Let's talk Mercedes

[Nitrodaze]

I think the Mercedes deal with Hamilton is very revealing about Mercede's future in F1. While Petronas-Mercedes CEO Toto Woolf announced a one year contract for Hamilton. He indicated that Daimler Mercedes is moving its investment into their new electric programme. And he suggests as l have guessed before that they are consequentially reducing their investment in F1.

This was fully expected with the advent of the new 2022 regulations, they have to find a proper technology challenge elsewhere.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ed/ad/a4/edada42d3a585aa63981bd6b5b4652f1.jpg

From a driver perspective, there are all manner of possibilities of change at Mercedes in 2022. As Bottas and Hamilton only have one year contracts up to the end of 2021 and George Russell coming to an end of his three year contract at Williams also at the end of 2021. The pairing at Mercedes for the 2022 season now seem uncertain. This uncertainty give us the suggestion that Hamilton may retire at the end of this season or possibly find a new challenge in another team. It also presents the possibility that George Russull might get his promotion into one of the Mercedes cars. In all of this, the future looks once again more uncertain for Bottas. Whom, mind you has been here before and survived.

It is speculatively possible that Mercedes may field a completely new young driver lineup for the 2022. The question is which two? Russell seem very clearly a possibility. Could Ocon be recalled from Alpine or would Stoffel Vandoorne get his chance to return to F1? There is also the outside chance of a return of Wehrlein.

[F1nKS]

If Hamilton retires after 2021. Why not go for Bottas/Russel for 2022 and then look to 2023 to go after Max. I have read that Toto would like to get Max under contract.

[Nitrodaze]

If Hamilton retires after 2021. Why not go for Bottas/Russel for 2022 and then look to 2023 to go after Max. I have read that Toto would like to get Max under contract.

If the rumour of Verstapenn having a get out clause in his contract are true, chances are that he would be signed up at Mercedes in 2022 also. A Russell/Verstapenn pairing would be awesome for Mercedes. With the engine connumdrum at Redbull, there is every chance that Verstapenn would head to Mercedes at the slightest opportunity. Which would suggest that Hamilton is more likely to retire in 2022.

[Nitrodaze]

Has the 2021 regulation worked against Mercedes or is this a flukey turn of event that has favoured Redbull? I think we have not seen the true potential of the W12. But it has enough gremlins to give Redbull a good chance to cause an upset.

what do you think?????

[F1nKS]

I don't know what to think. F1 is really pushing the narrative - which sure to get people excited for the first race.

My gut says the problem were real (but not as big as made out), but that because Mercedes where running the car for the first time and may have been sandbagging a little. Next week narrative will be how incredible Mercedes was to "recover". Wolff is comes across a little "1984ish" with the perpetual war to keep his organization motivated and never resting on the laurels.

The question would be - if Mercedes has a fundamental problem, what do you think it is? Is it fixable? If so how quick can they fix it?

[Jag_Warrior]

Wolff is comes across a little "1984ish" with the perpetual war to keep his organization motivated and never resting on the laurels.

Had to give a you a like just for that... one of my favorite books of all time. And in this case, I do think that there's some truth to it. It's much harder to remain strong when the enemy is weak than when he's worthy and powerful.

I think that we know that Red Bull is for real (especially now). They have the pedigree, the money and the technical talent. The question I have is how will Mercedes meet this new challenge?

[F1nKS]

Had to give a you a like just for that... one of my favorite books of all time. And in this case, I do think that there's some truth to it. It's much harder to remain strong when the enemy is weak than when he's worthy and powerful.

I think that we know that Red Bull is for real (especially now). They have the pedigree, the money and the technical talent. The question I have is how will Mercedes meet this new challenge?

I think they will meet the challenge. This I think is just invigorating for Hamilton.

[Nitrodaze]

I think that we know that Red Bull is for real (especially now). They have the pedigree, the money and the technical talent. The question I have is how will Mercedes meet this new challenge?

Good question!

But Mercedes has been here before. Remember, Ferrari were at one point just as fast and even faster in 2018 and 2019. they kept their head down and operated highly efficiently and won through. That said, Redbull is a different animal. They are more efficient than Ferrari and are likely to meet Mercedes on two key fronts:-

Operational Efficiency:- They would need to be flawless throughout the season. Slopiness like Monaco a few years back or sub-standard engineering in the Perez garage would give the title to Mercedes. We know Mercedes would develop the car to be better at each race onwards, hence we have a development battle commencing as well. At some point, Mercedes would be directly on par and maybe ahead after a number of races. Really, Redbull needs to build as many points as possible while the grass is green for them. As they would spend the middle part of the season trying to hang on to whatever advantage they have accrued at the beginning of the season. Whichever team that goes into the last quarter of the season ahead in performance, is most likely to win one or both of the championships this season.

