Austria GP Part 1

[N. Jones]

The season has finally begun. I am curious to see how the teams do in this first session.

[unclenontas]

Way too early to get into any conclusion. Just a wild guess, that the qualy would be tight enough!

Sent from my Redmi Note 7 using Tapatalk

[gm99]

The black and pink Mercedes seem to have the edge so far. Red Bull and Alfa Tauri rather disappointing, as are Alfa and Haas. Ferrari and Renault better than expected. But of course, we only have seen free practice thus far.

[Jag_Warrior]

I was surprised to see the Red Bulls not just off the pace, but also seeming to have some handling issues. And I was kind of glad to see the Pink Panthers in front of them.

As for some of the others that I took notice of this morning: Williams, still kind of pitiful. Haas, still kind of pitiful. Ferrari, looking like a small golf ball lost in tall grass. Mercedes, if anything, I'd say they're holding back a bit - which is kinda scary!

[N. Jones]

Wow do I hate that Mercedes color scheme. I like how McLaren is doing and am surprised how well Racing Point are. I am disappointed that Haas look the same as last season.

[truefan72]

Wow do I hate that Mercedes color scheme.

I really like the color scheme. Even more so what it represents. but The car looks badass imo

[RubyDragon949]

The car looks badass imo

Agreed. Along with Hamilton's black helmet. It's like watching Batman out on track. The purple lining inside the helmet is great too.

If he becomes the greatest grand prix driver of all time this using with all of this as the backdrop, it will certainly do wonders to the BLM movement.

*Ruby*

P.S - If you haven't yet. Be sure to check out my novel. Found in the links on my Signature.

[The Black Knight]

Agreed. Along with Hamilton's black helmet. It's like watching Batman out on track. The purple lining inside the helmet is great too.

If he becomes the greatest grand prix driver of all time this using with all of this as the backdrop, it will certainly do wonders to the BLM movement.

*Ruby*

P.S - If you haven't yet. Be sure to check out my novel. Found in the links on my Signature.

I’m sick of Hamilton’s nonsense now. He’s one of the most privileged, richest drivers ever in the sport and he’s on about inequality and a movement that has shown nothing but racist intent towards white people and violence across the globe over the last couple of weeks. He can f**k right off. I hope Bottas destroys him, the utter hypocrite.

Bottas did a Rosberg on him today anyway. Delighted.

[truefan72]

I’m sick of Hamilton’s nonsense now. He’s one of the most privileged, richest drivers ever in the sport and he’s on about inequality and a movement that has shown nothing but racist intent towards white people and violence across the globe over the last couple of weeks. He can f**k right off. I hope Bottas destroys him, the utter hypocrite.

Bottas did a Rosberg on him today anyway. Delighted.

You actually came on here to say this?
SMH. Just proves what he and BLM are fighting for.
To miss the point so far an in such a vile manner says more about you than Hamilton or any other person with a platform who chooses to lend their voice to a real and sobering reality.
I never thought I would block you TBK (the irony in the name) but this is just an awful tone deaf post.
oh well...

[Nitrodaze]

I’m sick of Hamilton’s nonsense now. He’s one of the most privileged, richest drivers ever in the sport and he’s on about inequality and a movement that has shown nothing but racist intent towards white people and violence across the globe over the last couple of weeks. He can f**k right off. I hope Bottas destroys him, the utter hypocrite.

Bottas did a Rosberg on him today anyway. Delighted.

Buddy you are so far off the mark on this one. It is surprising that you do not understand the issue and what is being communicated. To call it racism against white people is just the height of ignorance.

[Nitrodaze]

Bottas has started the season well. That pole lap was something very special. A new lap record no less. In a bizzare season such as this, can he mount an upset?

[truefan72]

yup, Bottas isn't messing about to start the season. Anything can happen. The race should be interesting. I'm more worried about Verstappen at p3 trying to do something bonkers at the start.
also, kudos to Norris. What an excellent p4. Alob did very well in P5 and a strong showing by ricciardo in p10 who felt he could have done better in Q3.
Can't wait for the race!

[Big Ben]

The Mercedes PR stunt works. I was a rabid racist but the black cars have convinced me to turn away from my wicked ways. I hope Hamilton can manage to destroy the lives of the drivers that don't follow him in his empty gestures (e.g. kneeling).

[journeyman racer]

I refuse to believe the validity of TBK's post. There must be some sort of reverse psychology thing going on?

I think Bottas has reached a point where even the most cynical and dispirited fans can acknowledge that he can beat Hamilton on merit. But as with the case after last year's Aus GP, it's about how often he can do it.

When both MB are on the front row. Almost always it doesn't matter who gets pole, but who's first after the first few corners.

[truefan72]

The Mercedes PR stunt works. I was a rabid racist but the black cars have convinced me to turn away from my wicked ways. I hope Hamilton can manage to destroy the lives of the drivers that don't follow him in his empty gestures (e.g. kneeling).

another useless post. I simply don't understand how some folks think here. They simply don't get it and worse yet, feel so entitled and comfortable to share their misguided and tone deaf thoughts. Be part of the solution not the problem. SMH

[gm99]

Hamilton penalized for disobeying the yellow flags in Q3 and will now start from P5. So that puts Lando Norris up to P3.

