Formula 1 - 2021 - Chasing down Lewis?

[SocrManiac]

Weird that nobody commented after the finish.

Gasly got absolutely hosed with the penalty points. I struggle to even understand the 5 seconds he ate. It seems like a clear case of penalizing the result, which I thought wasn’t done.

Mazepin continues to be a danger to others, impeding both Lewis and Max.

I don’t make as much of the controversy of Lewis’s put strategy. These are tough calls and I think there’s a tendency to go into vapor lock over the sheer volume of data they’re processing. I do think Button provided valuable insight, saying when it’s dry to wet, trust the pit. Wet to dry, trust the driver. It worked that way in Russia, but I think Lewis was already stuck in no-man’s land after he went long. Threat of rain, too late to get new Inters back into a good place, too long on the first set to survive to the end.

I don’t think Bottas or Max did anything particularly special, just clinical driving. Perez put in a shift on Hamilton (as did Tsunoda, who I expected to crash both out). Sainz earned his DOD.

Entertaining race. On to the US.

 

[tmracht]

That was a tough race for Lewis, Tsunoda and Perez did a job holding him back, but this would have seemed a lot more palatable if Max hadn't gone 20->2 last race on his engine penalty race. 8 point swing between the charges from the midfield/back.

As you said Bottas did exactly what he should have done, ran is race.

That McLaren/Ferrari battle for 3rd in Constructor Championship is getting really interesting too.

COTA should be interesting. MotoGP was complaining about how bumpy the track was so it should add a little something to the F1 experience.

 

[PseuFighter]

So I lucked out and was able to get two tickets to the F1 in Mexico next month. I'm a total n00b here, but based on the amount of chatter I've seen on social media and friends that I never imaged would be into this all telling me to watch the Netflix show, I figured since I'll be in CDMX, going if I could get tickets would be a no-brainer. We're going to be in Foro Sol, Grada 15 (Cafe). The tickets were $300 each (ouch) for the three days. It looks like it's an awesome atmosphere, and the podium is in the front of the Foro Sol stadium, with some after-party show.

As a n00b to this, really excited to take in the atmosphere, any suggestions on how to get more into it in addition to watching the show? Is it worth going to more than Sunday? I was planning on selling Friday and Saturday to make back some of the cost since I had to buy the three days.

 

[Plantiers Wart]

Saturday Quali is where many of the races are won, if passing is tough on the track. Even if not, it’s an awesome spectacle in and of itself. Friday practice is good too, but I’d sell that if you are choosing one.

 

[cgori]

Saturday Quali is where many of the races are won, if passing is tough on the track. Even if not, it’s an awesome spectacle in and of itself. Friday practice is good too, but I’d sell that if you are choosing one.

Yes, this. But the relative value of the tickets is probably like 30 Fri + 70 Sat + 200 Sun, just FYI.

For most GPs the Friday and Saturday seating is non-assigned, so you can try out other seats/sections (with some exceptions for super-fancy sections). Normally only Sunday's tickets have an assigned seat on them.

(Also, $300 for GP tickets is "not bad" - the Euro races are probably 2.5-3x that price these days.)

 

[PseuFighter]

Awesome. Thank you. We decided we're (probably) only going to hit Sunday, since it *looks* like a full day with races before the main race, from at least what I could find given past Sundays. The Mexico circuit unfortunately doesn't let you walk beyond your own relatively small area, which also played into the decision. Saturday is already looking a little packed with the America/Monterrey match at Azteca, and I think it'll be a stupid late night. I'll probably regret this decision once I'm hooked in a couple of weeks.

 

[cgori]

Awesome. Thank you. We decided we're (probably) only going to hit Sunday, since it *looks* like a full day with races before the main race, from at least what I could find given past Sundays. The Mexico circuit unfortunately doesn't let you walk beyond your own relatively small area, which also played into the decision. Saturday is already looking a little packed with the America/Monterrey match at Azteca, and I think it'll be a stupid late night. I'll probably regret this decision once I'm hooked in a couple of weeks.

The other races are (typically) lightly attended compared to the main race. Historically, we just wandered around the track all day on Friday & Saturday buying beers/snacks and stopping in different sections. The only time you really needed/wanted to be in a seat on those 2 days was for the F1 Quali (on Saturday). I'm surprised it's not walk-around-able at the Mexico circuit (maybe that is because of the stadium/infield section?) - the outlying parts of a race track are quite large and so it's normal to let people wander around.