Driver Consistency:- Verstappen has great speed which have seen but it takes more than speed to win. To beat Hamilton, he would need much more. He would need consistency, Perez close by to tackle Bottas and as few mistakes as possible. Even so, he still has a monumental challenge on his hands.

I think this season, Mercedes has to answer the question of whether they can triumph within the budget constraints of the new regulations. So far, they seem to be adjusting to the concept. How well they are able to develop the car through the season within the budgetary constraints is what would decide if they succeed or not.

At the moment, all eyes are on Redbull and Mercedes. Due to these budgetary constraints, it is possible for any team at the top of the midfield who manage their budget better as well as develop their cars effectively and efficiently through the season to mount an unlikely surge into the lead as the season develops. Though this is an outlier situation but is still highly likely. The grid has closed right up, the gap from tenth on the grid to pole is surmountable with technical development through the season.

[Nitrodaze]

It is interesting that Mclaren's boss Zak Brown suggested that Verstappen would be in the Mercedes in 2022, much to the embarrassment of Toto Woolf and Christian Horner who were present. The seed had been planted, lets see what happens eh!

[F1nKS]

It is interesting that Mclaren's boss Zak Brown suggested that Verstappen would be in the Mercedes in 2022, much to the embarrassment of Toto Woolf and Christian Horner who were present. The seed had been planted, lets see what happens eh!

It seems Brown was just trying to stir the pot. I would assume that Mercedes first choice would be Russell to replace Bottas since he is part of the Mercedes program and is out of a contract.

Therefore it would take Hamilton to retire for them to bring in Max, but does Mercedes want to 2 - Alphas? Unless Hamilton is just wanting to move on to something else, he still has some good years left.

But If Mercedes did choose Max over Russell, Red Bull wouldn't be that bad off with Russell and Perez as a team.

Also there is the question of salary cap coming in - which I have heard both ways it will and won't be implemented.

[denkimi]

Vottas has once again shown he's not up to the task.

As long as the mercedes was faster by a huge margin it didn't matter much, but it seems redbull will be very close this year.

[Nitrodaze]

The general perspective was Portimao and Barcelona would give us a clear indication of how dominant the Redbull car was relative to Mercedes. If the Redbull was able to beat Mercedes on their favorite tracks, then we can all run off to the bookies and place our bets on Redbull winning the 2021 Constructors and driver championships. Hamilton overtook both Bottas and Verstappen in both races to claim both victories. The initial response was to say the Redbull is not as fast as we are led to believe. The W12 may actually be the fastest car on the grid.

Hamilton seems to think otherwise. He thinks the Redbulls are making mistakes which Mercedes is capitalizing on. One thing is clear, Redbull is scratching their heads trying to work out how Mercedes are beating them even when the wins seem available and attainable. And Verstappen has done the hard work of claiming track position and on his way to a famous win. You could argue that Redbull is struggling under the pressure of fighting Mercedes and are making mistakes. Going for a one-stop strategy at Barcelona could easily be said to be a strategic mistake with hindsight. The truth of the matter is, Mercedes has recovered the aero package to be on level pecking with the fierce Redbull. Redbull does not have it all their way and must work harder for their wins.

With Mercedes already this close already, with four races into the season, Redbull now has a mountainous battle to win one of the championships on the table. That said, Redbull is close enough to cause an upset by the end of the season, but they have to get their act together and realize they are fighting the best team in F1 history. It is still very much 50:50 at this stage of the season, but Mercedes may begin to pull away on the development front as they properly understand better how to put the awesome power of their new engine onto the track. When they do that, it would be game over for Redbull.

[Jag_Warrior]

What I’m seeing by the results thus far is that the Red Bull pitwall is behind Mercedes when it come to quick thinking, and Lewis has developed into a driver who knows how to pressure an opponent (Verstappen in this case) on the tire wear front, while preserving his own tires. This used to be Lewis’ weakness. Now it’s his strength.