[N4D13]

Hamilton penalized for disobeying the yellow flags in Q3 and will now start from P5. So that puts Lando Norris up to P3.
Not a fan of the penalty at all. Either it shouldn't have been given or it's too lenient.

If you're going to give a penalty for ignoring a yellow flag, it probably should be sterner, or maybe have that laptime deleted as they do for track limits. It doesn't feel right that ignoring a yellow flags only drops you from P2 to P5 while at least Sainz and Ricciardo got mugged over the flag, with the former going down from P3 to P8. With such a close midfield, this is a terrible precedent IMO because when a single tenth can be worth several places on the grid, it's going to be definitely worth it to just ignore the flag, go flat out, improve a couple of places while everyone else can't put together a decent lap and then just lose three places.

[N4D13]

Bottas has started the season well. That pole lap was something very special. A new lap record no less. In a bizzare season such as this, can he mount an upset?
We had the very same conversation at the beginning of last years and some forum members were certain that it was going to be Bottas' year and that he'd mount a credible challenge, only for their predictions to fall apart a couple of races into the season. So far history shows that Bottas can show glimpses of speed occasionally, but there's nothing to suggest that he'll keep the level of excellence that Hamilton does deliver consistently.

Beating your teammate to pole by 0.012 seconds in just one race doesn't magically turn you into a championship contender, especially when your second lap was a mess that could have meant floor damage or even putting the car in the wall.

[Nitrodaze]

Verstapenn is now out of contention for this weird season's contention. But Albon is suddenly once again being placed at the deepend of carrying the redbull hopes for the championship win once again.

[gm99]

Poor Verstappen.
Ferrari's race pace is downright embarassing.

[Nitrodaze]

We had the very same conversation at the beginning of last years and some forum members were certain that it was going to be Bottas' year and that he'd mount a credible challenge, only for their predictions to fall apart a couple of races into the season. So far history shows that Bottas can show glimpses of speed occasionally, but there's nothing to suggest that he'll keep the level of excellence that Hamilton does deliver consistently.

Beating your teammate to pole by 0.012 seconds in just one race doesn't magically turn you into a championship contender, especially when your second lap was a mess that could have meant floor damage or even putting the car in the wall.

This is the sort of season that can allow Bottas to steal a title. He has started well which he needs to do to have half a chance. But Hamilton has made is way to 2nd. Damage limitation.

I am impressed with Bottas this season. He is beginning to be consistent.

[N4D13]

Now there's Renault punishing Ricciardo for signing up with McLaren. :p

[Nitrodaze]

It is looking like reliability is lower than we have seen for a few seasons now. They are dropping like flies it seem.

[gm99]

I am impressed with Bottas this season. He is beginning to be consistent.

How can you measure consistency when we're not even halfway through the first race of the season?

[Nitrodaze]

Safety car has brought Hamilton well into contention. Bottas now has a real fight on his hand.

[Nitrodaze]

How can you measure consistency when we're not even halfway through the first race of the season?

Well he has started two seasons strongly consecutively. That is consistent. That is a good indication that he may have built on his level from last year. Which suggests that he may do better this season.

[gm99]

Well he has started two seasons strongly consecutively. That is consistent.

In my definition, consistent is not just starting a season strongly, but to maintain that level throughout the season.

[Nitrodaze]

How can you measure consistency when we're not even halfway through the first race of the season?

Welkl he has started two seasons strong consecutively. That is consistent.

[Nitrodaze]

In my definition, consistent is not just starting a season strongly, but to maintain that level throughout the season.

That is Bottas's aspiration this season. But we shall see if he can be consistent through a season.

[Nitrodaze]

Is Mercedes going to impose team orders. Hamilton is reeling in Bottas at the mo.

[Nitrodaze]

They have turned down the engines it seems. They are keeping station.

[N4D13]

They have turned down the engines it seems. They are keeping station.
The fact that they've turned down the engines doesn't mean that they can't race IMO - just that they're allowed to as long as they keep an eye on the engine, which is a perfectly reasonable decision from Mercedes considering that their closest challenger is now 6 seconds behind.

[Nitrodaze]

He is right up his gearbox now. Are they going to let them fight each other.

[N4D13]

He is right up his gearbox now. Are they going to let them fight each other.
Let's face it, I don't think Hamilton, a six-time WDC, would obey an order to hold station anyway. Not in the first race of the season anyway. So it's a bit of a moot question IMO.

[Nitrodaze]

Both Mercedes may drop out with gearbox failure. Albon may win this race yet hehe.

[truefan72]

Safety car

[Nitrodaze]

George Russell's Williams and the other Haas of Grosjean bows out of the race.

[truefan72]

If Mercedes lose this race is because once again they are trying too hard to orchestrate the race.