Sunday is a whole different deal, the venue will be packed with people compared to the other days and security/section entry rules were always far more strongly enforced. But even then, the real "buzz" builds maybe 90min before the F1 race starts, all the other support races feel more like Saturday at best. I have no idea how strict the entry security will be, but if you think of it like going to an NFL game in terms of metal detectors/bag screens, that's probably a good comp, in terms of how long it will take from arriving to getting to your seat.

 

[PseuFighter]

Thanks -- The Mexico circuit is pretty restrictive with the zone setup they use (https://f1destinationscomfdea6.zapwp.com/q:ultra/retina:true/webp:false/w:715/url:https://f1destinations.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Autodromo-Hermanos-Rodriguez-Mexico-Grand-Prix-Map-2048x1069.jpg), and I'm also the sorta person that really likes bouncing around during an event, so a full track GA option would've been perfect, but alas. I'll be confined to the stadium, but I've also read/heard it's one of the best atmospheres in all of F1 once it gets full. I really appreciate the tips though. I was surprised, pleasantly, they're making it a vaccinated-only event too.

 

[cgori]

Thanks -- The Mexico circuit is pretty restrictive with the zone setup they use (https://f1destinationscomfdea6.zapwp.com/q:ultra/retina:true/webp:false/w:715/url:https://f1destinations.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Autodromo-Hermanos-Rodriguez-Mexico-Grand-Prix-Map-2048x1069.jpg), and I'm also the sorta person that really likes bouncing around during an event, so a full track GA option would've been perfect, but alas. I'll be confined to the stadium, but I've also read/heard it's one of the best atmospheres in all of F1 once it gets full. I really appreciate the tips though. I was surprised, pleasantly, they're making it a vaccinated-only event too.

Huh. That's actually a decent way to handle it, just different than anything I have seen - I've been to USGP @ Indy, USGP @ COTA, Silverstone and Hockenheim, and they all have that full track GA. (And pretty much every non-F1 race I've been to is the same, which is a lot.)

The stadium section in Mexico looks really really cool, I'm sure you'll have fun. I was in the stadium part of Hockenheim once, the crowd energy as the cars come in there is phenomenal, and it's not nearly as intense as Mexico seems to be.

 

[Kremlin Watcher]

Sitting in the turn four grandstand. Great view of the fast turns. Going to be some good action here tomorrow. My first time watching F1 live. Almost unbelievable how fast these drivers are going. The sound of them going up and down the gearbox is delicious.

 

[cgori]

Sitting in the turn four grandstand. Great view of the fast turns. Going to be some good action here tomorrow. My first time watching F1 live. Almost unbelievable how fast these drivers are going. The sound of them going up and down the gearbox is delicious.

That esses section of COTA from 3-10 is beautiful, you really get to see the cars perform. FYI: I don't think there's a lot of passing after turn 3 (2?) normally, too hard to make a move with where the cars are usually placed on-track. But if it gets drizzly/rainy all bets are off on that.

If you can see one of the big-screens (I forget where they have them), the turn 12 braking zone is a huge overtake spot.

Also, the start going into turn 1 (and 2) is usually a crazy situation because of the width of the tarmac in that area, hopefully you can see that from where you are.

 

[rbeaud]

Maybe not the right forum…seeing Willy T Ribbs on the telecast prompted me to finally watch “Uppity” from my saved list on Netflix. Holy crap is he one awesome mofo. My new favorite dude and top of the “can I have a beer with you list” even over all the NE sports greats.

I only wonder where was all that support of his skills when he was wrecking anything on four wheels? Racing missed out on one of the greats because of racism.

 

[kfoss99]

Maybe not the right forum…seeing Willy T Ribbs on the telecast prompted me to finally watch “Uppity” from my saved list on Netflix. Holy crap is he one awesome mofo. My new favorite dude and top of the “can I have a beer with you list” even over all the NE sports greats.

I only wonder where was all that support of his skills when he was wrecking anything on four wheels? Racing missed out on one of the greats because of racism.

Regardless of what one thinks of Adam Carolla, his love of cars brought us "Uppity" and "The 24 Hour War" documentaries on Netflix. Both well worth watching if you like racing. "The 24 Hour War" is about the Ford vs Ferraris LeMans battle and came out a couple years before the big budget movie.

On another note. During qualifying, I think, the announcers mentioned Perez has been doing better because he's, finally, not using Max's setup. I'm interested to see if he can pass Bottas in the standings. He's got a nice run going and headed into his home GP. It looks like a real battle for the constructor's championship and each spot on the podium.

 

[PseuFighter]

i just walked the entire mexico track. my god that was incredible. cannot wait til sunday.

 

[TomBrunansky23]

Barring catastrophe, Verstappen is going to win the title. RB is just stronger week to week than Merc is right now. You can hear it in Hamilton's voice sometimes - little comments like "they're just faster" or "I just don't have enough pace." I can't see anything changing in the next 4 races.

