Dropping like flies

Great racing, a pity the whining shit bag won.

Did Verstappen really just say on the radio that is was unfair Leclerc closed up under a yellow flag following a crash at the end of the race?

short memory

I hate Verstappen but that was a great race and a deserved win.

Hamilton fourth from last. Oh dear.

I am not sure Verstappen had the pace to close up like he did without the late virtual safety car.

I thought Hamilton was a little unlucky not to finish a couple of places higher.

They have to look at tweaking the rules to stop the pre detection line slow down and/or braking IMO. It is going to get dangerous at some point, and makes it is just a bloody silly spectacle.

Generally so far the new regs look to be providing some better racing.

Team let him down again – called him in just after he passed pit entry. Merc keep making these little but costly mistakes time and again.

Good racing, but Red Bull just a little too fast. As soon as Max got past I knew he’d hold it as they had the edge in that last sector.

Team let him down again – called him in just after he passed pit entry. Merc keep making these little but costly mistakes time and again.

It was only a mistake in hindsight, Under yellow flags, they had to wait and see if a safety car or VSCV was called, then when it was called pit lane was closed as well, too many variables, making the wrong or right calls when you can’t control the variables in such a short amount of time is pure luck.

Team let him down again – called him in just after he passed pit entry. Merc keep making these little but costly mistakes time and again.

I don’t think that was a mistake, it was just very bad luck. The pit lane entry remained closed until he was a few seconds past it. It was actually open right at the start of the stalled car incident, at least one driver pitted – but LH was already round the other side of the track. And then as they were pushing the car into it, the lane was closed at every opportunity he had to come in. By the time they re-opened it, he was past. Only just but enough that cutting in wasn’t an option, he’d only have been penalised.

I’m confused by the VSC Vs SC decision this evening. Couple of cars getting pushed by multiple marshalls on a fast part of the track so even at 40% it’s **** fast. I thought the breakdowns had come just in time to save a few points for Hamilton but no such luck. Merc need to get on top of that car pronto otherwise in a few races it’ll be game over. The Fezzas and RBs will be offskies.

Think verstappen was lucky with that late yellow just as leclerc was mounting a counter attack?

Oh and Latifi FFS lad stop crashing will ya?! On the radio “not sure what happened” really?! Car got away from you and you binned it. AGAIN

Did Verstappen really just say on the radio that is was unfair Leclerc closed up under a yellow flag following a crash at the end of the race?

Wha wha wha.

You know what, I think DRS should just go now, the cars can obviously fight and stay really close even on super fast circuits.

I’ve never liked DRS, fake overtakes which aren’t really needed any more. And it could be dangerous if cars ahead brake early to give the position away just to get DRS…

Fantastic fight between leclerc and verstappen.

I was about to bail and go to bed, I’d already fallen asleep once, but it all came together at the end there and some great clean racing between the 1st 2 drivers.

You know what, I think DRS should just go now

Agreed.

Both LeClerc and Verstappen have said that without DRS they wouldn’t have been able to pass each other. I think you’d get v dull races without it

Perhaps they should flip the DRS rules. Allow it freely throughout the lap to allow cars to close gaps, but it gets deactivated when within 1 sec of the car in front.

Also, this generation of drivers haven’t known F1 without DRS. I bet they could overtake if they developed the skills to do so. But why put the effort in when you can just flick a switch.

I bet they could overtake if they developed the skills to do so. But why put the effort in when you can just flick a switch.

I think the aerodynamics over the cars is still too sensitive for the cars to run close enough, and the engine power of the top teams too close to not need something to give them an extra shove. Nearly every class of top level motorsport now have a limited “push to pass” system

Perhaps they should flip the DRS rules. Allow it freely throughout the lap to allow cars to close gaps, but it gets deactivated when within 1 sec of the car in front.

Hmmm, interesting idea. Maybe they could trial it during the sprint races…

Anyway, CLC has really gone up in my estimation. I always thought he was over-rated and I was expecting Sainz to wipe the floor with him.

I’m curious whether being gifted the WDC winning the WDC or the treat of more draconian penalties has tempered Verstappens driving. He seems to be racing more cleanly than in the past, and has so far avoided his infamous send-it-down-the-inside-and-pray moves. I’m still not a fan though…

Nice to see the Foos on the C4 highlights show outro 👍

Being a deeply cynical individual I Googled Foo Fighters and Red Bull, just to see if there was a connection DC was going to be milking. What I found was this…

Foo Fighters cancel their F1 gig in Abu Dhabi due to “unforeseen medical circumstances”

I wonder who it was about?

Perhaps they should flip the DRS rules. Allow it freely throughout the lap to allow cars to close gaps, but it gets deactivated when within 1 sec of the car in front.

