F1

[Big D]

Honestly, I feel like F1 is a bit of a farce this year. It really feels like the FIA want Max to win the title with the lack of punishments and then the performance yesterday. Like they think it'd be better for ratings...

Hamilton has to be super careful next race as there is a more than 0 chance that Verstappen will run him off the track or even actively crash into him. Part of me hopes he does simply take Hamilton out, and then the stewards will have to get involved with a nice precedent already set by Schumacher being removed from the title fight in '97 for crashing into Villeneuve.

If they fail to do it, we all know they're bent.

There are plenty who think the exact opposite.

I think the stewards have just about got most things about right, barring Verstappen in Brazil.

[Puja]

Honestly, I feel like F1 is a bit of a farce this year. It really feels like the FIA want Max to win the title with the lack of punishments and then the performance yesterday. Like they think it'd be better for ratings...

Hamilton has to be super careful next race as there is a more than 0 chance that Verstappen will run him off the track or even actively crash into him. Part of me hopes he does simply take Hamilton out, and then the stewards will have to get involved with a nice precedent already set by Schumacher being removed from the title fight in '97 for crashing into Villeneuve.

If they fail to do it, we all know they're bent.

There are plenty who think the exact opposite.

I think the stewards have just about got most things about right, barring Verstappen in Brazil.

I'd agree that the stewards have been mostly solid, aside from Brazil, which just gets worse and worse as a decision as time goes on. Verstappen could, quite reasonably, say that he shouldn't have been penalised in Saudi Arabia, because he did exactly the same as he did in Brazil but less seriously, and was surprised to be punished for something previously allowed.

Puja

[Puja]

Frankly, I think this is the first time where Red Bull's crying about the stewards is justified - I'm amazed that Hamilton has not been given a penalty for cutting the corner. Granted, Verstappen's overtake attempt was ridiculously over-aggressive and stood just as good a chance of spearing into the side of Hamilton as it did of cleanly overtaking, but he somehow made the corner and didn't leave the racetrack, so it surely makes it legal. Hamilton leaving the track to avoid the contact was fine, but he surely didn't need to cut that much of the corner and I am startled that he wasn't required to give the place back or given a penalty.

Mind, there's a reasonable chance that he'll finish the race >5s ahead of him anyway with the way that things are going.

Puja

[Puja]

Perez has just made this a race again. Stayed out instead of pitting and then fought Hamilton for nearly two laps, practically parking the car on the slow corners and saving up his KERS to fight him on the straights. The gap between Hamilton and Verstappen was over 8.5s before that battle and it was 1.2s when Hamilton finally got properly past. Great teamwork. Meanwhile, Bottas is wrestling with Yuki Tsunoda for 6th place.

Hamilton's showing his class here now though - gap back out to 2.8s again.

Puja

[Puja]

Mercedes have fucked it. Virtual Safety Car gave Verstappen a cheap pit stop and Mercedes decided not to bring Hamilton in. Now Verstappen's on the charge with fresh tyres and I don't think the gap's big enough.

Puja

[Banquo]

absolute joke. Race decided by marshalls.

Could Red Bull have had any more luck?

[Banquo]

Mercedes have fucked it. Virtual Safety Car gave Verstappen a cheap pit stop and Mercedes decided not to bring Hamilton in. Now Verstappen's on the charge with fresh tyres and I don't think the gap's big enough.

Puja

it was, but then some nob crashed.

[Banquo]

so they said to Toto Wolff, be quiet its motor racing, We bent the rules so it would be an exciting finish. Good to know.

[Puja]

absolute joke. Race decided by marshalls.

Could Red Bull have had any more luck?

They did have incredible luck, but I'm still blaming Mercedes for the loss here. The second pit-stop safety car wasn't an option for Hamilton to come in (as there was no guarantee that the race would restart and giving up track position could've killed them), but they should 100% have come in on the first safety car. They were 5 seconds up on Verstappen and, even if Verstappen had chosen to do the opposite to get track position, then Hamilton would've been about 9 seconds behind with brand new tyres, a stronger engine, and 20-odd laps to catch up. Staying out was always going to be the bigger risk.

Puja

[Puja]

so they said to Toto Wolff, be quiet its motor racing, We bent the rules so it would be an exciting finish. Good to know.

All very well and good in theory and I don't blame Masi for wanting the race to finish on track, but the decision he made didn't give a fair fight, but a massive advantage to the guy with the brand new tyres.

