Austin 2016

[Bagwan]

The race for the ten gallon hat is set to begin in Texas , and Nico wants to erase memories of last year here .
And , Lewis is in a must win position .
Both will be nervous on the clutch on Sunday .

[Stan Reid]

All Nico has to do is follow Lewis like a wagon.

[Tazio]

Yeah, why even have the race :stareup:

[Bagwan]

All Nico has to do is follow Lewis like a wagon.

Yeah , maybe , Stan , but he's got to be thinking about how the championship will look if he just coasts it in .
They'll all be saying he only won it because Merc let Lewis down .

His approach , or at least his public one this year , has been to take one race at a time .
But , at this point he knows Hamilton needs all the points he can get , so , a little aggression to get clean air out of the first corner will be Nico's aim , to be sure .

With Riccardo on the softer tire , he may get some say in how the first lap or two will go , and then Max is running the same tire , perhaps threatening the Mercs a little later on .

It ain't over Mr. Reid .

[Bagwan]

Yeah, why even have the race :stareup:

Ah , cheer up , Tazzy , my man .
The Boss will do all he can to keep you smiling .
He'll do everything short of peeing in his race suit .

[Mia 01]

I hope for a Clean race for Kimi. Please Seb don´t take him out at the start!

[AndyL]

I don't know that Nico will care too much about how his championship looks to us. I think he'll be quite happy to win ugly, if that's what it takes.

[N4D13]

I don't know that Nico will care too much about how his championship looks to us. I think he'll be quite happy to win ugly, if that's what it takes.
Trying to imply something? :)

[Bagwan]

I don't know that Nico will care too much about how his championship looks to us. I think he'll be quite happy to win ugly, if that's what it takes.

Put it that way and it looks like he can't win .
If he takes it easy , he's won because of the reliability of the car .
If he goes in hard , and they come together , he'll have won only because he was dirty .

Is that too much to read into your statement , Andy ?

[Stan Reid]

Yeah, the Red Bulls might run over them at the start. Maybe they need to ask Don Garlits to show them how it's done. Well, at least it's OTA so I'll get to see one for the first time in quite a while. :D.

[steveaki13]

Evening Gents and Lasses.

I think Nico wants to win this title however it comes. He will richly deserve it whatever the outcome if he finishes ahead at the end of the last race. He has won many races in dominant fashion and has used his better reliability to the full. Thats how motorsport works. If people worry about reliability being an issue, then you drop rounds as we used to.

As it is now, you win the title for most points despite mechanical issues or crashes.


Anyway do we think this will be a good one like Austin in previous years?

[Stan Reid]

I don't know that Nico will care too much about how his championship looks to us. I think he'll be quite happy to win ugly, if that's what it takes.

Nobody cares that Mario won because Peterson was ordered not to pass or that Phil Hill won because von Trips was killed in an accident.

[steveaki13]

Verstappen is the only one who goes for it. The rest cruise around waiting for strategy or to be told to push. Max just does it. Mugged Button and caught Kimi sleeping. Even their attempt to put him in his place by changing rules to punish him hasnt worked. :D

[Stan Reid]

Yeah, some of those guys need to put on a dress and go bicycle racing. I just noticed that Force India has a BMW style nose-something to come?

[Tazio]

Max hearing things ;)

[N4D13]

Max seems to have a knack for pitting at odd times.

[gm99]

Karma catching up with Max :p

[Stan Reid]

Max going out during the commercial-great director work from the crack TV team.:hmh:

[N4D13]

That end of the race was quite interesting thanks to Alonso. I wonder if he'll be getting a penalty for either of his passes? I think it would be a sham if he did, but we've seen stranger calls by the stewards.

Incidentally, that was a really strong showing for McLaren - at least considering how they've done in the last few races. Fifth and eighth is nothing to sneer at.

[steveaki13]

Alonso will probably get penalties in this modern soft F1. However I loved his aggression and attacking mode. My driver of the race. Thats what I want to see. Not drivers too afraid to overtake for fear of penalties. I am probably in a minority but I have always said I dont frown on contact in F1.

I also feel the other drivers have been so soft in changing laws cos Verstappen is willing to defend hard. Sums it all up for me.