Looks like Mercedes has closed the gap they had to Red Bull. So I’m thinking that if both develop equally for the balance of the season… advantage Merc. As for Verstappen, I think that he’s obviously VERY fast and can win races. But I still have my doubts that he’s matured to the point that he can win a championship against a driver as complete as Hamilton. But, we’ll see. This is continuing to be an exciting season. I’m having to re-watch races to figure out just how in the world Lewis and Merc are pulling out these (unlikely) victories. :confused:

[Zico]

The general perspective was Portimao and Barcelona would give us a clear indication of how dominant the Redbull car was relative to Mercedes. If the Redbull was able to beat Mercedes on their favorite tracks, then we can all run off to the bookies and place our bets on Redbull winning the 2021 Constructors and driver championships. Hamilton overtook both Bottas and Verstappen in both races to claim both victories. The initial response was to say the Redbull is not as fast as we are led to believe. The W12 may actually be the fastest car on the grid.

Hamilton seems to think otherwise. He thinks the Redbulls are making mistakes which Mercedes is capitalizing on. One thing is clear, Redbull is scratching their heads trying to work out how Mercedes are beating them even when the wins seem available and attainable. And Verstappen has done the hard work of claiming track position and on his way to a famous win. You could argue that Redbull is struggling under the pressure of fighting Mercedes and are making mistakes. Going for a one-stop strategy at Barcelona could easily be said to be a strategic mistake with hindsight. The truth of the matter is, Mercedes has recovered the aero package to be on level pecking with the fierce Redbull. Redbull does not have it all their way and must work harder for their wins.

With Mercedes already this close already, with four races into the season, Redbull now has a mountainous battle to win one of the championships on the table. That said, Redbull is close enough to cause an upset by the end of the season, but they have to get their act together and realize they are fighting the best team in F1 history. It is still very much 50:50 at this stage of the season, but Mercedes may begin to pull away on the development front as they properly understand better how to put the awesome power of their new engine onto the track. When they do that, it would be game over for Redbull.


While Red Bull are close enough to grab the odd pole on Saturdays, it looks to me, the casual onlooker, that Merc simply have superior race pace in Lewis's hands, for whatever reason, on Sundays, that RB don't seem to have an answer to.
I'm sure Red Bull will know exactly where they are lacking vs Merc but seeing how quickly Merc solved their initial issues, I have big doubts that Red Bull will be able to reverse that disadvantage.

You have to take your hat off to Merc (and Lewis) for being able to remain the ones to beat this season... what a truly phenomenal team. 👏

[Nitrodaze]

What I’m seeing by the results thus far is that the Red Bull pitwall is behind Mercedes when it come to quick thinking, and Lewis has developed into a driver who knows how to pressure an opponent (Verstappen in this case) on the tire wear front, while preserving his own tires. This used to be Lewis’ weakness. Now it’s his strength.

Looks like Mercedes has closed the gap they had to Red Bull. So I’m thinking that if both develop equally for the balance of the season… advantage Merc. As for Verstappen, I think that he’s obviously VERY fast and can win races. But I still have my doubts that he’s matured to the point that he can win a championship against a driver as complete as Hamilton. But, we’ll see. This is continuing to be an exciting season. I’m having to re-watch races to figure out just how in the world Lewis and Merc are pulling out these (unlikely) victories. :confused:

At this point, it is all on a knife edge. Mercedes have the achillis heel of having the worst pitcrew in the paddock. They royally messed up Russell's chances of victory at Bahrain last season and they have repeated the same thing at Monaco. The Mercedes strategist has been better this season but somehow he/she completely got it wrong at Monaco as well. It is interesting to note that Hamilton insisted they go a different way with strategy but was ignored. There are flaws in the normally bulletproof operation of Mercedes and Redbull can smell blood.

It might look unlikely that Redbull can beat Mercedes and Hamilton over a full season, but with these sorts of operational imperfections, coupled with coping with the challenges of making the car work at various tracks with the setback brought about by the 2021 regulations, there is a growing possibility that they could lose out to Redbull.

[Bagwan]

Mercedes got it so wrong in so many ways in Monaco that one of the little men on my shoulder is wondering if your victory in the end looks better if your opponent looks stronger .

[Bagwan]

"Didn't Lewis get the fastest lap point ?", the little man said .
"How much faster was it than anyone else ?", was his next question .

"But , nobody would purposely throw the Monaco GP , would they ? That would be crazy , wouldn't it ?" , I said .

[F1nKS]

Hamilton is actually off to one of his best starts, and he usually only get stronger as the season goes along. The present results is providing nice drama and giving all the talking heads something to talk about.