It was always going to be a political decision whichever way it went, but I'd've said the fair option was to restart without unlapping the cars. Technically it should have finished under the safety car because all cars should have unlapped and gone back round to join the queue, but I understand the desire to finish with racing laps, so have them restart as-is. Verstappen's still got a massive advantage with brand new soft tyres, but Hamilton's at least got a 2-3 second head start by the time the backmarkers are cleared, so he'd only have to defend at the very end of the lap and it'd be a fair contest. Giving Verstappen the whole lap right behind Hamilton with those tyres was basically handing him the race.

Puja

[Banquo]

so they said to Toto Wolff, be quiet its motor racing, We bent the rules so it would be an exciting finish. Good to know.

All very well and good in theory and I don't blame Masi for wanting the race to finish on track, but the decision he made didn't give a fair fight, but a massive advantage to the guy with the brand new tyres.

It was always going to be a political decision whichever way it went, but I'd've said the fair option was to restart without unlapping the cars. Technically it should have finished under the safety car because all cars should have unlapped and gone back round to join the queue, but I understand the desire to finish with racing laps, so have them restart as-is. Verstappen's still got a massive advantage with brand new soft tyres, but Hamilton's at least got a 2-3 second head start by the time the backmarkers are cleared, so he'd only have to defend at the very end of the lap and it'd be a fair contest. Giving Verstappen the whole lap right behind Hamilton with those tyres was basically handing him the race.

Puja

I was being sarcastic for the avoidance of doubt.

[Puja]

so they said to Toto Wolff, be quiet its motor racing, We bent the rules so it would be an exciting finish. Good to know.

All very well and good in theory and I don't blame Masi for wanting the race to finish on track, but the decision he made didn't give a fair fight, but a massive advantage to the guy with the brand new tyres.

It was always going to be a political decision whichever way it went, but I'd've said the fair option was to restart without unlapping the cars. Technically it should have finished under the safety car because all cars should have unlapped and gone back round to join the queue, but I understand the desire to finish with racing laps, so have them restart as-is. Verstappen's still got a massive advantage with brand new soft tyres, but Hamilton's at least got a 2-3 second head start by the time the backmarkers are cleared, so he'd only have to defend at the very end of the lap and it'd be a fair contest. Giving Verstappen the whole lap right behind Hamilton with those tyres was basically handing him the race.

Puja

I was being sarcastic for the avoidance of doubt.

Oh no, I did pick up a hint of sarcasm there. Very well disguised though. I was more addressing Masi's radio message. I understand him snapping after months of getting whined at by both sides, but he did just decide the Championship, so it's not unfair.

Puja

[Banquo]

Mercedes going large

[Puja]

I don't know how this one can possibly end. On the one hand, it's farcical to have the celebrations, the fireworks, the champagne, the "MAX VERSTAPPEN WORLD CHAMPION 2021" banners, and then undo it all in the stewards office. On the other hand, it appears that by the letter of the law, Mercedes have a very strong case - the regs say that if lapped cars are allowed to overtake, then the safety car comes in at the end of the next lap. It does also seem very partisan to only allow the five cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to unlap themselves - Ricciardo, Stroll, and Schumacher could reasonably say they were denied a chance to race on the last lap by their opposition being allowed to overtake the safety car and go off into the distance.

I can't see what the good solution is - surely you can't uncrown Verstappen at this point. And yet, if there's been a clear breach that's robbed Hamilton, what other route is fair to him?

Puja

[Banquo]

I don't know how this one can possibly end. On the one hand, it's farcical to have the celebrations, the fireworks, the champagne, the "MAX VERSTAPPEN WORLD CHAMPION 2021" banners, and then undo it all in the stewards office. On the other hand, it appears that by the letter of the law, Mercedes have a very strong case - the regs say that if lapped cars are allowed to overtake, then the safety car comes in at the end of the next lap. It does also seem very partisan to only allow the five cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to unlap themselves - Ricciardo, Stroll, and Schumacher could reasonably say they were denied a chance to race on the last lap by their opposition being allowed to overtake the safety car and go off into the distance.

I can't see what the good solution is - surely you can't uncrown Verstappen at this point. And yet, if there's been a clear breach that's robbed Hamilton, what other route is fair to him?

Puja

Yep, Masi has utterly fckd up to create a race and not end on a non event. As you say, no happy ending here.

[Numbers]

I don't know how this one can possibly end. On the one hand, it's farcical to have the celebrations, the fireworks, the champagne, the "MAX VERSTAPPEN WORLD CHAMPION 2021" banners, and then undo it all in the stewards office. On the other hand, it appears that by the letter of the law, Mercedes have a very strong case - the regs say that if lapped cars are allowed to overtake, then the safety car comes in at the end of the next lap. It does also seem very partisan to only allow the five cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to unlap themselves - Ricciardo, Stroll, and Schumacher could reasonably say they were denied a chance to race on the last lap by their opposition being allowed to overtake the safety car and go off into the distance.

