2021 - Race 15 Russia [Sochi]

[F1nKS]

Last year, Max was 0.5 seconds slower on qualifying against Hamilton.

Hamilton on pole, followed by Max and then Bottas. Bottas wins the race, followed by Max and then Hamilton.

Mclarens did not do particularly do very well.

[F1nKS]

Hamilton will be questionable for the next race, not because of the last race - but he traveled to the United State and went to the Met Gala mass gathering and was not using a mask.

I won't be surprised if he comes down with Covid as the delta variant has been infecting people with the vaccine here in the U.S.. The saving grace for him might be that since he has had covid, he may be better protected.


2169

[F1nKS]

Based on how the teams are performing on the same tracks as last year, I am projected the following qualifying

1. Hamilton 1:32.7
2. Verstappen 1:32.7
3. Bottas 1:32.8
4. Norris 1:33.4

I give Hamilton the nod because I think the Mercedes has improved more of late and the averages washed out some.

2170

[F1nKS]

Report that Mercedes will be introducing the 4th engine for Hamilton (timing of what race it will be brought in has not been decided).

[Fortitude]

Verstappen can take major step towards title at Sochi
Date published: September 22 2021 - Jamie Woodhouse

Should Max Verstappen once again weather the storm of a Mercedes stronghold, then his route to the World Championship will look far clearer.

https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-verstappen-title-bid-sochi/


Marko assures disaster scenario won't happen again: "System has been improved".
22-09-2021 14:29
by GPblog.com

Red Bull Racing is known for their lightning fast pit stops. The team starts almost every race with the award for the fastest pit stop, but at Monza things went completely wrong. The rule change regarding the stops caused confusion, causing Max Verstappen to stop for over eleven seconds.

This caused the Dutchman to fall way back, and he ended up right next to Lewis Hamilton after he too made a poor stop - the rest is history. Helmut Marko explains what caused the confusion and that the team have taken measures to prevent a recurrence in the future.

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/94603/marko-assures-disaster-scenario-won-t-happen-again-system-has-been-improved.html


Marko assures disaster scenario won't happen again: "System has been improved".
22-09-2021 14:29
by GPblog.com

Red Bull Racing is known for their lightning fast pit stops. The team starts almost every race with the award for the fastest pit stop, but at Monza things went completely wrong. The rule change regarding the stops caused confusion, causing Max Verstappen to stop for over eleven seconds.

This caused the Dutchman to fall way back, and he ended up right next to Lewis Hamilton after he too made a poor stop - the rest is history. Helmut Marko explains what caused the confusion and that the team have taken measures to prevent a recurrence in the future.

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/94603/marko-assures-disaster-scenario-won-t-happen-again-system-has-been-improved.html


Verstappen title win better for the sport reckons Berger
by Ryan Wood

A Max Verstappen Formula 1 championship win would be better for the sport than another Lewis Hamilton title, reckons former F1 driver Gerhard Berger.
Berger, a ten-time grand prix winner, has applauded the title fight between Verstappen and Hamilton as “exactly what Formula 1 needs” following several years of dominance by Hamilton and Mercedes.
Wading into the clashes between the pair this year, Berger called the latest crash in Italy “a racing incident”, but welcomed the competition.

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2021/09/22/verstappen-title-win-better-for-the-sport-reckons-berger/

[F1nKS]

Ferrari is coming with an upgraded engine this weekend.

[Zico]

Ferrari is coming with an upgraded engine this weekend.

Nice! Would be great for the championship if they could also get in the mix at the front.

[F1nKS]

Nice! Would be great for the championship if they could also get in the mix at the front.

Could you imagine the excitement if RBR, Mercedes, Mclaren, Ferrari, and even Williams were in the mix every week. It would be great.

[The Black Knight]

Could you imagine the excitement if RBR, Mercedes, Mclaren, Ferrari, and even Williams were in the mix every week. It would be great.

That's ultimately what to aim for but I can't see how with the current regulations that will ever be achievable. It may happen that there is a freak year at one point but that's about it.

[Fortitude]

HELMUT MARKO
Marko: Wolff's comments were a tactical violation!
22nd September 2021, ‎16‎:‎30

Red Bull's Helmut Marko has poked fun at Toto Wolff's expense, saying that the Mercedes boss' comments after Italy were a "tactical violation".

Helmut Marko has sent a jibe in Toto Wolff's direction, as a result of the Mercedes boss' comments about the Max Verstappen/Lewis Hamilton crash at Monza.

Wolff had questioned whether Verstappen's attempt at passing Hamilton constituted a "tactical foul", with Marko taking the opportunity to poke fun at Wolff's suggestion.

Speaking to RTL, Red Bull advisor Marko said that Wolff's own words were a "tactical foul".

"There was no intent here and it was obvious," stated Marko, looking back at the clash.

"Max was launched from the kerb which was very high, throwing him out and flying over Hamilton's car.

"It wasn't on purpose, it certainly wasn't the case."

Referring to the comparisons between the Verstappen/Hamilton rivalry and the Alain Prost/Ayrton Senna feud over 30 years ago, Marko said that there's a critical difference between the two pairings.

"The accident is often compared to the incident between Senna and Prost in Suzuka," he commented.

