I could see Hamilton retiring after 8 WDCs. At that point, he may consider that he has achieved his goals. He has sacrificed to get where he is. I know at one point he and his father were not on speaking terms. I know that he gave up the love of his life to keep racing (though this is a complicated story that probably won't be fully known for decades or more). He put having a family on hold to race (if he still wants that). I could see racing getting boring for him when everything he does, by default, is a new record.

I'm not as sure as you guys (though your arguments make perfect sense). Apparently he just released some tracks and he may decide one day to go be a musician of what have you... Maybe fail. Then come back Alonso style and add 2 more championships... He's got the talent to do it ;-)

The website GPTODAY is reporting Haas drivers Grosean and Magnuson have officially been told they will not be re-signed . The article implied a new driver lineup will be announced at the Portugal race . Rumors are the lineup will be Schumacher and Mazepin .

They are also saying the Alfa driver lineup will not change for next year . If that is true that muddies the chances for some of the F2 young guns . The available seats are down to Albon/Kvyat/Russell if rumors are accurate . It is quite the silly season 😁

Anyone remember the year without a silly season? Every single team re-signed every single driver.

Can they start now?

Is Giovinazzi really that bad? I know his results aren't good, but he's driving an Alfa, for Pete's sake. Doesn't he have some record for making at least one position pass per opening lap of every race this season?

Well it's now official that Grosean and Magnuson are gone at the end of the year . Who will replace them ? Rumors are still saying Schumacher and Mazepin . Is Kvyat gone ? Is Albon ? Is Russell ? Is Giovinazzi ? Only time will tell .

What do you think about the Max/Lance incident in practice? Looked like it was Stroll's corner to me and it was, IMO, Max being Max. I missed the second practice but they said the track officials were looking into the accident, what did they say?

Kimi fights for position with Vettel while Giovinazzi fights with latifi.

Track limits are a complete joke. FIA must be afraid to give F1 drivers an actual challenge.

Congrats to Hamilton for breaking what I thought would be an unbreakable record!

Well done

I have to agree. Make it real easy for ALL the drivers, treat the white line like a concrete wall. If your tires go over the line you get a drive through penalty. Or be really generous, and let them have to keep at least one wheel inside the white line.

The never ever have problems with track limits in Monaco. Those walls make it real clear where the limit of the track is located. Make the white line the same limit, only no damage to the car or the driver. The only "pass" is when they are avoiding a collision, or the tire has a puncture. And they have to go through some bollards to reenter the track so they all know it is a very slow way to go.

Great race! Three different leaders in the opening laps. It was pretty cool to see all of the cars on soft tires take off while the cars on medium tires took a few laps to come into it. No one was really sure of the winning strategy. A new (to F1) circuit, freshly repaved, on a cool day with some sprinkles.

I do give Lewis credit for winning. It wasn't a cruise from pole to finish. He did have to fight for the win.

Incredible first lap by Kimi.

Here's a link from F1's Twitter page. Too bad they never showed it during the race. I like these new venues. It's been a refreshing year even if the results are the same. Norris's race got screwed by Stroll.

If they go back, they need to reduce the DRS length, the closing speeds were ridiculous.

The disparity in pace between team mates was remarkable. Hamilton left Bottas for dead at the end. Albon wasn't even in the same race as Verstappen. (I wonder if Red Bull considers they may have made a Gasly mistake last year ) . Vettel's progress later in the race at least got him a point, but as he said in qualifying, LeClerk was in a different place.
Best
Les

My PVR messed up! I saw the 6 minutes of highlights only. What happened to Bottas Why was he ~25 sec off Hammy at the end?

Seemed to be all about tires and who managed them better. Ham was trouble free all race, after the first lap that is.

So now both Haas drivers and Gunther Steiner say they have an issue on the car with the rear suspension overheating which alters the ride height/balance of the car . They have stated they have tried several things to correct but so far solutions have not worked . Is the heat coming from the radiators ? The engine ? The exhaust ? The brakes ? To a simple minded person like myself :D this should be easy to correct . Obviously it is not easy or they would already have a solution . Any engineers want to chime in with their thoughts on what the cause is ? Is it just as simple as tight packaging/limited air flow ?

Williams and RP run Mercedes engine, transmission and rear suspension, right? I know HAAS runs a Ferrari engine, and pretty sure a Ferrari transmission. It would then be logical a Ferrari rear suspension. So, if that is the case, it is their packaging/aerodynamics that are causing the problem, no?

^^^ Makes common sense to me .

Wow. Usually the theory is that there's a tie-in between the technology in F1 and that in passenger cars for the masses. But it's a bit unusual for the business of F1 (Stroll/Racing Point/Aston Martin/Mercedes) to influence that in car manufacturers.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/aston-martin-mercedes-20-stake-202543090.html

They needed the money bad. We’ll see how much tech makes it into their road cars but I’m sure there are technologies that will make it into their F1 team.

What's the over and under on whether Hamilton will have some cringe worthy over the top tribute to his 'hero' this weekend?

I wonder if he can set aside the protest masks and t-shirts long enough or whether he will try and drag Senna into it somehow.

It's Imola this weekend, an amazing track with an obviously sad history but a track that only has good memories for me

Went to my 1st ever F1 race there when working for Benetton, what an experience......

