Quoted from the BBC, but sounds liek Toto Wolf decided he didn't appreciate Karen Horner's comments:
"In an unusual step, Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff attended Russell's news conference and criticised Red Bull team principal Christian Horner for calling Russell "hysterical", saying this "crossed a line".
Wolff said: "Why does he feel entitled to comment about my driver? If you're thinking about it, yapping little terrier, always something to say.
"His forte is not intellectual psychoanalysis, but that's quite a word. How dare you comment on the state of mind of my driver.""
God I'm so ready for this Russell vs Max thing, about time somebody stood up to him
Posted : 05/12/2024 5:02 pm
"Can you imagine the roles being reversed and Max losing that championship in the way Lewis lost it? (Then race director Michael) Masi would be fearing for his life."
Just trying to workout who would've done the deed, Max, Jos, Karen??
Wonder if the Red Bull lawyers are getting briefed?
Posted : 05/12/2024 5:47 pm
You can tell it's been a long season!!! 
Posted : 05/12/2024 5:50 pm
The first season in F1 history where there were no driver changes compared to last year, and, so far, 25% of them have had in-season replacements...
Posted : 06/12/2024 2:16 am
Russell is a bit of a whinging cock (as are many of them to be fair) – they’d be better off letting their driving do the talking.
Max's driving is more rage shouting than talking
Posted : 06/12/2024 10:44 am
SpeederFull Member
Is it just me thinking the season is now far too long? Surely 15-16 races is enough? I’m not surprised it’s gotten grumpy, they’re all knackered.
Nope not just you.
It's starting to remind me of that mitchell and webb football sketch
...And you can catch all of that f1 here, where we'll be showing all the f1, all the time.
Catch all of the constantly happening f1 here.
It's all here and it's all f1, always.
It is impossible to keep track of all the f1, but your best chance is here.
Thousands and thousands of hours of f1, each more climactic than the last.
Constant, dizzying, 24 hour, year long, endless f1.
Every sprint race massively mattering to someone.
Presumably.
Posted : 06/12/2024 11:07 am
Richard Petty raced at the top level in Nascar for 35 years, he started 1,185 races, had 712 top ten finishes, won 200 races and seven championships. Today's F1 drivers are whiny little spoilt rich kids if they think 25 races in a year is too tough. Richard Petty won 27 races in 1967.
Posted : 06/12/2024 12:25 pm
Richard Petty raced at the top level in Nascar for 35 years, he started 1,185 races, had 712 top ten finishes, won 200 races and seven championships. Today’s F1 drivers are whiny little spoilt rich kids if they think 25 races in a year is too tough. Richard Petty won 27 races in 1967.
But he only had to turn left, F1 is twice as hard 
Posted : 06/12/2024 1:29 pm
and they had about a tenth (if that) of sponsor/media/sponsor commitments.
Exactly. If they had more races and more time in the car, they'd have less time available for sponsor duties. If the FIA limited drivers to 2000 hours per year of work duties, with a mandatory three weeks vacation, then extra races would mean less time available for sponsor duties. If the teams got more TV money to compensate, everyone would be happy except for the sponsors.
But he only had to turn left, F1 is twice as hard
Turning left is harder than turning right for right-handed people. NASCAR is 33% harder if you're right handed, 33% easier if you're left-handed. Richard Petty was right-handed.
Posted : 06/12/2024 1:57 pm
Turning left is harder than turning right for right-handed people. NASCAR is 33% harder if you’re right handed, 33% easier if you’re left-handed. Richard Petty was right-handed.
Its more efficient to be pushing the wheel up, rather than pulling it downwards.
This is how you set the seating position in a race car.
Posted : 06/12/2024 3:23 pm
thols2
Richard Petty raced at the top level in Nascar for 35 years, he started 1,185 races, had 712 top ten finishes, won 200 races and seven championships. Today’s F1 drivers are whiny little spoilt rich kids if they think 25 races in a year is too tough. Richard Petty won 27 races in 1967.
The Americanisation of F1 is ruining it IMHO.
The Americanisation of F1 is ruining it IMHO.
From another perspective, the F1ization of America is ruining Nascar.
Posted : 06/12/2024 4:53 pm
Topic starter
Today’s F1 drivers are whiny little spoilt rich kids if they think 25 races in a year is too tough
i was thinking more about myself to be honest! This season was too long, too many races, just all too much
Posted : 06/12/2024 6:44 pm
Topic starter
From another perspective, the F1ization of America is ruining Nascar.
this made me chuckle
Posted : 06/12/2024 6:46 pm
Richard Petty didn't travel over 85000 miles between 5 continents and God knows how many time zones to do his races.
But apparently F1 is green because they use hybrid engines and are trying synthetic fuels.
The schedule is brutal these days, not just the drivers of course but the rest of the team as well. Even 10 years ago I knew a mechanic who worked for Williams and he was barely home during the season.
Saw this the other day.. made me giggle...
Posted : 06/12/2024 8:00 pm
16 different nationalities represented on a 20 car grid. The most diverse grid we've ever had, surely. But no Italian driver. I remember when about half the field would be made up of Italian drivers.
Posted : 06/12/2024 10:26 pm
Well that's a loada bollards 
Posted : 07/12/2024 3:23 pm
That was unlucky for Hamilton picking up that bollard in Q1
Posted : 07/12/2024 3:24 pm
Brilliant job by Hulk + Bottas!
Posted : 07/12/2024 4:05 pm
Hulk takes a 3 place penalty for overtaking in the pit exit tunnel.
They should pop a brand new engine in Lewis's car, turn it up to 11 and start him from the pitlane. Bad luck for Lewis, but why were Merc gambling releasing him so late at the end of Q1? No point gambling when the stakes are so high.
