Excellent!
Definately best race of the year. Brilliant that Kimi won. Well done Ferrari.
I cant do the maths for Mexico, but surely Finger Boy needs to win?
How many Budweisers will Kimi get through tonight...
looking forward to an emotional speech from kimi
"bwoah it was okay"
Kimi in the pre podium to Lewis “did you win the championship or what?”
proper legend
Classic Bottas.....
Yeah I've always given him the benefit of the doubt, but he's just not good enough for that seat
Mercedes balls up the strategy again and throw the race win away. Why didn't they bring Hamilton in at least 10 laps earlier when it was obvious to anyone watching the race that his tyres wouldn't make it to the end? They just gave away track time and made his job impossible.
Also, it was obvious to me that none of the top cars were going to be able to overtake each other as they couldn't get close enough coming on to the longest straight due to the hairpin beforehand. That was demonstrated quite ably by Kimi earlier in the race holding Hamilton back even though his tyres were knackered.
Ferrari got it right today and Mercedes gave it away.
I cant do the maths for Mexico, but surely Finger Boy needs to win?
lewis needs to finish at least 7th in any of the last three races to clinch it.
and pole is a liability on that side of the track!
Vettel has to win all 3 remaining, if he comes 2nd in Mexico Hamilton wins the championshop
hamilton has to score 6 points total in the next 3 races
5 points would do for Lewis I think, as he'd win on 1st place countback if they tied
'Kimi, does the champagne taste even sweeter now?'
'Nah, I'm pretty sure its the same as you get for 2nd and 3rd...'
Looking forward to the looped video montages at the end of the season showing Vettel endlessly spinning himself around in various locations around the world. France, Italy, Japan, USA… have I forgotten any? (China seems a little cruel as it was in no way his fault.)
I'm no strategist but this wasn't the first race this year where I've ended up starting at the screen for a few laps in succession wondering why Mercedes aren't bringing Hamilton in. Quite why they let him drop behind the window between Raikkonen and Verstappen is fairly unfathomable: at that point they still had both Bottas and Verstappen in front of Vettel, who are probably the two people they could count on most to hold him back. Hamilton would have been about 3 seconds behind Raikkonen—with what was it, 20 laps to go?—with significantly fresher tyres. I don't understand that call. But hey, I guess they've hardly ended up with him in a precarious position for the title, so it doesn't matter.
Good to see him having a go on Verstappen at the end, though. But then they're both kind of cut from Senna cloth; a Prostish driver would have just rolled it home safely for the points.
why they let him drop behind the window between Raikkonen and Verstappen is fairly unfathomable
I'd like to think they'd want him to win the championhsip in style, in the US. Big PR boon. So they keep him out, build up the tension, bring him in so that he has a few people to get past then go for glory, taking Kimi on the last corner of the last lap. It just didn't work out that way.... but nothing lost other than an infamous win.
Maybe they've got a better venue for the celebration party in Mexico?
I don't know why they didn't bring him in but it certainly won't effect the eventual outcome, – other than assassination there is no way LH isn't going to win the Championship and perhaps they were just doing it for data purposes? Or for shit 'n giggles?
Or maybe a man in dark glasses named Woto Tolff put a large bet on Hamilton taking the title in Mexico on Saturday evening...
I just hope Hamilton has been practising how to do '5' shaped burnouts!!
Will anyone else be glad to see the back of Alonso? He's just become a moaning, whiny, 'it wasn't like this back in my day', bitter old racer.
Yeah he has become more of a whinge bag lately - maybe this is a taste of what he's been like internally all these years though which might explain why he's been on the wrong side of so many decisions.
Good point - if this is his public face - his private attitude is likely to be a lot worse. And having the lovely fella Mr Briatore as his manager can only add to the charm of having him as your driver! 🙂
Meh. He's been stuck in that dog of a Mclaren for quite a while slowly sliding to the back of the field & ends up in his fair share of dodgems with some of the over-enthusiastic rookie drivers.
I reckon I'd be pretty moany over the radio in his shoes.