I can't see what the good solution is - surely you can't uncrown Verstappen at this point. And yet, if there's been a clear breach that's robbed Hamilton, what other route is fair to him?

Puja

Yep, Masi has utterly fckd up to create a race and not end on a non event. As you say, no happy ending here.

What they could and perhaps should have done was bring all the cars into the pits and suspoended the race as the crashed car was still on the track, that way everyone could have changed tyres and we would have had a four lap mini race at the end, that would have satisfied all parties I reckon.

[Puja]

I don't know how this one can possibly end. On the one hand, it's farcical to have the celebrations, the fireworks, the champagne, the "MAX VERSTAPPEN WORLD CHAMPION 2021" banners, and then undo it all in the stewards office. On the other hand, it appears that by the letter of the law, Mercedes have a very strong case - the regs say that if lapped cars are allowed to overtake, then the safety car comes in at the end of the next lap. It does also seem very partisan to only allow the five cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to unlap themselves - Ricciardo, Stroll, and Schumacher could reasonably say they were denied a chance to race on the last lap by their opposition being allowed to overtake the safety car and go off into the distance.

I can't see what the good solution is - surely you can't uncrown Verstappen at this point. And yet, if there's been a clear breach that's robbed Hamilton, what other route is fair to him?

Puja

Yep, Masi has utterly fckd up to create a race and not end on a non event. As you say, no happy ending here.

What they could and perhaps should have done was bring all the cars into the pits and suspoended the race as the crashed car was still on the track, that way everyone could have changed tyres and we would have had a four lap mini race at the end, that would have satisfied all parties I reckon.

That would've been absolutely ideal. Or, once Masi realised the situation he'd put himself in, it could even have been done when there was just the final lap to go. Anything would've been better than the situation we had where Masi was in the position of either handing the championship to Hamilton behind the safety car (or with the backmarkers inbetween which would likely have been the same thing) or handing it to Verstappen by giving him a lap with a vastly superior car.

As it is, Verstappen isn't an unworthy champion (even if one I don't like), because of his performances over the season, but he'll need to win another one to take the asterisk off his name.

Speaking of which, does anyone else read those articles about Max's upbringing and think that Jos sounds like an abusive dad living his dreams through his child? Berating him, making all of his time be about racing, forcing him into early morning training as a child, abandoning him at a petrol station "to teach him a lesson" because he crashed at a race!? It might be the way to create a perfect Formula One driver, but it's not the way to create a happy and healthy child. People keep writing articles where it's presented as tough love that "made him the champion he is today," but to me it screams of horrible emotional abuse.

https://www.newsy-today.com/formula-1-a ... ather-jos/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/59555388

Puja

[Stom]

What did I say?

It really feels like F1 is now a made for tv drama, not a sport.

Race is a procession, so one of the pay drivers somehow crashes with 5 laps to go. Then the decision with the safety car…

Pure drama, not pure sport.

I just feel sorry for Hamilton and Verstappen, and it’s not often I feel sorry for the latter… what a farce. And completely avoidable.

[Banquo]

I don't know how this one can possibly end. On the one hand, it's farcical to have the celebrations, the fireworks, the champagne, the "MAX VERSTAPPEN WORLD CHAMPION 2021" banners, and then undo it all in the stewards office. On the other hand, it appears that by the letter of the law, Mercedes have a very strong case - the regs say that if lapped cars are allowed to overtake, then the safety car comes in at the end of the next lap. It does also seem very partisan to only allow the five cars between Hamilton and Verstappen to unlap themselves - Ricciardo, Stroll, and Schumacher could reasonably say they were denied a chance to race on the last lap by their opposition being allowed to overtake the safety car and go off into the distance.

I can't see what the good solution is - surely you can't uncrown Verstappen at this point. And yet, if there's been a clear breach that's robbed Hamilton, what other route is fair to him?

Puja

Yep, Masi has utterly fckd up to create a race and not end on a non event. As you say, no happy ending here.

What they could and perhaps should have done was bring all the cars into the pits and suspoended the race as the crashed car was still on the track, that way everyone could have changed tyres and we would have had a four lap mini race at the end, that would have satisfied all parties I reckon.

aka Red flag

[Stom]

Looking at that grid…

From the bottom, the power units are:

Merc
Merc
Merc
Merc
RB
Ferrari
Merc
Merc

Hmmm.

Something tells me the merc power unit is no longer the best… in fact, it might be the worst