"That was intentional but, in this case, they both did not want to give way and that is not possible in this chicane – there is not enough space."

https://racingnews365.com/marko-wolffs-comments-were-a-tactical-violation


Max Verstappen: Dutchman offers thoughts for Russian GP as he contends with grid penalty
By George Dagless
Published: 22 Sep 2021, 12:00

Max Verstappen has said that 'nothing is lost' ahead of the Russian Grand Prix this weekend despite the looming grid penalty he is going to have to serve.
The current Formula 1 world championship leader heads to Sochi on the backfoot slightly, with him given a three-place grid penalty for this weekend's race after the Stewards deemed him to be more at fault than Lewis Hamilton in their crash at the Italian Grand Prix last time out.

Indeed, it's going to be interesting to see just where the Dutchman lines up on Sunday afternoon with that in mind, but he remains in an upbeat enough mood over his prospects and says that nothing is lost right now.

https://www.givemesport.com/1757072-max-verstappen-dutchman-offers-thoughts-for-russian-gp-as-he-contends-with-grid-penalty


RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX 2021
Sochi paddock floods as rain threatens Russian GP
22 Sep 2021, ‎14‎:‎15

Warnings of wet weather conditions are in place ahead of the Russian Grand Prix, with the support paddock at Sochi already flooded due to heavy rain.

https://racingnews365.com/sochi-paddock-floods-as-rain-threatens-russian-gp

[Nitrodaze]

Could you imagine the excitement if RBR, Mercedes, Mclaren, Ferrari, and even Williams were in the mix every week. It would be great.

That is what we expect next season. Anything short of that would mean the new regulation is a failure.

[F1nKS]

That is what we expect next season. Anything short of that would mean the new regulation is a failure.

I expect failure.

There will be a reset and there will be winners and losers from the reset, but I don't see there being this big equalizer moment. Good engineering teams will do good engineering and vice versa. Some teams will get it wrong.

[Fortitude]

MAX VERSTAPPEN
Verstappen brushes off Monza backlash: There are a lot of hypocrites
23/09/2021, ‎17‎:‎15
Author Thomas Maher
Dieter Rencken

Max Verstappen wasn't impressed by the backlash he faced after the Monza clash between himself and Lewis Hamilton.

Comments were made by luminaries such as Sir Jackie Stewart, who said that Verstappen had "a lot of maturing to do" for failing to check on Hamilton's condition in the car after the accident.

Hamilton himself was "surprised" that Verstappen did not check on him, although images from the crash aftermath showed Verstappen looking in the direction of Hamilton as he attempted to reverse his stricken Mercedes out from under the Red Bull.

Asked about whether he had been taken aback by the comments made in his direction, a displeased Verstappen said that it had been a display in hypocrisy, but didn't specify who he was referring to.

"There are a lot of hypocrites in the world, that's for sure," Verstappen told RacingNews365.com and other members of the media.

https://racingnews365.com/verstappen-brushes-off-monza-backlash-there-are-a-lot-of-hypocrites


Max: Hamilton comments ‘show he doesn’t know me’
Date published: September 23 2021 - Finley Crebolder

Max Verstappen says Lewis Hamilton’s claim that the Dutchman may be nervous fighting for his first title shows the Briton “doesn’t really know” him.
The Red Bull driver is locked in his first ever title fight in Formula 1 this season, currently leading Hamilton by five points in a tight battle.

https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-verstappen-lewis-hamilton-comments/


Verstappen Defiant On Not Changing Approach After Hamilton Incidents
Sept 23, 2021
By Jonathan Byrne

The 23-year-old was outright asked if he would change his approach to these situations in the future. "I think that goes both ways," Verstappen said. "It's not only me when we are racing each other."

While there have been some public jibes between the drivers this season, the back and forth between Red Bull and Mercedes on the incidents has been more vocalised.

https://www.balls.ie/motorsport/verstappen-not-changing-approach-after-hamilton-incidents-485504


Can Verstappen beat Mercedes in Sochi? 'We often came just a bit short'
23-09-2021 17:33 | Updated: 23-09-2021 18:33
by GPblog.com

Can Red Bull put an end to their rivals' dominance at the track? "In general I expect it to be better this year, but with the chance of rain it remains to be seen. It's less predictable in the rain than on a dry track, but I think we're fast in both situations this season, so I don't have a real preference."

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/94702/can-verstappen-beat-mercedes-in-sochi-we-often-came-just-a-bit-short.html


‘So nervous I can barely sleep’: Max scorches Hamilton comments as rivalry reaches new levels
September 24th, 2021 7:15 am

Max Verstappen on Thursday rejected suggestions from Lewis Hamilton that he may be feeling the pressure of their title fight and said it showed that the defending champion simply did not know him.

The Red Bull driver, who leads the championship by five points, but has a three-place grid penalty for this weekend’s Russian Grand Prix, added that he had put his Italian crash behind him and would continue to race as hard as ever.

“Yeah, I’m so nervous I can barely sleep,” said the Dutchman, with heavy sarcasm.

“I mean, it’s so horrible to fight for a title.... I really hate it!

“Those comments, it just shows you that he really doesn’t know me - which is fine. I also don’t need to know him, how he is.

“I’m very relaxed about all those things and I really can’t be bothered. I’m very chilled.”

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/formula-one/f1-russian-grand-prix-2021-max-verstappen-lewis-hamilton-next-race-drivers-championship-standings-latest-news/news-story/28b2d86b9267537a16f56eaf6c95237f


Pressure? What pressure?: Verstappen shrugs off Hamilton comments
Issued on: 23/09/2021 - 21:00Modified: 23/09/2021 - 20:58

A defiant Max Verstappen on Thursday rejected suggestions from Lewis Hamilton that he may be feeling the pressure of their title fight and said it showed that the defending champion simply did not know him.