The results show that Max can be in the mix for 1 lap, but Red Bull tires degrade faster than Mercedes. So unless Perez starts challenging Bottas during qualifying and give RB the ability to challenge Mercedes tactically, Mercedes will ultimately have the upper hand in most races.

Now there is rumor being floated by Russian f1 media person that the decision to replace Bottas for next year has been made. Bottas will switch seats with Russell for next year. If that is true, maybe Bottas doesn't care about team orders and start racing for himself and shakes things up (or maybe folds) and it become 2 Red Bulls playing with Hamilton.

But if I was going to put $20 bet down, it would be on Hamilton to win it again.

[Nitrodaze]

After watching the race over again, it is quite clear, the Mercedes operation during the race at Baku was well below that of Redbull. It dearly cost the drivers valuable time due to sub-standard pitstops. Admittedly, the timing with Gasly delayinmg the release of Hamilton had something to do with ther ineffective undercut. The Mercedes pitcrew are now glaringly the weakest link in the Mercedes operation.

The car seemed competitive in Hamilton's hands but Bottas clearly struggled with it. Apparently, he went a different path with his setup from Hamilton. I suppose their driving styles are different. Whatever the case, Mercedes are not looking like winners at the moment. But these bad forms simply highlights how the 2021 regulation has penalized Mercedes and empowered Redbull. And these weaknesses show up at twisty street circuits such as Monaco and Baku. They would regroup and come back strong at the next five races where the strengths of the car would be available to their drivers. But Redbull would not make it easy and would exploit Bottas' poor form this season.

France would be an interesting race as well. As the Mercedes that was dominant there in the past, is not the one racing there in a few weeks time. But it would not be so easy for Redbull either.

[Zico]

After watching the race over again, it is quite clear, the Mercedes operation during the race at Baku was well below that of Redbull. It dearly cost the drivers valuable time due to sub-standard pitstops. Admittedly, the timing with Gasly delayinmg the release of Hamilton had something to do with ther ineffective undercut. The Mercedes pitcrew are now glaringly the weakest link in the Mercedes operation.

The car seemed competitive in Hamilton's hands but Bottas clearly struggled with it. Apparently, he went a different path with his setup from Hamilton. I suppose their driving styles are different. Whatever the case, Mercedes are not looking like winners at the moment. But these bad forms simply highlights how the 2021 regulation has penalized Mercedes and empowered Redbull. And these weaknesses show up at twisty street circuits such as Monaco and Baku. They would regroup and come back strong at the next five races where the strengths of the car would be available to their drivers. But Redbull would not make it easy and would exploit Bottas' poor form this season.

France would be an interesting race as well. As the Mercedes that was dominant there in the past, is not the one racing there in a few weeks time. But it would not be so easy for Redbull either.



For me they were just unlucky with on timing with the release with Gasly, I can't blame the pit crew for that one.

I think things are going to improve a lot for Merc now that two of the unsuited street circuits are out of the way.
Maybe its just the extended Merc dominance that has brainwashed me into thinking this way... but I'm still expecting Lewis to take the WDC this season.

[The Black Knight]

I think it's going to be a close call. But ultimately I think Lewis will most likely get it for two reasons - he has more experience, and he's simply a better driver than Max whom I think is very overrated. I think the more Perez gets used to the RBR and challenges Max we will see how overrated Max is, imo. Time will tell.

[Zico]

I think it's going to be a close call. But ultimately I think Lewis will most likely get it for two reasons - he has more experience, and he's simply a better driver than Max whom I think is very overrated. I think the more Perez gets used to the RBR and challenges Max we will see how overrated Max is, imo. Time will tell.

Yes, I also think Lewis would probably edge him out with experience too, at least for now.. but I do also feel he is equally as quick in terms of raw pace and can only get better and more complete with experience. The balance will tip one day, its just a question of when.

If you ever use iracing you should hope one day to come up against him or even just compare times, as you might expect, he is rather impressive there too, ultra competitive in the top leagues. It may only be a sim but it is still pretty cool to able to compare styles, lines and times with a F1 driver. :)

[Nitrodaze]

For me they were just unlucky with on timing with the release with Gasly, I can't blame the pit crew for that one.

I think things are going to improve a lot for Merc now that two of the unsuited street circuits are out of the way.
Maybe its just the extended Merc dominance that has brainwashed me into thinking this way... but I'm still expecting Lewis to take the WDC this season.

