MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Mr Pole @ 99
Argh, Norris' time was deleted but would've been good enough for third. Nice to see that my prediction was completely wrong.
is it going to be a reverse of the 1st race with the 2 redbulls mugging the single merc ?
and will we see team orders from redbull ?
With Perez starting on softs I wouldn't be surprised if he does Hamilton at the start, back him up giving verstappen chance to harry Hamilton into wearing his tyres out early on.
Who's Harry Hamilton? 🤔
Kudos to the team.... had the track to himself!
https://twitter.com/PierreGASLY/status/1383471319006683142
slight twist in the ribs for his team mate 😉
Track is dry, wet, wetter, wet, dry 👍
^^ Amateur! 🙂
This is either going to be amazing or just fun for the first few laps.
Hoping for wet/dry/wet etc 😁
all those teens behind grandad ready to mug him!
lairy
Watching via the F1 website's live feed...Mazepin and Latifi have had contact, the latter is in the wall. Not a good start by Alpine by the looks of things, with Ocon third from last. Did he pit during the safety car?
Stroll and Norris had contact, Norris's bargeboard took the brunt of it.
Looks as though Mazepin was the innocent victim of Latifi losing control. Mick appears to have lost his front wing at the pit exit.
school boy error from Schumacher
Perez ?????
Perez appears to be losing time to the Ferrari in front of him, he's complaining about steering problems. Five seconds behind him is Ricciardo, who seems to be closing the gap.
Perez now under investigation for passing Ricciardo under a yellow flag!
Fascinating - Hamilton slower but speeding up as it dry's out, but Verstappen driving imperiously.
Yet Russell stuck behind.... Bottas - that's interesting! McLaren looking very handy.
FWIW Bottas is one of only two drivers on wet tyres, the other being Mazepin.
[edit] Ignore, Bottas is indeed on inters.
Perez now under investigation for passing Ricciardo under a yellow flag!
overtaking 2 cars under the safety car. slam dunk
Oof, team orders at McLaren - Ricciardo asked to let Norris through.
Sainz also having a lairy afternoon, Bottas gaining on Stroll...
awwww Daniel will not like that!
oi junior teams get the slicks on
Meanwhile, despite having lost his front wing and being unable to pit because the pit lane was closed due to his own wing debris, Mick is two places ahead of Mazepin - the latter's wet tyre gamble didn't work out.
The rest of the field now have to preserve their inters until the track dries and they can make a switch to slicks again. Perez has still yet to stop for his ten second penalty.
oi junior teams get the slicks on
Vettel and Mick now on slicks! Game on.
"No more rain expected" according to Kimi's pit crew.
why don't merc get Bottas on slicks ?
is a new steering wheel is working on the car ?
oops
Bugger
Bottas now lapped. It has to be said that both Ferraris look pretty handy today.
Hamilton off! He's back in seventh!
Leclerc second and Norris third!
Oh joy, another safety car...*sigh*
Looks as though Bottas and Russell came together, the latter is going to be mad as hell for missing out on the first Williams points since god knows when.
race stopped
yowsers
I haven't seen footage yet but the aftermath looks pretty hairy.
Red flagged.
I do love a wet race!
Russel calls Bottas a see you next Tuesday and Bottas gives him the finger.
Incident packed GP!
Russell pounced on the slower Bottas at Tamburello, Bottas either didn't see him or closed the door far too late forcing Russell onto the grass. The resulting spin wiped both cars out.
Russell looks very, very unhappy and has marched over to the stricken Merc.
I'm calling that as mainly Russell's fault. Bottas was following the racing line and Russell dropped it slightly on the grass then speared into him.
Hopefully it's just a big tidy up rather than damaged barriers causing the delay.
Wouldn't like to be either driver in Toto's office later. Remember that Merc no 2 and the upcoming Merc hopeful have collided and appear to be throwing ****s at one another. Bottas clearly isn't having a great race, to be battling a Williams for ninth is not where he needed to be.