You’d have more dangerous overtakes and the top speed cars would rule the roost as always, it looks like the new rules are allowing a little bit more competition from other car manufacturers, take that away and you’re back to having McLaren building the fastest straight line car and just destroying everyone on the straights.

and has so far avoided his infamous send-it-down-the-inside-and-pray moves.

some reasons spring to mind, The cars are much stiffer this year, both suspension and bodywork, none of the drivers are using much of the curbs because the cars will break if they do. secondly the track limits has been very clearly defined this year. Thirdly the track at Jeddah doesn’t really lend itself to those sorts of manoeuvres

You could have a DRS allowance per race, say 100 seconds, use it where and when you want.  The electronics and telemetry ought to be able to cope with that.

Probably keep a touch the brakes and it closes setting as mandatory.

I also don’t think folks don’t really take into account that DRS is a safety measure as well. The ability to do a fast easy overtake at a place on the circuit that has enough time and space, really cuts down on all those last minute lunges down the inside that mostly end up with two cars in the gravel, or one car wearing the other as a hat…

…or otherwise known as driving skill! 🙂

or otherwise known as driving skill!

see also…

and has so far avoided his infamous send-it-down-the-inside-and-pray moves

i get the point you’re making, but very few drivers are going to back off in 50/50, and you just end up with bits of cars spread across the track, a dull safety car interlude,10 mins of cleaning up which is dangerous for the marshals, and a huge repair bill.

Not sure if anyone’s mentioned it, but the issue of ridiculously short braking distances has a huge factor here. The cars are now running closer together – job done (hopefully, aware we’re only on rnd 2). Braking 50m before a sharp turn means that the chances of passing on the brakes are still really small. People used to shout about going back to steel discs, I can’t see that happened due to the “F1 = pinnacle of technology” demands but I wonder if there’s something else that could be done to help increase these distances?

Mind you, they’ll weigh over a ton in a few years time away so that might take care of it 😉

i get the point you’re making, but very few drivers are going to back off in 50/50, and you just end up with bits of cars spread across the track, a dull safety car interlude,10 mins of cleaning up which is dangerous for the marshals, and a huge repair bill.

Exactly. That’s Latifi’s job. No point keeping him around if all the other drivers are going to be binning it every race.

Good point on brakes @mashr – max rotor size?

The cars are braking even later this year, despite being heavier the front brakes got a big jump up in size but fewer holes to cool them if I remember correctly. I’m sure I read that steel discs wouldn’t actually make the distance longer, they’d just fade quicker during a long run, which is a safety concern I guess.

Kind of getting the feeling the W13 is a bit like the Lotus 80 too, producing too much downforce it’s own good.

Max Mosely inquest outcome

The less said about Max Mosley, the better IMO.

The less said about Max Mosley, the better IMO.

Definitely a colourful character (understatement intended). I’m not going to pretend I liked the guy but he was a huge part of F1 for a long time

i get the point you’re making, but very few drivers are going to back off in 50/50, and you just end up with bits of cars spread across the track, a dull safety car interlude,10 mins of cleaning up which is dangerous for the marshals, and a huge repair bill.

Have to say, i hate the safety car moments when you see all the work some drivers do during a race wiped out and suddenly all the cars are bunched up again and some even get an advantage through pitting at the right time. The virtual safety car is something that just seems way more sensible in keeping the race competitive, too many times over the last few years it’s felt like you have two races in one, before the safety car, and after, and those who used good tactics get punished the most at times.

The less said about Max Mosley, the better IMO.

I can’t condemn him for having morally repugnant parents, to be fair to him he turned out way better than they did. He hated the Daily Mail too.

Looks like they’re going to announce a Las Vegas race in 2023 tonight according to the reliable source that is Twitter

What’s to hate about Mosley? We have safe road cars because of Mosley. F1 is what it is today because of Mosley and Ecclestone.

even get an advantage through pitting at the right time

I think this dice roll loophole should be closed. I find it ridiculous. It’s like F1 Snakes and Ladders, on account of where you are in a lap when the call comes, or does not come. The bunching is bad enough, but handing some teams a huge time bonus is just unfair.

What’s to hate about Mosley? We have safe road cars because of Mosley. F1 is what it is today because of Mosley and Ecclestone.

Hmmm, you’re not strengthening your argument by including Ecclestone in your “praise”!

DRS can do one. There were some seriously embarrassing moments in that race. The leaders tripping over themselves to be 2nd into a corner so they can use the fake speed down the next straight? Ridiculous. This isn’t Mariokart.
As for DRS “stopping the lunge down the inside” moves, Verstappen’s “World Championship” was built on it.

Looks like they’re going to announce a Las Vegas race in 2023 tonight according to the reliable source that is Twitter

Confirmed by BBC