[Nitrodaze]

Safety car

Bottas is struggling on those hard tyres, can he keep it in front after the safety car pulls in. Albon has new tyres, he could be a treat.

[Nitrodaze]

If Mercedes lose this race is because once again they are trying too hard to orchestrate the race.

darn right!

[Nitrodaze]

Safety car again

[Nitrodaze]

Is Albon ahead of Perez? Did anyone see what happened.

[Nitrodaze]

Haas still using cheap brakes it seems. Both cars out with brake problems as they have had for the last four seasons.

[Nitrodaze]

Unlucky Albon. But gutsy attack. He had to do it. But Hamilton takes no prisoners.

[truefan72]

Patience Albon. Just threw away a certain win

[Nitrodaze]

Leclerc seems good to win this race with the two Mercs limping forward.

[N4D13]

I'd be disappointed if Hamilton got a penalty over that. Yes, he could and probably should have left a bit more room, but that was the kind of move that often goes badly. Overtaking on the outside of a fast corner makes you look great when you pull it off, but often ends up with someone in tears.

[Nitrodaze]

Patience Albon. Just threw away a certain win

Leclerc smells blood and he is going for it.

[N4D13]

Leclerc smells blood and he is going for it.
While Vettel just got overtaken and lost P10. :)

[Nitrodaze]

I'd be disappointed if Hamilton got a penalty over that. Yes, he could and probably should have left a bit more room, but that was the kind of move that often goes badly. Overtaking on the outside of a fast corner makes you look great when you pull it off, but often ends up with someone in tears.

One second penalty. This is Bottas's race to lose now.

[N4D13]

One second penalty. This is Bottas's race to lose now.
Wasn't it five seconds?

[gm99]

5 sec penalty for Hamilton? Why? He was on the inside and just held his racing line through that corner. Clearly Albon's mistake!

[Nitrodaze]

The penalties are looking very bizzare now. Such very late penalty again on Perez.

[N4D13]

5 sec penalty for Hamilton? Why? He was on the inside and just held his racing line through that corner. Clearly Albon's mistake!
As I said, you need to leave space for the car on the outside, so with the rules in hand, it was a fine penalty. But I still think it was too stringent.

[Nitrodaze]

Wasn't it five seconds?

Sorry 5 sec it was. I calculated the difference the car behind at the time.

[Nitrodaze]

As I said, you need to leave space for the car on the outside, so with the rules in hand, it was a fine penalty. But I still think it was too stringent.

Not really, Masi say gloves of racing. That was gloves off racing. So it was not really consistent.

[Nitrodaze]

Mclaren on the podium with Norris. That is brilliant.

[N4D13]

Landoooooooo

[N4D13]

Not really, Masi say gloves of racing. That was gloves off racing. So it was not really consistent.
Masi can say whatever he wants, but my point is about the rulebook.

[Nitrodaze]

Bottas is sitting pretty at the mo, with that points gap to Hamilton. This is going to be short but very interesting season.

[Nitrodaze]

Masi can say whatever he wants, but my point is about the rulebook.

True, but how the rules is applied is Massi's say. And he says gloves off.

[truefan72]

Well done lando.
The only good thing from today.
Shady penalty on Hamilton. Nothing for Norris who barged Perez out of the way 🤷🏻*♂️
Oh well. On to the next race.
As I said Mercedes insistence on trying to orchestrate the race has come back to bite them. There was a point where Hamilton was trying to overtake bottle but they effectively told them to hold station in their overconfidence. There was nothing wrong with the cars based on the late race pace. Then at the 2nd safety car they should have pitted Hamilton to cover Albon. Smh
At least we got another race next week.

[truefan72]

Not really, Masi say gloves of racing. That was gloves off racing. So it was not really consistent. yup. And to make matters worse no penalty for Norris he just barged into Perez while Perez was still ahead on turn3 and stupid sky f1 crew were like that’s a fine move. Laughable. I would protest if I was Mercedes

[Nitrodaze]

Well done lando.
The only good thing from today.
Shady penalty on Hamilton. Nothing for Norris who barged Perez out of the way ����*♂️
Oh well. On to the next race.
As I said Mercedes insistence on trying to orchestrate the race has come back to bite them. There was a point where Hamilton was trying to overtake bottle but they effectively told them to hold station in their overconfidence. There was nothing wrong with the cars based on the late race pace. Then at the 2nd safety car they should have pitted Hamilton to cover Albon. Smh
At least we got another race next week.

Mercedes did not impress from the pitwall. Not pitting one car put them under pressure from Redbull. They were too tame this race.

[N4D13]

yup. And to make matters worse no penalty for Norris he just barged into Perez while Perez was still ahead on turn3 and stupid sky f1 crew were like that’s a fine move. Laughable. I would protest if I was Mercedes
Come on, Norris' move was definitely legitimate. Pérez left the door wide open and Norris just took the opportunity into the inner line, leaving more than enough space for Pérez. Pérez just wasn't expecting there, but they banged wheels, which happens all the time in racing and is fine.

