Formula 1 2024 – WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS

Drive of the season, as much as it pains me to say it!

Who, Verstappen sealing the title or Perez sealing his retirement?

WC drive from Max today

Max made them all look stupid. Great drive.

Fair play to Max, he showed everyone today not only how to drive, but how to win. Norris will forever be the nearly man, and may well rue his comment to Hamilton that it’s easy to win in a fast car.

I’m still not sure whether Lawson or Tsunodo would do much better than Checo.

Lawson needs a full season of learning and Tsunoda just doesn’t excite.

If, as has been rumoured, a deal for
Sainz to go to Red Bull and Collapinto to stay at Williams is true then IMO a Max/Carlos line up would be the strongest pairing available to them.

What a Race and what a pleasure  to watch Verstappen  showing just how Gifted he is .

If, as has been rumoured, a deal for
Sainz to go to Red Bull and Collapinto to stay at Williams is true

I read that rumour too…I find it hard to believe, not least cos Sainz Snr and Verstappen Snr hate eachother and Redbull don’t want that hassle.

Masterclass from Max no matter what people think of him.

Ocon and Gasly totally faultless drive from those two, well deserved.

Yup, great drives from the top four—hats off to Max for that performance on a day when even Alonso and Hamilton couldn’t keep it on the track. (Though Hamilton’s Mercedes looked like an absolute dog all weekend. ) That’s pretty much sealed the WDC and it’s hard to deny that Max deserves it. Should be an interesting five-way fight next year though.

showing just how Gifted he is

He was gifted it alright.

Only seen the highlights which give no idea of what actually happened but sounds like it was a great drive. I can’t stand him but it did look to have been a great drive and none of the overtakes looked like his usual divebombing so hats off to the lad. Well deserved.

The less said about Norris the better – certainly needs to practice some starts.

He seems to lack the racers killer instinct to not miss any opportunity.

Lando needs to work on his humility too.

Got to admit that was a fantastic drive by MV yesterday, others were trying too hard, he just stayed out of trouble and drove. I don’t like RB and some of their/his tactics but he’s a bloody good driver.

Gutted that Norris’ title bid is effectively over but IMO his head had gone when the red flag came and he lost the places because of the pit stop and other got freebies.

It was said that drivers need to make the call in that weather but Lando was asking the team too much and trying to palm the decision off to them rather than stomping his authority when they were asking him for his opinion. Showed a lack of experience from him and the team.

Hopefully the McLaren is still good next year and they can have another go from day one with fresh heads and some valuable experience.

Likewise only watched the ‘extended’ 20min highlights from Sky F1 on YT but Max’s drive was one of champion quality. Still a douchebag that I can’tr stand, but a douchebag who can drive without doubt. Still not sure that drive counters all the crappy on-track behaviours from him over the past season to deserve the title, but in the absence of a stronger competitor he’s the most deserving to be champion.

Looked very difficult racing conditions indeed. Respect to all drivers for racing in that.

The race showed that there’s still a gulf in skill between Verstappen and Norris. Lost the lead off the line, couldn’t get past Russell, off the track twice. OTOH Max scythed through the traffic, got lucky* with the red flag, overtakes Ocon, gone.

*or just figured it was worth the risk of staying out with the conditions getting steadily worse

When do we fund our about the other possible penalties – Lando leading off on another parade lap against the lights and the Mercs having tyre pressures changed on the grid?

The penalties have been given – €5000 fines all round.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/norris-russell-fined-and-reprimanded-for-aborted-start-chaos-in-brazil-f1-gp/10670446/

TBH it looked like the RB was just much more planted than anyone else which gave MV and SP a lot more confidence to hit the brakes later which gave them a massive advantage.

In those conditions a planted car would have made everyone look pretty good.

[See also the Alpines]

Max didn’t have to act like a dick because he had such grip, but in the dry when the other cars are closer/better he has to revert to type.

Anyway, on the aborted start, didn’t everybody leave the line early in the end though… Including MV?

If so how can they only [potentially] penalise 4 or 5 cars and not the rest?

It was said that drivers need to make the call in that weather but Lando was asking the team too much and trying to palm the decision off to them rather than stomping his authority when they were asking him for his opinion. Showed a lack of experience from him and the team.

Pitting was the safe strategy. Red Bull took a gamble on staying out that paid off. When you’re behind, you’re better to gamble. When you’re ahead, better to play it safe. Whoever gets it right looks like a genius, whoever gets it wrong looks like an idiot.

sharkbait

If so how can they only [potentially] penalise 4 or 5 cars and not the rest?

They said that Russell and Norris went (committing the offence) and Tsu etc just followed Russell & Norris, therefore are fine.