I hear you, but l don't feel it at the moment. I know when Mercedes get the car right, Hamilton would crank forward and establish dominance. But this season, Redbull is genuinely faster than the Mercedes. And the way Verstappen is driving, he could win it if Mercedes do not get their act together. With a 26 points lead in the constructors for Redbull, this is the furtherest that Mercedes has been behind any team since 2018. They would need to be meticulous over the next five races to recover that deficit. And Bottas would need to get his form back up to his usual or he would put the team at risk.

The fact that Russell was able to jump in the car and perform better than him at Bahrain last season, suggests that he is very much at risk if his form remains as it is at the moment or at the next race. It is beginning to look very likely that Bottas may be jettisoned mid season with Russell or Ocon replacing him. I would think Russell more than Ocon.

[F1nKS]

It is beginning to look very likely that Bottas may be jettisoned mid season with Russell or Ocon replacing him. I would think Russell more than Ocon.

I don't see this happening. It is really not in the Mercedes DNA to do something like this.

There would be a lot of media fall out if they did this after Toto and Bottas were taking shots at Red Bull. Christian would have a field day mocking Mercedes.

[Mia 01]

Just like in 2016 when the championchip is close the nerves beginns to itch, Lewis i feeling the heat. Max is the underdog and has no pressure.

[Nitrodaze]

Just like in 2016 when the championchip is close the nerves beginns to itch, Lewis i feeling the heat. Max is the underdog and has no pressure.

Oh Mia, l can tell you are enjoying this eh. Well the season is not over yet. There is more drama to come with twists and turns. Perez may well end up winning it. He is a dark horse at the moment.

[Firstgear]

But this season, Redbull is genuinely faster than the Mercedes.
Every year you claim that that Merc is only the 2nd or 3rd fastest car. Yet they keep dominating like no team in history has dominated before. You're not just trying to build up the accomplishments of a certain Merc driver are you? Merc started this year off a little behind, and we've also had some tracks that don't particularly suit their cars as much as most others....but judging by what I've seen so far, I'm pretty confident that after the next few races the points totals won't be much different than those of the last few seasons.
I like Hamilton, but I'm not going to try to bend reality in an attempt to make him greater than he is.

[Nitrodaze]

Every year you claim that that Merc is only the 2nd or 3rd fastest car. Yet they keep dominating like no team in history has dominated before. You're not just trying to build up the accomplishments of a certain Merc driver are you? Merc started this year off a little behind, and we've also had some tracks that don't particularly suit their cars as much as most others....but judging by what I've seen so far, I'm pretty confident that after the next few races the points totals won't be much different than those of the last few seasons.
I like Hamilton, but I'm not going to try to bend reality in an attempt to make him greater than he is.

Not sure what you are on about. If you pay attention you would see that l am routing for Verstappen this season. Of course, Mercedes is a brilliant team, they always find a way to turn setbacks around. It does not mean that it has been easy for them. So l don't understand your point? What are you trying to say?

[airshifter]

I don't think the RB is a superior car this year. I think it's faster in the twisty stuff, but down on power vs the Merc. And it's close enough that at some tracks it can challenge.

Max has matured a lot. Lewis did the same as a younger driver. Now that Max doesn't see red mist constantly, he is capable of challenging in an equal car IMHO, and even when the hand goes to Merc he can stay in touch enough to jump if anyone ahead makes big mistakes.

But I think through the season Merc will be back on form. It's just been some luck and tracks that better suit the RB, and in reality bad luck has probably kept RB from gaining more points while Merc was struggling some. I think RB will likely regret that as the year goes on, unless luck plays more into things for one of the two teams.

[Nitrodaze]

I don't think the RB is a superior car this year. I think it's faster in the twisty stuff, but down on power vs the Merc. And it's close enough that at some tracks it can challenge.

Max has matured a lot. Lewis did the same as a younger driver. Now that Max doesn't see red mist constantly, he is capable of challenging in an equal car IMHO, and even when the hand goes to Merc he can stay in touch enough to jump if anyone ahead makes big mistakes.

But I think through the season Merc will be back on form. It's just been some luck and tracks that better suit the RB, and in reality bad luck has probably kept RB from gaining more points while Merc was struggling some. I think RB will likely regret that as the year goes on, unless luck plays more into things for one of the two teams.

The DNA of the championship-winning car of 2020 is still very much in the W12. But it has been setback by the 2021 regulation around the chassis. It is common for people to underestimate the Redbull because we are so accustomed to Mercedes winning. The fact of the matter is they are struggling with a number of things. From operating with a reduced budget, to coping with a compromised chassis [aero-ballast] due to regulation changes. They are not quite so invincible as they use to be.[Thanks to the F1M]

So yes they may still be fast, but they do not have wiggle room to be complacent or have a bad weekend. Because they would be more effectively punished for any slack in their operation. As we have seen at Monaco and Baku.

