Yes. Because he’s a better driver.

Did you just say Russell is a better driver than Hamilton?! Bold statement lol

Well, if you’re judged by results, then yes, he is. Consistently out qualifying Hamilton, and has better race results. I expect Lulu’s toys to be ejected from his pram at an increasing rate now.

When they realised this years car was shit, Lewis basically become a test driver this season – Russell has been the control, hence more consistent.

Yeah, you keep telling yourself that. 😉

When Russell is on his eight world title I might agree he’s better – at the minute he can’t overtake a Haas without running into it! 🙂

Not saying he’s not good – but he’s still has his very rookie moments.

This year, he could even win the DWC in the most dominant manner ever seen in F1.

I’m guessing you are too young to remember a guy called Michael Schumacher, 2001 and 2004 especially. Also, there used to be a guy called Adrian Newey who worked for Williams and produced the most dominant cars ever seen. Nigel Mansell cruised to the championship in 1992 driving a Newey designed car.

This year, he could even win the DWC in the most dominant manner ever seen in F1.

I’m guessing you are too young to remember a guy called Michael Schumacher, 2001 especially. Also, there used to be a guy called Adrian Newey who worked for Williams and produced the most dominant cars ever seen. Nigel Mansell cruised to the championship in 1992 driving a Newey designed car.

I’m guessing you are too young to remember a guy called Michael Schumacher, 2001 especially.

No, but I’m guessing you’re thinking of the 2004 season in which he won 13 out of 18 races. Verstappen currently has 11 wins out of 17 races, with 5 races left. Another 3 wins will take him to 14, the most any driver has ever had, albeit with a longer season than previously. If he were to win all 5, then he’d have 16 wins in a season. Which would be incredible. I’m not sure if that’s possible, but I do think he can win at least another 2 to match Schuey and Vettel. Would be god to see him break some records though.

Also, there used to be a guy called Adrian Newey

Ah, I wonder what happened to him? 🤔

I’ve been following F1 since the early 80s btw. 😉

When Russell is on his eight world title I might agree he’s better – at the minute he can’t overtake a Haas without running into it! 🙂

Think the poster is talking about right now, not overall, personally i think this moment in time is actually going to allow us to see if Hamilton is better than Schumacher, as Schumacher took a few years out of his career to move to Ferrari and work with them to get a competitive car, so i’m not even thinking of Hamilton this year, as he and Merc are in transition, Russell is just getting more out of what they have, is that down to different specs, approaches or hunger, who knows, we just need Merc to come back competitive and for Hamilton and Russell to work together with their team to get it right.

As for the budget caps and so on, again, F1 is just getting too complicated for its own good, be that in regulation, policy or governance, they just cause themselves more issues that make them look bad, or worse, like they’re favouring teams.

Think the poster is talking about right now, not overall

Fair point, Russell has been driving like an animal this season, really impressive stuff. Hamilton has definitely seemed deflated this year, it’s almost as if being robbed of a WDC by a bunch of dodgy goings on has left him feeling a bit demotivated and jaded about the sport

it’s almost as if being robbed of a WDC by a bunch of dodgy goings on has left him feeling a bit demotivated and jaded about the sport

Lol! Then he needs to dry his eyes and get on with being a professional racing driver, instead of whinging about how unfair it all is, then. 🤣

‘Robbed’. Lol. He lost; get over it.

Take it you’re no fan of Lewis!? 🤣🤔

FWIW I’m not a huge fan of Russell – despite his chummy demeanour there’s an entitled arrogance to him. Comes across as a bit Rees-Mogg at times! 🙂

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Well, if you’re judged by results, then yes, he is. Consistently out qualifying Hamilton…..

Lewis has qualified ahead of George, 9 vs 8 so far this season.

How is that, ‘consistently out qualifying Hamilton’? 🙂

EDIT – and while digging around to confirm that I thought it was the case, I came across this website which looks like it could keep stats fans entertained for a while.

https://www.formula1points.com/season/teammate-battles/2022

I was going to make the same comment about Hamilton’s qualifying over Russell as well, some-one clearly not paying attention to actual results.