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210923-pressure-what-pressure-verstappen-shrugs-off-hamilton-comments


Ron Dennis offers surprising prediction on title fight
Michael Delaney24/09/2021 at 07:0624/09/2021 at 07:14

Although Dennis and Hamilton have remained friends over the years, the former McLaren chairman boss is surprisingly putting his money on his former driver's archrival and his team, Red Bull Racing, in this year's title battle.

"I have a tremendous respect for the technologists at Red Bull," Dennis told Sky Sports when asked to predict the championship's outcome.
"I think Honda has stabilized their engine performance very well.

"I think it's going to be Verstappen. If it's not, it will not be because they lacked performance but because they make mistakes.
"The question is, in what circumstances are these mistakes going to be made?

"It's going to a very colorful end of season, but I would probably back Verstappen.

https://f1i.com/news/419090-ron-dennis-offers-surprising-prediction-on-title-fight.html

[Bagwan]

So , was that the Merc "magic button" again , showing itself as an unsafe toy , or was that just a small misjudgment on the brakes for Lewis when he knocked down the jack man ?

[Nitrodaze]

MAX VERSTAPPEN
Verstappen brushes off Monza backlash: There are a lot of hypocrites
23/09/2021, ‎17‎:‎15
Author Thomas Maher
Dieter Rencken

Max Verstappen wasn't impressed by the backlash he faced after the Monza clash between himself and Lewis Hamilton.

Comments were made by luminaries such as Sir Jackie Stewart, who said that Verstappen had "a lot of maturing to do" for failing to check on Hamilton's condition in the car after the accident.

Hamilton himself was "surprised" that Verstappen did not check on him, although images from the crash aftermath showed Verstappen looking in the direction of Hamilton as he attempted to reverse his stricken Mercedes out from under the Red Bull.

Asked about whether he had been taken aback by the comments made in his direction, a displeased Verstappen said that it had been a display in hypocrisy, but didn't specify who he was referring to.

"There are a lot of hypocrites in the world, that's for sure," Verstappen told RacingNews365.com and other members of the media.

https://racingnews365.com/verstappen-brushes-off-monza-backlash-there-are-a-lot-of-hypocrites


Max: Hamilton comments ‘show he doesn’t know me’
Date published: September 23 2021 - Finley Crebolder

Max Verstappen says Lewis Hamilton’s claim that the Dutchman may be nervous fighting for his first title shows the Briton “doesn’t really know” him.
The Red Bull driver is locked in his first ever title fight in Formula 1 this season, currently leading Hamilton by five points in a tight battle.

https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-verstappen-lewis-hamilton-comments/


Verstappen Defiant On Not Changing Approach After Hamilton Incidents
Sept 23, 2021
By Jonathan Byrne

The 23-year-old was outright asked if he would change his approach to these situations in the future. "I think that goes both ways," Verstappen said. "It's not only me when we are racing each other."

While there have been some public jibes between the drivers this season, the back and forth between Red Bull and Mercedes on the incidents has been more vocalised.

https://www.balls.ie/motorsport/verstappen-not-changing-approach-after-hamilton-incidents-485504


Can Verstappen beat Mercedes in Sochi? 'We often came just a bit short'
23-09-2021 17:33 | Updated: 23-09-2021 18:33
by GPblog.com

Can Red Bull put an end to their rivals' dominance at the track? "In general I expect it to be better this year, but with the chance of rain it remains to be seen. It's less predictable in the rain than on a dry track, but I think we're fast in both situations this season, so I don't have a real preference."

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/94702/can-verstappen-beat-mercedes-in-sochi-we-often-came-just-a-bit-short.html


‘So nervous I can barely sleep’: Max scorches Hamilton comments as rivalry reaches new levels
September 24th, 2021 7:15 am

Max Verstappen on Thursday rejected suggestions from Lewis Hamilton that he may be feeling the pressure of their title fight and said it showed that the defending champion simply did not know him.

The Red Bull driver, who leads the championship by five points, but has a three-place grid penalty for this weekend’s Russian Grand Prix, added that he had put his Italian crash behind him and would continue to race as hard as ever.

“Yeah, I’m so nervous I can barely sleep,” said the Dutchman, with heavy sarcasm.

“I mean, it’s so horrible to fight for a title.... I really hate it!

“Those comments, it just shows you that he really doesn’t know me - which is fine. I also don’t need to know him, how he is.

“I’m very relaxed about all those things and I really can’t be bothered. I’m very chilled.”

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/formula-one/f1-russian-grand-prix-2021-max-verstappen-lewis-hamilton-next-race-drivers-championship-standings-latest-news/news-story/28b2d86b9267537a16f56eaf6c95237f


Pressure? What pressure?: Verstappen shrugs off Hamilton comments
Issued on: 23/09/2021 - 21:00Modified: 23/09/2021 - 20:58

A defiant Max Verstappen on Thursday rejected suggestions from Lewis Hamilton that he may be feeling the pressure of their title fight and said it showed that the defending champion simply did not know him.

