F1 2016 chat

[sonofsanta]

Link: Malaysian Grand Prix: Fernando Alonso to get 30-place grid penalty - BBC Sport

 

But there are only 22 cars in the race?

 

 

What were Hamilton and Alonso in Belgium--50 odd places each? The penalties stack up but can't apply any more than the grid allows, which leads to things like Mercedes deliberately using three new engines over the three practice sessions, because after the first penalty the rest come free--he can't be pushed any further back.

 

At least they don't roll over onto the next race, like the 2014 situation--one new engine could really scupper you then...

[Gibbo]

DC said that the new rules next year will mean they will roll over.

[Boredguy]

Also they can't stockpile components as they can only use the last set installed.

[mikeprice]

Just bee watching the Brazil GP

 

What one Earth was Max on - incredible driving!!!

[6Foot2]

Just bee watching the Brazil GP

What one Earth was Max on - incredible driving!!!

I had been trying to avoid news of it all day. However, the evening bulletin spoiled my plans of watching it on Channel 4 without knowing the result [i didn't get to the remote in time. ]

 

I picked up the race on the radio and from what I heard the race was quite chaotic.

 

#NoSpoilers.

 

[Tesla]

Can We spoil now?

[synaesthesia]

Think everyone's itching to As Damon Hill said, it was simultaneous the worst and best race in a long time. Verstappen was awesome, but had no chance of getting near Hamilton even if Red Bull didn't mess up on the tyre call.

[mikeprice]

Waited too long - yes Verstappen just doesn't seem to know where he can pass on a track - he just does it everywhere

 

I know he was on newer tyres but all the same that was amazing

 

The comments from Christian Horner and his passing said a lot - he just doesn't know where Max will pass next - there don't seem to be limits!

[Tesla]

Thoughts on the race postponements? Im of the opinion that if they potentially can't race in those types of conditions, then there is a serious issue with F1 in it's current form. As someone said, one of the best races of the season (when it got going), and, as are 95% of races where the weather and rain come into play.

 

hey ho.

 

Verstappen for World Title next year I reckon. He will be a multiple f1 champion, at any rate. IMO

[synaesthesia]

Damn right. I've said before and will say it again, I hope Verstappen is champion before Rosberg. He has talent, and being so young has a lot of growing up to do. Which means there's plenty of room for improvement. It's like watching Hamilton in 2007. Just imagine what Verstappen could be capable of in a few years with the right support behind him.

 

And indeed, too much going on with the postponements. Hamilton was itching to get on with it, the majority of the others were saying no, red flag it. Sorry but if Lewis can get round that track without putting a single foot wrong, not a single slide round the entire race, why can't anyone else? He was literally coasting up front yet consistently faster than every other person on track, Verstappen included. And he finished on the same tyres he started with.

[Tesla]

And he finished on the same tyres he started with.

 

Not quite true, he was changing them during the postponements when all in the pit lane...but your point still stands!

[tmoon-mint]

I feel like the red flags were necessary but all the time spent behind the safety car was not. All of the drivers were commenting that driving slowly behind the safety car was making conditions worse and clearing less water from the track. Safety car start also ruined what could have shaken up the order and actually given Lewis a challenge. Redbull strategy removed any threat to Rosberg from Verstappen. Whenever someone complains about the red flags I just think about Jules Bianchi and just how easily an accident of that scale could have been repeated yesterday.

[Tesla]

I feel like the red flags were necessary but all the time spent behind the safety car was not. All of the drivers were commenting that driving slowly behind the safety car was making conditions worse and clearing less water from the track. Safety car start also ruined what could have shaken up the order and actually given Lewis a challenge. Redbull strategy removed any threat to Rosberg from Verstappen. Whenever someone complains about the red flags I just think about Jules Bianchi and just how easily an accident of that scale could have been repeated yesterday.

 

I get that, but they have since implemented changes a lot since the incident. Improving VSC etc. The nature of the beast of f1 is that accidents can and will happen. Meh. who knows, maybe they did get it right after all. I mean, they managed to get the whole race in etc.

[tmoon-mint]

I get that, but they have since implemented changes a lot since the incident. Improving VSC etc. The nature of the beast of f1 is that accidents can and will happen. Meh. who knows, maybe they did get it right after all. I mean, they managed to get the whole race in etc.

Changes have been made yes but one thing remains the same since the incident happened. The wet pirelli tyres are absolutely useless!

[synaesthesia]

Well that was a good race all round. Loved watching it from start to finish, some great moves from quite a few drivers and Lewis easily was the class of the field twice over. He did everything he could have without resorting to a Senna/Schumacher style cheat and unlike some of the media morons/Twitter keyboard warriors seem to think, was certainly not unsportsmanlike.

Rosberg did everything he needed to do and withstood that immense pressure from both Hamilton and Vettel at the end and finished as a deserving world champion.

I do despair sometimes at the state of people who are so very selective in what they hear and see. The thousands of people that didn't see Lewis congratulate Nico 4 times publicly and called him out for it is hilarious. At least he didn't throw his cap at him!

