after the 'Shades of Rosberg' qualy ? 

[Comrade 86]

Well that's backfired massively. Ferrari attempt to use the car Le Clerc pranged without refitting a the gearbox. They now start from the pitlane as it's failed instead of starting 6th with a 5 position penalty. Verstappen now on pole in a race that could now put a massive dent in Hamilton's lead, indeed Verstappen could be leading the WDC at the end of this race. 

EDIT - And now he's out completely! Wow, another absolutely shocking call from Ferrari results in them only have one car on the grid after dominating practice and qualy. What a horlicks!

Edited May 23, 2021 by 86 Hair Islands

[Gaspode]

Well that was one of the most boring races you'll ever see. They have to find a way to make Monaco less of a procession - it's a classic circuit, but the modern cars are too fast and too wide to allow any proper racing - and relying on clever pit stops or crashes to make it interesting isn't the answer....

[Comrade 86]

[alexxxxx]

3 hours ago, Gaspode said:

Well that was one of the most boring races you'll ever see. They have to find a way to make Monaco less of a procession - it's a classic circuit, but the modern cars are too fast and too wide to allow any proper racing - and relying on clever pit stops or crashes to make it interesting isn't the answer....

Thought they should have gone for the harder tyres so there was more incentive for wheel to wheel racing instead of looking after tyres.

[RadioactiveWaste]

On 23/05/2021 at 15:52, Gaspode said:

Well that was one of the most boring races you'll ever see. They have to find a way to make Monaco less of a procession - it's a classic circuit, but the modern cars are too fast and too wide to allow any proper racing - and relying on clever pit stops or crashes to make it interesting isn't the answer....

But it's s been that way for more than 20 years!

Still, very sad for Leclerk, could've won it if he's not binned it on Saturday.

Pro job from red bull, max had it in the bag soon as Leclerk was out. However, getting Perez up 4 places on the pit stops was pretty good.

Merc, what a horrible weekend. Lewis just be majorly pissed off after that, probably as pissed off as bottas who would've probably had a solid P2. Having spent Sunday afternoon fixing a lawnmower with a virtually striped bolt holding the drive train assembly together including the part that needed replacing...I feel you, I feel you.

Vettel had a good race. Nice to see.

Gasley had a good weekend.

However, best has to go to either Sainz getting his first podium for Ferrari or Norris for a very good P3. Probably Norris for giving Danny ric a wave as he lapped him.

 

[Gaspode]

9 hours ago, RadioactiveWaste said:

But it's s been that way for more than 20 years!……

Not really - there used to be a number of places where cars could overtake (saint devote, rascasse and the chicane after the tunnel for example) but modern aerodynamics mean the cars can’t get close enough to each other to even think about nipping past - add on the extra width and speed of the modern cars and it’s completely neutralised racing. The only attempt at a proper overtake on Sunday was at the hairpin with the 2 Haas cars battling for who would be last on the very first lap. Majority of overtaking took place on the run to the first corner or during the pit stops - other than that it was simply a high speed procession. Great to see Norris finish 3rd but even though he was complaining about his tyres for the last 20 laps he was actually never under threat as the car behind just couldn’t get close enough - used to love the buzz of Monaco but I’m not sure I’ll bother watching next year…..

[ziggyram59]

One of the most boring races. Mercedes need to up there game to stay in this championship, Red Bull have upper hand at the moment. Which makes me feel sick saying that. Hate Horner so much. 

[Gaspode]

5 minutes ago, ziggyram59 said:

One of the most boring races. Mercedes need to up there game to stay in this championship, Red Bull have upper hand at the moment. Which makes me feel sick saying that. Hate Horner so much. 

Is it a Geri thing? ?

[ziggyram59]

15 minutes ago, Gaspode said:

Is it a Geri thing? ?

No hated him before that far to up his own arse. He hates Lewis as well. 

[JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta]

2 hours ago, ziggyram59 said:

One of the most boring races. Mercedes need to up there game to stay in this championship, Red Bull have upper hand at the moment. Which makes me feel sick saying that. Hate Horner so much. 

Horner digging out Mercedes for appealing and pushing the agenda on their flexible wing is doing my head in. He has spent the last few seasons crying to the FIA every time Mercedes implement something new, so to come out and say Mercedes are out of order for doing the same is just childish.

I'd prefer it if they just fronted up to what they are doing. It's a competitive sport and everyone is looking for an advantage, no need to start whingeing when this sort of stuff happens.

