Formula 1 round 19: Brazil GP

blueser

Fantastic drive by Lewis, specially after being forced wide by Verstappen during the race. Keeps the title race alive for another round or two anyway.

Cool_CM

€5000 fine and €20000 suspended until the end of 2022.

It's against the rules, but it seems a bit petty. He's been doing it for years and it's not like it hasn't cropped up before:

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/grosjean-questions-hamiltons-seatbelt-removal-for-win-celebrations-4994103/4994103/

Captain_Crash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118166456#Comment_118166456

Maybe it’s to do with enforcing parc ferme rules more, now that they shot themselves in the foot and fined Max for the touch?!? Even Mercedes’ we’re taking the piss out of that yesterday

Cool_CM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118166478#Comment_118166478

I'd say that's it. Or somebody from Red Bull alerted them to it.

pjohnson

The fùck would happen nowadays if someone did a Webber and took off the helmet!

flazio

Not sure the Facebook editor is sending out the right message to go with this picture

https://www.facebook.com/79511407410/posts/10158846422257411/

namloc1980

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118166614#Comment_118166614

Very strange behavior by the Mercedes team. Every single penalty they got this weekend were 100% their own doing. 5 place penalty for a new ICE, DQ from qualifying for a technical infringement on the DRS and Hamilton took off his own seatbelt. You'd think they'd be happy with the win but they're just coming across as incredibly bitter at their own fook ups. Very weird.

dmakc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118166112#Comment_118166112

Exactly and this will give spotlight to the clusterfuck of a format F1 has created.

We could have Bottas and Perez pitting for a hotlap in Abu Dhabi to win either of their teammates' the championship while said contenders coast to finish. It's worse than the double points fiasco

The Royal Scam

Something fishy about the performance increase. Horner said the new PU will give him a couple of 0.1's, as hard it is to swallow, it will take a lot to keep that car behind for the next 3 races.

chicorytip

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118165979#Comment_118165979

Bottas ought to be up Hamilton’s tail pipe at the end in that case and not a distant third. Man maketh the difference today.

Hijpo

The only chance of max finishing ahead of Lewis in one of the next three with that power and speed advantage is if the Merc PU fails.

It would be interesting to see what gains their customer teams have seen since taking a new PU. I'm guessing it's no where near what Hamiltons PU has provided.

Frank Bullitt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118167559#Comment_118167559

Bottas didn't have a fresh engine today ;)

Frank Bullitt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118166067#Comment_118166067

Don't be so naive here, if you are completely looking over the straight-line advantage he had and put it all down to skill, then you need a bit of help. As McRae said, “Straight roads are for fast cars, turns are for fast drivers.”

You asking me about Vettel has nothing to do with today at all.

Frank Bullitt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118166112#Comment_118166112

I think both Merc and RB will be using Bottas and Perez as scapegoats on them.

The numerous Safety Cars were the difference. Think Hamilton would have been a distant second, at best, had it been a clean race.

flazio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118167752#Comment_118167752

Distant second? He was a distant first in this one. Something like 10 seconds in the end after 12 laps? I think the only result the safety car directly affected was Bottas snatching 3rd by pitting under VSC although I wonder if he could have chased down Perez in almost the same manner as Hamilton on Verstappen.

Joeface

I dont believe there is anything fishy or odd about the performance increase. The one engine mode rule when it was brought in levelled the playing field some what as Mercedes could run full mode for quailfing anymore and then switch back down to race mode.

While the Honda engine has improved and the Redbull car has made a leap forward the engine was still behind. Pretty sure Merecedes just gave a race with full beans and that is still the gap .made for a great show .

Vicxas

Do we think that Hamilton was able to tear up the field because he had a new PU? Maybe next race he’ll have to dial it back.

But the speed of that car yesterday was terrifying. The fact that they can replace a power unit. And still whitewash the race is the scary thing for me. Makes the next 3 races which are high speed a big worry for Red Bull.

Captain_Crash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118168007#Comment_118168007

Yeah two of the next 3 are definitely suited to Mercedes’ with Saudi still an unknown! I can only think that they dialled the engine up full for the weekend knowing it’s a new engine but if that’s the case they might have difficulty maintaining that performance without any degradation in the hot air of the desert?!? They have two engines now for Lewis and one of them isn’t that new… will they trash it for Qatar and hope the other survives atleast two weekends dialled up to the max? Will it survive two weekends at full whack?

McFly85

Its been a really interesting last few races-Max winning at Austin and Lewis dominating in Brazil kind of throws the form book out the window.

Its so difficult to know how each car is going to perform race by race. The pace Hamilton had yesterday was frightening, and we’re at the stage of the season where other teams will be staying out of it and focusing on their own objectives which makes me think they have a very slight edge-but right now he essentially needs to win all 3. Can the car keep up that speed, and will it be as easy to overtake on other tracks?

Red Bull have their work cut out for them, but I wouldn’t rule them out just yet!

recyclebin

The DRS effect was too strong here. It wasn't just Hamilton breezing past. I don't think Hamilton will have it as easy for the remaining three races. Bottas and Perez will still be a big factor too in helping or hindering.

MadYaker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118168007#Comment_118168007

It’s partly the new PU, it’s also the fact that Checo and Max are the only drivers on the grid that will actually fight Hamilton for a position in the race. Everybody seems amazed at how he made up so many positions, why wouldn’t he when his car is is 15 - 20kph quicker with the new engine and everybody else on the track is simply pulling over and getting out of his way? If I was Merc I’d be sticking in a new engine every race. Why difference does a ten place grid penalty actually make?

Dave0301

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118168139#Comment_118168139

That is a good point actually. You have had drivers say pre race that it is not in their interest to fend off Lewis as it will impact on their own race objectives. If he had to battle through 6 or 7 overtakes like he did with Verstappen he would not have had such an easy procession.

blade1

A lot of moaning goes on here... mostly about mercedes but for the neutral like me all the stuff in going on is making it great entertainment.

Hope both Mercedes, Red Bull keep pushing the boundaries and beyond.

Max isn't going to take this lying down so no doubt there'll be a couple more twists in the tale before the season is out.

BRING IT ON TA FUQ!

PsychoPete

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118168139#Comment_118168139

There's no point the likes of Mclaren,Ferrari etc fighting the Mercs when they are storming through the field, that's not their battle. They need to think of the bigger picture which is the constructors against the other teams outside of the top two

klose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118168613#Comment_118168613

At this stage the only real fights left in the championship are obviously merc/red bull and Hamilton/verstappen and probably alpine and alpha tauri for P5. Ferrari have mclarens number in the constructors and Aston/alfa/Williams and Haas are assumably long been focusing on next year by now so I don't see anyone challenging the red bulls or merc on track for the last 3 races as we saw this weekend.

Gamb!t

I dont see anyone stopping Hamilton and that Car.

blade1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118169312#Comment_118169312

Hmmmm 🤔🤔

https://youtu.be/PBK071sE-8w

https://youtu.be/4egdMwxAFl4

Frank Bullitt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118168033#Comment_118168033

I have it as 1 each to RB and Merc in terms of being suited to the track, the unknown/wild card is Jeddah. A high speed street track (it was built though), could be carnage.

MadYaker

Surely an engine would survive more than 3 race weekends no matter how hard they run it?