I normally have a lot of time for Toto Wolff but thought his interview wasn't good; the amount of times Mercedes have publicly stated the drivers are also there to win world championships as well as the team yet when they try so hard to make it happen they have a public pop. Again though, certain Media outlets are hearing things that noone said - like the Guardian who have stated that Mercedes are likely to suspend Hamilton for it. LOL!

 

Some company PR drones are also putting their foot in it - PaddyPower are telling it's followers on Twitter "Don't be a Lewis Hamilton". Way to show bias from a gambling company!

Edited November 27, 2016 by synaesthesia

[XiJ]

Good start, dull in the middle and a great ending. I'm a huge Lewis fan and he did everything he could / should. If he wasn't going to fight or the title out there he may as well not have started. Senna, Schumacher, Prost, Lauda, hunt, Mandela, piquet etc would all have done the same.

 

I was disappointed that Lewis DID NOT congratulate Rosberg in the room of awkwardness after the race. I think Rosberg was going to say something but Bernie stopped him in front of the cameras.

At least Lewis did it on the podium.

 

Rosberg deserves the title. He drove very well this year. You could say the same if Lewis won too.

 

Looking forward to next year. Danny Ric and Mad max will defo be in the mix. Be interesting to see what mclaren could do too

[synaesthesia]

Don't you start as well. How come no-one saw them embrace in park ferme? Are they obliged to congratulate eachother every time they see eachother?

[XiJ]

Completely missed any embrace!

[Tesla]

Brilliant race. Rosberg would've done exactly the same if the boot was on the other foot *cough cough Monaco last year*. If Rosberg had lost I would've said it was his lack of risk taking (getting past a slow Hamilton) that led to him losing the championship. I would've loved to have seen Hamilton do it. Can't help but feel Vettel held back a tad towards the end (he said something after about not wanting to stop Rosberg getting championship, and Hamilton making it uncomfortable)

 

All in all a good race, Hamilton was more sporting than i thought he'd be (and Bernie deffo doesn't seem to be a fan of having a camera in the winner's room)

[Boredguy]

I thought yesterday was one of the more interesting and engaging races of the year.

Yes Lewis was trying to back him up, but only after they had done their last stop, and only because it was his best way to win the championship.

 

Nico did well to resist the temptation to let Seb have an easy pass and his consistancy throughout the year won him the title.

 

Hopefully Toto will let it go as it was much better than having a 30+ second gap and roll on winter testing.

[sonofsanta]

I thought it was probably the least tense between them as it's been the last three years, personally--the embrace in parc ferme, the congratulations on the podium etc. All a lot more sportsmanlike than Rosberg was last year when Hamilton won it!

 

All this nonsense about dirty tactics from Hamilton is ridiculous. He didn't put the cars at risk at any point, he clearly had enough pace in pocket that the race victory was never at risk, and it was his right as race leader to control the pace, just as it is when being released from the safety car. Was he meant to just gainfully take the championship loss on the chin and race as if nothing else mattered? If he cared that little about winning, he wouldn't be the triple world champion he is, and Mercedes wouldn't be paying him such a huge amount of money to secure his services. Methinks the papers are just stirring it up today with all this talk of suspensions and sackings--if they didn't take either of those actions against Rosberg when he deliberately drove into Hamilton at Spa '14 and took a car out of the race, they're not going to do anything for Lewis driving a little bit slower than he otherwise could have done at the end of a double-championship year, ffs.

 

That said, I'm kinda happy for Rosberg--his consistency through the year has been pretty astonishing (front row every race!) and if not now, then probably never. He'd have felt awful if this slipped through his fingers, and I'd have felt for him. But he's got his championship now, and he can go back to being second best to Lewis from here on out

[CAM]

Backing up the opposition is part of racing, as are the engine failures that the newspapers claim is the only reason Hamilton came second in the title race. It's all part of any motorsport and drivers just have to deal with it.

 

Mercedes will be annoyed as it's one of their drivers trying to mess up the other and they have to think of the entire team. But Hamilton and Rosberg have both driven Mercedes to another Constructors title which was settled long ago, it's only right they back off and do as Hamilton says, "Just let us race." Anything else is a bit disrespectful to the fans and the drivers who want to see a tight race and not another dross Mercedes 1-2 for ~50 laps.

[mikkydoos]

Nico deserved it totally. People seem to think that LH has a right to win everything against Nico.

 

It must be that he's a bit better with the press. Nico comes across to me as a bit of a brat.

 

Deserved though. He had a cracking year.

 

I sssooo hope that the rules change shakes it up a bit. Looking that Merc won every race apart from two, one being a double non finish, its a bit ridiculous really.

[Tesla]

as are the engine failures that the newspapers claim is the only reason Hamilton came second in the title race.

 

I'd be inclined to agree with the newspapers on that one??? If it wasn't for his reliability issues he would have won the title with room to spare, I reckon.

[Danp]

Lewis did what he had to do given the situation he was in. He did not put anyone at risk.

 

As a McLaren and F1 fanatic, I do not believe Nico is a worthy champion.