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210923-pressure-what-pressure-verstappen-shrugs-off-hamilton-comments


Ron Dennis offers surprising prediction on title fight
Michael Delaney24/09/2021 at 07:0624/09/2021 at 07:14

Although Dennis and Hamilton have remained friends over the years, the former McLaren chairman boss is surprisingly putting his money on his former driver's archrival and his team, Red Bull Racing, in this year's title battle.

"I have a tremendous respect for the technologists at Red Bull," Dennis told Sky Sports when asked to predict the championship's outcome.
"I think Honda has stabilized their engine performance very well.

"I think it's going to be Verstappen. If it's not, it will not be because they lacked performance but because they make mistakes.
"The question is, in what circumstances are these mistakes going to be made?

"It's going to a very colorful end of season, but I would probably back Verstappen.

https://f1i.com/news/419090-ron-dennis-offers-surprising-prediction-on-title-fight.html

Your Verstappen propaganda machine is in full swing this weekend. At least you do not hide your bias. However, it is interesting that Ron Dennis tips Verxstappen for the title. His wise old highly experienced head probably see something that is lost to us mere mortals. With the improvements coming from Honda at the moment and Mercedes not doing much else with this seasson's car, he might be on to something there.

We might not see much Hamilton Verstappen action at Sochi. But Turkey would be a real gloves off scenario. Any sign of weakness by Hamilton or Verstappen would essentially write him off for the title.

[Bagwan]

We may , in fact , be seeing Max and Lewis close together , as Max is using fresh power units , and starting amongst slower cars at the back , and Lewis is starting 3 places down from qualifying position with a new gearbox amongst much quicker cars .

Then you add rain .

It all fits with the sandbag theory as well if they get nearer each other .
Last race had each scoring the same amount , keeping that title race crazy tight .
It sure is gonna be a "real" battle for the rest of the season .

[truefan72]

I expect failure.

There will be a reset and there will be winners and losers from the reset, but I don't see there being this big equalizer moment. Good engineering teams will do good engineering and vice versa. Some teams will get it wrong.

yup.

Just like in 2009 and 2014
and in 2008 by the end of the year, we actually had 6 teams capable of winning races because the regs had stayed in place for years and other teams finally caught up.
If we continued on these regs for another year, then I am pretty sure that Alpha Tauri, and Alpine would close the gap, and we would see 6 teams capable of winning races next year.
But now we are going to get a reboot and as you say, there are goin g to be winners and losers for sure.
Then it is going to take another few years for others to catch up, and when they do, the regs will inevitably change again...sigh

[Fortitude]

FORMULA 1 VTB RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX 2021 - PRACTICE 1
24 26 Sep 2021 Sochi Autodrom, Sochi

https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1077/russia/practice-1.html


FORMULA 1 VTB RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX 2021 - PRACTICE 2
24 26 Sep 2021 Sochi Autodrom, Sochi

https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1077/russia/practice-2.html


Red Bull confirm Max Verstappen to start Russian Grand Prix from the back
Charles Crook
25th September 2021.

Red Bull have confirmed that driver Max Verstappen will start Sunday’s Russian Grand Prix from the back due to engine penalties.

The Dutch driver entered the weekend of the race in Sochi with a 3 place grid penalty for his crash with championship rival Lewis Hamilton at Monza last time out.

https://citiblog.co.uk/2021/09/24/red-bull-confirm-max-verstappen-to-start-russian-grand-prix-from-the-back/

[F1nKS]

FP3 canceled.

Remains to be seen if qualifying is moved to Sunday or not.

[gm99]

Not a good week-end for Hamilton thus far, hitting his mechanic on Friday, the pit-wall today and spinning on his final qualifying lap. So it's only P4 for him and P7 for Bottas, but still ahead of the Red Bulls.

Congrats to Norris, the McLaren revival continues.

[truefan72]

Well, well, well. Mercedes continue with their self-inflicted wounds. Not sure why Mercedes letvtheir drivers do an additional lap after their cooldown lap. Just another strategic blunder. And Wolff will go out there and talk about it being “the right decision” At least p4 has been salvaged with a good Hamilton initial lap.

But all congrats to the top3 Norris Sainz and Russell. A very tasty grid to start the race.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bagwan]

Hmmmm .
Another curious uncharacteristic screw-up from Merc , when they had Max at the back on his heels .
And Hamilton , normally a pretty fine wet driver , first tags the wall , compromising his team mate's car as well , and then spins , himself .

So , if he's getting a gear-box penalty , he'll start 7th , and he and Max are pretty likely to see each other in the race at some point .

Could you write a better script ?



George may have a good chance of leading out of the first corner , being on the clean side in Lando's draft , so the rest of the grid seems to be taking up their roles in the grand drama as well .

[F1nKS]

It was a fun qualifying. It's great to see Norris on pole. I hope he can come away with the win. Mclaren looking good this week. Would be great to see another 1-2 with Norris winning this time.

Red Bull really has to be wondering about Perez. Unfortunately, Gasly didn't have a very good session.

It gonna be a much more interesting race with Mercedes screwing up things. With Hamilton starting back so far - Toto going to be holding his breath on lap 1. There is a potential Hamilton could get caught up in a mess of not his making.

Russell may present a problem for Toto next year.

[airshifter]

So , was that the Merc "magic button" again , showing itself as an unsafe toy , or was that just a small misjudgment on the brakes for Lewis when he knocked down the jack man ?

Several sources are stating that it was in fact again the break magic button defeating Lewis that caused the incident. Surprising being that it's been in use for quite a while apparently, and the issue has bit him twice this year.