[Nitrodaze]

yup. And to make matters worse no penalty for Norris he just barged into Perez while Perez was still ahead on turn3 and stupid sky f1 crew were like that’s a fine move. Laughable. I would protest if I was Mercedes

I thought the stewards at this race were crap really. we could see signs of it with the very last minute penalty for Hamilton which had him starting the race 5th. The penalty for Perez was just as dodgy. D**kheads really

[The Black Knight]

Savage race. Bottas got a victory he richly deserved and Hamilton got the 4th he just about deserved. LeClerc and Norris are stars. I’m a big fan of Norris so delighted that he got the podium. It has been so long since McLaren were on the podium - thrilled for them.

And LeClerc- what can I say? He’s showing all the signs of a future great in the sport once more.

Albon/Hamilton incident I felt was a racing incident. I think it Albon took risk that can sometimes pay off and other times it doesn’t at that corner. A bit harsh as I felt Lewis did leave him the cars width. Hamilton’s head is not in the game, been clear all weekend so have little sympathy for him.

Vettel - bloody hell. SMH.

[N4D13]

I thought the stewards at this race were crap really. we could see signs of it with the very last minute penalty for Hamilton which hard him starting the race 5th. The penalty for Perez was just as dodgy. D**kheads really
Again, nothing wrong with the penalty for Pérez. I don't really know what you guys are droning on about. Seriously, Pérez' penalty was for speeding in the pitlane. That's as clear-cut as they go, so what's the point with all the moaning?

Yes, I get that Hamilton's penalty was way too stringent, but the other things just don't make any sense.

[Nitrodaze]

Come on, Norris' move was definitely legitimate. Pérez left the door wide open and Norris just took the opportunity into the inner line, leaving more than enough space for Pérez. Pérez just wasn't expecting there, but they banged wheels, which happens all the time in racing and is fine.

I agree, Perez left the door wide open there.

[gm99]

The penalty for Perez was just as dodgy. D**kheads really

Wasn't that penalty for speeding in the pit lane? What's so dodgy about that?

[Nitrodaze]

Again, nothing wrong with the penalty for Pérez. I don't really know what you guys are droning on about. Seriously, Pérez' penalty was for speeding in the pitlane. That's as clear-cut as they go, so what's the point with all the moaning?

Yes, I get that Hamilton's penalty was way too stringent, but the other things just don't make any sense.

It was the timing of the application of the penalty that is in dispute. It almost seemed like an afterthought. For speeding in the pitlane, that should be something that they can issue a penalty for very quickly. It was several laps after everyones mind had moved on to a different aspect of the race that the penalty came.

[N4D13]

Wasn't that penalty for speeding in the pit lane? What's so dodgy about that?
I'm getting the impression that Nitrodaze got confused and assumed that Pérez' penalty was about the unsafe release.

Edit: never mind.

[truefan72]

I thought the stewards at this race were crap really. we could see signs of it with the very last minute penalty for Hamilton which hard him starting the race 5th. The penalty for Perez was just as dodgy. D**kheads really

I believe perez penalty was for speeding in the pits.
The albon penalty on Hamilton was very suspect. Hamilton was ahead going into the corner, just because albon accelerated during the corner doesn't make it hamilton's fault.
If he was ahead into the corner then all expectations are that he will continue accordingly without albon trying to make an impossible pass.
The sad thing for Albon was that he had a real shot at winning this race if he got past Hamilton. He would have approached Bottas at a very rapid pace and probably overtook him.
his immaturity on not understanding how to setup a proper pass cost him victory and hamilton dearly.
My only solace is that Horner left today at his home grand prix with zero points after his shenanigans and stupid protests.
Karma

[Nitrodaze]

I'm getting the impression that Nitrodaze got confused and assumed that Pérez' penalty was about the unsafe release.

Edit: never mind.

It is very possible that l missed something. Please explain what you noticed.

[truefan72]

It was the timing of the application of the penalty that is in dispute. It almost seemed like a an afterthought. For speeding in the pitlane, that should be something that they can issue a penalty for very quickly. It was several laps after everyones mind had moved on to a different aspect of the race that the penalty came.

agreed

[Nitrodaze]

I believe perez penalty was for speeding in the pits.
The albon penalty on Hamilton was very suspect. Hamilton was ahead going into the corner, just because albon accelerated during the corner doesn't make it hamilton's fault.
If he was ahead into the corner then all expectations are that he will continue accordingly without albon trying to make an impossible pass.
The sad thing for Albon was that he had a real shot at winning this race if he got past Hamilton. He would have approached Bottas at a very rapid pace and probably overtook him.
his immaturity on not understanding how to setup a proper pass cost him victory and hamilton dearly.
My only solace is that Horner left today at his home grand prix with zero points after his shenanigans and stupid protests.
Karma

I have to say l agree with you there. Redbull were looking like pointless pratagonists. I think it is unfair to ask Hamilton to make it easy for Albon to overtake him. This is racing and it is up to Albon to initiate a successful overtake. So the penalty was unfair and inconsistent. Afterall, Verstapenn punted Leclerc of the track at a similar corner on this circuit last season to win the race. So where is the consistency.