It's also worth noting that Russell staying on the racing line is why Hamilton ended up in the wall. That's going to make the meeting without biscuits in Toto's office later extra uncomfortable.
another track not quite up to spec for these cars
It's a tough one for me to call, Russell does indeed appear to have the line and the trajectory to pull of a hell of an unlikely move. Bottas appeared to react late, remember that the very last person that Bottas would want to pass him is Russell in the third slowest car on the grid.
Both driver will be called before the stewards too, I expect that there will be a lot of bollockings before the day is out.
another track not quite up to spec for these cars
Drive to the conditions then, if that is indeed the case.
another track not quite up to spec for these cars
The track meets the spec for a grade 1 circuit, they may need to look at the spec but the track currently meets it. The drivers have to keep it between the white lines.
expect that there will be a lot of bollockings before the day is out.
doubt it, they’re racing, these things happen
another track not quite up to spec for these cars
Track is fine. We've just become used to racing in car-parks full of run-off.
Looked to me that Bottas was moving into position for the next corner.
Track is fine.
it's a tad on the narrow side for these cars
it as tad on the narrow side for these cars
So we've become used to racing in car-parks with loads and run-off and wide enough for 7 cars abreast! 🙂
rolling start ?
Rolling start, Norris passes Leclerc!
Oh man, Perez spins!
blimey
mercs looking at p2!
Yup, P2 is indeed pretty realistic for Hamilton, despite having an off and being lapped at one point. Eighteen laps to go and already Hamilton has pulled eight seconds on Ricciardo, who it has to be said is having a less than stellar race today.
getting close to drs for lewis on Sainz
Perez's fillings have all been knocked out
That 2nd Red Bull seat is jinxed!
animal
Hamilton passes Sainz, looks handy to pass Leclerc within a handful of laps. Norris starting to struggle with the soft tyres which are past their best.
You'd be silly to bet against Lewis getting that P2. Third place is very much up for grabs, I reckon Leclerc will take the final podium place.
that merc is a brute
But only when Lewis is at the wheel.
Eight laps left. Verstappen has had an imperious drive, no mistakes and no drama. Lewis now past Leclerc with Norris a few tenths in front.
err norris there's a merc on your tail
How the hell has Hamilton managed to get 2nd out of this???
Two laps left, Hamilton has climbed from ninth place to second. Norris's tyres are knackered and he has a Ferrari just behind him.
not bad for an old mam
Last lap. Vettel's gearbox has died, can Norris hang onto third?
This kind of drive, despite his errors, is why Merc pay him the £££ and why he's a 7 time world champion.
Even when he has a bad day at the office, he limits the damage.
funny that the rules change to slow down the merc now make it a beast in traffic (he was catching Max hand over fist before his cheeky pass on the williams).
Looking back at the Bottas / Russell incident - Bottas's front right tyre was over the pit lane exit line. On nearly every other pass down there, the one being overtaken was to the left of the exit line. A car's width at the fastest point of the track probably isn't quite cricket!...
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...a head on angle would be nice to see though.
Another great race. Loving these first two races.
Lando may have the official award but for me Lewis is driver of the day. Watching the onboard, the commitment and pace is incredible, and demonstrates why he’s 7 x world champ. I’m not sure Vertsappen has that tbh.
Fair play to Max, he nailed that. Amazing recovery drive from Lewis. I think Bottas is to blame for the big smash but agree the camera angles that caught it aren’t great.. However the best part of the race for me was:
“We’ve got a yellow flag”
“Mazepin’s in that area”
Howling 😂
Great race from Verstappen, fairly danced off into the distance and controlled it properly well (like a good championship contender should). Good drive from both Hamilton and Norris, and good to see the Ferraris back in the game as well. Tremendous race, really enjoyed it.
The collision between Bottas and Russell is nowt in the final analysis I think, fighting for position on a narrow track with two drivers not willing to back down...Hard racing, but racing just the same.
Bottas and Russell both contributed to the crash, Bottas panicked that he was about to be overtaken made a move to block, realised it was too late and pulled out of the block. Russell seeing the initial move, also moved over and went onto the grass, he had been given enough room but anticipated a greater movement from Bottas. Just an unfortunate racing incident for me.