The F1 thread

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

I think Saudi is potentially gonna be a real curve ball. Unknown street circuit, looks like some insanely high-speed parts of the track, highly likely to be a safety car or two, little bits of debris possibly strewn around the place. If it's anything like the last crazy-fast street circuit - Baku - tyres could be right be right on the limit of failure by the end of a stint. 

If Lewis gets out of Saudi either ahead, or even slightly behind, my money's on him to cruise home in Abu Dhabi. But Saudi could be anybody's game.

thumpingrug

I hope Lewis wins and gets the 8th title, statistically making him greatest of all time.  I also hope he wins so that Max doesn't.

Cols

Too close to call.

Hamilton’s coming off the back of two strong wins, and the next race has a mega straight which leaves Red Bull vulnerable to Merc’s speed advantage.

Max still has a healthy lead in the points.  Salvaging second in Qatar after his grid drop was an excellent performance, and all he needs is for Hamilton to drop the ball once to put the title out of his reach.

I just have a nagging feeling that the powers that be have decided that it would be ‘“good for business” if Verstappen won the championship this year, just to break the monotony of 8 years of Mercedes domination.

Boromedic

Look at it another way, what if Max has a shocker or a DNF, then Lewis takes the lead in the title race and has nothing to lose in Abu Dhabi? Plenty of connotations, I agree with you that the FIA are rooting for Red Bull though. 

chillidoggy

Given Hamster’s recent performance, and the speed Merc seems to have conjured up out of nowhere, I’d say he’s likely to win. But I’d prefer it if Max broke the Merc stranglehold, and we had a different winner. I’d also like to see it decided at the last race, without any of the recent shenanigans.

Boromedic

Even though Max and RB are such sore losers and buttholes to boot?

stickyfiddle

I like the idea of someone other than Lewis winning "for the good of the sport" etc, but I don't like the idea of Red Bull being the ones to do it. 

I also really like the idea of Lewis winning this year when he really hasn't had the best car most of the season, and when he's had to fight Max who is unquestionably a bloody good driver. 

Emiel

All this talk about Lewis not having the fastest car this year... how come Mercedes got ahead in qualifying 12 times so far this year, and Red Bull only 8? Go figure... 

stickyfiddle

Emiel said:

All this talk about Lewis not having the fastest car this year... how come Mercedes got ahead in qualifying 12 times so far this year, and Red Bull only 8? Go figure... 

Well Perez spent the first half of the year qualifying 8th while Bottas has had 4 poles, so it's actually pretty even. Like most Newey cars, the RB is tricky to drive but super fast when you get it right. 

chillidoggy

Boromedic said:

Even though Max and RB are such sore losers and buttholes to boot?

That's subjective. Being a sore loser is not necessarily a bad thing for any sport. As to whether they're arseholes, that has no bearing on the final result, and if RB rubs people up the wrong way, then that's nothing new in F1.

goldtop

chillidoggy said:

Boromedic said:

Even though Max and RB are such sore losers and buttholes to boot?

That's subjective. Being a sore loser is not necessarily a bad thing for any sport. As to whether they're arseholes, that has no bearing on the final result, and if RB rubs people up the wrong way, then that's nothing new in F1.

That's true enough. Horner has made me forget how much I hated Briatore.

Boromedic

chillidoggy said:

Boromedic said:

Even though Max and RB are such sore losers and buttholes to boot?

That's subjective. Being a sore loser is not necessarily a bad thing for any sport. As to whether they're arseholes, that has no bearing on the final result, and if RB rubs people up the wrong way, then that's nothing new in F1.

I suppose, they're all bad losers in a way, I guess I meant more that other teams lose more graciously than Karen. I'd sooner anyone else take the title than RB!!

gavin_axecaster

Petty as this may sound but I want Hamilton to win this year and preferably next year too because I don't want Max to win a title until Lewis retires.

Not being able to beat Lewis head to head, even with all the favouritism he and Red Bull receive from the FIA (questionable driving, RB allowed to "fix" their DRS wing under parc ferme 3 times while Merc gets a penalty for a broken wing, not being penalised for illegal flexible wing etc), will be karma in my book.

chillidoggy

goldtop said:

chillidoggy said:

Boromedic said:

Even though Max and RB are such sore losers and buttholes to boot?

That's subjective. Being a sore loser is not necessarily a bad thing for any sport. As to whether they're arseholes, that has no bearing on the final result, and if RB rubs people up the wrong way, then that's nothing new in F1.

That's true enough. Horner has made me forget how much I hated Briatore.

I don't hate anyone, but I do get mildly irritated when the media gives space or airtime some mouth-on-a-stick former driver or someone who might have had a connection to F1 in the past, who then proceeds to spout a load of old bullshit. Jacques Villeneuve used to be a favourite, but the other day I swear Eddie Irvine popped up once again.

fretmeister

I'd rather listen to Irvine than JV.

At least with Irvine there is an obvious glint of shit-stirring on purpose rather than JV who seems to think he's right about everything.

chillidoggy

JV doesn't think he's right about everything.

He KNOWS he's right about everything.

stickyfiddle

Frank Williams has gone. RIP to a legend of the sport

https://www.williamsf1.com/news/2021/team/statement-on-behalf-of-the-williams-family

Cols

stickyfiddle said:

Frank Williams has gone. RIP to a legend of the sport

https://www.williamsf1.com/news/2021/team/statement-on-behalf-of-the-williams-family

An absolute giant of motor racing; building his own team from scratch and overcoming his spinal injuries to have such incredible success over a career spanning decades.  He’ll be sorely missed.

Brio

Very sad news.

skullfunkerry

I'm really genuinely sad about Sir Frank. There'll be some proper lump-in-the-throat moments next weekend, I expect.