F1 2021 – spoilers here

I thought the banked corners was going to create some drama and interest, but it is just leaving me cold.

Latifi and Mazepin’s battle for 18th is pretty riveting.

Wow this really has been a boring race. Quite why they bought it onto the calendar is beyond me.

Verstappen is why it’s on the calendar, so it’ll be there for a good few years.

I like the track, it’s like a roller coaster on the on boards, shame they can’t overtake on it.

naughty bottas 😁

Russell in the Merc at MonzA?

Not a fan of Zandvoort. Tactically interesting, visually good for the first few laps but it’s going to turn into another Singapore. Once the novelty wears off it’s just a boring processional race where the team will know the optimum strategy and overtakes are near-impossible.

Wow this really has been a boring race. Quite why they bought it onto the calendar is beyond me.

Liberty wanted to get back to a few of the classic tracks and as Verstappen’s the current golden boy we ended up running round a track that is at the limit of how small an F1 track can be. A lot of people who race there in other formulae have said it’s not much more suitable than Brands Hatch or Oulton Park, narrow with a short lap and very few overtaking opportunities for F1 cars.

naughty bottas

He went in for tyres first – I can’t see him doing that if the team weren’t planning it. My assumption is that Mercedes wanted him to be ready to take the point off Verstappen if it looked like he might get it, but to back off if Hamilton was going to get it.

Boring race, best bit was norris getting the giggles after saying the word ‘blowy’in his interview with Natalie 😁

What was the drama with Mick and maz? Must have missed that when I was snoozing

They would have been so much better going to Kyalami. It would have bought far, far more to the table. Plus Verstappen already has Belgium on the calander.

He went in for tyres first – I can’t see him doing that if the team weren’t planning it. My assumption is that Mercedes wanted him to be ready to take the point off Verstappen if it looked like he might get it, but to back off if Hamilton was going to get it.

he was told to abort his fastest lap after getting new tyres, but he still took it off LH

There was an interesting twist, though, when Mercedes pulled Bottas in for a late pit stop and ordered him not to go for fastest lap – only for the Finn to ignore the plea.

Before the end of the lap, strategy director James Vowles came on the radio and asked him to “please abort the fastest lap attempt” but despite that Bottas did post the quickest time – which many will see as an indication that George Russell will be announced as his replacement at Mercedes within the next few days.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/58455786

Well that was **** dreadful. 5 weeks without an F1 race and that’s what we got.. Very glad I recorded it and watched in 30x speed. Even at that rate I was bored!! Just hit play now and then for a pit stop and kept an eye on the gap between Verstappen and Hamilton. Shite.

It’s times like this I’m thankful they still put a 5mins highlights video on YouTube

Well I really enjoyed it! 🙂

Way more overtaking through the field than I thought there’d be. Some really good battles, and Hamilton keeping Max on his toes when I really though Max would head off into the distance.

It was ok, I’d hoped for more but Max was just too fast for Lewis today.
I was surprised to see the graphic that Vettel has had the most overtakes of the season so far, who knew? 😂

You know its shit when the commentators drone on about “oh it’s been a great strategic race”. Thats speak for “its been like watching paint dry and we will need to wang on about how great the second coming is once again”.

Best race for ages for me. Certainly no “procession”, look at Alonso and Perez.
It was a great mix of driver talent, team strategy and atmosphere at an iconic track. Plus the inter team shenanigans, Ocon/Alonso, Mazepin/Schumacher and Bottas sticking it to Mercedes. Max leading and ultimately winning only added to the fantastic occasion. Drivers (mostly) showing respect and team principles publicly acknowledging other’s strategic triumphs all contributed to a brilliant spectacle for F1. It all bodes well for the rest of the season for me.

One for the real fans, mid field and inter team battles and strategy twists and turns, I thought it was good

Wasn’t a classic for sure but I wouldn’t describe it as boring either.

Decent enough race, I think. As strategy-heavy races go, it delivered, especially with Lewis giving it everything on an inferior strategy—there were moments when it looked like he was making the impossible possible. And a surprising amount of action in the midfield.

Shame to see Mazepin up to his old tricks again, though. He really has no place on a race track. A thoroughly karmic DNF. It’s like Gene and Gunther must sit down every season and go, right, what sort of monumental bit of a mess of a driver line-up shall we run next year? They must be gutted that they didn’t have Mazepin and Magnussen at the same time. Think of the glazing sponsorship they could have pulled in.

Winced slightly when Valtteri stuck the lap in 😉

Bottas confirmed at Alfa Romeo, multi year deal

Bottas confirmed at Alfa Romeo, multi year deal

Every reason now for Mercedes to openly ensure he doesn’t take a point away from Lewis ever again.