As for qually, another error by Lewis costs him the apparent easy pole or at least 2nd on the grid, and probably hurt Bottas just as much if not more. Though it wouldn't be the first time a slick pit entry has caused him issues, this time the overall damage was probably less. Though uncharacteristic for him, this season thus far had shown a lot of mistakes from Lewis, with some of them not being recovered from. He keeps losing easy advantages and good points, and it's making life easier for Max to challenge him for the WDC. The fact that Russell was one of the ones to benefit this time is probably just salt in the wound.

Other than Merc, I think most who made it to Q3 got at least a decent run on the dry tires. But with Q1 and Q2 being slick, it's hard to say who will really move through the pack for the race if it stays dry. We could be in for a decent race at Sochi either way.

Great to see McLaren follow up the last race with a great performance in qually. I'm glad for Lando, he's been working hard and it all finally came together this time.

[F1nKS]

We will hear team orders tomorrow?


George this is James...

:D

[Nitrodaze]

Several sources are stating that it was in fact again the break magic button defeating Lewis that caused the incident. Surprising being that it's been in use for quite a while apparently, and the issue has bit him twice this year.





As for qually, another error by Lewis costs him the apparent easy pole or at least 2nd on the grid, and probably hurt Bottas just as much if not more. Though it wouldn't be the first time a slick pit entry has caused him issues, this time the overall damage was probably less. Though uncharacteristic for him, this season thus far had shown a lot of mistakes from Lewis, with some of them not being recovered from. He keeps losing easy advantages and good points, and it's making life easier for Max to challenge him for the WDC. The fact that Russell was one of the ones to benefit this time is probably just salt in the wound.

Other than Merc, I think most who made it to Q3 got at least a decent run on the dry tires. But with Q1 and Q2 being slick, it's hard to say who will really move through the pack for the race if it stays dry. We could be in for a decent race at Sochi either way.

Great to see McLaren follow up the last race with a great performance in qually. I'm glad for Lando, he's been working hard and it all finally came together this time.

I agree, we have seen a number of errors from Hamilton this year. At least two race win points worth of errors. Mercedes pitwall seem keen to hand the championship to Redbull. They are making it easy for Redbull as they are failing to capitalize on Redbulls setbacks. Redbull just needs to keep on doing what they are doing at the moment and both championships is theirs for the taking.

[Nitrodaze]

We will hear team orders tomorrow?



:D

Nah, Williams is not Mercedes. Russell would be going for the win if possible. Hamilton in 4th is still good for the win as well.

[Nitrodaze]

The young junior champions are now making their mark in F1. Norris is proving to be a top shelf driver at the moment. good on him for his first poll in F1

[Nitrodaze]

Well, well, well. Mercedes continue with their self-inflicted wounds. Not sure why Mercedes letvtheir drivers do an additional lap after their cooldown lap. Just another strategic blunder. And Wolff will go out there and talk about it being “the right decision” At least p4 has been salvaged with a good Hamilton initial lap.

But all congrats to the top3 Norris Sainz and Russell. A very tasty grid to start the race.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mercedes are not looking like world champions at the moment. They look tired and lethargic

[Fortitude]

FORMULA 1 VTB RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX 2021 - STARTING GRID
24 26 Sep 2021 Sochi Autodrom, Sochi

https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1077/russia/starting-grid.html


Bottas to start Russian GP from the back with Verstappen and Leclerc after Mercedes PU change
26 September 2021

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.breaking-bottas-to-start-russian-gp-from-the-back-with-verstappen-and.3gXW8Nk5GqJYakV3mmKMgv.html

[gm99]

Bottas doing a great job of keeping Verstappen behind :D

[truefan72]

Terrible pitstop by rbr. There goes p3 minimum for Perez. All his hard work undone


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[gm99]

What a shame for Norris. McLaren should have overruled Norris' choice to stay out, like Mercedes did with Lewis.

Verstappen minimizes the damage by finishing second after starting dead last and is only 2 Points behind Hamilton in the championship.

[truefan72]

Well that was exciting!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[denkimi]

Sad to see norris lose his first victory due to 4 laps of rain.

But in the end a good result for the championship, they stay very close, it remains exciting.

[Zico]

Wow... what a crazy finish. I'm gutted for Lando but great call by Merc in the end.
Thanks mostly to the rain Lewis wins and congrats to him for that.. but Max with a fresh engine and starting from the back arguably ends up achieving the better result considering where he would have finished and the points difference to Lewis that he faced before the rain started falling.

What a fascinating nail biter of a race. Great stuff.

[F1nKS]

What a fun race. From start to finish. Mercedes made the right strategy call today and it paid dividends (even saved Bottas lackluster race). Congrats to Hamilton on his 100th win. He had a great drive and took what was given and kept the pressure on and seized the final moment.

Norris was hung out to dry - literally. You have to trust the people with the data in a data-driven sport. Norris will learn to trust next time. His team also has to have confidence in their calls also. They made the mistake of giving Norris a choice.

Great results for Max. It looked like he was going to get a decent recovery drive finish, but the right strategy call made the difference.

[denkimi]

staying out could have been a very good choice for norris. anyone going off would have caused a safety car and secured his win. It just didn't work out for him.

[Tazio]

Sad to see norr'


I'm gutted for Lan'

:sailor: Sorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry!

[Bagwan]

Everyone hear Toto giving "encouragement" to Lewis , saying he could win ?