[N4D13]

Anyway, with the race out of the way, a few thoughts:

- Bottas has been quite lucky this weekend IMO, but I certainly don't get the impression that he was the quicker Mercedes driver - at least not on Sunday IMO. He took pole by a minimal advantage, but then saw his 7.5 s lead to Hamilton reduced to 3.8 s in just a couple of laps. We might have seen Lewis passing him on track if it wasn't by Merc's reliability problems, or team orders, depending on the hat you're wearing.

- Bloody hell, Vettel. 2019 was a super messy season from him and 2020 couldn't have started much worse.

- The McLaren guys are looking very fine. Lovely podium for Lando, with a bit of luck with all the attrition and avoiding being impeded by the yellow flag in Q3 - and Sainz also putting on a nice display which almost meant that he was the orange driver to finish on the podium. It's fairly sad that McLaren will still need some mess ahead to challenge for podiums, but it's still a very welcome improvement with respect to 2019.

- That Tracing Point is fast.

- I'd advise against making many predictions for the rest of the season based on this race. This is a rather unique circuit which normally causes more reliability problems than most, and where engine power is more important than normal. With that in mind, and knowing that Ferrari will be bringing a spec B car to Hungary, I'd definitely expect them to steer clear of the Racing Points and McLarens. Well, at least Leclerc, that is.

- OMG, Latifi on P11 was nice, but still, rotten luck for Russell. I think he'd have managed to score his maiden point had it not been for the retirement. Kinda reminds me of the German GP where Kubica finished ahead on him on what was basically a fluke.

[N4D13]

It is very possible that l missed something. Please explain what you noticed.
I didn't get that you were criticizing the late timing on the penalty as you hadn't made that explicit earlier, and the Sky crew had been mentioning the possibility of a penalty for an unsafe release for him, so I thought that you'd assumed the penalty was for an unsafe release rather than speeding.

That said, yes, the penalty did come out a bit late, but I don't think it was strange considering everything race direction had to deal with. And on top of that, what difference would it have made to have the penalty issued five laps earlier anyway? It's not like it would have had much of an effect on strategies or on-track action anyway, seeing as though Pérez got rightfully passed by both McLarens anyway.

[truefan72]

I have to say l agree with you there. Redbull were looking like pointless pratagonists. I think it is unfair to ask Hamilton to make it easy for Albon to overtake him. This is racing and it is up to Albon to initiate a successful overtake. So the penalty was unfair and inconsistent.

I firmly believe there is an element of "entertainment" in some of these judgement calls or to knock mercedes down a peg. The brazil penalty was borderline but i could see it. This was at at worst a racing incident and in all honesty an overzealous attempt by Albon. He would have got hamilton on the start straight, or the long straight then probably pass Bottas a lap or two later. The irony is that F1 is back and all the same talking points are back.
Shoddy stewards decisions, Vettel clumsiness, RBR/Horner insufferable shenanigans, RBR reliability on verstappens car, ricciardo dnf, mercedes missteps from the pitwall, lol

[truefan72]

Anyway, with the race out of the way, a few thoughts:

- Bottas has been quite lucky this weekend IMO, but I certainly don't get the impression that he was the quicker Mercedes driver - at least not on Sunday IMO. He took pole by a minimal advantage, but then saw his 7.5 s lead to Hamilton reduced to 3.8 s in just a couple of laps. We might have seen Lewis passing him on track if it wasn't by Merc's reliability problems, or team orders, depending on the hat you're wearing.
yup.
There is a certain arrogance at the mercedes ptwall that always see them make critical strategy errors.
1. let them race. At that point they were a good 11 seconds and pulling away from the rest, they could afford a tussle and i think bottas and hamilton have enough respect for one another to not take each other out. They were assured a 1-2 either way, so why not entertain the fans.
2. ...which leads into them not pitting one or both drivers on the 2nd safety car for the new pair of softs or mediums they each had. It continues to amaze me how, I can see that from my couch, but the strategist with their millions of data points and dozens of people can;t figure it out. That is essentially the problem with committee management. too many voices no single person brave enough to make the call.
3. I honestly feel that the team is that dominant that they should just be run as 2 seperate units, each doing what's best for their side of the garage and only tot intervening if it is absolutely warranted. They have more than 50% chance of winning each race with either car so why not? Because it was actually a bit disheartening on lap 36 of a 71 lap race to hear them talking about effectively bringing home a 1-2. SMH

also agree on the bottas comments. Let's see what happens next week.

[Nitrodaze]

I think Bottas did a very good job this weekend. It is not fair to diminish it in any way. Hamilton paid the price of not nailing a fast lap to take pole in the first place. The weird stewards penalty sort of took the shine of a first corner fight off the start. Redbull were trying to manufacture a win with Verstapenn but karma had something to say about that.