Oooh I Wonder who’ll replace him at Mercedes? 😂

Every reason now for Mercedes to openly ensure he doesn’t take a point away from Lewis ever again.

Every reason for Bottas to stick up the middle finger and drive for himself. He won’t, but there is no way to ensure he does anything once he’s in the car

but there is no way to ensure he does anything once he’s in the car

What about anti strategic pit stops feeding into traffic, “wrong” tyre choice and so forth?

Nope, because they also want to win the constructors championship…… and would look like unprofessional dicks for hobbling the guy on his way out of the door. Sponsors would not be impressed

I agree a really dull race designed to take in money rather than provide a decent race. It was a shame that David redbull groupie coulthard was back giving his usual high standards of unbiased commentary and analysis

So Bottas is facing up to the fact that he’ll never be world champion. While he was with Merc there was always a glimmer of hope, but even with the new rules I’m not convinced he’ll taste much champagne with Alfa. Must be a tough day when you look in the mirror and admit you’re only in it for the money.

As for the race, it was a classic F1 “watch the gaps shrink and extend” type of race rather than wheel to wheel at the front. As usual the midfield was still pretty close but that never seems to excite some. I enjoyed it, but if Max were to quit F1 it obviously wouldn’t stay on the calendar.

I like the Jensen Button commentary on Sky F1, especially at the point he said “…well one of us sitting here commentating has won an F1 World Championship…”

ouch 🙂

Must be a tough day when you look in the mirror and admit you’re only in it for the money.

Really? I get that every time I go to work, and I guess his job is a lot more fun than mine, even if he’s not winning.

thepurist
Full Member
Must be a tough day when you look in the mirror and admit you’re only in it for the money.

Drive a F1 car, or not drive a F1 car…… I know what I’d chose to do

Must be a tough day when you look in the mirror and admit you’re only in it for the money.

Unless you actually enjoy racing cars. Getting paid millions to race a mid-field F1 car is still a pretty decent job.

As far as Bottas and Merc trying to sabotage each other, they are all professionals and I would not expect that from either side. Bottas is still paid to drive for Merc so he will conduct himself professionally. Merc seem to have a lot of respect for him and they aren’t going to pull any dirty tricks on him. Lewis will probably retire in a couple of years so there’s still a realistic chance of Bottas being taken back as a teammate for Russell.

From the timing looks like Bottas did back off. Still got fastest lap but not so fast it was going to trouble Hamilton on fresh tyres.

I’m getting the impression that C4’s highlights were at fault – not the race!

I honestly though it was a decent race, not a classic but far from dull.

Am reeling from the shock announcement that absolutely noone saw coming – Bottas to Alfa Romeo. Gosh.

Lewis will probably retire in a couple of years so there’s still a realistic chance of Bottas being taken back as a teammate for Russell.

This did cross my mind too – but the fact of the matter Lewis has signed on for (at least) two more years, Bottas will be 34 at the end of 2023 and realistically will be looking to retire, not to return as understudy to newly promoted team leader Russell whom he doesn’t have the best of relationships with.

Unless you actually enjoy racing cars. Getting paid millions to race a mid-field F1 car is still a pretty decent job.

True, but I’d wager that pretty much every driver who signs with an F1 team (not you, Mazepin!) believes they are a potential champion. That’s probably been their dream since the early days of karting or F3, and for Bottas that dream is over. That’s got to make a difference, but maybe it takes the pressure off and he can really just enjoy the racing now.

I really like Bottas

Vettel looks revitalised as a person as well as a driver having taken a step back from the pressure and expectation (and poison) at Ferrari to Aston Martin, and from the outside having the owners son as your team mate would look to be a horrible situation for him.

It could be a happier and racier Bottas we see next year. Some winning environments are built for ruthlessness, but it isn’t the only way to win and some can be happier and win without that.

I turned it off after 10 minutes, but then I knew the result at that point.

I keep trying to stick with F1 but keep getting easily distracted. I think Max will be world champion this year, he really has the right car under him now and Merc are lagging ever so slightly. Next year though….I’m very interested to see that goes with the new cars and regs.

Thing is, if you are going to have to move to a low/midfield team, with the reg change it’s probably about the best time possible.

They could even find something a la brawn and have a competitive car.

plumber
Free Member
I really like Bottas

Same, I was a fan when he was at Williams. He has the speed for the most part, I just think he lacks a bit of killer instinct.

If Lewis ended up at the back, I reckon he’d find his way back up to top 5, if not the podium. Whereas bottas would get stuck passing the mid field and end up about 8th. It’s just that extra little bit that he lacks.