Posted : 07/12/2024 7:23 pm
The schedule is brutal these days, not just the drivers of course but the rest of the team as well.
Especially for the rest of the team. They wont be flying in and out on private jets at a time that suits and getting all the choice hotels. They are probably the first to arrive at track and the last to leave by the tme they have set up and broken down the pits at the end of the weekend.
Posted : 07/12/2024 7:41 pm
He's embraced the Ferrari colours already.
Just needs a few logos and he's away.
Posted : 08/12/2024 12:58 pm
Another good race that - seems I’ve said that a lot this year!
Posted : 08/12/2024 3:33 pm
…time to order a Ferrari cap!!
Posted : 08/12/2024 3:38 pm
Deserved win for McLaren they've had the best car by far this year. Raised a cheer win Lewis went round the outside in turn 9, And as a grown adult I've got to admit that I'm a bit too excited to see him in a Ferrari next year.
This has been a great thread all year, thanks everyone. Next year's going to be wild
Posted : 08/12/2024 3:53 pm
.... Who?
Posted : 08/12/2024 9:38 pm
He’s embraced the Ferrari colours already.
Masterclass in how to endear yourself to the tifosi before you’re even officially an employee
Posted : 08/12/2024 10:23 pm
Max couldn’t resist being a dick…
I thought that penalty was a bit harsh. Not as harsh as last week but still didn't warrant it IMO.
However, he has driven like a **** for a long time and got away with it so he's not getting any sympathy from me. Hopefully there's a few more undeserved penalties coming his way to make up for all the others he's missed out on.
Posted : 09/12/2024 2:40 am
Who would be everyone's top and bottom three for this year?
I'm going for
Sainz - kept his head in the game and produced some great results despite everything which was happening off track with leaving Ferrari and that comeback after his surgery was great. He's got to be top of the list to replace Hamilton when he retires...
Hulkenberg - never really been a fan, nothing against him but he's always seemed quite mediocre to me. But, fair play to him, he seems to have upped his game this year and really outperformed the car, top marks.
Bearman - not an easy debut, but very impressive, and then also decent when thrown into another car with not much more notice. Let's hope he can keep it up
Honourable mention to Gasley, once they got that car sorted he really made the most of it
.
Disappointments if the year.
It pains me to say this because I've always been fans of theirs but Checo and Riciardo. I know Checo 'has a contract for next year' and the rumour mill is strong with Riciardo to Cadillac but really I think it's time for them both to bow out now. And Sargent, had another chance and sadly didn't step up.
Honourable mention to Stroll for driving into a gravel trap he really didn't need to be in.
.
Can I put Hamilton and Verstappen in both groups? Hamilton at his best is still great, but he has been so hit and miss this year, he needs that new start at new team. Verstappen can be brilliant (Brazil) but has again shown that when he's under pressure (Mexico) he panics and lashes out, he didn't need to when his car was dominant and we thought maybe he'd outgrown it, but no, he's still a ****.
Posted : 09/12/2024 2:57 am
I think I’d put a few people in both groups. Hamilton and Verstappen I agree with, for the same reasons. Sainz was electric at the start of the season but then faded. Colapinto turned up and was on Albon’s pace straight away and put in some good fights against seasoned competitors, but then had a few too many crashes which were a disappointment mainly in that they seem to mean he won’t be on the grid next year. Ricciardo definitely a disappointment, and while Perez has been disappointing of course but I seem to have an evil streak which likes watching being chewed up by the pressure of F1 so he’s kept that part of me entertained. Of the rest, Hulk has done a sterling job, as has Russell, but I think Leclerc has been the most impressive this year: he seems to have shaken his errors without losing his pace, and it’ll be interesting to see how he compares with Hamilton next year. It’ll also be interesting to see the betting odds for the title between Norris, Verstappen, Hamilton and Leclerc. In principle I don’t think there’s much between them. In fact it may come down to whose team-mate robs them of more points—something that Verstappen is at much less risk from than the others, but then he probably has the weakest car of the three right now.
Honourable mention to Gasley, once they got that car sorted he really made the most of it
Gasly also the only driver not to cost their team any money in crash repairs.
Interested to see what Bottas does next too - he said he's not done with F1. And his his socials on his helmet he's bearing a 'What's Next?' slogan.
Posted : 09/12/2024 9:39 am
Bez
I think I’d put a few people in both groups. Hamilton and Verstappen I agree with, for the same reasons. Sainz was electric at the start of the season but then faded.
Yeah, a bit inconsistent perhaps. He had 3 DNF which cost him (one of which probably would have been a podium).
Great pole & win in Mexico though, also winning right after having appendicitis. (The F1 Beyond the Grid podcast with him this week is worth a listen).
I think he'll be a good signing for Williams, I just hope the car is there (I mean both working well, and physically present in Bahrain in time for testing!)
Posted : 09/12/2024 10:11 am
It's interesting to look at ave. drivers grid positions vs their ave. finish positions. There are few that consistently have better races. Leclerc generally started about 5th generally finishes about 4th, Hamilton starts about 9th finishes about 7th. But the stand-outs are Bearman (12th and 9th) and Colapinto (16th and 13th)
Everyone else - including Verstappen and Norris are either finishing about their average grid, or gong backwards
If you start 1st on the grid, it's impossible to improve your finishing position. If you start last, it's impossible to go backwards. You'll have a regression to the mean effect. Drivers who absolutely nail qualifying (or just get a bit lucky) will tend to start near the front, those who mess up in qualifying will tend to start nearer the back. In the race, the luck is reset and the faster cars that had an unlucky qualifying will tend to move forward while the slower cars that had a lucky qualifying will tend to move back. Hamilton's race yesterday is a prime example, he started near the back because of bad luck, then he drove well in the race and finished near the front.
Posted : 09/12/2024 11:36 am
