F1 2021

[evilwebby]

I'm trying to look at the positives from this Sprint qualifying idea.

I do like the idea that we have a mini race on Saturday. It could easily backfire though. I mean, its easy to imagine a scenario where half or more of a SQ session is run under SC conditions, which would rather make a mockery of the idea.

The idea of having FP2 on the Saturday morning after the qualifying session on Friday is just bizarre.

We'll see how it goes. I'm trying to keep an open mind and not be totally against the idea.


It's going to need a rethink of how we think about pole position. PP has always been the person who is fastest in Qualifying and therefore starts the race at the front. Is PP now who starts the Sprint race at the front, or who starts the GP at the front... questions, questions.

 

[evilwebby]

Mazepin is completely out of his depth here, isn't he?
I'm not saying that he can't get better (look how well Stroll is doing these days), but really he's not prepared for F1. Finished 5th in F2 last season - should have had at least another year to develop. He's doing nobody any favours. No point for the team in accepting loads of sponsorship money if the driver is can't get close to the ultimate pace the car is capable of.

 

[Tubey]

Mazepin is completely out of his depth here, isn't he?
I'm not saying that he can't get better (look how well Stroll is doing these days), but really he's not prepared for F1. Finished 5th in F2 last season - should have had at least another year to develop. He's doing nobody any favours. No point for the team in accepting loads of sponsorship money if the driver is can't get close to the ultimate pace the car is capable of.

He's incredibly bad. Ali Dia levels of crap.

He did himself no favours with his pre-season private life crap but even without that he'd be receiving a lot of deserved criticism. It's not just the lack of pace, it's his lack of awareness in the car, causing issues for others, spinning seemingly every session he has on track. Schumacher has embarrassed him.

 

[evilwebby]

Alpine seem to have taken a step up this weekend.

Very tight at the front between Merc and Red Bull as expected.

 

[Tubey]

Mad outlier lap from Hamilton that.

 

[BNJ1878]

Mad outlier lap from Hamilton that.

He's done it so many times over the years.

An incredible talent, very few on the grid tomorrow are in the same time zone as him.

 

[Tubey]

Think Verstappen takes this. Merc stronger on mediums, but I think Verstappen has a 1.17.8 in him here.

 

[evilwebby]

Hmm. Not great from the Red Bulls in Q3

 

[Tubey]

Oh my.

 

[evilwebby]

Track has gone away from them here

 

[Tubey]

Fair play Bottas.

 

[Tubey]

Track has gone away from them here

Has to be due to the wind.

 

[Wizard]

Sets it up for hopefully a fun race with the two quicker drivers behind Bottas. Really thought Lewis would take pole after that great lap in Q2 but guess the conditions weren't as favourable in Q3

 

[evilwebby]

That was a bit weird.

Bottas won't be complaining though. Put in a good lap and no one else managed to put in their best when it mattered.

 

[evilwebby]

Mercedes will be quietly pleased with the progress the have made with the car. I think it genuinely looks to be the fastest this weekend, and 7/10ths clear of the 5th place car which getting on toward the sort of advantage that you would be expecting from them. They should be disappointed if they don't take the win.