[ziggyram59]

Another thing that makes me sick is Martin bloody Brundle it's obvious he can't stand Lewis and is up Verstappens arse so much, his won 2 races to Lewis's 3 and leads the championship but according to Brundle(Who as a F1 driver achieved nothing) Verstappen is so great and Lewis is yesterday's man. On Sky they hate Lewis winning. 

[Comrade 86]

22 hours ago, JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta said:

Horner digging out Mercedes for appealing and pushing the agenda on their flexible wing is doing my head in. He has spent the last few seasons crying to the FIA every time Mercedes implement something new, so to come out and say Mercedes are out of order for doing the same is just childish.

Not to mention tapping up and poaching no less than 5 Mercedes engineers for the new Red Bull powerplant division. The smarmy rick thinks his own poo doesn't smell.

On 26/05/2021 at 10:34, ziggyram59 said:

No hated him before that far to up his own arse.

 Come on chap! I bet Horner and Halliwell are absolutely demon company at parties ?

[Duracell]

18 hours ago, ziggyram59 said:

Another thing that makes me sick is Martin bloody Brundle it's obvious he can't stand Lewis and is up Verstappens arse so much, his won 2 races to Lewis's 3 and leads the championship but according to Brundle(Who as a F1 driver achieved nothing) Verstappen is so great and Lewis is yesterday's man. On Sky they hate Lewis winning. 

Sky's commentary is used in world feed commentary, and in other countries, they're accused of pro-Hamilton bias. I really don't think Brundle can be much more complimentary and remain neutral. It's definitely not as pro-Lewis as the days of James Allen but I don't see an agenda from him.

Di Resta, on the other hand, is absolutely a Max fanboy and pretty poor at hiding it. Shame as he's a pretty good pundit for offering driver insight.

[RadioactiveWaste]

On 26/05/2021 at 12:53, JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta said:

Horner digging out Mercedes for appealing and pushing the agenda on their flexible wing is doing my head in. He has spent the last few seasons crying to the FIA every time Mercedes implement something new, so to come out and say Mercedes are out of order for doing the same is just childish.

I'd prefer it if they just fronted up to what they are doing. It's a competitive sport and everyone is looking for an advantage, no need to start whingeing when this sort of stuff happens.

I find all the dark arts stuff in F1 a large part of the appeal of the sport, it's totally a machiavelian world of deciet, duplicity, cheating, contracts, protest - the entire ediface of creating these vehicles and the soap opera around it I find fascinating. Murry Walker described F1 as the ultimate distilation of life, and there's something in that, just you can't expect it all smell pleasent.

I don't like Horner, but i respect his playng of games and it's not as if Toto (or Stroll sr "we're going to sue the FIA because the new regs made our car suck", or Zack Brown or any of the other team bosses are not going to be playing these games) - in fact, i don't think there many genuinly likable people in F1, or they don't behave in likable ways in terms of the sport, might be lovely away from it, but soon as it's business, top bamford mode.

I also think the pro-Verstappen stuff at the moment isn't really anti-Lewis so much as WOW we've actually got a challenge this season.

 

[Duracell]

29 minutes ago, RadioactiveWaste said:

I don't like Horner, but i respect his playng of games and it's not as if Toto (or Stroll sr "we're going to sue the FIA because the new regs made our car suck", or Zack Brown or any of the other team bosses are not going to be playing these games) - in fact, i don't think there many genuinly likable people in F1, or they don't behave in likable ways in terms of the sport, might be lovely away from it, but soon as it's business, top bamford mode.

Is there anyone who embodies that better than Schumacher?* Quiet family man with a love for bunny rabbits. Deliberately drove into Damon Hill to win a Championship. 

 

*Perhaps Max Mosely. Fascist family links, Nazi-themed orgy, autocratic leadership style who also saved tens if not hundreds of thousands of lives by introducing the NCAP safety rating to road cars as well as all the advances in motorsport.

 

[RadioactiveWaste]

3 minutes ago, Duracell said:

Is there anyone who embodies that better than Schumacher?* Quiet family man with a love for bunny rabbits. Deliberately drove into Damon Hill to win a Championship and got away with it, so he tried it again against Viellnurve and didn't.

 

*Perhaps Max Mosely. Fascist family links, Nazi-themed orgy, autocratic leadership style who also saved tens if not hundreds of thousands of lives by introducing the NCAP safety rating to road cars as well as all the advances in motorsport.