Mercedes were very disappointing, especially seeing how much faster Hamilton was on the yellow tyres compared to Bottas that seemed to be struggling. In a short season such as this, it is much more a case of every driver for himself. Team orders only serve to styme the chances of the disadvantaged driver. So Mercedes did Hamilton no favors at this race.

I thought they would let him pass Bottas so that he can recover from the 5 sec penalty with some fast laps. They appear dozey today, the Mercedes pitwall. But they might be genuinely worried about getting both cars to the end of the race with their gearbox worries.

The racing point did not show their real pace at this race due to the Mercedes gearbox worries. I expect the story would be very different on another track.

Did anyone noticed the plume of fumes that was coming out of the Mercedes exhaust. It kind of reminded me of the smokey Ferrari of 2018.

It was a great day for Mclaren. In particular Lando Norris who has obviously matured really well.

It has been some time since we have seen six cars retire from a race with mechanical failures in a dry race. Admittedly Kimi's retirement was for a tyre that came of the rims. Nonetheless, it is surprisingly high for the Hybrid Era.

Also, the Ferrari turned out to be much slower than expected. But Leclerc once again shows why he is deserving of the support that Ferrari has given him.

Albon was brilliant today until that overtake that went wrong. You cannot overtake a six time world champion in the manner that he chose to do it. But we see him exhibit a fearless desire to overtake even a six times world champion. He would get it right next time l think. You can imagine the pressure he was under after Verstapenn's DNF.

I still think the stewarding at this race was sub-standard and largely inconsistent.

All in all, it was a very welcomed return to racing and a very entertaining race too.

[Nitrodaze]

As it stands at the moment, Bottas, Leclerc, Norris and Hamilton are the main title contenders, with Sainz, Perez and Gasly in the outside chance group. I expect the complexion of the drivers table to changed dramatically by the next race as Hamilton and Verstapenn try to address the setback today.

But Bottas cannot afford the slightest off day over the next few races. Leclerc is looking like a dark horse for the title. Anything can happen in F1.

[The Black Knight]

I think Bottas did a very good job this weekend. It is not fair to diminish it in any way. Hamilton paid the price of not nailing a fast lap to take pole in the first place. The weird stewards penalty sort of took the shine of a first corner fight off the start. Redbull were trying to manufacture a win with Verstapenn but karma had something to say about that.

Mercedes were very disappointing, especially seeing how much faster Hamilton was on the yellow tyres compared to Bottas that seemed to be struggling. In a short season such as this, it is much more a case of every driver for himself. Team orders only serve to styme the chances of the disadvantaged driver. So Mercedes did Hamilton no favors at this race.

I thought they would let him pass Bottas so that he can recover from the 5 sec penalty with some fast laps. They appear dozey today, the Mercedes pitwall. But they might be genuinely worried about getting both cars to the end of the race with their gearbox worries.

The racing point did not show their real pace at this race due to the Mercedes gearbox worries. I expect the story would be very different on another track.

Did anyone noticed the plume of fumes that was coming out of the Mercedes exhaust. It kind of reminded me of the smokey Ferrari of 2018.

It was a great day for Mclaren. In particular Lando Norris who has obviously matured really well.

It has been some time since we have seen six cars retire from a race with mechanical failures in a dry race. Admittedly Kimi's retirement was for a tyre that came of the rims. Nonetheless, it is surprisingly high for the Hybrid Era.

Also, the Ferrari turned out to be much slower than expected. But Leclerc once again shows why he is deserving of the support that Ferrari has given him.

Albon was brilliant today until that overtake that went wrong. You cannot overtake a six time world champion in the manner that he chose to do it. But we see him exhibit a fearless desire to overtake even a six times world champion. He would get it right next time l think.

I still think the stewarding at this race was sub-standard and largely inconsistent.

All in all, it was a very welcomed return to racing and a very entertaining race too.

You don’t earn any points for being a 6 time WDC. I agree the penalty was too harsh for Hamilton and was more of a racing incident. Feel sorry for Albon but going around the outside like that is always 50/5p whether it pays off or not. Albon deserved more but it was bard luck as well

I don’t understand why Mercedes could not allow Hamilton past Bottas to get 5 seconds ahead.

I also don’t buy that they really had gearbox issues either. Hamilton was well able to knock in a 1min 7 seconds in the closing laps and Bottas also, so if it was that critical I think they would have not been able to do that- Mercedes just wanted the 1-2, any gearbox issue talk is just an excuse to cover that up.

[Nitrodaze]

You don’t earn any points for being a 6 time WDC. I agree the penalty was too harsh for Hamilton and was more of a racing incident. Feel sorry for Albon but going around the outside like that is always 50/5p whether it pays off or not. Albon deserved more but it was bard luck as well

I don’t understand why Mercedes could not allow Hamilton past Bottas to get 5 seconds ahead.