Pfft, getting a shit-cart full of money to travel the world, drive a fast car, meet the rich & powerful, get wined, dined, have gifts lavished on and to have the sort of life the rest of us can only dream about. Yeah I can see why he's a moany cock too.
Would love to see Kimi win the last three races and leave Ferrari/finger boy red faced
My weekend is no longer complete without listening to a four letter rant from Vettel over the radio on a Saturday, followed by him going backwards at some stage on the Sunday afternoon.
Laurence Edmonson's view seems to be that the Merc just wasn't fast enough on the day and strategy wasn't the major problem.
http://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/25051412/the-real-reason-lewis-hamilton-win-title-austin
The reality was that the Mercedes simply wasn't quick enough to make either strategy work and that's why the cars finished third and fifth.
As far as Alonso goes, I've always been torn between loathing him for acting like a total prick at times and utter amazement at how he can get into a dog of a car, grab it by the scruff of the neck, and somehow score points. Not just the McLaren, but those turds on wheels that Ferrari gave him too. I rate him and Hamilton as the two best drivers of the last ten years, so sorry to see him go.
well done lewis
Great driver, but a bit too American for my tastes.
Yes I know he’s British (and ought to be Scots with a name like that) but somehow always comes across a bit mid-Atlantic. Not that his being British would automatically make him likeable.
Still a great driver though.
Great driver, but a bit too American for my tastes.
Yes I know he’s British (and ought to be Scots with a name like that) but somehow always comes across a bit mid-Atlantic. Not that his being British would automatically make him likeable.
Do you realise how much of a p**** that makes you sound?
Awesome driver. Congratulations, Lewis. One of the best.
Awesome driver. Congratulations, Lewis. One of the best.
+1. Get in!!
Do you realise how much of a p**** that makes you sound?
OTOH I fully support his rap career
Right up there with the true greats and it’s not all about the 5 WC’s but grinding out poles and wins in cars that weren’t that good.
Even this season he has pulled out wins where I don’t think any other driver could but his McLarens 2009-2012 were arguably only the 4th fastest car and he still won races and snaffled poles.
Would love to see him go on and take Michael’s records...
Mikey - that was me trying to be nice.
Hamilton comes across as a whiny little spoilt brat. I mean complaining that the team have put the wrong tyres on his car when he’s cruising to the driver’s championship in a world beating car they gave him? He’s a prat.
However he is a very good driver who has just won the championship so I was being nice.
And now you’ve gone and spoilt it.
Bad Mikey.
complaining that the team have put the wrong tyres on his car when he’s cruising to the driver’s championship
Demanding perfection at all times is what makes a world Champion.
Hamilton comes across as a whiny little spoilt brat.
Yep, I think getting beaten by Rosberg was the best thing that ever happened to him. He is annoying when he opens his mouth, but I don't think there's any doubt that he's up there with the best drivers ever. (I would say the same thing about Alonso too, Jesus I wish he would just shut up and drive the car.)
Hols2 +1
Demanding perfection at all times is what makes a world Champion.
Quietly ragging the living daylights out of whatever your given whilst working like a trojan to make things better behind the scenes is more of a tell for me.
Hamilton comes across as a whiny little spoilt brat. I mean complaining that the team have put the wrong tyres on his car when he’s cruising to the driver’s championship in a world beating car they gave him? He’s a prat
Sorry did you watch the same GP? For reason’s unknown to Hamilton, his tyres were degrading an an alarming rate and when he’s being asked to drive 40 more laps whilst ensuring he finishes and wins the Championship demands the question.
He was struggling, not cruising and yesterday’s cars was not world beating. Watching your tyres blister and degrade at 200mph can’t have been comfortable by any stretch of the imagination. He was also suffered from another as yet undisclosed mechanical issue so I’d imagine a fair bit of stress was going on in that cockpit.
One other thing btw, you should try comparing Hamiltons personality to the one you are expressing yourself here, it might be insightful for you...
I’d imagine a fair bit of stress was going on in that cockpit.
