F1 Grand Prix Season

Jackflash

Midfield General
Staff member
A good point and if that is the case then Bottas has to up his game in qualifying to oust Hamilton from pole.
Although the cars are deemed to be equal, they never really are. Also the cars can be vastly different on the circuit due to drivers required set up, who unlike the team have the final word on car set up.
I remember Prost doing a few laps in Mansell's car at Silverstone and being seconds off the pace, and even worse when Mansell tried it in Prost's car. The team require one critical thing from the driver, feedback., There was no one better at this than Michael Schumacher, totally dedicated to getting the best out of his car, spending days in the workshop watching and learning. Ferrari were very fortunate having him, as are Mercedes now in having Hamilton.
 

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
Portuguese GP starting soon. Brand new track in the competition. Tricky curves, climbs and descents. New tarmac ... it’s still producing vapors and oils and has not been properly driven in producing racing lines that should provide good traction and off-lines that will prove more slippery.

short distance of 400 meters or so to the braking point on the first curve. The start is a must watch.
 

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
This is nuts. There’s a deep drop from the start into the first curve. There are drops of rain on one point of the circuit.
It’s a fast track.
 

ivoralljack

Grizzled Veteran
Staff member
As I write, Hamilton in front by 8.5 seconds from Bottas. Barring accidents he should notch another win today.
 

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
And off to Imola .... no F1 race there since 2006. Fast track with limited passing maybe.
 
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ivoralljack

Grizzled Veteran
Staff member
Another classic display by Hamilton with Bottas second. Dan Ricc got another podium and he's been driving well and Merc wins the constructors again!
 

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
Hamilton wins Turkish GP from 6th on the pole. Riding intermediate tires down to effective slicks on a wet but drying track over 40+ laps. Inspirational driving avoiding an extra pit stop.

Also, Hamilton wins his 7th world championship, 6th in a row, and is now the undisputed leader in GP wins ever.
 

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
Watch the start of the Bahrain GP. Grosjean skids into barrier, that slices car into two and explodes in flames. Driver walks away. Unbelievable. Not long ago he would have been cremated in place.
 

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
Driver banged up perhaps with a minor burn or two, but appears to be otherwise ok. Walked with assistance to an ambulance
 

Jackflash

Midfield General
Staff member
Hamilton to be knighted.
I see Lewis Hamilton is to be knighted in the Queens New Years Honours Awards,, As much as I like Hamilton the question must arise is it Hamilton or Mercedes that has put him in this position. The cars reliability must weigh heavily towards his success as the other Mercedes driver Bottas is second in the Championship table. Again I don't begrudge him his knighthood, but I'm sure there are more deserving cases that don't have anywhere near the financial rewards these F1 drivers get. I'm sure there are hundreds maybe thousands of unsung heroes in the NHS over the past 12 months that will go unnoticed but will carry on earning their pittance of pay by comparison and probably doing a more life threatening job at the moment.
 

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
@Jackflash ... you raise an interesting point ... man or car ... or a curious combination of both.

Bottas has the same machine ... or should ... and looks great in qualifying but can't make it happen in a race.

George Russel fills in for Hamilton ... and despite the cockpit not being a glove fit ... makes a mockery of the race until he is robbed of victory by a burst tire and a brutal pit stop. There has been a rumor that the tire failure was ... let's say ... not so much.

What does that say about Hamilton, his car, and the quality of Russell. I'm not sure and 2021 may provide more information. But, it does tell me that Bottas over achieves as a result of the vehicle he's driving.
 

Jackflash

Midfield General
Staff member
@Jackflash ... you raise an interesting point ... man or car ... or a curious combination of both.

Bottas has the same machine ... or should ... and looks great in qualifying but can't make it happen in a race.

George Russel fills in for Hamilton ... and despite the cockpit not being a glove fit ... makes a mockery of the race until he is robbed of victory by a burst tire and a brutal pit stop. There has been a rumor that the tire failure was ... let's say ... not so much.

What does that say about Hamilton, his car, and the quality of Russell. I'm not sure and 2021 may provide more information. But, it does tell me that Bottas over achieves as a result of the vehicle he's driving.
Yes I believe a combination of both, where one is not achievable without the other, as you say in Bottas's case car reliability is certainly a strong point.
 

Jackflash

Midfield General
Staff member
Hmm. Looking at George Russels' (track) record, 38 F! races, never had a podium finish, Jumps into Hamiltons car, as Yankee points out not tailormade for him, leaves the rest of the field for dead, then a puncture. Hmmm.
 

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
Hmm. Looking at George Russels' (track) record, 38 F! races, never had a podium finish, Jumps into Hamiltons car, as Yankee points out not tailormade for him, leaves the rest of the field for dead, then a puncture. Hmmm.
everything about that scenario is concerning isn’t it. Is the car that good? Is Russell, given the right car, the next dominant force? Is Perez given the right ride a Podium regular? And that puncture ... fortunately avoided a lot of embarrassment, not the least for Bottas whose performances have been lacking?
 

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
We start in earnest is a couple of weeks. Talk about musical chairs, new drivers in new teams, and new team names and colors. I’m going to need a coupe of races to get it all straight.
 

Jackflash

Midfield General
Staff member
We start in earnest is a couple of weeks. Talk about musical chairs, new drivers in new teams, and new team names and colors. I’m going to need a coupe of races to get it all straight.
Yes, a lot of team testing going on at the moment, but everyone keeping quiet about any positive results, needs someone to come up with something special to break the mould. Team finances will undoubtedly be reduced due to covid, more so with Ferrari and Mercedes due to heavily reduced car sales..
 

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
Red Bull seem to have well in testing. Mercedes less so. Mclaren now have a Mercedes power plant, that boosts them. There are a ton of new factors in the mix.
 

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
We’re off to another flying start to the season. Hamilton started 2nd on the grid to Verstappen and finished about 0.5 seconds ahead. Tight race, where strategy and pit stop speed all factored in. Perez had another tremendous drive. Bottas continued to be bouyed by driving a Mercedes and not a “Ford”. If he was with a lesser team, he probably would not have a ride.

ferrari are marginally better than last season. Long way to go yet. But,with Hamilton and Verstappen driving on the other side of the horizon compared to competitors, the only real challenge to these two is likely to come from Perez providing he can actually start on the grid.
 

Jackflash

Midfield General
Staff member
We’re off to another flying start to the season. Hamilton started 2nd on the grid to Verstappen and finished about 0.5 seconds ahead. Tight race, where strategy and pit stop speed all factored in. Perez had another tremendous drive. Bottas continued to be bouyed by driving a Mercedes and not a “Ford”. If he was with a lesser team, he probably would not have a ride.

ferrari are marginally better than last season. Long way to go yet. But,with Hamilton and Verstappen driving on the other side of the horizon compared to competitors, the only real challenge to these two is likely to come from Perez providing he can actually start on the grid.
Wow ! weather took an amazing turn for the good yesterday 29C was out sun bathing and forgot all about it.
 
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