I also don’t buy that they really had gearbox issues either. Hamilton was well able to knock in a 1min 7 seconds in the closing laps and Bottas also, so if it was that critical I think they would have not been able to do that- Mercedes just wanted the 1-2, any gearbox issue talk is just an excuse to cover that up.

Well they did not get their one-two finish in the end , did they?

[Nitrodaze]

The Mercedes PR stunt works. I was a rabid racist but the black cars have convinced me to turn away from my wicked ways. I hope Hamilton can manage to destroy the lives of the drivers that don't follow him in his empty gestures (e.g. kneeling).

Hiya Big Ben good to see you back to the fold. By the way you are still a rabid racist.

[The Black Knight]

Well they did not get their one-two finish in the end , did they?

And as soon as the 1-2 was in jeopardy they were flying again. There was nothing wrong with those cars.

[The Black Knight]

The Mercedes PR stunt works. I was a rabid racist but the black cars have convinced me to turn away from my wicked ways. I hope Hamilton can manage to destroy the lives of the drivers that don't follow him in his empty gestures (e.g. kneeling).

At least LeClerc, Verstappen, Antonio Giovinazzi, Daniil Kvyat, Carlos Sainz and Kimi Raikkonen had the sense to not take a knee.

If someone comes up to me and expects me to take a knee to these rabid racists they’ll be spending quite a number of nights in A&E.

[airshifter]

Well just when I thought that race might end up boring, it all turned around in a big way.

Sucks to be Max, and my FGP is toast being I picked RB as my primary team. But he might have had a shot at the first two positions with that strategy. As for Albon, he pushed a hard pass and it cost him. I thought the penalty on Lewis was deserved, but if Alex had just calmed down he might have had a first win. As it turned out, he didn't even get on the podium.

The safety cars kept Bottas on his toes, and we never really got to see if Lewis had a strong attack without it. It seemed he could attack after the first, but Merc were seemingly in hold station and don't push the cars mode already.

The Pinks are quick. At the right track they will challenge. The McLarens are quick too, and seem to handle well.

After the penalties, Lando did exactly what he had to do to get on that podium. Other than Bottas, probably the most deserving driver of the day overall. I'd say Leclerc would fill out the top 3 in driver merit. He kept pushing, didn't put a wheel wrong, and put that car where it really didn't deserve to be.

Not a great weekend for Lewis. I hope he can get his head in the game, as the Mercs seem to still be dominant. With the potential for a really short season, he better get on top of Bottas quick, or the head game will be immense.

It must suck much worse today to be Seb. Classic self destruct mode, as he seems to be getting good at.

Great to see Zak and Lando enjoying that podium so much. I hope it's one of more ot come.




And glad to see some faces pop back into the forums. Between the 'rona and the current state of world affairs and politics, I hope everyone is doing ok. I'd hate to find out that people are struggling, got sick, or got too wound up in the current stream of crap much of the world has been dealing with. As for me, I'm going to keep my computer Folding@Home, make sure I have some ammo on hand just in case, and hope that the younger generations find a way to fix past problems without making matters worse. I hope everyone stays safe, regardless of how that might apply.

[Big Ben]

Hiya Big Ben good to see you back to the fold. By the way you are still a rabid racist.

I suppose i still am. They should do better. Maybe they should paint Bottas black too. He's obscenely white. What can you do? I'm just a privileged white Romanian. I've never had to deal with prejudices from my white western white brothers.

[zako85]

5 sec penalty for Hamilton? Why? He was on the inside and just held his racing line through that corner. Clearly Albon's mistake!

Should have left enough room on the outside when exiting the corner. Albon was parallel to him. Moreover, from the replays you could clearly see Hamilton taking a trajectory different from Bottas who did stick to the inside of the turn longer. Hamilton's move looked like a slight understeer or an intentional move to squeeze Albon out.

[Nitrodaze]

Should have left enough room on the outside when exiting the corner. Albon was parallel to him. Moreover, from the replays you could clearly see Hamilton taking a trajectory different from Bottas who did stick to the inside of the turn longer. Hamilton's move looked like a slight understeer or an intentional move to squeeze Albon out.

Hamilton's move was not intentional. With Albon on the outside, he could not take a normal line through that corner as Bottas did. The trajectory for how he entered the corner forced him to where he ended up with Albon already in jeopardy at the apex of the corner as he could see that the Mercedes was going to end up where it did. It was Albo who hit Hamilton but Hamilton got punished, go figure.

With the aggressive style of racing that the racing director Masi advocates, giving a cars width is out of the question. Gloves off racing means give no quarter and snatch any patch of tarmac aggressively if you can.

[journeyman racer]

Hamilton warranted a penalty. Albon passed him, or was in the process of passing him, cleanly. Then was he in the sand.

The Norris move was dodgy, "Verstappen-like". He was never ahead at any stage and rode the kerb. I haven't seen another shot aside from onboard, but it now seems like a banzai move.

Masi is an impediment to F1. He worked at supercars, and those idiots confuse racing with ufc.

