Car looks like a complete dollop of shite tbf.

https://streamable.com/bipta4

I know he’s not well regarded, but a bit of me feels sorry for him, He’s way out of his depth, and the world is getting to watch. poor bloke, can’t be good for the soul.

We’re now at the fourth race of the season and Mazepin’s F1 career, Mazepin still seems unable to grasp the notion that he needs to get his tyres up to working temperature.

He’s also currently 2.3 seconds slower than his teammate, who has approximately half Mazepin’s cumulative mileage in an F1 car.

the alpha tauri looks a handful.

Someone needs to tell Mazepin that opposite lock doesn’t work if you have the brakes locked. He’d have got away with that if he hadn’t panicked and hit the brakes.

Mazepin still seems unable to grasp the notion that he needs to get his tyres up to working temperature.

It’s not that, In F2 last year he finished 5th and had 2 wins, he knows how these cars work. I think some drivers can make the leap, some can’t. The point I was making was that he’s probably dreamt of this (being an F1 driver) and when he gets there, he’s (for whatever reason) bad at it, and the world gets to see that. On just a human level, that’s tough for a young kid

nickc

It’s not that, In F2 last year he finished 5th and had 2 wins, he knows how these cars work. I think some drivers can make the leap, some can’t. The point I was making was that he’s probably dreamt of this (being an F1 driver) and when he gets there, he’s (for whatever reason) bad at it, and the world gets to see that. On just a human level, that’s tough for a young kid

Yeah but he’s a helmet so it’s funny

Kubica off, red flag

I kind of do feel a teeny bit sorry for Mazepin on a human level, I admit that I’m none too impressed at his behaviour over the years but I acknowledge that he’s at least trying.

I know he’s not well regarded, but a bit of me feels sorry for him, He’s way out of his depth, and the world is getting to watch. poor bloke, can’t be good for the soul.

I have zero sympathy for him. He’s fairly obviously been brought up to expect that he will always get everything he wants and now that he’s up against some real competition, he just doesn’t seem to know what to do. His general nastiness and sense of entitlement make it impossible to have any sympathy for him. Schumacher was also brought up by a hugely wealthy dad and had all the doors opened for him, but he knows that he has to earn his place on the grid and he seems to treat people with respect.

If it was anyone else we probably would feel sorry for him, but his off-track antics mean no-one is going to have any sympathy for him.
Someone on another forum was (unfairly in my opinion) comparing him to Maldonado. Maldonado was a) much quicker when he did remain on the track and more importantly b) widely regarded as a nice chap by his contemporaries off track, even if they did give him a wide berth on it

Schumacher was also brought up by a hugely wealthy dad and had all the doors opened for him, but he knows that he has to earn his place on the grid and he seems to treat people with respect.

You make a very good point.

I’m none too impressed at his behaviour over the years but I acknowledge that he’s at least trying.

Or is he just trying to improve the image portrayed? The cynical side of me (approx 99% of me it seems) reckons it’s just that

I’m absolutely with @thols2. The only people I feel sorry for are the woman he sexually assaulted and more deserving up and coming drivers that could be in that seat.

EDIT- And if there’s a video of that happening to one woman, do people truly believe it was a one-off incident?

Out of his depth in F2, let alone F1, should never have been given a super license really. There’s moving up struggles and having an iffy car, but spins in every race so far, repeatedly getting in the way of other drivers… just all smacks of being lost at sea with no hope of turning it around, and that’s before we get in to sexual harassment issues… Sooner he’s dropped the better

EDIT- And if there’s a video of that happening to one woman, do people truly believe it was a one-off incident?

He had form for sending sleazy texts to a motor racing journalist too, I believe.

The problem is that Haas is bankrolled by Mazepin snr, so the likelihood of jnr being benched is low, unless he’s deemed to be a sufficient hazard that his super-license is revoked.

Sooner he’s dropped the better

His dad is keeping Haas on the grid, so that money is giving Schumacher a chance to get established. That’s the bit that makes it worth tolerating him. Seeing him humiliated is a bonus.

Schumacher was also brought up by a hugely wealthy dad and had all the doors opened for him, but he knows that he has to earn his place on the grid

I think the difference with Schu jr is that his name carries some expectation with it, so despite all the money and contacts he has probably had a lot of pressure to perform, Massivespin was effectively bankrolled to have a play in a racing car (still is?) and so he hasn’t had the same pressure to perform. TBF all the same accusations could be levelled at Stroll Jr but he’s actually come a long way since his early races.

LeClerc not hiding his feelings

It does irk me that someone like Mazepin can have a seat bought for him to inevitably face the wrong way in every other weekend, while drivers like Emma Kimileinen, Jamie Chadwick and Alice Powell will probably never get the chance to drive an F1 car competitively.