I'd give Jackie Stewart a shout for genuinly trying to improve safety in the sport.

 

Thing with the Schumacher dominance, it wasn't just he was that good, it was the way Ferarri were (very much like Merc now) always going as far as they could, finishing a race in the pit lane to put the pit stop out the way at the end, poor Rubens Barrichello, Brawn and the FIA deciding in Ferarri's favor so much they became "Ferarri International Assistance" - but that's all part of "what F1 demands to be successful". There was also the ilegal traction control on his Benneton "we never used it in the race, it just happened to still be on the chip from testing" ay, right......

For saying how much I hated Schumacher growing up (the Damon Hill incident did make an impression on 12 year old me) I can now looking back see the greatness as well, and also, some of the same ruthlessness in Lewis, who I've always loved, but isn't immune to the odd "i'm just going to schumacher you off the road there, brake or crash mate" move over the years and Mercedies always trying to get whatever edge they can with seemingly a lot of leyway from the FIA because Lweis is the biggest thing...

[JoetheRam]

I hated Schumacher as a kid as well, especially when he beat "my guy" Hakkinen in 2000.

Then spent the next 5 years watching The Michael absolutely crush it and whilst I can now admire his achievements, it is no good for the sport when one man and one team dominate for so long. Same thing now - absolutely nothing against Hamilton, he's been the best driver in the best team for the last 5 years, 2 of his titles were absolute gimmes given his team mate (same and more can be said of Schumacher, so I don't think it harms his reputation in any way to say so) and he deserves to mentioned in the same breath as Fangio, Clark, Senna, Prost, Lauda et. al. No matter what happens this season that reputation won't change.

I'm not a Red Bull fan at all - always rooted for Webber and Ricciardo when Seb was dominant, but it would be nice for Verstappen to win the title this year for the good of the sport.

I think the early experience of not truly appreciating Schumacher's greatness at the time has meant I'm not really a fan of any driver now. I have favourites (Le Clerc, Sainz, Ricciardo, old man Alonso) that I want to do well but mostly just want to see a good race and close WDC.

If Max doesn't win it this year, it's going to be interesting to see when he next gets the chance. The two other WDC's in waiting, Le Clerc and Norris are both well in at Ferrari and McLaren and they both produce a title winning car every now and then... rule changes next year... sounds crazy to say it given his age but this might be Verstappen's best chance for a while.

 

 

[Comrade 86]

1 hour ago, JoetheRam said:

I hated Schumacher as a kid as well, especially when he beat "my guy" Hakkinen in 2000.

Then spent the next 5 years watching The Michael absolutely crush it and whilst I can now admire his achievements, it is no good for the sport when one man and one team dominate for so long. Same thing now - absolutely nothing against Hamilton, he's been the best driver in the best team for the last 5 years, 2 of his titles were absolute gimmes given his team mate (same and more can be said of Schumacher, so I don't think it harms his reputation in any way to say so) and he deserves to mentioned in the same breath as Fangio, Clark, Senna, Prost, Lauda et. al. No matter what happens this season that reputation won't change.

I'm not a Red Bull fan at all - always rooted for Webber and Ricciardo when Seb was dominant, but it would be nice for Verstappen to win the title this year for the good of the sport.

I think the early experience of not truly appreciating Schumacher's greatness at the time has meant I'm not really a fan of any driver now. I have favourites (Le Clerc, Sainz, Ricciardo, old man Alonso) that I want to do well but mostly just want to see a good race and close WDC.

If Max doesn't win it this year, it's going to be interesting to see when he next gets the chance. The two other WDC's in waiting, Le Clerc and Norris are both well in at Ferrari and McLaren and they both produce a title winning car every now and then... rule changes next year... sounds crazy to say it given his age but this might be Verstappen's best chance for a while.

While I agree with petty much all of this, I'd still happily see Hammy smash out 10 WDCs all the same ? 

[RadioactiveWaste]

2 hours ago, JoetheRam said:

sounds crazy to say it given his age but this might be Verstappen's best chance for a while.

 

 

Do you remember when Alonso moved to McLaren and everyone thought it was only a matter of time before he got his 3rd title? He's been good enough consistently enough to have won another title...but there's a lot of things that need to line up to actually win it, so, no, I don't think it's crazy at all that this may be Verstappen's best or only chance to win the championship.