Formula 1 2020 - General Discussion Thread (See MOD warning on first post)

El_Duderino 09

recyclebin wrote: »

Toto, Lewis and Mercedes long term future are still up in the air. I wouldn't count on having a good seat in Mercedes in 2022 if I was Russell. Their dominance will have to end soon for the good of the sport.

Their dominance has to end some time but it might not end soon. It won’t end next year and if they can develop the 2022 car early, then it probably won’t end the either. They have the best team in terms of resources and management. They can’t keep it up for ever but unless something changes they could be the dominant team for a while longer.

If their top staff leave or if they get a design concept completely wrong, then it could change. But unless that happens I don’t see them falling back in the next couple of years.

GarIT

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I've been banging this drum for a while, drivers think they're invincible. Grosjean caused his accident via a stupid manoeuvre. Bianchi was flying through double-waved yellows in torrential rain. All the drivers need to take some more responsibility for their actions.


Again, Perez has a habit of being a prick to teammates, often with disastrous results for the team. Top teams won't touch that.

Alas in the last 15 years the cars have only gotten more and more complicated and the differences between them magnified. Fischella in 2009 being a classic example. Belgium he almost won in a Force India. Following race he stepped in for Ferrari and missed the top 10 in quali and finished 9th in the race while Kimi was 3rd in quali and the race. It took him pretty much the whole weekend to get comfortable in the car and he missed out on set-up time because of it.
If anyone can hop into the Merc and finish within 30 seconds of Bottas it's embarrassing for Bottas IMO.

Bianchi's car was also missing the required emergency brakes which the telemetry shows Bianchi tried to use but the FAI found that their failure to enforce the rules on Marussia wasn't a factor in the crash.

ELM327

I've never wanted Stoffel to do well more than next weekend. Should be the best case scenario for someone fresh to the team. A straightforward track, in the fastest car, where no one is really familiar with the layout. I hope he beats bottas!

Harika

Mercedes knows already about Russell, he tested for them. Also Williams might not want to be in the place to find an replacement driver on the spot.
Stoffel is the logic choice and should head straight to the simulator.

quokula

Deleted User wrote: »

Alas in the last 15 years the cars have only gotten more and more complicated and the differences between them magnified. Fischella in 2009 being a classic example. Belgium he almost won in a Force India. Following race he stepped in for Ferrari and missed the top 10 in quali and finished 9th in the race while Kimi was 3rd in quali and the race. It took him pretty much the whole weekend to get comfortable in the car and he missed out on set-up time because of it.
If anyone can hop into the Merc and finish within 30 seconds of Bottas it's embarrassing for Bottas IMO.

The 2009 Ferrari was incredibly difficult to drive and Badoer did even worse than Fisi when he subbed in. It's easy to forget that at that point in time, prior to his injury, Massa was arguably the fastest driver on the grid other than Alonso so they were very big boots to fill.

We've seen with Hulkeberg that the current cars are much easier to drive than they used to be so it should be a more straightforward task coming into the Mercedes, which is particularly planted.

pjohnson

2009 also didnt have the same quality (if any) simulators for drivers to practice and it was the first year where in season testing was completely banned. Badoer, Grosjean, Fisi, Liuzzi and Alguersuari all struggled desperately when they were parachuted into seats mid-season and none of them scored a single point.

El_Duderino 09

johnnysmack wrote: »

What does that say about Hulkenberg and the two times he stepped in to the Racing point at short notice this year!? One of them the morning of qualification!

I think it probably says he did a good job. In the last one his quali was unsurprisingly miles off but his race pace was surprisingly good.

It probably says the two Racing Point boys are bang average.

Adamocovic

Would love to see Hulkenberg given a chance, he may finally make a podium!

Also would be interesting to see Russell having a pop in a competitive car. Would be great for Mercedes to be able to compare him with Bottas.

Unfortunately knowing Mercedes they will more than likely put in Vandoorne, which bores the hell out of me.

ELM327

if vandoorne gets even halfway close to bottas surely bottas must be let go?

Jordan 199

ELM327 wrote: »

if vandoorne gets even halfway close to bottas surely bottas must be let go?

Bottas ain't going anywhere.

ELM327

Jordan 199 wrote: »

Bottas ain't going anywhere.

Not talking about his driving "ability", about his seat for next year

Jordan 199

ELM327 wrote: »

Not talking about his driving "ability", about his seat for next year

That's what I meant. Bottas will be at Mercedes next year.

chicorytip

Faugheen wrote: »

I kind of feel like if Russell is who they have in mind in the future then they should be giving him track time.

However I’d be happy for Vandoorne to be given a chance to show what he can do. He got a raw deal in that McLaren and nobody stood a chance in those conditions as well as having to have Alonso as a team-mate.

If he got close to Bottas it could do wonders for him.

He was obliterated by Alonso like Kubica was by Russell last season only Vandoorne had the full use of his right arm. He has been mediocre in F E. For just one race it's of no great importance who they select. The titles have been decided. It will put even more pressure on Bottas. He will be expected to win comfortably. Therefore, he will probably make a major mistake or two and lose. My money will be on Verstappen.

El_Duderino 09

Jordan 199 wrote: »

That's what I meant. Bottas will be at Mercedes next year.

100%. He has a contract.