[steveaki13]

That end of the race was quite interesting thanks to Alonso. I wonder if he'll be getting a penalty for either of his passes? I think it would be a sham if he did, but we've seen stranger calls by the stewards.

Incidentally, that was a really strong showing for McLaren - at least considering how they've done in the last few races. Fifth and eighth is nothing to sneer at.

Alonso will probably get penalties but shouldnt.

[Stan Reid]

Max going out during the commercial-great director work from the crack TV team.:hmh:

They did make a mistake and show a few seconds of a real race at Talladega though.:D

[steveaki13]

Hammy's 50th win today. One short of Alain.

[N. Jones]

Alonso should have gotten a penalty but didn't.

Sad for those that retired. I think all three could have been in the points.

[AndyL]

Put it that way and it looks like he can't win .
If he takes it easy , he's won because of the reliability of the car .
If he goes in hard , and they come together , he'll have won only because he was dirty .

Is that too much to read into your statement , Andy ?

No I didn't mean that at all. By "win ugly", I meant grinding it out with dull, workmanlike 2nd or 3rd places instead of going all out to win every race. It doesn't matter if it isn't pretty, all that matters is it's effective.
Like playing the "route 1" long ball game in soccer. When Arsenal were winning lots of trophies in the 90s, they didn't give a hoot about opposing fans chanting "boring, boring Arsenal." I imagine Rosberg will be similarly unperturbed by accusations that he didn't deserve to win if he lifts the championship trophy.

[AndyL]

I'm a little surprised Alonso didn't get penalised, we've seen penalties for less recently. I wonder if it would've been treated differently if someone like Verstappen or Kvyat had done the same thing.

[AndyL]

Poor old Kimi, boned by Ferrari again. No-one else in the entire field thought it was a good idea to put on the supersoft tyres in the middle of the race. Seems like he got switched to a 3-stop strategy because he was in Vettel's way.

[Stan Reid]

I wish they'd get rid of the tire rules an let them run the race without a pit stop if they wish. When I first started following Formula 1, pit stops were a rare thing.

[Bagwan]

Lucky second for Nico , after a dumb move at the first corner , not covering a move inside from the honey badger .

[Starter]

I wish they'd get rid of the tire rules an let them run the race without a pit stop if they wish. When I first started following Formula 1, pit stops were a rare thing.
I agree on this. Run the whole race on the tires you started with. You would only be allowed to change in the event of damage to a tire (and then only change that tire) or weather conditions like drys to rain.

[Franky]

I agree on this. Run the whole race on the tires you started with. You would only be allowed to change in the event of damage to a tire (and then only change that tire) or weather conditions like drys to rain.

Also the driver should not leave the cockpit after the season starts unless it is a threat to his or her life. He or she may leave the cockpit when the season ends or his services are no longer needed by the team.

Single tire racing was not interesting and will not be as they'll be racing either very hard tires or saving the tires from the moment they leave the pits. It should be all about speed and reliability, not tire preservation only. Refueling should be allowed again.

[Stan Reid]

I don't think optional tire changing would affect the front runners except on rare occasions. It would mostly be the back markers who would give that stategy a shot.

Four drivers have completed the Indianapolis 500 without a pit stop and none finished higher than 5th. It has not happened since 1949 and not tried since, perhaps, 1964.

[Starter]

Also the driver should not leave the cockpit after the season starts unless it is a threat to his or her life. He or she may leave the cockpit when the season ends or his services are no longer needed by the team.
What, no potty breaks? You are the cruel one. :D


Single tire racing was not interesting and will not be as they'll be racing either very hard tires or saving the tires from the moment they leave the pits. It should be all about speed and reliability, not tire preservation only. Refueling should be allowed again.
It makes little difference whether the tires are hard or soft. The race is about the ability of the car/driver combination being able to complete the required distance before their competitors under the rules at the time. Always has been.

[Nitrodaze]

Alonso should have gotten a penalty but didn't.

Sad for those that retired. I think all three could have been in the points.
That was a very hard overtake. Rosberg got slapped in the wrist for a similar move on Verstapenn, l think in Hungary a few races back, yet Alonso gets away with that one. Inconsistent really.

[Nitrodaze]

Ricciado passing Rosberg at the first corner denied us of a proper fight at the front between the Merc drivers for the win. Sainz was driver of the race for me.