Russell has a rep for being a bit “Elbows out” in the lower formulas that got him in front of the stewards a few times (and the crash with Bottas that blotted his copy book) He’s a very good driver fo’shure, otherwise he wouldn’t be where he is; whether he’s as good as Hamilton or Verstappen remains to be proved. I don’t think so personally, I think he’ll make a decent replacement for Bottas, or like Perez, good to have if your title contender and race winner is not in podium position.

Well judging by the last race, Russell has a way to go yet! I hope he gets there, and when the Merc is better I’m sure he’ll be up there in the fight at the front.

I’ve been following F1 since the early 80s btw. 😉

But use petty name calling instead of a driver’s name. Ok…

Then he needs to dry his eyes and get on with being a professional racing driver, instead of whinging about how unfair it all is, then

What’s he said that you consider whinging about unfairness?

If he were to win all 5, then he’d have 16 wins in a season

Ascari won 75% of GPs in 1952, so Max winning all remaing races would not make him the most dominant driver in a season.

latifi went the wrong way then blamed it on the car “feeling strange”

Just watched the FP2 highlights thinking surely it can’t be as simple as that . . . wow

I’ve been following F1 since the early 80s btw. 😉

…just got into it then! 🙂

I’m guessing you’re thinking of the 2004 season in which he won 13 out of 18 races. Verstappen currently has 11 wins out of 17 races, with 5 races left.

13/18 = 72.2%
16/22 = 72.7%

If Verstappen wins every remaining race he will fractionally surpass Schumacher. He will need everything to go his way for that to happen.

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No but seriously; Mercedes went whinging to the FIA earlier in the season, because they got their car design fundamentally wrong, and the rules were changed as a result. Mercedes are ALWAYS whinging.’Wah wah it’s not fair their car is faster than ours!’ RB and Max have smashed it out of the park this season. What a driver. His win in Hungary was the stuff of legends. This year, he could even win the DWC in the most dominant manner ever seen in F1. I’m just hoping RB can get Perez 2nd place, he deserves something for his team efforts.
Posted 2 hours ago

Horner’s far and away the biggest crybaby on the grid. It’s highly suspicious that RB brought updates all through ’21, turn up at testing with the most developed looking car, then bring updates all through the ’22 season as well (even at the last race they had big updates) and there’s still a new chassis to come as well.

And let’s be honest, to anybody who follows the sport closely, the #1 on Max’s car has a big asterisk next to it after what happened at Abu Dhabi last year, and this years stands to as well with this budget stuff hanging over it.

Which is a shame as Max has actually been driving a lot better this year (i.e. actually racing rather than running people off the track) and TBH has been a lot more likeable.

Regards George, he needs to learn to own up to mistakes and keep his mouth shut on the radio. Making himself look a bit of a plum TBH.

Well, if you’re judged by results, then yes, he is. Consistently out qualifying Hamilton, and has better race results. I expect Lulu’s toys to be ejected from his pram at an increasing rate now

Name calling like Lulu or Crash stappen says more about the poster than the driver.

Name calling like Lulu or Crash stappen or Karen says more about the poster than the driver etc.

Name calling like Lulu or Crash stappen or Karen says more about the poster than the driver etc.

Fair.

It’s the kind of crap I see when I’m stupid enough to look at the comments section in lots of F1 stuff these days.

Stop feeding the troll.

Multi 21 has it most balanced. I don’t like to admit it but yes, verstappen looks to be more settled and a class act this year. The question is, how much of that is due to a massively dominant car, and how much of that is due to developing over the budget cap?

Name calling like Lulu or Crash stappen says more about the poster than the driver.

“Britney’s in the wall.”

Is that one ok?

Yeah – that’s fine!! 🤣🤣

The question is, how much of that is due to a massively dominant car, and how much of that is due to developing over the budget cap?

Or him maturing as a driver? (Not as a person, obvs 😂)

Or him maturing as a driver?

As anyone can see, there are more “mature” drivers that can’t get near him. It’s in some small percentage the car.

He’s definitely matured.
Last year I thought he looked a bit desperate, like it might be his only chance to get a WDC and he would push right to, and sometimes beyond,what was acceptable to get it. And as someone said above there is a whopping g great asterisk next to that title because of AD.
I don’t like him, but I have to conceed that he has driven much better this year, much more maturely and does actually deserve this title.