The release of the safety car for Russell's car was lame. But that's just typical of Masi.

The race between the MB drivers confused me. Has Hamilton ever complied with team orders that weren't in his favour?

[N4D13]

Regarding Hamilton's qualifying penalty, Masi has mentioned that the reason why the appeal changed was because Red Bull requested a review of the decision after footage from Hamilton's 360 cam was made available to them, and that evidence showed without a doubt that he should have known that there was a yellow flag, which inequivocally meant that he'd earned a penalty.

That said, it was fairly clumsy from the stewards not to have reviewed that footage earlier. I hope they'll learn from this and will review that first before issuing yellow flag penalties. Incidentally, do we know if all cars have these 360 cameras?

And I stand by what I said on Sunday morning about three-grid penalties for yellow flag infringements are a joke - either delete the lap or give them a much sterner drop, because with the midfield as tight as it is, a three-grid drop probably won't be enough to offset the improvement done in one single lap. For instance, in Q1 there was just a 0.161 difference between P5 and P12 and in Q2 it was 0.295 between P3 and P10. In either case an extra lap could have meant a 7 place gain, which means a 4 place net gain after the penalty. If the penalty doesn't offset the advantage gained illegally, the penalty is wrong.

[N. Jones]

Hamilton strikes again. Such a shame for both drivers.
I was wrong on McLaren, they look good.
Charles is the real deal.
I hope this is Vettel's last season.
I am not surprised at the amount of retirements. Next week should be better in that regard.

[denkimi]

And as soon as the 1-2 was in jeopardy they were flying again. There was nothing wrong with those cars.
then why was albon able to overtake hamilton?

there was definitely something wrong with the cars. if not, they would have both cruised to the finish with a 20s lead, since they were at least a second per lap faster than everybody else.

[The Black Knight]

then why was albon able to overtake hamilton?

there was definitely something wrong with the cars. if not, they would have both cruised to the finish with a 20s lead, since they were at least a second per lap faster than everybody else.

Because he was on a much better tire.

[Bagwan]

Mercedes is denying that the car was too hot because it was painted black , but I say black liveries matter .

[Nitrodaze]

Regarding Hamilton's qualifying penalty, Masi has mentioned that the reason why the appeal changed was because Red Bull requested a review of the decision after footage from Hamilton's 360 cam was made available to them, and that evidence showed without a doubt that he should have known that there was a yellow flag, which inequivocally meant that he'd earned a penalty.

That said, it was fairly clumsy from the stewards not to have reviewed that footage earlier. I hope they'll learn from this and will review that first before issuing yellow flag penalties. Incidentally, do we know if all cars have these 360 cameras?

Redbull's methods nowadays are ugly to say the least. How they are going about racing is just parthetic really.

[Nitrodaze]

I suppose i still am. They should do better. Maybe they should paint Bottas black too. He's obscenely white. What can you do? I'm just a privileged white Romanian. I've never had to deal with prejudices from my white western white brothers.

Sorry buddy, you are not white , if you were you would stone cold dead. You are various shades of pink. So try to at least show some intellectual depth.

[Bagwan]

Redbull's methods nowadays are ugly to say the least. How they are going about racing is just parthetic really.

The 360 degree footage is not available until the cars are back in and the info is downloaded and made available by the FIA , due to bandwidth issues .
Once the footage came out , Red Bull asked if the stewards had seen it .

That doesn't seem so sinister as to prompt words like "ugly" and "pathetic" .

[N4D13]

On top of what Bagwan already said, the fact remains, Hamilton broke the rules and if Red Bull had evidence of that, it was reasonable and well within their rights to request that the stewards reviewed the new evidence.

I'm sure there are many reasons to criticize Red Bull, but them asking to give a penalty to someone who broke the rules when one of their drivers recently got a penalty for the same offense is completely fair game.

[Big Ben]

The 360 degree footage is not available until the cars are back in and the info is downloaded and made available by the FIA , due to bandwidth issues .
Once the footage came out , Red Bull asked if the stewards had seen it .

That doesn't seem so sinister as to prompt words like "ugly" and "pathetic" .

The fan boys get upset easier.

[Big Ben]

Sorry buddy, you are not white , if you were you would stone cold dead. You are various shades of pink. So try to at least show some intellectual depth.

Go back to your bombastic posts and don't talk to me anymore, oh wise one

[Nitrodaze]

The 360 degree footage is not available until the cars are back in and the info is downloaded and made available by the FIA , due to bandwidth issues .
Once the footage came out , Red Bull asked if the stewards had seen it .

That doesn't seem so sinister as to prompt words like "ugly" and "pathetic" .

I can live with that fact. It just seems they complain and challenge other teams alot. I sort of notice they appear more so at the Redbull ring. So much so, such that l feel the stewards are abit terrified to rule against Redbull at the Redbull ring.

[Nitrodaze]

Go back to your bombastic posts and don't talk to me anymore, oh wise one

I shall take my various shade of pink self away from you ole white one.