And Mercedes don’t need a faster driver, they have Hamilton who will win them the championship again next year and Bottas will score enough solid points to win them the constructors championship.

WE want to see a fight for the championship between the Mercedes drivers. Mercedes just wants to win it as efficiently as possible and Bottas ensures they win but without any serious competition between the drivers.

GarIT

The Italian version of Motorsport.com has reported that Mercedes is working with Williams on a deal for George Russel.

murphyebass

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

100%. He has a contract.

And Mercedes don’t need a faster driver, they have Hamilton who will win them the championship again next year and Bottas will score enough solid points to win them the constructors championship.

WE want to see a fight for the championship between the Mercedes drivers. Mercedes just wants to win it as efficiently as possible and Bottas ensures they win but without any serious competition between the drivers.

All true.

Also all incredibly boring for the F1 audience.

Not Mercedes problem though to be fair.

GarIT

This is also the first time in at least 5 years that a decent chunk of fans want Mercedes to win.

El_Duderino 09

murphyebass wrote: »

All true.

Also all incredibly boring for the F1 audience.

Not Mercedes problem though to be fair.

Yeah not their problem but you wonder what their goal is. Surely they got so much free publicity from the Hamilton vs Rosberg competition that it must be worth the risk of them having two top drivers. As it stands, they almost never need to show the Mercedes in the race.

I suppose the pitch to the Mercedes big-wigs is to win the championships and they might see a battle between teammates as unseemly. But in truth it’s the stuff that sport is all about.

It’s the interplay of sport, business and entertainment that F1 so often struggles with.

Cork Trucker

Sunday’s race will be the first time since 2017 that the defending champion won’t take part in a race, and only the second time since 1994, on that occasion after Imola there was no past or present champion.

murphyebass

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Yeah not their problem but you wonder what their goal is. Surely they got so much free publicity from the Hamilton vs Rosberg competition that it must be worth the risk of them having two top drivers. As it stands, they almost never need to show the Mercedes in the race.

I suppose the pitch to the Mercedes big-wigs is to win the championships and they might see a battle between teammates as unseemly. But in truth it’s the stuff that sport is all about.

It’s the interplay of sport, business and entertainment that F1 so often struggles with.

I get what you’re saying about the Rosberg battle but I’d say they’re happy using the podium as the advertising tbh.

Also as much as it pains me to say it Rosberg got lucky the year he won the title. Hamilton has a wealth of mechanicals that led to him losing points.

Most of the other years were tight at all.

As for F1 struggling with sport, business and entertainment I’d challenge that and say F1 ranks itself as business first with the sport and entertainment waaaaaaaaaay down its list of priorities.

If this wasn’t the case I wouldn’t find myself wanting to fast forward a lot of races.

I’ve said it before but we need unpredictability back to provide us with any level of entertainment. The racing particularly at the front is just mind numbingly boring.

I don’t want to watch F1 to see a few scrappy midfield battles just like I don’t want to watch Burnley and West Ham or whatever other ****e football teams fight out a scrappy game of football.

I want to see the elite fight for the title, I want to see proper overtakes not fueled by DRS. I want to see tight driving not ruined by dirty air. I want to see constant wheel to wheel action. I want to see near misses. I want to see crashes.

I want F1 to go back to its roots. It’s lost it’s soul imo to technology and health and safety protocols.

.... goes without saying I don’t want to see anyone die but there’s zero edge to F1 anymore

Mitch Connor

Verstappen keeps asking for a go in the Merc, maybe they could do it this weekend!

pjohnson

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Verstappen keeps asking for a go in the Merc, maybe they could do it this weekend!

Be unexpected but Jos in a Merc vs. Max in RB would be interesting :P

AMKC

pjohnson wrote: »

Be unexpected but Jos in a Merc vs. Max in RB would be interesting :P

Lol

I would like to see Nico Hulkenberg get it.

vectra

Cork Trucker wrote: »

Sunday’s race will be the first time since 2017 that the defending champion won’t take part in a race, and only the second time since 1994, on that occasion after Imola there was no past or present champion.

But I suppose he is really not a defending champion now as he is this years champion.

weisses

ELM327 wrote: »

I've never wanted Stoffel to do well more than next weekend. Should be the best case scenario for someone fresh to the team. A straightforward track, in the fastest car, where no one is really familiar with the layout. I hope he beats bottas!

Agree ... The way he got screwed over in favor of Alonso ... The man is a fast driver

Burkie1203

https://twitter.com/lawrobarretto/status/1333858219853275136

murphyebass

Burkie1203 wrote: »

https://twitter.com/lawrobarretto/status/1333858219853275136

Bottas will look like a complete fool. He need to ace qualy which entirely possible and hope to Christ that the two red bulls split George away from him.

Even with that though I think he’d be in trouble if George can manage the car. And yes that’s a big if but Bottas has been in the car for years and he still doesn’t know what he’s at in race mode.

pjohnson

Aitken now being linked to Williams for Russell.


Poor Stoff lol seems its Merc or nothing.

Joeface

this is stupid , Russell is a Williams driver , he shouldn't be allowed move teams for one race. Even more so with Covid moving form what is essentially one team bubble to another .

Vandoorne is the reserve driver , I really hope its just media boredom .

Cork Trucker

vectra wrote: »

But I suppose he is really not a defending champion now as he is this years champion.

He’s still defending it