Formula 1, 2020

[57xx]

5 hours ago, ess1uk said:

How unlucky can they get?

 

Unlucky? That was just a total and utter f*$% up by the team! A totally unnecessary stop wrecked both their driver's races.

 

4 hours ago, Gareth Collier said:

I think he had some of Valteri's tyres on.

 

So who's tyres did Valteri have on? In all the confusion I thought they'd slapped Russell's old hards back on to Valteri's car lol.

 

Gutted for George, what an amazing race. He has certainly showed his worth, even under the most extreme  circumstances.

As for Perez, very happy for his win. I've never really rated him in the past, but this year he has really shone and changed my mind about him with some amazing races, culminating in this win.

Edited December 6, 2020 by 57xx

[EddieB]

Well George proved himself against Bottas - away from the wrong side at the start, acing the safety car restart, consistently opening a gap and out-fighting once they were dropped back into traffic. He did more than could be expected and Bottas must be looking over his shoulder - contract for 2021 or not.

 

So I wonder who called for the double stop?  The two Mercs went further than expected on their first set of tyres, so could have been expected to cruise home on their hards.

 

If not George taking the win, I can think of no one more deserving than Sergio.  To think the team he saved chose Vettel over him.

[kipford]

Gutted for him, but that's Motor Racing. 

[RJS1977]

44 minutes ago, 57xx said:

So who's tyres did Valteri have on? In all the confusion I thought they'd slapped Russell's old hards back on to Valteri's car lol.

 

 

Mercedes ended up re-fitting Bottas's car with the tyres they'd just taken off, as they realised they didn't have a complete set of the ones they were intending to fit.

[RJS1977]

Hmm.. I think I made a mistake switching over to the snooker after the highlights finished!

 

27 minutes past midnight and still 10 reds on the table!

[Andrew P]

Hi Guys, Still here and WOW just Bl00dy WOWSER, what a Race.

 

And yes it was very stressful so THANKS ALL for your friendship and support, but gutted for George.

 

I said some while ago that he needs a good Car before he gets  to old, today proved my point, BUT what still worries me is that the 2022 Season is still 18 Months away and with New Regs the Merc could be behind Red Bull and Ferrari so he needs in now.

 

Off to bed now.

 

CHEERS AGaIN, and some wonderful comments on the Race from you Guys. so well done ALL.

[Oldddudders]

For anyone who hasn't read it elsewhere, it appears Merc's problem was that the George-crew didn't get the "tyres now chaps" radio message. It was correctly broadcast - but at precisely that moment George said something, and that over-rode the tyre message. So as George arrived, there were the Bottas tyres, because his crew had heard their message. Andrew Shovlin explains that that 'bug' in the system, where messages from the driver take priority, which makes sense, has been there for years, but only got revealed yesterday. 

[black and decker boy]

I was totally deflated last night, however, Toto was right ‘a star has been born’

[Zomboid]

On a non-Mercedes note (well, kind of), what a drive by Perez. From dead last to the win. He'd have been on the podium if MB hadn't dropped the ball, and that would have been a magnificent drive. If RB don't sign him up then it'll be a huge injustice.

 

Was the last time that team won when they were called Jordan?

[njee20]

Yep, first win as either Force India or Racing Point. 

[Andrew P]

Daddy Stoll may well have looked pleased, but where was his new Signing, was Vettel even in the Race? haha. Sadly he seems to have no fire in his belly, and Perez showed he can Win, Score good Points, (it would have been 3rd place last week) and a solid forth in the Championship against some Class opposition.

Edited December 7, 2020 by Andrew P

[Andrew P]

I wonder if Bottas will look at his performance of late, and consider letting George in and maybe moving back to Williams in a Driver / Development capacity?

[Zomboid]

Just now, Andrew P said:

I wonder if Bottas will look at his performance of late, and consider letting George in and maybe moving back to Williams in a Driver / Development capacity?

Why would he do that? If that happens then it will be against his will. Bottas has beaten Lewis on occasion, he's no slouch.

 

It's like the 200/400m in the Michael Johnson days - everyone knew who was going to win, and there were some excellent athletes who were essentially competing for second, and Bottas has been winning that race within a race pretty consistently.

[jchinuk]

Remember that George Russell was driving Lewis Hamilton's car, GR is 4 inches taller than LH, and the shift paddles on the car were too small for GR too.  Imagine getting into a road car with the steering wheel, seat and seatbelts adjusted for someone 4" taller than you?  F1 cars are built around the drivers.

 

I hope that Lewis Hamilton decides he still feels a bit poorly for the final race and George Russell gets another chance, though whether that happens or not, George's next contract just got more expensive.

 

jch

[woodenhead]

21 hours ago, woodenhead said:

Wow what a race, what a result, never saw that coming, did you see that overtaking manouvere,

 

There got in some words appropriate to the race as like Andrew I will not be looking at the result before I watch the race on C4 late tonight after Mrs W has gone to bed as she thinks racing is awful.