Was that encouragement , or was the OK to win because Max was close enough to keep that championship close enough ?

Does Lewis really need that encouragement when he'd won 99 times before ?

There's that smell again .

[Fortitude]

FORMULA 1 VTB RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX 2021 - RACE RESULT
24 26 Sep 2021 Sochi Autodrom, Sochi

https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1077/russia/race-result.html


MAX VERSTAPPEN
Verstappen amazed: I definitely didn't expect this result!
26th Sept 2021, ‎15‎:‎16
Author Anna Francis

Max Verstappen expressed his amazement at climbing from the back of the grid to second in a dramatic Russian Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen admits he was surprised to claim second place in the Russian Grand Prix after starting from the back of the grid.

The Dutchman had worked his way through the field during the race but was able to gain the most ground due to the rain that hit in the final laps, with Red Bull making the call to switch to Intermediate tyres at the ideal time.

The decision enabled Verstappen to take second behind title rival Lewis Hamilton.

"It was pretty tricky on the in lap to make the call to go to Inters," Verstappen told Sky Sports. "I think we decided at the right time to pit.

"To come from last to second is very, very good. The race itself was not very easy as it was very difficult to pass, and once you got stuck it was very easy to damage your tyres. The rain helped us to make that last jump.

https://racingnews365.com/verstappen-amazed-i-definitely-didnt-expect-this-result


Horner: "It feels like a victory for Max Verstappen today"
26-09-2021 15:11 | Updated: 26-09-2021 15:23
by Matt Gretton

Christian Horner says Max Verstappen's P2 "feels like a win". The Dutchman decided to take his new engine this weekend and therefore started from the back of the grid for the Russian Grand Prix. For a while, it looked like Verstappen was stuck in P7 but he benefited from the rain at the end.

It was all about damage limitation for Verstappen. Mercedes remain unbeaten in Sochi, but Hamilton only holds a two-point lead in the World Championship. This gap was expected to be much bigger before the Grand Prix started.

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/95004/horner-it-feels-like-a-victory-for-max-verstappen-today.html


Verstappen more like my father than Hamilton – Hunt
SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

Max Verstappen, not Lewis Hamilton, is the new ‘James Hunt’ of Formula 1.

That is the claim not of a random pundit, but the son of F1 legend James Hunt himself – 31-year-old Freddie.

“2021 is probably the best season I’ve ever experienced,” Hunt told Sport1.

“It’s similar to 1976 – extremely close and exciting. However, my dad and Niki Lauda were friends. Max and Lewis are clearly not.”

Some have suggested the culturally-relevant and fashion-minded Hamilton is like a new James Hunt for Formula 1 – but Freddie doesn’t see it that way.

“Verstappen is more like my father than Lewis is. Actually, Lewis is not like my father at all.”

However, he says neither of them have the mutual respect that Hunt and Lauda shared.

“They had more respect for each other and left more space in a battle. They knew that if they raced too hard, you could kill your friend,” Hunt said.

He uses Verstappen’s 51G crash and brief hospitalisation as one example.

https://grandpx.news/verstappen-more-like-my-father-than-hamilton-hunt/


Horner/Wolff respond to Stewart’s Verstappen criticism
Date published: September 26 2021 - Jamie Woodhouse

Red Bull principal Christian Horner did not want to directly say Verstappen was Formula 1’s fastest, but does feel his driver has shown a great level of maturity.

“Of course I always respect Sir Jackie’s opinion but I think Max has shown great maturity this year and, of course, you’re always evolving, always learning and I’m sure Sir Jackie made a few mistakes in his time,” said Horner in response to a question from The Daily Mail.

“So that’s the journey of life. I think you learn from every experience and I think when you see the progression from a 17 year-old, when he came into Formula 1, to the driver he is today, it’s pretty impressive.”

Pushed again on whether Verstappen is the outright fastest, Horner replied: “It’s always going to be subjective and open to debate. I’m just glad he’s driving our car.”

https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-verstappen-criticism-response/

[Zico]

:sailor: Sorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry!

:D

Did you do the rain dance today... or are you the real messiah? What's your beef with Lando anyway?

[Bagwan]

"Several sources are stating that it was in fact again the break magic button defeating Lewis that caused the incident. Surprising being that it's been in use for quite a while apparently, and the issue has bit him twice this year."-Shifter .

In this case , it was in the pits , and could have hurt the jack-man badly , but the first was in racing circumstances where it could have been much more serious .
They need to fix it quickly so nobody gets hurt .

[Tazio]

:D

Did you do the rain dance today... or are you the real messiah? What's your beef with Lando anyway?
No beef, I'm cool with him. I'm just having a little fun! ;) + :( = :dork:

[Tazio]

Everyone hear Toto giving "encouragement" to Lewis , saying he could win ?

Was that encouragement , or was the OK to win because Max was close enough to keep that championship close enough ?

Does Lewis really need that encouragement when he'd won 99 times before ?

There's that smell again .
:| + :angel: = :rolleyes:
:blackeye: + :dog: = :crazy:

[The Black Knight]

This was definitely the best Russian GP to date and by quite some margin. I am gutted for Norris, he could have won today had he pitted and he thoroughly deserved his first race win but you have to get it over the line.

If I was Toto I would fire Bottas and replace him immediately with Russell after the way he just let Max by at the start of the race. He has no business driving that car anymore after what he did. He made zero effort to defend and just let him through.

