mudmagnet

I'm just hoping that MV does not follow the example set by Senna / Prost and decide to risk taking Lewis out at the first corner on Sunday. Let's face it, MV does have 'form' about not knowing when to back out. I think that it could be likely that MV will need another engine, but will not take it until the last race. Merc have, it appears, played a master stroke by giving LH a 'fresher' engine for the last two races, where engine power is an advantage. The rules, as far as I am aware, allow for three engines before a penalty, but allow the engines to be swapped as required by the team throughout the season. LH effectively has 5 engines at his disposal, having served two penalties. MV only four.

In addition to the class 08 steps, I now have the class 50 step set available, plus coming soon dummy screw couplings.

Another project is this fuel equipment based upon the one from Westbury, in both 4mm and 7mm versions. I will be working on an alternative version of fuel equipment shortly as well.

Oh, I'd completely forgotten that I had that booked in! Mike asked me a couple years back and will need to get on my 2022 diary!

Looking really great Rob!

Surely the wings should be tested before the qualifying, unless you are Red Bull and insist testing afterwards if your driver isn't on pole position......

Those were my thoughts exactly. A different market to the majority of motor sport enthusiasts.

The class 08 steps now in stock and will be added to my sumup page over the weekend. These are £5.00 per set (plus postage). Also, coming over the weekend are replacement steps for the class 50.

The whole issue with stewards making decisions on racing incidents or near misses or crashes is purely subjective as it is humans making decisions. Whether anyone agrees or disagrees is largely irrelevant. Whereas, specific dimensional discrepancies, such as LH wing or cars exceeding track limits etc is quantifiable and therefore relatively simple to measure / penalise. There are some more incidents where the stewards have given penalties or not as down to racing incidents, they do have a very unenviable job at times. Not helped by the team managers, some worse than others, emailing or otherwise said stewards. That said, they do need to appear to follow and enforce the regulations consistently from one race to the next or indeed within one race. My issue is that at times, some drivers are more heavily penalised than others and others are 'allowed' to get away with much more. It is the inconsistencies that lead to lack of confidence in the stewards. The 'incident / near-miss' with MV / LH is a case in point - would they have viewed differently if was two other drivers? Have they reached a point now in the championship knowing that any decision will significantly affect the result? LH DQ was simple - the wing was not to regulation, hence the penalty. A 'racing' incident not so easy.

Not only potential time penalty, what about penalty points? Is MV getting close to 12 and the automatic race ban?

I think that the point Toto wants to make is that how can the stewards decide not to investigate when clearly do not have all the facts. If after investigation, they determine nothing wrong, then fine, but they did not appear to want to investigate. If it was LH doing the same, then you would never hear the end of it from CH / RB

I was thinking from a tactic in order to achieve more engine power. Can push a new engine much harder.

If my maths is correct, then Lewis needs two wins at next two races to get equal points (ignoring fastest lap, as will be either Bottas or Perez picking those up), then final race decider? Do Merc have another engine change? Clearly a huge pace advantage and not a great deal to lose. Pressure shifted a little to RB / MV now? Now theirs to lose?

They might argue that for safety reasons where they are finding cracks, if I recall correctly, didn't they previously had an issue this year?

The more 'air-time' that CH and Red Bull owners give, the more my opinion of them as 'sportsman-like' diminishes. On the plus side, what a great performance by Lewis to rise from P20 to P5 - assisted in part by the other drivers wanting to give him space as wanting to finish the sprint themselves - but hopefully he can do something similar in the race. A wet / damp race would liven things up a bit as well.

I can see this both ways, rules are rules and if broken, then you have to pay the consequences. Lewis time was achieved with an 'illegal car' (however minor) and so has his time deleted. No different than exceeding track limit rules. However, the aero rule changes did seem to favour Red Bull (and others), yet penalise Merc / Aston. Largely, I think, to close the gap between the Merc and those behind. As a consequence, in part at least, has allowed Max / Red Bull to get very close to winning the championship. An additional factor has been the mess that Merc have made on some decisions (both strategy and car development) throughout the year, plus Lewis not driving at his best at times and finally with VB appearing to be 'absent' from races on several occasions, even before his contract not being renewed.

I suspect that if they have fined Max, then Lewis will be starting at the back....

I've been working some replacement steps for the Bachmann 08 and printing a few batches over the weekend to be added to the website soon. I will check their fit onto the Hornby 08 as well.

Oh well, Max can afford it!

Many thanks for the positive feedback, very much appreciated.

Me? I wouldn't do that do you Mike! On the over hand, perhaps I did .......

Another pair of wagons having been through the workbench. This time a pair of Bachmann VGA wagons, both factory weathered when bought second hand. However, I never like factory weathering and these two were more or less dirt all over and not particularly effective to my eye. Therefore, using IPA and a cotton bud, the majority was removed from the side panels in downward motion. Several sweeps were necessary to remove sufficient paint. This also created various streaks. A quick dusting on the roof with the airbrush, followed by some work on the underframe, I'd say that these are finished and much happier with them now.

Wow, major changes indeed! How much longer have you made the head shunt? Was a little challenge at times when operating to get sufficient wagons moving without getting hemmed-in.

I'm still convinced that 2021 has been a classic year. Certainly very little 'clean' racing between the two leading drivers, which we had in previous years. Max and Lewis are so far ahead of everyone else, given that Bottas and Perez do not seem able to match their respective team mates and assuming that they have very similar cars. There have been a few other great performances from some of the other drivers, but not what I would describe as making a classic season. Sure the rules do not help and Merc seem to be particularly penalised by the rule change (rake of car). The Mercs have not been great at following closely behind other cars for several seasons - how many times has Lewis 'complained' that cannot get close enough in previous seasons. Plus Merc appear to have 'messed-up' their pit strategies more often than not. Short of a DNF for Max, the championship is his. I cannot see Merc / Lewis being able to overall the point deficit now.

Hi Stu Certainly something that I look into. Got quite a few other ideas and projects but can add to the list.