Baku is very important because it is a Mercedes track and Redbull was faster on pure pace than the Mercedes. Which would suggest that Mercedes may be faced with a surprise or two on all of their usual favourite tracks by Redbull. The thing is, there is not much between the Merc and Redbull.

[Nitrodaze]

With what is a contentious turn of events, Mercedes has clawed back lost ground to within 4 points from Redbull in the constructor's championship. This with one race to go before the summer break. Typically, Mercedes and Hamilton in particular tend to ramp up their performances after the summer break. To make things interesting, we are going to another Hamilton track in the next race.

The Redbull is still the quicker car. But it seems Mercedes has got closer at Silverstone. They are mighty on the straight again but still slower over a full lap.

Now the real question is " How would Verstappen bounce back from that scary crash?". I am glad he came out of the crash unscathed. But where is his mind at? Is he going to be ginger in future wheel to wheel tussle? Or is he going to be more aggressive?

Whatever the case, we shall see Verstappen and Hamilton in similar situations at most races the rest of this season. This here is where the title shall be won.

[Firstgear]

I am glad he came out of the crash unscathed.Did he come out of it completely unscathed? I heard he was feeling dizzy. If he has a concussion, he may be sitting out the next race.

[Nitrodaze]

Did he come out of it completely unscathed? I heard he was feeling dizzy. If he has a concussion, he may be sitting out the next race.

I hope that is not the case. We all need Verstappen in the Redbull at the next race. Regardless of how we all view the incident.

[joe1888cfc]

Fingers crossed he's not

[denkimi]

Now the real question is " How would Verstappen bounce back from that scary crash?". I am glad he came out of the crash unscathed. But where is his mind at? Is he going to be ginger in future wheel to wheel tussle? Or is he going to be more aggressive?

I would assume he will want to return hamilton the favor when he gets the chance.

I expect them to be both in the wall together in the near future.

[Nitrodaze]

I would assume he will want to return hamilton the favor when he gets the chance.

I expect them to be both in the wall together in the near future.

Well, l hope he does not try to do that. He would be messing with one of the hardest racers in recent times. I am very certain he would come out it badly bruised with a bloody nose.

The commonsense thing to do is find a respectful way to race with Hamilton. Hamilton is already being careful and respectful in his racing. To crank it up a notch would be daring the seven-times world champion. And l know where my money would be in that circumstances.

As a matter of fact, Hamilton has been way too tame this season. And he has let Verstappen get away with stuff that he would typically not tolerate. The lion in Hamilton has awakened at Silverstone. And Verstappen has been given notice that his antics will not be tolerated anymore.

So yes, it would be a highly risky move to take it up a notch. If he does, then we are set for a very entertaining rest of the season.

[F1nKS]

Well, l hope he does not try to do that. He would be messing with one of the hardest racers in recent times. I am very certain he would come out it badly bruised with a bloody nose.

Please! The rhetoric on both side is so tiresome.

There will be no fisticuffs between any drivers - this is Formula 1 not NASCAR.

[The Black Knight]

Well, l hope he does not try to do that. He would be messing with one of the hardest racers in recent times. I am very certain he would come out it badly bruised with a bloody nose.

The commonsense thing to do is find a respectful way to race with Hamilton. Hamilton is already being careful and respectful in his racing. To crank it up a notch would be daring the seven-times world champion. And l know where my money would be in that circumstances.

As a matter of fact, Hamilton has been way too tame this season. And he has let Verstappen get away with stuff that he would typically not tolerate. The lion in Hamilton has awakened at Silverstone. And Verstappen has been given notice that his antics will not be tolerated anymore.

So yes, it would be a highly risky move to take it up a notch. If he does, then we are set for a very entertaining rest of the season.

100% agree. Hamilton has been too tame towards Verstappen in recent times and served him his notice today. If I were Hamilton and a similar situation arises in the future, I'd rather take both of us out than leave Max get away with another one but backing out anymore against Max would be seen as a sign of weakness.

[Nitrodaze]

Mercedes EQ wins the FIA Formula-E driver and constructors championship. Mercedes have a new star in Nick De fries who wins his first Formula-E championship. The F2 world champion adds the Formula-E title to his long list of titles. The first FIA Formula-E champion.