Max made the most of the rain, got a little bit of luck with it.

I've always felt one of Hamilton's achilles heels is he can't judge weather conditions very well. It wad clearly obvious to drivers like Ricciardo etc that they needed to go to inters and he wanted to stay out, meanwhile the team overruled him and he got the race win because of it in what, at the end of the day, was a mediocre race for him.

[N. Jones]

Boring race until the rain came. Poor Lando but he'll learn.

[F1nKS]

Terrible pitstop by rbr. There goes p3 minimum for Perez. All his hard work undone



Perez couldn't catch a break. The terrible pitstop then he got caught out on the wrong part of the track when the rain came in.

[Tazio]

Well played by Fred!
https://twitter.com/i/status/1442223045335080965

[Mia 01]

Kimi drove wery well yesterday, cheers Rainman!

[truefan72]

RBR proved once again they don't care about that 2nd seat. In the critical last few laps, while they initially left the decision to the drivers, they quickly switched and told max to box, plus they gave him way more information. all they did with Perez was ask him what he thought and then left him to his own. SMH

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K_igOGk3WE

[Fortitude]

Video
WATCH: Onboard for Verstappen's dramatic final laps in Sochi as he goes from P7 to P2
27 September 2021

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.watch-onboard-for-verstappens-dramatic-final-laps-in-sochi-as-he-goes-from.2W33fWyz4En0Q41dFjJLCO.html


Valtteri Bottas mocks Mercedes as he's accused of 'gifting' Max Verstappen at Russian GP

Valtteri Bottas finished fifth in Russia after a mixed weekend for the Mercedes driver and will leave the constructor at the end of the season.
By Fraser Watson
21:28, Mon, Sep 27, 2021 | UPDATED: 22:49, Mon, Sep 27, 2021

Valtteri Bottas has taken a humorous swipe at his own Mercedes team after an erratic weekend at the Russian Grand Prix. Bottas, 32, eventually finished fifth in Sochi despite having to start at the back of the grid for using his fifth engine of the season.

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1497387/Valtteri-Bottas-Mercedes-f1-news


Toto Wolff orders Valtteri Bottas to step on it in tense Russian Grand Prix message

Valtteri Bottas was dropped down to the back of the grid for an engine change.
By Stuart Ballard
14:11, Sun, Sep 26, 2021 | UPDATED: 14:33, Sun, Sep 26, 2021

Mercedes team principal was clearly not happy with Valtteri Bottas' effort in the closing stages of the Russian Grand Prix. Bottas was dropped down to 17th on the grid for Sunday's race after Mercedes decided to change elements in the Finn's power unit.

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1496803/Toto-Wolff-Lewis-Hamilton-team-radio-Russian-Grand-Prix


MAX VERSTAPPEN
Horner praises Verstappen: He made a great call
28th Sept 2021, ‎17‎:‎45

Max Verstappen worked his way up to a surprise second place in the final rain-affected laps of the Russian Grand Prix. According to Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner, the result was all down to the Dutchman's tyre call.

https://racingnews365.com/horner-praises-impressive-verstappen-this-was-his-call


F1 title favorite Max Verstappen produced a stunning drive to go from 20th to 2nd, but the race was so chaotic no one seems to have noticed
Sam Cooper
2021-09-27T11:50:55Z

https://www.insider.com/max-verstappen-comes-from-last-second-gripping-f1-title-race-2021-9

[airshifter]

Without a doubt the best GP we have seen at Sochi, and the rain surely spiced things up at the end.

I have to say though, the tow at this track just kind of takes it over the top. Between that and the DRS zones, we end up with multiple DRS trains running around the track, and the front drivers are still dictating pace. I really wish there was more for real passing opportunities here.

Sucks for Lando, but then again Ricciardo's race got screwed by a pit stop, as well as impacting Perez quite a bit. There was a Merc source saying that until they told him Max pitted, Lewis was wanting to stay out as well as Lando. At that point the title thoughts kicked in an he agreed to stop even if it meant giving up a possible win in order to cover Max. As it turned out, a very good decision.

That rain changed so quick that it really caught a lot of cars in a bad position on track.

The strategy calls were interesting even before the rain came, and some of them played out much differently than seemed expected.


Bottas... yeah. I have to wonder if that was him giving Merc the middle finger myself. There just didn't seem to be any attempt to defend at all.

Other than him, it seemed that everyone did a great job defending against faster cars this year. Track position was the driving force through most of the race.

[airshifter]

Everyone hear Toto giving "encouragement" to Lewis , saying he could win ?

Was that encouragement , or was the OK to win because Max was close enough to keep that championship close enough ?

Does Lewis really need that encouragement when he'd won 99 times before ?

There's that smell again .

Come on Baggy. I know you are staying in conspiracy corner, but there is little chance you win 100 GP's without a non driver telling you that it can be done, right? :laugh:

I'm digging the conspiracy corner, even if I don't see it myself.

We hear (Toto encouraging Lewis to push for the win)

You hear (Toto telling Lewis Max is near the front, release the hounds!)


But just a thought... have you covered the angle that maybe Toto is being paid off my RB, and Max will win the title by a point?

[F1nKS]

RBR proved once again they don't care about that 2nd seat. In the critical last few laps, while they initially left the decision to the drivers, they quickly switched and told max to box, plus they gave him way more information. all they did with Perez was ask him what he thought and then left him to his own. SMH

There was no favoritism it was just a lack of decisiveness on the RBR pit wall. RBR wrongly left the decision up to both drivers. Max realized he had had to pit sooner than Perez. When Max said he thought they should pit, the pit wall only confirmed the intention to Max and too pit lane that they would be pitting.