TBF all the same accusations could be levelled at Stroll Jr but he’s actually come a long way since his early races

Stroll appears to have become a decent midfield runner. More to the point is the lack of off-track accusations…

Stroll also did have a reasonable history of results behind him (compared to Mazepin at least) didn’t he?

I find Stroll difficult to like, but he deserves respect for being a decent driver. Mazepin seems totally unlikeable and has not earned any respect on track of off track.

It does irk me that someone like Mazepin can have a seat bought for him to inevitably face the wrong way in every other weekend, while drivers like Emma Kimileinen, Jamie Chadwick and Alice Powell will probably never get the chance to drive an F1 car competitively.

Absolutely!

Stroll appears to have become a decent midfield runner

He is benefiting from dad’s upgrades, something Vettal’s quickly discovering!

Räikkönen also voicing is opinion, in a very different way, in FP2? Not sure he would’ve so readily done that to many other drivers

Hadn’t seen this before, just to further fuel the track limits arguement

https://youtube.com/shorts/zb_2CqV7G2A?feature=share

Not sure that clip fuels any argument. The Alpine was still behind exiting the corner and completed the overtake on track at next one. Max completely his overtake by running wide and maintaining speed.

Not sure that clip fuels any argument.

I don’t think the Verstappen fans care. It’s like arguing with a Trump supporter, their guy didn’t win so the other guy must have cheated.

The main thing is that the first overtake happened on lap 20 – which I think was before Red Bull had a moan to race direction about cars going all four wheels off track there, despite the drivers being told that there were no track limits being policed at that corner in the pre-event briefing.

The race directors then decided that track limits were now being enforced there (because Red Bull had a moan, I suspect) this was evidenced by a message to Hamilton telling him to stop running wide there, he responded to the effect of “but they told us it was fine” to be told “yup, we know, but the rules have changed”, so he stopped going wide there.

Verstappen then overtook him with all four wheels off of the track at the exact spot where they’d been specifically told not to – in fact the exact spot that Red Bull had complained about Hamilton doing exactly that.

Skip onto Imola where track limits didn’t need to be enforced, as the design of the track itself does quite a good job of enforcing them(!) and Hamilton got very lucky with the red flag for Bottas/Russell negating his off, allowing him to finish second (mentioned by Horner after Portimao)

Followed by Portimao, where track limits were being enforced more strictly (I think it was “all four wheels onto the green painted bits” and you were considered offtrack anywhere) and Verstappen ran off track twice at critical points, causing him to miss out on pole and lose his fastest lap.

Horner’s Imola comments are obfuscation, as Hamilton was massively lucky, the rest of the complaint is proper sour grapes, as Red Bull have been tripped up three times by their star driver not being able to keep his driving within the defined bounds of the track – bounds which they themselves pushed for tighter regulation of, as they believed it would give them an advantage!

While track limits is a ballache, and should be policed consistently all the time, Red Bull can get in the sea about this, as they’ve fallen victim to it actually being consistent!

Rant Over.

I think summed up earlier by someone saying careful what you wish for.
Love watching Horner have a moan 🤣

That was me too! 😀

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MrPottatoHead
Free Member

Not sure that clip fuels any argument. The Alpine was still behind exiting the corner and completed the overtake on track at next one. Max completely his overtake by running wide and maintaining speed.

But to go back to some earlier comments – if that was grass/gravel he probably couldn’t have got the job done. FWIW, not a Verstappen fan, just think the FIA are making a right arse of this

FWIW, not a Verstappen fan, just think the FIA are making a right arse of this

They were, but since they changed their minds after lap 20 of the first race they’ve been consistent. They need to ignore Red Bull’s whinging and keep being consistent going forwards. They probably won’t, because the FiA are just as bad a UEFA/FIFA when it comes down to it.

They need to ignore Red Bull’s whinging and keep being consistent going forwards. They probably won’t, because the FiA are just as bad a UEFA/FIFA when it comes down to it.

absolutely, an injection of backbone is required

Interesting interview from Tsunoda

Alpha Tauri’s Yuki Tsunoda, who starts 16th on the grid, to Sky Sports: “The tyre temperature was spot-on but the car is really slow compared to the other car. I don’t know why it’s slow, I think most of the cars is slower than me.

“The performance in this car is a concern – but it’s always different compare to my team-mate. The character of the car is different to my team-mate, I don’t know why I am struggling.”

Surely Mazepin deserves a grid penalty for this.

Mazepin and Norris summoned to the stewards regarding the traffic jam in Q1. Loads of cars were backing up, and Mazepin opted to go for it through the chicane rather than pretty much stop, holding Norris up a fair bit. Tough one for him IMO #F1 #SpanishGP

— Chris Medland (@ChrisMedlandF1) May 8, 2021

Tsunoda basically inferring that his car was different and/or slower than Gasly’s will not impress anyone either at Red Bull or Honda.

Mazepin should’ve aborted his lap and let Norris through, but of course didn’t.