F1 2021 – spoilers here

Perhaps one thing to come out of this is its shown how poor the rules can be with too much open to interpretation and too much room to game the rules which may lead to a clean up of the rules?

Here’s the 2 restarts if anyone wants to refresh their memory

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.2021-saudi-arabian-grand-prix-hamilton-and-verstappen-go-wheel-to-wheel-in-crash-strewn-race-restart.1718332340986355063.html

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.2021-saudi-arabian-grand-prix-verstappen-dives-past-hamilton-and-ocon-at-second-race-restart.1718333576248762477.html

(the onboard and overheads later in the videos are more useful than the initial shots).

In my view, for the first one – Hamilton gets a much better start than Verstappen and is clear of Max as they reach the braking zone (so Max isn’t entitled to any space on the outside), but Verstappen brakes later and tries to hold on round the outside anyway. Hamilton takes a legitimate line, running out to the apex kerb at T2. There’s no contact but rather than yield Verstappen runs off the track and rejoins at a very acute angle forcing Hamilton to avoid him as he comes back on so he can retake the place (contrast to Bottas rejoining just behind him)

In the second restart Ocon is slightly slower away than the other two, meaning that Hamilton and Ocon are side by side into T1 and so Ocon is entitled to some space. Verstappen brakes way later than either of them and sends his car into the disappearing wedge at the T1 apex, it’s a high risk move that relies on the cars in front realising what’s happening and avoiding a collision. Hamilton tries to avoid him but sandwiched between the two hits Ocon (who probably had no idea Max was also on the inside) and bumps him out wide instead. Verstappen then takes the same T2 apex kerb that Hamilton did on the first restart, making sure anyone on who’d survived on his outside had no space.

A big shout has to go out to Hamilton’s sports psychologist. Have you noticed how often he makes a bee line for her immediately after the race?

By the time he’s doing the post match interviews he’s completely centred, having already put the days events behind him, ready for the next race already.

Toto plays the perfect counter to the sports psychologist as well, allowing emotions to get the better of himself so that Lewis doesn’t.

That’s Angela Cullen, actually his physio but she does a lot more too nowadays…….

Who is Angela Cullen? Fun facts about Lewis Hamilton’s blonde assistant!

You’re right. I was kind of ok with that one though

Yeah I’m with you there. Justice was (belatedly) done.

“Lewis has driven up the back of Max, which we have to go and explain in front of the stewards,” said the Red Bull chief before his driver received a post-race penalty.

“Max was trying to give the place up, we informed Race Control we were going to give the place up, he lifted off – you can hear I think Lewis has actually lifted off, I don’t know if he was messing around with the DRS line – but you know, it was clear we were giving the place up.”

I’d have loved to hear Christian “explain” the brake telemetry. Plonker.

Toto rational and measured as usual.

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.wolff-says-driving-standards-need-to-be-assessed-as-horner-feels-red-bull.452IxEytz9oDOdtzbr9vxg.html

Verstappen runs off the track and rejoins at a very acute angle forcing Hamilton to avoid him as he comes back on

That’s the issue right there, re-joining the track in a dangerous manner and deliberately forcing the guy who stayed on the track to take avoiding action.

MV overtake in the later re-start was spot on, he was just much later on the brakes, and if you notice Ocon came back onto the track at a much shallower angle and later round T2. in other words the correct way to re-join.

I’m as much a fan of F1 politics as the racing, so yesterday’s race was just fantastic!!

Two of the all time greats going at it hammer & tongue on track and all of the pitwall communications being broadcast – listening to Massi negotiating with Red Bull about who should give what back and then Massi realising he’d messed up with the first offer

Then watching the team principles sprouting what ever BS after the race, seeing Max’s utter self belief that he is right, but also watching Lewis’s very calm and thoughtful reactions.

What a season – so much drama on and off the track. A great circuit to really mix things up at a critical time in he championship.

We really are being treated to a stonker of a championship!!!

I wonder if channel 4 will call out Horner for lying about Max breaking and blaming Hamilton for the incident, probably not 🤷‍♂️

I wonder if channel 4 will call out Horner for lying about Max breaking and blaming Hamilton for the incident, probably not 🤷‍♂️

Hasn’t David Coultard already pointed this out and explained what a lying whiney man he is and how stupid asnd dangerous some of Max’s driving has been this season?

Thought not

I wonder if channel 4 will call out Horner

Steve Jones might (he was very direct at Silverstone) but Coulthard? I very much doubt the Red Bull apologist would do anything to question them.

Sadly, I had to watch the C4 highlights yesterday and the commentary was dire…

At the moment C4 commentary is actually less appealing than just watching the live text commentary on Autosport

The bbc radio 5 commentary is really quite good

I’d agree about 5live commentary- it’s great! They conveyed so much drama, yet when I watched the C4 highlights later they seemed to turn the most exciting and controversial race into boring!

Sadly, I had to watch the C4 highlights yesterday and the commentary was dire…

I watched the sky highlights and C4 as I was bored/injured at home. I wouldn’t say the C4 highlights were worse or better.
Coulthard compared the alledged brake test to when Schumacher hit him up the arse in the peeing rain.
Really not the same, his colleague (can’t remember her name, I’d necked a few pain pills) was pointing out how if Max was found to be braking, he’s in big trouble.
Coulthard largely brushed it aside, as it’s reasonable to slow a car using brakes.
It seems the stewards don’t agree with Crazy Dave.

Crazy Dave who’s still on the payroll at Red Bull as a constult iirc.

