F1 2021 thread

[oldE]

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes have signed a new contract taking them to the end of 2023, just a few weeks short of Lewis' 39th birthday.

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.breaking-hamilton-agrees-new-two-year-contract-with-mercedes.5XURLL7ShyqezkYgf9eztg.html

No drama and speculation like last winter.
Now: about Bottas......

Best
Les

[herr_oberst]

George!

[astrochex]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

George!

Happy for Williams.

Also well done by that Lando kid. Mercedes has an uphill battle tomorrow.

[GH85Carrera]

Wow, Mercedes not even in the top three, and no Ferrari in the top 10.

[URY914]

Lando and Daniel really driving the same car?

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by URY914

Lando and Daniel really driving the same car?

LOL.

It actually surprised me a bit when Mazespin made a comment that his car is heavier than Schumacher Jr's. And then it was confirmed by Gunther. I always assumed that the tubs would be the same, but that maybe the aero bits might be different. I didn't think there might be two different specs of the chassis, and one driver might have a newer version and the other the older one.

[Reg]

I think Bottas and Hamilton switched chassis recently. Hamilton still proved to be quicker.

Hamilton is stating this weekend after resigning that we would like to keep Bottas as his teammate. Makes one believe he’d prefer to go with what he knows he can beat vs Russell.

[herr_oberst]

I wish he would resign. Unfortunately he re-signed for 2 more years.

[ted]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

I wish he would resign. Unfortunately he re-signed for 2 more years.

Looking forward to Max and Lando hammering Lewis for 2 more years.
And perhaps George hammering Lewis too when Bottas is replaced?

[oldE]

I loved Bottas' response when asked whether he minded if they announced Lewis's contract: "I don't give a ****"
Sergio had his elbows out a bit. LeClerc used up his tires trying to get by the faster car and almost made it.
Best
Les

[matthewb0051]

Dang, the stewards were horrible. So a driver tries a move that requires another to either allow or take a penalty. Lando was on the racing line. No way he could have left space for an outside move on a curve when the force naturally moves him to the outside.

But at least the stewards were consistent...just consistently wrong today. Checo took it in the shorts.

Once again, ESPN is a disappointment. They cut away before the last drop of champagne hit the ground. I believe there was 10 minutes remaining on the time allotment. But they ended to get to corn hole and hotdog eating contest. I need to buy F1 TV but need to figure out a way to hide it from the old lady...

Lando was such a crack up saying that the orange Max Army was there supporting McLaren. The Orange just played along and cheered him. Can't wait to see him win.

[nota]

max's guys and there are alot of them
will cheer anyone who takes points from ham even botas
if the car paint matches their shirts even better

[astrochex]

Well Norris did not punt Perez, unlike Perez who twice hit LeClerc. Perez is a punk, imho.

[oldE]

Checo spent more than a dozen laps stuck behind Riccardo, not making a move which allowed LeClerc to try and get by. It was only when the McLaren pitted giving the RedBull clean air was he able to open a gap. His car was that much faster than the Ferraris. He almost had built a 10 second gap by the checkered flag. He almost negated the penalties. If he had gotten a move on earlier maybe he wouldn't have got the penalties in the first place.

Best
Les

[yellowperil]

Lando, always smiling, always laughing, the most pleasant guy on the grid. Seems not to be full of it, like all the rest including George

Go Lando Go

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by matthewb0051

Lando was such a crack up saying that the orange Max Army was there supporting McLaren. The Orange just played along and cheered him. Can't wait to see him win.

There was a post-race interview earlier this season where the announcer (Brundle?) commented on his fans, and Lando deadpanned something to the effect, "My fans?! I didn't know I had any."

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by matthewb0051

Dang, the stewards were horrible. So a driver tries a move that requires another to either allow or take a penalty. Lando was on the racing line. No way he could have left space for an outside move on a curve when the force naturally moves him to the outside.

But at least the stewards were consistent...just consistently wrong today. Checo took it in the shorts.

Once again, ESPN is a disappointment. They cut away before the last drop of champagne hit the ground. I believe there was 10 minutes remaining on the time allotment. But they ended to get to corn hole and hotdog eating contest. I need to buy F1 TV but need to figure out a way to hide it from the old lady...

Lando was such a crack up saying that the orange Max Army was there supporting McLaren. The Orange just played along and cheered him. Can't wait to see him win.

I somewhat agree. When a driver presents himself on the outside there is really no reason for the driver on the racing line to need to overreact. Conversely, if the overtaking driver on the outside chops the other driver off, that's a penalty.

Each turn at every track is a different situation.

[matthewb0051]

Originally Posted by Zeke

I somewhat agree. When a driver presents himself on the outside there is really no reason for the driver on the racing line to need to overreact. Conversely, if the overtaking driver on the outside chops the other driver off, that's a penalty.

Each turn at every track is a different situation.

I think it was Paul DiResta saying about this incident and I'm paraphrasing: you have two drivers going for the same spot on track, one of them is going to have to back off. When no one backs off, what are you going to do? Penalize one? No way

[astrochex]

Originally Posted by matthewb0051

I think it was Paul DiResta saying about this incident and I'm paraphrasing: you have two drivers going for the same spot on track, one of them is going to have to back off. When no one backs off, what are you going to do? Penalize one? No way

See Alonso-Russell battle for how it should be done.

[rusnak]

Originally Posted by Zeke

I somewhat agree. When a driver presents himself on the outside there is really no reason for the driver on the racing line to need to overreact. Conversely, if the overtaking driver on the outside chops the other driver off, that's a penalty.

Each turn at every track is a different situation.

I watched the replay and I did not see either scenario in this case. Lando did not over react (watch his hands on the steering wheel), and Perez did not chop him off. Perez simply ran out of track. Poor overtaking move IMO.

And Seidl was so classy to just change the subject and point out instead how Lando drove an impressive race, rather than dwell on the penalty which so many find so disagreeable and unjust. Lando is the real deal. He is positively flying his season.