F1 Grand Prix Season

[ivoralljack]

Wow ! weather took an amazing turn for the good yesterday 29C was out sun bathing and forgot all about it.

You missed a great race. MV overtook Hamilton near the end but had to give the place back as all 4 wheels were off the track when he did it. He then couldn't quite get into a passing position before the end. Lot of controversy about the line allowed on certain corners when it was barred from practice but allowed in the race - or at least part of it. The rules on this were a complete mish-mash and confused everyone. Looks like Lewis got the breaks on this but Max didn't. Going to be a great season with those two hard at it.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

Another crazy race at Imola. Verstappen won - from P3 jumped past Hamilton at P1 from the start and led the race quietly and steadily, while other drivers were losing control and crashing out due to the wet conditions.

Hamilton was one of the drivers that spun out, suffered damage and then showed his class and that of the car to finish 2nd. He also recorded the fastest lap to retain control of the drivers' championship by 1 point.

Russell took out himself and Bottas, who up to that point had another drive to forget.

Mercedes and Red Bull ... Hamilton and Verstappen ... it's going to be a colossal battle.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

Yet again the odd thing happens ... the driver that drives the race slower than his rivals makes pole. Bottas beats out Hamilton by some minute fraction of a second and tomorrow, if true to form, will finish many seconds behind. What’s with that?

 

[Jackflash]

A slight possibility, it is a know fact that atmospherics can have a big say in a cars performance, quite a few years back Ferrari discovered their cars were noticeably quicker on damp days in testing and developed a fine water spray system into the air induction .On race day obviously everyone are under the same conditions, but qualifying stretches over many hours..
I see Max is having a bit of a winge over track conditions, saying its very slippery, {not slippery just for you Max.) I remember Senna in his Karting and formula junior days, came to the uk and was winning everything unless it rained. He contacted his father in Brazil and had a water spray system fitted to his own circuit on his fathers land. When he went back to Brazil he practiced on a wet surface for three months solid. The rest is history.

 

[Jackflash]

It would appear it's the cars not the drivers that make F1 competitive, think back six months or so, when an almost unknown driver George Russel stood in for Hamilton and virtually obliterated the the field in Hamilton's car, there were even suggestions of a fictitious puncture to avoid embarrassment to Hamilton.
One would have thought Mercedes would be looking a getting Russell as it's second driver, but we never know what's written into Hamiltons contract. As was the case in the constant feud between Senna and Prost, Where Prost had the clause written into his contract 'No South American drivers to be employed'.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

Yet again Bottas was out driven in a race by Hamilton and Verstappen ... a one lap pony ... great for qualifying not so great over 66 laps.

 

[ivoralljack]

Yet again Bottas was out driven in a race by Hamilton and Verstappen ... a one lap pony ... great for qualifying not so great over 66 laps.

You have to wonder if next season his seat will be under pressure from Russell. MV seemed to have power issues with his car but he still had enough horses to claim the fastest lap albeit it was disallowed through a techicality.

 

[ivoralljack]

Great win by Hamilton in Spain and Mercedes got their pit strategy spot on in an exciting race. Bottas almost spoilt Lewis's charge to make up 22 seconds on Max by not giving way in what seemed like a deliberate act. When he later pitted, David Coulthard laughingly suggested that the pit crew might just walk away after they'd removed his old tyres. Seems unlikely that Bottas will retain his seat next season and there's even a rumour that he might go before that!

 

[Yankee_Jack]

Bottas is a troubled driver. A one lap wonder in qualifying, but a multi-lap disaster in a race. Supposedly driving the same car as Hamilton, he's either a deficient driver with respect to Hamilton and others, or his car is not spec'd and setup the same. Would management really diddle with his car; I don't see other alternatives. Then there's the Russell experience last season. Russell subs for Hamilton, drives his car, despite not being cockpit configured the way he would prefer, like a world champion and makes a mockery of that race until the "puncture".