Fisichella's car broke down on the side of the track so the passionate Italian fans tried to stripped of everything they could.

https://youtu.be/_Un5XEhEeas

After the race the car arrived at the garage doors on the back of a truck in the middle of a full on pitlane/track invasion. The vultures were still trying to steal parts and that's when it all kicked off. While we held them back from storming the garage one race fan tried to rip the Rolex off our chief mechanics wrist. That guy went down with a punch in the face and the other mechanics set off all the fire extinguishers in the faces of the rest of the mob. We managed to drag the car in and drop the garage doors. With the doors shut it was like being in a zombie movie as angry faces peered through the windows while banging on the doors screaming at us :eek:

One badly damaged race car but I'm sure more than one looter went home with a fist full of painful carbon splinters :D

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1604144671.jpg

A few years, cars and another team later and Jenson Button charges to his 1st ever F1 pole, I still miss that V10 noise :(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWItGp4qaY4

Then more years later while living in Italy I'd regularly visit what I think is Europe's largest classic motorbike jumble. Well worth visiting if you're in that part of the world. The full length of the circuit on both sides of the track is jammed full of stalls of people selling all manner of classic motorbikes and parts.

https://www.real-classic.co.uk/2018/10/31/imola-autojumble/

Walking around the track the elevation changes and corners really showed what a challenging track it is so hoping for an exciting race this weekend and maybe another good race result ;)

^Thats nuts! Fisichella is still one of my favorite drivers.

And oddly enough, I just watched the epic 2002 WSB finale at Imola.

Thanks for the V10 clip, that is a glorious song.

A typical 2020 F1 race. One team is kinda happy.

Boring race but I thought Riccardo and Kvyat ran smart with great results . Someone at Williams needs to keep sharp objects away from Russell he may slit his wrists :D . Pretty stupid mistake on his part :( . Ferrari seemed to go out of their way to screw Vettel on his pit stop :eek: . All the hours of practice and TWO tires can't get installed quickly ??? Good run for Kimi also ......... Albon not so much . He can kiss his Red Bull seat good bye .

Maybe I'm the only one, but I thought it was quite entertaining. Sad for Russell. But we've seen it happen many times, some of the biggest names have done it.

Saw it happen at one of the Indy 500's warm up (Cogan, I think) he took a hard left just like Russell before the start and took out, gulp!!, Foyt and Mario. I don't think he's ever been seen since. Saw Mansell wave at the crowd in Canada then saw Piquet pass him for the win. Saw Mark Martin forget to do the last lap in a Nascar race that he was winning.

It happens.

Exciting race. Imola is a beautiful circuit. So fun to see some variety in the tracks this season. A shoey on the podium too!

It was nice that Hammy actually participated in the Shoey. I was really surprised in that.

GP Today is saying an F1 insider has confirmed Albon is gone from Red Bull after this season to be replaced by Hulk or Perez . If Tsunoda gets his super license he will replace Kvyat at Alpha Tauri . If he doesn't get his super license Albon will replace Kvyat . If all of that is remotely accurate that just leaves the Haas seats open .

I have to admit, when Max Crastappen first hit F1 I was not a fan. Now I have to admit, I think he is the best driver on the track. Max Verstappen somehow runs with the big dogs of Mercedes. Assuming his teammates are normal F1 drivers they just can't keep up with him.

It would be nice to see him head to head with Hamilton in the same car. Hammy is a good driver, but I think Max is better. It will not likely ever happen. Hamilton would never allow it.

Felt bad for Russell - can't help think if Grosjean had done that (again), the internet would be on fire with memes - but still... Very cool for Ricciardo and Renault too. Amusing the Haas is so bad shifting slams your head on the headrest, that car is garbage - they admitted the suspension components are affected by engine heat and the car changes ride height during the race, it's completely crap.

Al-bone needs to go and Perez is the obvious choice to replace him at red bull IMO.
Lapped again by verstoppin and then spun out?
Oh the shame.

At least he didn't do it behind the pace car .... George ....

I don't disagree with you but I'd keep him in Alpha Tauri. Look at Gasly, same issue... They built a Verstappen-typed car and only Max likes it, the other driver can't cope... I suspect that is why Horner doesn't bring back Gasly who's on fire right now. They know they built something very max-style specific... Whoever goes there is to support Max and can drive that kind of car... Don't know if that's Perez, or Hulk, or...

My hope is Perez and Hulkenberg both get rides for next year . One can go to RB the other can go to Haas . Either one could help Haas develop the car which apparently it needs . Money from Perez backers would help also .

Gunther Steiner is slowly starting to say he wants a rookie and a veteran F1 driver on the team . If Ferrari have the say on the rookie driver then the only decision by Haas is which veteran driver do you go after ?

Haas evidently has the seats filled. Some Russian with a billionaire daddy to support him and young Mick Schumacher.

That was the strong rumor up to last week but now Steiner is saying it may not make sense to have two rookies . We won't really know until an official statement is released . I am sure Ferrari has the major say for the rookie seat but not sure if they have any influence on a veteran driver . If nothing else it's fun to talk about 😁

And also which Veteran is desperate enough to drive a Haas. They're not on an upward curve, it's pretty clear Gene Haas is looking for buyers.