The angle Verstappen rejoined the track could have caused carnage and deserved an appropriate penalty instead of just giving Redbull the option to give the position back, Verstappen’s driving is right on the edge of legal, the rules need an overhaul to be made a lot clearer before Max kills someone.

Just watching the highlights (well – the f***ing adverts….) on C4 – Coulthard’s take is clearly partisan. Is disappoint. 🙁

Just watching the CH4 highlights and I’m chuckling about how awful Coulthard is these days.
I’m sure he wasn’t as bad when he first got behind the microphone. His lack of any criticism of RB is farcical.

Just had a look at the standings, and if Verstappen has all of his points taken away à la Schumacher that would drop Red Bull down to 4th behind McLaren

Well, one result of all these shenanigans, is that I have to get up at 4:30 in the morning this Sunday so I can watch the race live 😳😠

I can’t imagine I can maintain a news blackout otherwise

(One of the downsides of living in Vancouver is F1 timezones don’t work for me)

Just had a look at the standings, and if Verstappen has all of his points taken away à la Schumacher that would drop Red Bull down to 4th behind McLaren

Schumacher had all his points deducted but Ferrari did not. Pretty much the opposite of what happened to McLaren in 2007, that did cost them a constructors title

I’ve been watching F1 a good few years.
In those years I’ve seen last race title deciders featuring Schumacher, Hill, Villeneurve, Irvine, Hakkinen, Alonso, Massa, Hamilton, Vettel, Raikinen, Webber, Rosberg and now Verstappen.
Of those thirteen drivers, each within touching distance of fulfilling a lifetime’s ambition, only in the cases of Schumacher and Verstappen have we gone into the race thinking that they might deliberately crash into their rival.

I think that says a lot about Verstappen.

Prost and senna, red and white liveried mclaren japan gp
Think it was first lap.

Am I the only person in the world who would quite like Verstappen to win next week?
Mostly because IMHO it would be good for someone other than Merc to win but a small part of me would like to see the reaction…
I speak as a lapsed F1 fan with no vested interest either way tbh

I’d like someone to take him aside, give him a good shake and then see hi go out and obliterate the field. Can’t see it happening for many different reasons though

On the point of Steve & Coulthard’s co presenter…I don’t remember seeing her before.

Did they just wheel a woman out for the Saudi GP?

Am I the only person in the world who would quite like Verstappen to win next week?

No, I think about 200 million Dutch people are with you 😁

Am I the only person in the world who would quite like Verstappen to win next week?

If he can win it fairly then fine. But he hasn’t raced that way for a good month now so it’s odds-on he’ll take Lewis out in Abu Dhabi and win it by professional foul.

Prost and senna, red and white liveried mclaren japan gp
Think it was first lap.

Both in Marlboro McLarens in ’89, Prost in a Ferrari for the first corner fandango in ’90.

On the point of Steve & Coulthard’s co presenter…I don’t remember seeing her before.

Did they just wheel a woman out for the Saudi GP?

If she was the one I heard in the highlights, she was really good! 🙂 Only DC let them down.

She’s Alice Powell from the W series. Has been on before, but conveniently it was Saudi this time!

Am I the only person in the world who would quite like Verstappen to win next week?

I believe the majority of motorsport fans want to see them race hard, but fairly, and whoever wins would be a worthy champion.

What we don’t want is another event, where it’s decided on by the stewards/incidents making everything look like a farce as it did in Saudi.

Prost and senna, red and white liveried mclaren japan gp
Think it was first lap.

1989 – McLaren/McLaren – was nearer the end of the race.
1990 – McLaren/Ferrari – was first lap corner.

I believe the majority of motorsport fans want to see them race hard, but fairly, and whoever wins would be a worthy champion.

What we don’t want is another event, where it’s decided on by the stewards/incidents making everything look like a farce as it did in Saudi

Definitely this. Verstappen winning by professional foul or worse would be such a disappointing way to end one of the best seasons for a very long time

What we don’t want is another event, where it’s decided on by the stewards/incidents making everything look like a farce as it did in Saudi.

This.

It won’t be the stewards decision in the end – who’s ready to wait until January and a sitting of the court of arbitration??

It’s been a farce for over a month now with stewards failing to make decisions after Marx’s previous indiscretions, leaving the door open for him to do basically whatever he wants.

Am I the only person who thinks that were or not the penultimate race of the season (with all to play for at the last race) Verstappen would have recieved a one race ban for the antics he pulled off with (not) giving the place back.

That was the most petulant, stupid and dangerous piece of (non) driving I have seen since I don’t know when. If it had happened earlier in the season I’m sure he’d be sitting out the next race.

Up until Sunday I felt that if Max wins the championship then he deserves it. After that display I don’t think he does anymore,

That was the most petulant, stupid and dangerous piece of (non) driving I have seen since I don’t know when. If it had happened earlier in the season I’m sure he’d be sitting out the next race.

Seb v Lewis in Baku a few years back? Ended with Seb intentionally sideswiping Lewis IIRC – at lower speed but equally reckless, and there was a 10s penalty.

Seb v Lewis in Baku a few years back? Ended with Seb intentionally sideswiping Lewis IIRC – at lower speed but equally reckless, and there was a 10s penalty.

Good point

There is a short interview with either Herbert or Hill (Herbert I think) and he noted that even after the race Max said something along the lines of he would still win the WC if neither of them finish.

Herbert felt this was a very significant comment and eluded to the fact that, whilst he may not just straight punt Lewis off the road, he would certainly not back down in any situation where a crash might end both their races.

I hope this is not the case, I really do, for Max’s sake as much as anyone’s. I get the feeling the rest of the field don’t respect him much anyway and that would do it for him in the paddock…