Perez was confused about what to do. There were several times he just didn't respond to the pit wall at all and they ultimately left the decision up to Perez - he didn't make the decision to pit until it was too late for his race.

RBR and Mcclaren pit wall were not decisive and it cost them. Their respective pit walls had the big picture of rain that was coming in and how things were degrading on track and should have been like Mercedes and been decisive and told their drivers to pit. But they didn't.

We saw with Hamilton he almost screwed it all up by ignoring the pit wall the first time, but he finally took their advice the second time. Had he not - Max might have won the race.

Max got lucky with the rain. He was only gonna have ok results (e.g. 7th) until the rain came, and that allowed him to minimize the points lost. Max was going to lose 11 points to Hamilton, but in the end it was only 7 after the rain result.

[denkimi]

It's always easy in hindsight. Weather predictions are not an exact science. You never know how wet it's going to be and how much time you're going to lose untill it's actually there.

It could have stopped raining and norris could have made it on slicks, someone could have crashed and brought the safety car out.

Inters were the safe option, but half the grid was wrong so it wasn't that obvious as we see it now.

[Bagwan]

Come on Baggy. I know you are staying in conspiracy corner, but there is little chance you win 100 GP's without a non driver telling you that it can be done, right? :laugh:

I'm digging the conspiracy corner, even if I don't see it myself.

We hear (Toto encouraging Lewis to push for the win)

You hear (Toto telling Lewis Max is near the front, release the hounds!)


But just a thought... have you covered the angle that maybe Toto is being paid off my RB, and Max will win the title by a point?

Now you're talking about bags of scandal there , Air , and I'm only running with bags of sand .
Slow down a bit .

That's all they are doing .

[airshifter]

Now you're talking about bags of scandal there , Air , and I'm only running with bags of sand .
Slow down a bit .

That's all they are doing .

Though I thought they would come on strong, they haven't. So you may be correct.

Just when are they going to release said bags?

[Bagwan]

Though I thought they would come on strong, they haven't. So you may be correct.

Just when are they going to release said bags?

Well , that's the tricky part .
They'll keep it close , maybe within a 10 point range , until at least the last 3 races .
It'll depend on just how many bags they feel they have on board .

The closer the better , as this is the end of an era .

[Bagwan]

You see , Shifter , some might see this as a drag , knowing they are sandbagging , because it's a manipulation of the championship , itself .

But , the bagwan sees it as an extra layer of intrigue .

Will folks catch on because of the high level of fumbling from the carbon fiber kings , or will they buy the fact that the bulls are sooooooo strong that they mistakenly hit the "magic" button every time they are sooooo close because they are sooooooooo nervous ?
If it does happen to be true ,and the fans do figure it out , I'm not sure how the public will take it .
Without ample spin , it could hurt the sport , itself , and certainly Merc .

And , of course , in this "tortoise vs hare" scenario , will they , in the end , lose the race(championship) because of the very same hubris ?

So , whether you sit here with the bagwan in the corner or not , it's turned into a great season so far , don't you think ?

[airshifter]

You see , Shifter , some might see this as a drag , knowing they are sandbagging , because it's a manipulation of the championship , itself .

But , the bagwan sees it as an extra layer of intrigue .

Will folks catch on because of the high level of fumbling from the carbon fiber kings , or will they buy the fact that the bulls are sooooooo strong that they mistakenly hit the "magic" button every time they are sooooo close because they are sooooooooo nervous ?
If it does happen to be true ,and the fans do figure it out , I'm not sure how the public will take it .
Without ample spin , it could hurt the sport , itself , and certainly Merc .

And , of course , in this "tortoise vs hare" scenario , will they , in the end , lose the race(championship) because of the very same hubris ?

So , whether you sit here with the bagwan in the corner or not , it's turned into a great season so far , don't you think ?

So what does the crystal ball say regarding a 4th engine for Lewis? Is that only if he captures a solid lead first, or is that part of baiting us in?

And so far, the magic has only cost them points once. But it did happen to balance out Max's tire failure too.... sooooooo.....


It's a good thing the regs are changing. I think the RB's have figured out how to trim the cars out enough to make up for any power they lack on Merc. It hurts them on some tracks, but I think Toto and Merc are at least having to breathe heavy this year. And we can't hardly blame them for being flustered, as they really haven't had a challenge in years.

[Bagwan]

So what does the crystal ball say regarding a 4th engine for Lewis? Is that only if he captures a solid lead first, or is that part of baiting us in?

And so far, the magic has only cost them points once. But it did happen to balance out Max's tire failure too.... sooooooo.....


It's a good thing the regs are changing. I think the RB's have figured out how to trim the cars out enough to make up for any power they lack on Merc. It hurts them on some tracks, but I think Toto and Merc are at least having to breathe heavy this year. And we can't hardly blame them for being flustered, as they really haven't had a challenge in years.

It's going to be trickier for Merc to come from the back with Lewis , not showing the speed they have in their pockets , so it will likely be soon for the 4th lump .
They are looking for a shaky feel to it all , and "magic" jack man pinball fits the mold , so the "comeback kids" can come back , kids .

You can't blame them for looking flustered .
It wouldn't fit if they didn't .