CONGRATULATIONS NICK DE FRIES AND MERCEDES EQ

[Nitrodaze]

The Mercedes lead in the constructor's championship of 11 points has just been cut down to 5 points gap to Redbull. As it stands, Redbull is poised to win one of the championship titles.

How Bottas has cost Mercedes dearly! [Not his fault l must add]

This 2021 season is turning on the performance of the number two driver. While Perez has recovered from 11th to reward Redbull handsomely. Bottas has drifted from 5th to outside the points; with no fault of his own, to punish Mercedes dearly at the Qatar race. As always, there is always a reason, something broke, tyre puncture, being taken out by another driver or unlucky with setup choice for the race etc. Whatever the case, Bottas could be the doing or undoing of the Mercedes team in the next two races, in the constructors battle.

The interesting thing is that both titles hang on less than 10 points going into the last two races. If there ever is a knifes edge situation, this is exactly it. Both or one of the titles could go either way depending on which team has serendipity and performance to seize the opportunities that emerge. Both drivers not in the title fight at Mercedes and Redbull, now hold the cards for which team wins the constructor's title for 2021. Failure to deliver by either driver, regardless of the reason, relative to their counterpart in the other teams would essentially hand the constructor's title to the other team.

[F1nKS]

The interesting thing is that both titles hang on less than 10 points going into the last two races. If there ever is a knifes edge situation, this is exactly it. Both or one of the titles could go either way depending on which team has serendipity and performance to seize the opportunities that emerge. Both drivers not in the title fight at Mercedes and Redbull, now hold the cards for which team wins the constructor's title for 2021. Failure to deliver by either driver, regardless of the reason, relative to their counterpart in the other teams would essentially hand the constructor's title to the other team.

The problem is we all know unless something crazy happens like Perez pulling a "Bottas Torpedo" and taking out both Mercedes - it is all over with. Verstappen does not have the pace to compete with Hamilton. There is no great, wheel to wheel racing or anything. It's like it reverted back to 2020.

Whatever Mercedes has done to tweak their car is big (or did they just throw out a couple sandbags?).

[djip]

How Bottas has cost Mercedes dearly! [Not his fault l must add]


Well you could argue that if Hamilton wins the championship, he will owe bottas a big thank you ! The "torpedo" crash at the hungarian grand prix is the game changer here. Would Verstappen had finished 2nd or 3rd, (wich we could expect) he would enjoy a comfortable lead today ... Of course, bottas is not a dirty driver and this is just racing incident, but somehow bottas will go down in history as being indirectly the game changer in this championship !

[denkimi]

Well you could argue that if Hamilton wins the championship, he will owe bottas a big thank you ! The "torpedo" crash at the hungarian grand prix is the game changer here. Would Verstappen had finished 2nd or 3rd, (wich we could expect) he would enjoy a comfortable lead today ... Of course, bottas is not a dirty driver and this is just racing incident, but somehow bottas will go down in history as being indirectly the game changer in this championship !
I would say hamilton taking out verstappen in silverstone and still winning the race because he was not being actually punished for it, was the biggest game changer.

[The Black Knight]

I would say hamilton taking out verstappen in silverstone and still winning the race because he was not being actually punished for it, was the biggest game changer.

A 10 second timed penalty was Lewis punishment in Silverstone, I still think this was a racing incident where both could have given each other more room. Unlike Max in Brazil, Lewis didn't get away with anything. Both Silverstone and Hungary were all unintentional comings together that happen throughout the course of a year, unlike Max's professional foul in Monza where his little brain could have ended up killing Hamilton had things gone really wrong.

It turns out Mercedes didn't even have the Brazil engine in this weekend either, so Saudi Arabia should be an interesting one.

[denkimi]

A 10 second timed penalty was Lewis punishment in Silverstone, I still think this was a racing incident where both could have given each other more room. Unlike Max in Brazil, Lewis didn't get away with anything. Both Silverstone and Hungary were all unintentional comings together that happen throughout the course of a year, unlike Max's professional foul in Monza where his little brain could have ended up killing Hamilton had things gone really wrong.

It turns out Mercedes didn't even have the Brazil engine in this weekend either, so Saudi Arabia should be an interesting one.
a penalty that didn't punish him the least. changing his front wing would have cost him way more than that.

if you put your adversery in the wall, and then get to repair your own damage under the safety car you have caused, you are not being punished.
just like the 5 place penalty in qatar didn't punish verstappen or the 5 place penalty in brazil didn't punished hamilton.

