Jump to content

Formula 1 2020/2021: Shits getting crazier


TheLastWolf

Recommended Posts

3 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

I figured it's better to ask this here than in the Watch thread. Is the Netflix series F1: Drive to Survive worth checking out? 

Yes. You get a really good look behind the scenes with the teams and team principals and people speak more candidly than I was expecting. The team principal of Haas in particular

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, lmanion said:

Yes. You get a really good look behind the scenes with the teams and team principals and people speak more candidly than I was expecting. The team principal of Haas in particular

I'd agree with that. It's a solid way of getting to know the teams and drivers (five years from now, when the lineup has changed more drastically, that might not be the case), and there's some good "stories" extending across all three seasons and into this year, like following Daniel Ricciardo's career and Gunther Steiner's constant look of WTF disbelief at the latest woes to befall his team.

It is cheesy, though, and they do milk events for all their worth (one accident that lasted less than 30 seconds in real life is dragged out to over four minutes in the Netflix version). An additional weakness is that Mercedes didn't agree to take part in Season 1 and only one episode in Season 2, so the biggest team in F1 with the best driver is mostly absent from the series. They also made the weird choice to edit out the anti-racist campaign that was a big part of the 2020 season, so that gets like ninety seconds' coverage at the end of the third season.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shift+F1 is a solid F1 podcast which covers the F1 season from an American perspective and also, slightly oddly, a video game one (two of the hosts work for video game magazines and websites, I believe).

They have a solid primer episode which sets up and explains what's going on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's concerning for Mercedes. This is a track they should smash it at, so if Red Bull can out-qualify them in France, they can theoretically beat them anywhere.

Mercedes will be hoping for better race pace, but the stronger race pace they had earlier in the season does seem to have narrowed somewhat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Absolutely outstanding racing, especially on arguably the worst track on the calendar.

That was a balls of steel strategy decision by Red Bull, turning Mercedes' own tactics back on them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Amazingly, that was only the 10th time in Formula One history (in the 1,042nd race) that there were no retirements at all.

5 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

I woke up early to try and see the race and it wasn't on any channel. :(

Really? The web is saying ESPN 9am Eastern.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Werthead said:

Really? The web is saying ESPN 9am Eastern.

They were playing basketball highlights from last night's crazy game when I turned it on an hour or so ago. Maybe there was a break? I searched a lot of their secondary channels and didn't find anything so I just went for a morning jog instead. They're covering the post-race results now.

Seems like Hamilton has a real rival. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, Werthead said:

Amazingly, that was only the 10th time in Formula One history (in the 1,042nd race) that there were no retirements at all.

I didn't even notice that there was so much going on. I'm not sure I remember any yellow flags either, which is quite a change to Baku.

It was a classic race, unusually for the track with lots of overtakes and the advantage swinging back and forth throughout the race. It was a bold move by Red Bull to bring Verstappen in, it almost looked for a while like Hamilton would just manage to hold him off but not this time. Bottas did not seem too happy about the strategy he was put on, he was a bit of a sitting duck at the end. Perez looked a bit uncertain in some of the early races for Red Bull but now seems to be growing into the role even if he's clearly the number 2 driver in the team.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly, Bottas need to pick the pace up if he wants to be put on a good strategy. In the opening stages of the race he was just about keeping up with Verstappen when he should have been putting pressure on him to let Lewis open up a gap and allow greater freedom in strategy for Mercedes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, kungtotte said:

Honestly, Bottas need to pick the pace up if he wants to be put on a good strategy. In the opening stages of the race he was just about keeping up with Verstappen when he should have been putting pressure on him to let Lewis open up a gap and allow greater freedom in strategy for Mercedes.

I think it is fair for him to ask why they didn't cover the second stop. Having Bottas stop as well gives him a chance to at least keep Perez behind him on older tyres and get on Max's tail if he has a lock up or any issues. One of the Mercedes covering Verstappen's stop was a no-brainer.

Don't get me wrong, Bottas has been uninspired this season, but Mercedes haven't helped him in strategy (though they did agree to a chassis swap, resulting in his strongest race for a while). I do think this is starting to feel like last orders for him (if they keep him for next year and don't promote Russell, they're insane).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/20/2021 at 11:56 PM, Werthead said:

Don't get me wrong, Bottas has been uninspired this season, but Mercedes haven't helped him in strategy (though they did agree to a chassis swap, resulting in his strongest race for a while). I do think this is starting to feel like last orders for him (if they keep him for next year and don't promote Russell, they're insane).

Getting a grid penalty for spinning in the pit lane won't help his cause either.

I can't remember an incident quite like it. Thankfully it didn't happen during the race when the other pit crews might have been further out in the pit lane.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The actual text of the regulation quoted for that penalty is this:

At no time may a car be driven unnecessarily slowly, erratically or in a manner which could be deemed potentially dangerous to other drivers or any other person

If they're gonna whack Bottas 3 places over a low speed, undramatic spin in the pit lane that would most likely only have resulted in material damage and light injuries and cite that regulation I think there's a lot of people who should be scared. Stroll actually hit someone in the pit lane, and Mazepin tries to shove people off every race weekend. Where are their penalties?

I'm all for safety, but I also think rules are only as good as their enforcement and you can't selectively enforce a rule like that when the actual text is so generic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read that Bottas said Mercedes ordered him to try get onto the fast lane in second gear to see whether they can shorten the pitstop this way. That was right after the incident while Bottas seemed assured that the FIA won't take an issue with that. Well now they do and... I must admit that I find some kind of punishment necessary, it's a bit too harsh towards Bottas. Not just because of the lost grid positions, but also the two penalty points on his license for what was essentially a team decision that put him into this situation. Would have preferred if they just fined Mercedes or something.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah I agree, it's a really harsh penalty for a low speed spin when we see guys actually hitting pit crew like Stroll or unsafe releases from pit boxes when cars are coming down the pit lane and those incidents are just as dangerous as what Bottas did.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote

 

"How do you win this race tomorrow?"

"I don't know."

 

Hamilton really downbeat there. Possibly an overreaction as he's still in P2, but looking at Verstappen and Red Bull, it does look like they've optimised the car for the higher altitude much better than Mercedes and their speed on the straights looks too strong for Mercedes to overhaul. The danger could be Perez overhauling Hamilton as well rather than Hamilton having much chance of wining.

I think Hamilton's key hope is either rain or getting a much better start.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Red Bull's most straightforward victory in a long time, and Mercedes seem glum about the prospects of finding an answer to them for next week. The only problem was they pitted Perez a lap too late to catch Bottas at the end, so Mercedes did at least pull back a couple of points in the constructors championship.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...