Formula 1 - 2021 - Chasing down Lewis?

How does the final race of the season play out?

  • Max wins a close race

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Lewis crashes out Max (Max wins title)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Neither driver wins the race.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    11
  • Poll closed .

Chainsaw318

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I hope things are cooling a little, but Max certainly did not seem mellow in cockpit after his last lap - the Red Bull’s trying to pass into the first few corners this morning could become very chippy. If any of those 4 spin each other, all,hell,could break loose into the break.
 

Nick Kaufman

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A Lost Time
I can't believe my eyes. Lap 1 was a golden opportunity for Hamilton's engineer to say " Get out of there Lewis!"
 

mikeot

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Alpine or Aston Martin could win this; for once not a lock for MB or Red Bull.
 

tmracht

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Unreal just finished the race. Alonso man he's so good. He may have won that for Alpine by holding up Hamilton.

If what Hamilton said about the garage saying more rain was on the way is true then they screwed up bad. If not he should have dove in and he screwed up. But if he could have found a way past Alonso earlier he may have still somehow came P1.

RB let Max down too by letting him lose those two places when they knew he didn't have the pace to pass pretty much anyone with the damage.

Sebs pitstop really cost him amazing how those tiny tiny details make such a huge difference. The cars running out of fuel was hilarious. Sprint down that lane Ocon what a race.

Bottas getting 5 grid spots feels not even enough he made that look like an online F1 2020 race in the rain at Imola.

Amazing for Williams as a whole, I'm sure it's not the way they dreamed up points. But points are points.
 

SocrManiac

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Bottas gets a 5 place grid drop. Perez will eventually start at the back when he exceeds his engine allotment, having lost one to Bottas here.

Great system, guys.
 

tmracht

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Well today has been a riveting event. That Lando napping cameo was a true aww moment though.
 

mikeot

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Yikes - Verstappen declared winner after a few parade laps in a downpour. If he wins the championship by less than five points, it will be forever tainted. And I’m a fan of his FWIW.
 

tmracht

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Hamilton summed it up after the race calling for the fans to get their money back. I'm not sure I'd put the driver championship under asterisk. There's a lot of wackiness that has happened to Max this season too, but kinda lame how Masi et al handled today. Has to be a weird feeling for Perez' mechanics and the entire Williams garage though.
 

SocrManiac

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Yikes - Verstappen declared winner after a few parade laps in a downpour. If he wins the championship by less than five points, it will be forever tainted. And I’m a fan of his FWIW.
After Mercedes dumped his car twice and likely cost him a grid penalty later? Nah, I think it’ll be alright.
 

Nick Kaufman

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Yikes - Verstappen declared winner after a few parade laps in a downpour. If he wins the championship by less than five points, it will be forever tainted. And I’m a fan of his FWIW.
Verstappen had had rotten luck this season, he should have been ahead by many points IMO. If anything, today was even more bad luck because he has the most chance to win again. What if he loses the championship by 5 points because he wasn't given the chance to win the whole race?
 

tmracht

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Verstappen had had rotten luck this season, he should have been ahead by many points IMO. If anything, today was even more bad luck because he has the most chance to win again. What if he loses the championship by 5 points because he wasn't given the chance to win the whole race?
Toto probably upset that another Merc couldn't take out Max at turn one. Russell had one job this weekend!
 

tmracht

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Wow didn't expect Perez out in Q1. Russell was on a really good pace for Q2 then just lost it at the end and went into the wall tail end. Red flagged Q2 but his car actually seems okay but not enough to continue qualifying.
 

Phragle

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Wow didn't expect Perez out in Q1. Russell was on a really good pace for Q2 then just lost it at the end and went into the wall tail end. Red flagged Q2 but his car actually seems okay but not enough to continue qualifying.
Track looks too short to fit everyone in w clean air. Vettel and Norris out early too. Traffic boned Seb, didn't see what happened to Lando
 

tmracht

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From the youtube comments of the race:


:D
Hammer time not the same when you ask him to chase for 35 laps on scrubbed tyres. Really strange strategy. Should have stolen a set from Bottas like he tried to steal the point.
 

Chainsaw318

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Cool track, bad race? It felt like other than down the one short straight, there was no other place to pass and Ocon took on shot at the neat banked turn #3 and that was it.

I need to do more reading on the 2022 cars, but I don’t know if they will be short enough/skinny enough/less air disturb-y enough to make this and some other tracks instantly better.
 

Nick Kaufman

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Cool track, bad race? It felt like other than down the one short straight, there was no other place to pass and Ocon took on shot at the neat banked turn #3 and that was it.

I need to do more reading on the 2022 cars, but I don’t know if they will be short enough/skinny enough/less air disturb-y enough to make this and some other tracks instantly better.
They are specificially made to produce less dirty air so that overtaking is possible. Plus all the measures designed to close the gap between richer and poorer teams.

But yeah, great atmosphere in the stands, but a ho-hum race.
 

Phragle

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Cool track, bad race? It felt like other than down the one short straight, there was no other place to pass and Ocon took on shot at the neat banked turn #3 and that was it.

I need to do more reading on the 2022 cars, but I don’t know if they will be short enough/skinny enough/less air disturb-y enough to make this and some other tracks instantly better.
I don't know that adding more banking helped it. It made it faster, and thus more aero important. It's too hard to pass if dirty air makes it impossible to follow closely.

I couldn't believe the track was right on the beach. Nearly looked like the original Daytona race

I'd like to see a special tire that makes the cars slower and skinnier for tracks like Monte Carlo
 

tmracht

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Whelp the worst kept secret is done, George to Merc. Latifi was hilarious with his vacation bromance call out to George.

Sounds like Kubica may deputize for Kimi again.

Bottas has security of multi year deal how does he perform after the announcement?
 

SocrManiac

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I think Latifi is going to outqualify his teammate a few times next year…

The wildcard in this will be the new cars. Every driver will be relearning how to get around a track. Russell’s performance in a Mercedes last year can’t be overhyped. He had to squeeze his feet into undersize shoes to get to the pedals. He barely lost out on the pole to Bottas and comfortably outraced him the next day. Starting on level terms with Lewis next year… He’s going to turn some heads. I’m not a Mercedes fan but I do like George. He’ll be fun to watch.

I do wonder how long Lewis sticks with it. He doesn’t have anything left to prove or accomplish. I feel like he gave up to some extent last weekend. Since we never know what’s actually going on with his tires, as outsiders we can’t really interpret what he may have been capable of producing. I think those mediums would likely have had it, but if he had been allowed to race and pass Max, could he have gotten his elbows out and defended? In years past it seemed like it would have been inevitable.

Max is quietly becoming dominant. He would be miles ahead in the championship without some rotten luck (matched by astounding luck for Lewis). Both guys outclass their teammates to a ridiculous extent, like they’re diving completely different cars. If the car advantage is somewhat maintained last year, Mercedes having two top drivers to Red Bull’s lone guy could be everything.
 

tmracht

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Should be an interesting pack next season. I won't say mid or back or front cause who knows how the regulations will mess with teams, but the lineups seem interesting at least. Albon and Latifi were F2 teammates I think.
 

cgori

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This was a featured link in Men In Blazers newsletter this week. I think it's on point about how F1 lets its drama flag fly more openly than (some) other sports.
 

Phragle

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This was a featured link in Men In Blazers newsletter this week. I think it's on point about how F1 lets its drama flag fly more openly than (some) other sports.
I think this is part of what hooked me. I'm a Netflix F1 fan like so many others. It's certainly not just the racing. The strategy, engineering, drama, and of course the action all combines into being an incredible product.