[The Black Knight]

a penalty that didn't punish him the least. changing his front wing would have cost him way more than that.

if you put your adversery in the wall, and then get to repair your own damage under the safety car you have caused, you are not being punished.
just like the 5 place penalty in qatar didn't punish verstappen or the 5 place penalty in brazil didn't punished hamilton.

You are being punished if you are getting a ten second timed penalty. You're issue isn't that he didn't get punished, he did, your issue is that he got punished and still won the race. From that point of view you can argue that the penalty was lenient, I don't think it was or that there should have been any penalty, but to argue that he didn't get punished is nonsense, he just didn't get punished the way you wanted or thought he should.

[becher]

a penalty that didn't punish him the least. changing his front wing would have cost him way more than that.

if you put your adversery in the wall, and then get to repair your own damage under the safety car you have caused, you are not being punished.
just like the 5 place penalty in qatar didn't punish verstappen or the 5 place penalty in brazil didn't punished hamilton.

Maybe check what penalties are and how they shall be applied. The consequence of an incident doesn't determine the penalty but the action that lead to the incident does.

[The Black Knight]

Maybe check what penalties are and how they shall be applied. The consequence of an incident doesn't determine the penalty but the action that lead to the incident does.

Agreed but as we not the Stewards don't always act that way. If Max and him barely touched and he had just gone wide and come back on track at Silverstone I doubt either of them would have got a penalty.

[Firstgear]

Although it's pretty easy to find fault in Bottas, you can't really blame him if the CC slips away from Mercedes. As the #2 driver, all you can expect/ask from him is to beat the #2 of the opposition. Bottas is ahead of Perez by 13 points right now, so he's doing his job. Hamilton as the #1 needs to beat the opposition's #1. Right now he's trailing by 8 pts. So if Mercedes loses the CC, it might be more fitting to blame it on Hamilton.
Of course this could all change in the next two races, but as it stands, it's Hamilton that needs to do more.

[Nitrodaze]

Although it's pretty easy to find fault in Bottas, you can't really blame him if the CC slips away from Mercedes. As the #2 driver, all you can expect/ask from him is to beat the #2 of the opposition. Bottas is ahead of Perez by 13 points right now, so he's doing his job. Hamilton as the #1 needs to beat the opposition's #1. Right now he's trailing by 8 pts. So if Mercedes loses the CC, it might be more fitting to blame it on Hamilton.
Of course this could all change in the next two races, but as it stands, it's Hamilton that needs to do more.

I disagree, as the number two driver, his job is firstly to beat his counterpart in the other team, but to also score enough points to help the team win the constructors championship. This is where Mercedes is feeling the heat. He is not scoring enough to keep Mercedes' hopes up. That would have to change in the next two races. We could say the same for Perez. He has to up his game to ensure he is taking as many points as possible from Bottas and where possible Hamilton.

[denkimi]

Although it's pretty easy to find fault in Bottas, you can't really blame him if the CC slips away from Mercedes. As the #2 driver, all you can expect/ask from him is to beat the #2 of the opposition. Bottas is ahead of Perez by 13 points right now, so he's doing his job. Hamilton as the #1 needs to beat the opposition's #1. Right now he's trailing by 8 pts. So if Mercedes loses the CC, it might be more fitting to blame it on Hamilton.
Of course this could all change in the next two races, but as it stands, it's Hamilton that needs to do more.
just because perez is also doing a terrible job this year, doesn't mean bottas isn't doing a good one.

[Nitrodaze]

It is interesting to note that the difference in the constructor's points is the difference of the points of Bottas to Perez. Bottas is 28 points ahead of Perez. The Nos 2 garage at Redbull has always been the weak point of Redbull. Somehow the team on that side of the garage has not been able to deliver a consistently good car.

How many of us really thought Mercedes have the chance of winning the title at any point of the first half of the season? I had serious doubts, to be honest. But look, here they are at the last race of the season with as good a chance as any to win the constructors and driver's championship.

We like to think of the indestructible Mercedes of old. But this season has been such a tribulation for them. And they have shown star quality by bouncing back.

[Nitrodaze]

Much of the talk about the Abu Dhabi race has been about Hamilton becoming an eight-time world champion. On the quiet, Petronas-Mercedes F1 is about to be the first team in F1 history to win eight constructor's world championship titles consecutively. An unprecedented and incredible achievement when or if it happens this Sunday.

If it happens, they would have won twice as many constructor's titles as their fiesty rival Redbull.