He’s definitely matured.
Last year I thought he looked a bit desperate, like it might be his only chance to get a WDC and he would push right to, and sometimes beyond,what was acceptable to get it. And as someone said above there is a whopping g great asterisk next to that title because of AD.
I don’t like him, but I have to conceed that he has driven much better this year, much more maturely and does actually deserve this title.

Whilst I agree with most of the above, I also think there may be another huge asterisk against MVs 2022 WDC and Red Bull’s 2022 WCC due to the (alleged) budget cap infractions.
I’ve been following F1 since James Hunt won (’76) and even the Schumacher/Ferrari glory years didn’t have the whiff that this year’s RB domination has…

While there may be budget over-spends, I think everyone needs to also remember that Red Bull’s chief design engineer; Adrian Newey is no slouch, and the regulations that have produced these new cars favour the sorts of designs (high rake) that RB have years of experience with, and – for example, Mercedes have not, and the W-13’s design (as they’ve admitted) is very much “all or nothing” and has been found not to do well in the real world vs simulation. Ferrari’s car is clearly the equal of RB’s and if it wasn’t for some questionable tactical decisions should be much closer than they are in both Championships. In many ways their rivals have done as much to give RB the lead they have rather than accusations of fishy updates.

Max is clearly an amazing driver, and I have no asterix next to his name for the title last year, he – as a driver had nothing to do with Masi’s decisions, and just took full advantage of the opportunity offered to him, the same thing that Hamilton or any other driver should and and would have done. He’s going to be the driver to beat for years to come, and I think with he right car, could easily win multiple championships.

A quick summary for people to correct or discount:

Mercedes gambled the farm on a design that worked well in simulation but the simulations failed to show the real world effect of chaotic air running close to the ground causing breaks in the flow and porpoising. As their design was so dependent on the airflow with most other contingencies designed out they have really suffered. Russel has been driving really well with what he has got. Hamilton has been driving, possibly more extreme variations and options, less consistently in terms of results and his frustrations sometimes shows.

Ferrari have a truly competitive car for the first time in a while and should be challenging / leading one or both championships however their strategy when presented with an open goal is to play rugby instead.

Red Bull created a lot of hate over recent years, especially last year, which hid some of their great work. It doesn’t help that they were headed by Horner who, if locked in a room on his own would irritate the paint off the walls, and had Max driving and behaving like a spoilt brat at his own birthday go cart meeting. This year Max is driving and behaving a lot better and the car is really working.

The question over budget cap looms large though. Without the facts we are relying on paddock rumour which is as reliable as the internet normally but assuming there is some truth in the numbers being bandied about it would appear that ‘someone’ spent the equivalent of and EXTRA YEAR OF DEVELOPMENT more than they were meant to. I think given an extra year of development time that:
a) Mercedes would have fixed their issue, or replaced the design
b) Ferrari would have worked out some way not to sabotage their own strategies
c) Red Bull would be significantly faster and more developed than the others

The question is, did the budget overspend cause outcome a, b or c?

I’ve been following F1 since James Hunt won (’76) and even the Schumacher/Ferrari glory years didn’t have the whiff that this year’s RB domination has…

• Lotus ground effect period?
• Williams active suspension season?
• McLaren MP4/4 season?
• Brawn Double Diffuser years?
• Red Bull Blown Diffuser years?
• The Mercedes Hybrid years? They didn’t run away and hide like back in the day as engines and gearboxes have to last now. If they didn’t they’d have turned them up to 11 and they’d have romped home.

Generally one team is dominant after major reg changes.

‘someone’ spent the equivalent of and EXTRA YEAR OF DEVELOPMENT more than they were meant to. I think given an extra year of development time that:

I haven’t seen numbers like that being thrown around? If a team had done that it’s got to be expulsion from both championships.

Cor, good save from Norris, that was close. Will it be a penalty for Max?

The latest rumoured number I’ve seen is well under 5% which makes it a “minor” breach according to the rules, I think. Can’t remember which F1 rumour site I saw it on now…

Let’s be honest all the top teams should have been accounting for minor overspends! 😀

You don’t leave an open goal for them not to have a shot at it.

Least surprising news this year.

‘Hitting pause’: Daniel Ricciardo drops 2023 bombshell as Aussie star reveals F1 future