Given he already had 4 titles to his name and knew that a 5th was in the bag anyway (if not at that race then the next one), I'd imagine more people are getting stressed out in this thread.
Well, not really. A Mercedes in the wall this race puts more pressure on the next race etc....
I’m being nice and saying he’s a pretty decent driver.
I don't have to like him do I? I mean it’s not like I’m telling you not to like him.
Nor am I trying to insult you on a personal basis. But I have broad shoulders.
I don’t have to like him do I?
Of course not, but you could express your dislike less emotionally and based on educated facts at hand rather than a disingenuous conclusion and you'd come across a lot more credible in your opinion.
Well, I watched the race last night. I had heard Lewis has tied up the championship, but didn't know any of the finishing positions.
From what I understand about practice & qualifying, they didn't really know what to expect in the race. The Merc always seems quite hard on it's tyres & although I have heard a few times during the season that they had improved matters it does still seem to shred them up when conditions aren't ideal.
I felt mostly pleased for Verstappen to get a result & sorry for Ricciardo for another DNF. I think if I was him I'd have been out of that car & thrashing it with a large branch (hmmm, perhaps a cactus), ala John Cleese.
The thing is, has Ricciardo just jumped from the frying pan into the fire? The Renault team aren't exactly showing stellar reliablilty or performance. And Red Bull will be switching to the Honda engine this year, which seems to have been a bit more reliable this year; although not sure about the performance of it though...
It’s like or dislike. It’s an emotion. Nothing more. I don’t like the guy as soon as he opens his mouth on or off the track. Not saying it’s rational.
On the facts at hand he’s a decent driver. When he was just a driver (around the time of his first championship), I quite liked him. If he stuck to driving, I probably still would.
Now his image will appeal to others - possibly you for example. And that’s fine. That’s not rational either though.
I see Smedley's off from Williams. Always seemed like a decent bloke, but can't help speculating about whether he's either a) walking away because of their recent performance and what he seeing for the future b) being ushered out becuase of his contribution to their recent perfornance and/or the way out of it. Either way I get the feeling he won't need to look too hard for a new post.
Smedley story here:
He seems to have been responsible for Williams dropping from the top of the midfield to struggling to survive. Ferrari weren't much good while he was there either. Can't imagine other teams are going to be fighting each other to hire him.
Didn't they also lose their aero guy this year? Gonna be a tough job for Clare to get things back on track. Especially with two new drivers as well.
eta: yes they lost DeBeer who was their aero guy and their chief designer Ed Wood
https://www.pitpass.com/61911/Aero-boss-De-Beer-leaves-Williams
Last months Racecar Engineering had an article about the current Williams F1 car and interviewed Paddy Lowe (CTO at Wiliams). He reckons the biggest difference between all the current F1 cars isn't the engine, but the aero.
The floor on the Williams doesn't work as expected, and there isn't much they can do to it without starting again, not something you can do mid season.
Mr Pole at it again.
Finger boy lost his rag again.
https://www.gpfans.com/en/articles/3342/video-vettel-destroys-fia-weighbridge/
How did he only get away with a fine? You clearly see him trying to bully the official, who is only doing his job, then drive at him momentarily. Seeing as he has a reputation for overreacting on occasion I'm surprised they didn't throw the book at him.
Wouldn't surprise me if Vettel has a mental breakdown at some point, seems the pressure of driving for Ferrari is really getting to him. LeClerc being there next season could be the trigger!
then drive at him momentarily.
That was inexcusable. I’d have put him at the back of the grid for that. Lack of respect, disregard for safety etc. If he’d gone a couple of feet more he’d have knocked him over which who knows what sort of injuries.
I haven't heard yet if Lewis has a penalty for the moves he pulled which certainly wouldn't have been tolerated by the stewards had it been one of the newer guys.
I haven’t heard yet if Lewis has a penalty for the moves he pulled which certainly wouldn’t have been tolerated by the stewards had it been one of the newer guys.