Well I wasn't wrong was I 

 

I cannot believe how awful the pit side of Mercedes were yesterday, they say don't take out your team mate on track - what is the equivalent for the management & pit side - destroying both drivers day in the space of two laps - the puncture only finishing the calamity.

 

My guess for 2022 is either Hamilton / Russell or if Hamilton retires and he might - Perez and Russell.

[woodenhead]

12 minutes ago, Andrew P said:

I wonder if Bottas will look at his performance of late, and consider letting George in and maybe moving back to Williams in a Driver / Development capacity?

I would hope Mercedes are more respectful than that, Bottas is no slouch and he is second in the drivers championship.  He has a year left on his contract, it should be honoured, LH will get another win in 2021 and then he can retire leaving Mercedes to do something radically different in 2022 and bring this era to a close.

[Andrew P]

2 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

Well I wasn't wrong was I 

 

I cannot believe how awful the pit side of Mercedes were yesterday, they say don't take out your team mate on track - what is the equivalent for the management & pit side - destroying both drivers day in the space of two laps - the puncture only finishing the calamity.

 

My guess for 2022 is either Hamilton / Russell or if Hamilton retires and he might - Perez and Russell.

Yeah you Bu66er you, I thought I'm O.K. the RACE HASN'T STATED YET, I'll have a quick look in and saw your post and thought SOD IT, so then switched everything off and was annoyed with myself for looking in, haha.

[Andrew P]

Did anyone else pick up on Perez comment on C4 when he said to Mark and Steve that he has 2022 sorted, but wanted to stay in somewhere next year.

[woodenhead]

4 minutes ago, Andrew P said:

Did anyone else pick up on Perez comment on C4 when he said to Mark and Steve that he has 2022 sorted, but wanted to stay in somewhere next year.

He say he had options, too soon for it to be Mercedes, but Williams do have a definite opening.

[Hobby]

46 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

I cannot believe how awful the pit side of Mercedes were yesterday, they say don't take out your team mate on track - what is the equivalent for the management & pit side - destroying both drivers day in the space of two laps - the puncture only finishing the calamity.

 

To be fair to Merc their issues were explained earlier in the thread by Oldudders. Sh*t happens.

 

2 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

For anyone who hasn't read it elsewhere, it appears Merc's problem was that the George-crew didn't get the "tyres now chaps" radio message. It was correctly broadcast - but at precisely that moment George said something, and that over-rode the tyre message. So as George arrived, there were the Bottas tyres, because his crew had heard their message. Andrew Shovlin explains that that 'bug' in the system, where messages from the driver take priority, which makes sense, has been there for years, but only got revealed yesterday. 

 

[LNERandBR]

Seemed to me like Russell and Bottas both needed to stop again because after the safety car restart Bottas just went backwards. Due to the mixup he was still on the same tyres that he came into the Pits with. Admittedly, both could have motored away like Perez did after the restart rather than being stuck behind other cars but the opportunity to stop to make it safely was there and it's a procedure they've done many times with both cars in the past. 

 

Seems it turned into a poor weekend for British drivers as Lando also struggled and in the WRC Elfyn Evans had an off on Saturday which meant he didn't get the WRC championship 

Well I suppose Aitkin didn't finish last which was a good thing and at least he finished unlike his teammate. 

[gismorail]

1 hour ago, Andrew P said:

Daddy Stoll may well have looked pleased, but where was his new Signing, was Vettel even in the Race? haha. Sadly he seems to have no fire in his belly, and Perez showed he can Win, Score good Points, (it would have been 3rd place last week) and a solid forth in the Championship against some Class opposition.

Daddy Stoll needs to send that spoilt brat of a son his back to karting before he kills someone after the incident behind the safety car .....what an idiot 

[LNERandBR]

Really, really hope Perez get's a drive for next year. Going from last to first was a drive you'd expect from drivers like Lewis. 

 

Yes, it relied on Merc making their error and the incident that put him to the back also took out one of the RB's but he still had a brilliant drive to work his way forward.

[njee20]

 

16 minutes ago, gismorail said:

Daddy Stoll needs to send that spoilt brat of a son his back to karting before he kills someone after the incident behind the safety car .....what an idiot 

 

Bit harsh, there have been a few instances this year of incidents preceding the safety car restart, Stroll misjudged it and locked up, the effect no doubt exaggerated by all the cars weaving to get temps in the tyres. By that logic we need to send 12 drivers back to karting after the pile up at Mugello on the restart - that's how many got official warnings. I'm not a fan of Stroll, but he has shown some decent skill this season. Very ungainly to watch though, why does he saw at the wheel so much!?

[57xx]

49 minutes ago, njee20 said:

Very ungainly to watch though, why does he saw at the wheel so much!?

 

He hasn't got Niko Rosberg as a coach has he?