Makes no sense but being the FIA, makes perfect sense.

Listening to the Chequered Flag podcast this morning, Jolyon Palmer was pretty critical of Norris/McLaren for not knowing the rules, and in his time at Renault they were tested on the rules and and regulations.

What’s the point of the ‘wet’ tyre? George (and others) were saying that the conditions were too wet to race in then he pits and they put him on new inters. I get that they are racers and that they always want to be on the fastest tyre but if those wern’t the right conditions for the full wets then they would never use the wets in a race. Seems like the operational window of the inters is too broad.

The problem with the wets is that while they work they are too slow so nobody wants to run them.

Exactly, so what’s the point of carting them around the world?

oh its ok, they just recycle tyres that don’t get used…

Lando was asking the team too much and trying to palm the decision off to them rather than stomping his authority when they were asking him for his opinion. Showed a lack of experience from him and the team.

Well, their experience includes Sochi 21, so…

Anyway, Lando was asking to box in order to get past Russell in the first stint, and the pit wall closed that down.

Let’s face it, on days like that, everyone’s crystal ball is pretty much just full of spray.

The race did seem like it should re-open questions around wets and red flags, though. There comes a level of rainfall where it starts to be a bit daft having everyone skating around just waiting for someone to drop it in a big fashion, just to get a free pit stop to take on a slightly less worn version of a tyre that’s only being used because no-one wants to be first onto the one that’s appropriate for the conditions.

They could make the best F1 wet weather tyre ever made and the FIA would still throw a red flag if the rain got too hard. It seems to be more about visibility now than if the cars stay on track.

Wasn’t Perez going 5secs quicker than everyone else when he initially switched to wets, according to commentators?

Bez
Lando was asking the team too much and trying to palm the decision off to them rather than stomping his authority when they were asking him for his opinion. Showed a lack of experience from him and the team.
Well, their experience includes Sochi 21, so…

Anyway, Lando was asking to box in order to get past Russell in the first stint, and the pit wall closed that down.

Let’s face it, on days like that, everyone’s crystal ball is pretty much just full of spray.

The race did seem like it should re-open questions around wets and red flags, though. There comes a level of rainfall where it starts to be a bit daft having everyone skating around just waiting for someone to drop it in a big fashion, just to get a free pit stop to take on a slightly less worn version of a tyre that’s only being used because no-one wants to be first onto the one that’s appropriate for the conditions.

Yeah Pirelli still need to sort out the full wet. I remember reading all the drivers moaning after Spa last year that it was X seconds a lap slower than the inter so it’s worth the gamble to stay on the inter if you think you can keep it on the black stuff.

Pirelli were talking about bringing in an Inter+ with deeper tread and scrapping the full wet, on the basis that any time the full wet can be used there’d be too much spray – but I don’t know if it went anywhere.

They said that Russell and Norris went (committing the offence) and Tsu etc just followed Russell & Norris, therefore are fine.

Haha…. What absolute bollocks!  Nobody was forced to move so they should have all got fined.

Or they should have admitted there was no procedure in place for this eventuality, put one in place, done some education and given no-one a fine (cos £5k each is literally nothing).

Didn’t Max even say over the radio that the second formation lap procedure had been broken, but then followed everyone else anyway?

Didn’t Max even say over the radio that the second formation lap procedure had been broken, but then followed everyone else anyway?

Wasn’t the reply – Yeah, procedure is being broken everywhere this weekend

I don’t remember of they said ‘so go’ or not at the end of the message though

Those towards the back of the grid followed later – they sat there for a good while before moving off.

They still went without a green light though, so no different to the ones at the front.

Yeah Pirelli still need to sort out the full wet.

I believe LH interrupted some FIA person [making an announcement about the postponement of Saturdays qualifying] saying that if they gave them decent wet weather tyres they’d still be out there.

Seems ridiculous that F1 is supposed to be the pinnacle of motor racing technology but they’re deliberately given ‘crap’ tyres just to create a spectacle.

They’re introducing guards to reduce spray on the 2026 cars, aren’t they?

They still went without a green light though, so no different to the ones at the front.

There’d have been more chaos if they didn’t move and those still sat on the grid would have used less fuel as well. Perhaps they were eventually told to move.

They’re introducing guards to reduce spray on the 2026 cars, aren’t they?

They’ve binned that idea for now. Couldn’t make it work.

 some FIA person

Stefano Domenicali. THE FIA Person. Whilst he was being interviewed by Sky. Was half joking I think.

The reason for not heating Wets is cost saving, as by the time they are out of the garage, and on track, the water has made them cold, so no point.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/524601643821445/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

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This isn’t the angle they showed on TV. Makes it look even worse