I don't think he cares, he's chill the cigars are out, he'll roll in third and be happy finger boy will win and still be angry!
The Stewards didn’t even seem Lewis’ moves to be worthy of investigation. Sirotkin wasn’t on a hot lap and no one could explain why he was going so fast into traffic which was backing up in preparation for a fast lap. Even he (Sergey) explained himself poorly.
Kimi, well, was very Kimi about it all.
mercs win
Ooh. O’Connor accuses Verstappen of pushing and trying to punch him in the paddock.
Glad to see Finger Boy way back.
Crash Pushstappen, lump him one yer gert girls blouse.
Such a mincer.
Community service for Verstabb’em, Vettel pretends to be happy for his team mate but fails to look anything other than angry, Raikkonen shrugs shoulders cause he’s earning millions and there’s a beer waiting in the fridge so who cares, Lewis & Mercedes win.
Should be Sir Lewis and SPOTY winner surely.
Thomas is still the bookies favourite for spoty. Hamilton in third behind Kane. There's been a few good British results this year.
Lewis talking to Max in the room after the race was classic:
Lewis - you do know he’s allowed to unlap himself, right?
Max - yeah but you cant just take out the leader!
Lewis - but you’re on different strategies, he’s got nothing to lose and you’ve got everything to lose.
Very much a Multiple World Champion to a rookie. During the press interview afterwards, Lewis, who was a few seconds behind Max said, “I wasnt surprised, Estaban was faster on brand new tyres, Max chose to race, if he’d (Max) have given him more space, it’d have worked out for him.
Kinda sums it up nicely in my opinion, and shows how much Lewis has grown.
shows how much Lewis has grown
Yes, I think getting beaten by Rosberg matured him a lot. He was always blindingly fast, but now he seems to be driving much more intelligently than Vettel or Verstappen.
lewis 10-10 the rest
going into the last race
No disadvantage whatsoever in Verstappen letting him past. What bizarre driving
I like his driving sometimes but he drives me up the wall in that he never thinks anything is his fault, blames his problems on other drivers, the team etc.
Unless he takes some responsibility he will never become a great driver, just one of the “never proved his potential” many.
Christian Horner inadvertently summed up what happened to Max in Brazil whilst speaking after the US GP, he said, and I quote "Max doesn't like being overtaken. By anyone."
That arrogant attitude has placed him in hot water a few times this year (Bottas, Vettel, etc) but this time, whilst the Stewards found in his favour, the cause of the collision was still that "i don't want to be overtaken" in his head.
Hopefully this might help him realise, that whilst, yes, the Stewards found in his favour, punishing someone else doesn't always (or often) help YOUR race. Not being there to have the collision, would most certainly HAVE helped your race.
Suggestions that Kubica will get the other Williams drive for next year. Personally I think that ship has sailed, I'd rather see Ocon but money talks.
Also Smedley going back to Ferrari.
Should be Sir Lewis
The crown takes a dim view on subjects who take measures to avoid paying their taxes, so unlikely.
Big crash in the F3 at Macau today
Driver is Sophia Floersch, she's hurt her back but is mostly okay. THe thing she crashed into was a press box of sorts, two photographers were hurt. Condition TBC
That was a horrible crash in Macau. She must have been 10-15' in the air. God knows how she survived...
It was horrendous - the speed she hit that building was frightening 😳
Holy crap. Was everyone wearing a helmet?
That's shocking - hope everyone is ok.
They could do with some bigger catch fencing.
What happened, brake failure? She was going so much faster than everyone else. Or already airborne before the braking point?
She hit the car in front of her which launched her through the catch fencing (through, not over, apparently).
https://www.motorsport.com/f3/news/sophia-floersch-macau-crash-analysis/4300061/
Edit: And she hit it backwards which surely must have helped a lot.
Well at least the track didn't get completely blocked like every other Macau crash, ever.
Looking like Kubica has got a Williams deal for next season...
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/kubica-williams-race-deal-2019/4301134/
**** YES
Is it George Russel in the other seat?