 

[Jackflash]

Bottas is a troubled driver. A one lap wonder in qualifying, but a multi-lap disaster in a race. Supposedly driving the same car as Hamilton, he's either a deficient driver with respect to Hamilton and others, or his car is not spec'd and setup the same. Would management really diddle with his car; I don't see other alternatives. Then there's the Russell experience last season. Russell subs for Hamilton, drives his car, despite not being cockpit configured the way he would prefer, like a world champion and makes a mockery of that race until the "puncture".

Yes, I think your right Yankee Jack, drivers apart, it's quite conclusive Mercedes are the quickest cars on the circuit.
Regarding Bottas, his form seems to follow a regular pattern, practice and qualifying, empty circuit, fresh tyres, reasonably quick, but unable to withstand the pressures of race time circuit traffic plus the decreasing handling of the car as the race progresses, this is where the driver difference comes in, Hamilton has the mentality to handle it, think he's now at a stage in his career where contempt breeds success.

 

[ivoralljack]

Bottas' Mercedes' epitaph after he deliberately ignored radio team orders to let Hamilton pass.

"I could have let him by earlier but I am doing my own race. They told me not to hold him up but I was also doing my race. I'm not here to let people by."

Talk about sour grapes by trying to spoil Hamilton's effort to win despite having no chance to win himself!! What a total plank!! He'd better start looking for another seat.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

Indeed .... and then Hamilton opened up his DRS wings, cruised past him and left him behind as if Bottas was dragging an anchor. There are a number of notable drivers on the bench this season; it's going to be interesting to see what happens from here out.

 

[Jackflash]

Bottas' Mercedes' epitaph after he deliberately ignored radio team orders to let Hamilton pass.

"I could have let him by earlier but I am doing my own race. They told me not to hold him up but I was also doing my race. I'm not here to let people by."

Talk about sour grapes by trying to spoil Hamilton's effort to win despite having no chance to win himself!! What a total plank!! He'd better start looking for another seat.

Never been a fan of team orders in respect of allowing a team mate to pass. They should both be allowed to drive their own race, I'm certainly not condoning him making a move to obstruct him, but if he can't pass him under normal race conditions then he hasn't fairly beaten everyone to win that race. this is nothing more than a ploy to gain constructors points.

 

[ivoralljack]

Agree with what you say, JF, but I've no doubt that Red Bull would have done exactly the same under the same circumstances. I suppose there should either be an acceptance of such team orders or a complete ban on them. As it happens, Hamilton did win fairly because he got past Bottas anyway who admitted that he was trying to stop him.

 

[Jackflash]

Agree with what you say, JF, but I've no doubt that Red Bull would have done exactly the same under the same circumstances. I suppose there should either be an acceptance of such team orders or a complete ban on them. As it happens, Hamilton did win fairly because he got past Bottas anyway who admitted that he was trying to stop him.

Yes it would probably apply to all teams, I suppose one answer would be to ban radio contact with the driver, but having said that a large percentage of the cars ECU is controllable from the pit lane.
I wouldn't say Bottas was purposely trying to stop him because it was Hamilton, As a driver it's a natural instinct to defend your race line, also possibly you can give him room but it's pounced on by other cars in his wake and lose two or three places. It's racing, don't ask for or give any quarters.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

Monaco GP tomorrow. Bottas again beating Hamilton on the grid, but LeClerc gained pole position with a unique combination of great driving to get the time then total shit driving to shutdown the qualifying round and lock in his position. The street circuit is almost impossible to pass on with this configuration of car, so it will be interesting to see how the drivers finish.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

LeClerc’s car is knackered. He’s not starting the race

 

[ivoralljack]

Rumours circulating that Bottas has lost his seat for Mercedes next year, which accounts for his ignoring team orders last week. As for Monaco, it's such a boring race. With so little opportunity to pass it becomes no more than a tedious procession. I'd strike it from the calendar unless they can improve the circuit in some way.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

Bottas pit crew stripped the nut on right front wheel, which in turn had machined the thread on the axle. Bottas retired buggered by his own team. Meanwhile Hamilton failed to undercut Gasly and then got done by Vetel on a pit stop.

Mercedes are doing an Andy Pandy on this race,

 

[Yankee_Jack]

Race over. Max cleans up. Hamilton weak race. Gasly pulled away in the final laps