Tons of other interesting stuff going on in the background - Ferrari seems to be pulling away from McLaren for third in the Constructors'. Never would have thought that after Ricciardo won in Italy. Checo - who seems finally very comfortable in the car - is making a serious run at Bottas for third in the Drivers'

Speaking of Ferrari - just a little drama/tension between Sainz and Leclerc on Sunday when the team wanted Leclerc to let Sainz by.

 

[PseuFighter]

So, I went yesterday, and it was definitely one of the top ten sporting events I've ever been to. We were in Foro Sol, and it was a nonstop party for hours. We actually gave up on our seats (it was hot as balls) and instead walked right down to the track in the stadium and stood up against a fence the whole race, where the cars were a few feet in front of us. The crowd was losing the shit for Checo the entire day, most notably as he was closing the gap on P2. Verstappen is incredible, and watching him pull away as the race went on was amazing. I'm a n00b to the sport, but I can't get over how consistently good he is. He's probably the best driver on earth.

We stuck around for a number of hours after, where the party continued; there was a concert by Kygo, and then we got to hang out on the track drinking beers until they finally kicked us out around 8pm. Honestly, it was incredible, and I strongly strongly recommend seeing a race in Foro Sol to anyone. We blew like $60 on eight beers, where each beer is a double, or 32 ounces (for context on beer sizes here, see my avatar on the left). Mexico pricing is the best.

I didn't make it to Friday/Saturday, but I did make it to the Pit Lane Walk on Thursday (as I mentioned in an earlier post). In addition to getting up close to watch the teams train for pit stops, many of the drivers came up to interact with fans, sign autographs, etc, but for me, the highlight was getting to walk the entire track, which took a little less than an hour. I would strongly recommend that experience to anyone too.

 

[OurF'ingCity]

Barring catastrophe, Verstappen is going to win the title. RB is just stronger week to week than Merc is right now. You can hear it in Hamilton's voice sometimes - little comments like "they're just faster" or "I just don't have enough pace." I can't see anything changing in the next 4 races.

Spoiler

Not sure what the appropriate leeway is on here before we can start discussing a given weekend’s race so putting spoiler tags on this just to be safe but…not sure the above is true anymore.

What a phenomenal performance by Hamilton. Obviously a lot of that has to do with the car and the track, but if you switch Hamilton and Bottas, Valtteri probably passes, what, maybe 10 cars in the sprint and a half dozen or so during the race itself?

 

[TomBrunansky23]

Spoiler

Not sure what the appropriate leeway is on here before we can start discussing a given weekend’s race so putting spoiler tags on this just to be safe but…not sure the above is true anymore.

What a phenomenal performance by Hamilton. Obviously a lot of that has to do with the car and the track, but if you switch Hamilton and Bottas, Valtteri probably passes, what, maybe 10 cars in the sprint and a half dozen or so during the race itself?

Yeah egg on my face! Merc has definitely found something and has RB spinning a little bit and quietly making cheating claims.

This season has been a blast especially the last 3 races. How awesome were the scenes in Austin, Mexico City, and Sao Paolo?

Now we head to the middle east with the whole ball of wax on the line. What tricks does RB have left up their sleeves?
Can Merc keep it up? Incredible drama.

 

[SocrManiac]

I read somewhere that I can’t find that the new engine Lewis took only has to last 2500km (as opposed to the normal 7500km). As such, it’s turned up to 11. That could make the difference.

 

[tmracht]

I read somewhere that I can’t find that the new engine Lewis took only has to last 2500km (as opposed to the normal 7500km). As such, it’s turned up to 11. That could make the difference.

Yeah this late in the season, and trailing he has nothing to lose. Minimal downside to just overwork the engine and hope it survives.

 

[gibdied]

It was fortuitous for Lewis (and Mercedes) that the DQ penalty occurred on a sprint weekend, allowing him to mitigate most of the penalty before the actual Gran Prix. Incredible drive. With Lewis in peak form and a new engine delivering overwhelming speed, RB must be pretty uneasy.

 

[kfoss99]

It was fortuitous for Lewis (and Mercedes) that the DQ penalty occurred on a sprint weekend, allowing him to mitigate most of the penalty before the actual Gran Prix. Incredible drive. With Lewis in peak form and a new engine delivering overwhelming speed, RB must be pretty uneasy.

His run on the sprint qualifying gave me an idea:
Have sprint qualifying every race weekend and the sprint has an inverted grid. To prevent sandbagging points would be rewarded for the normal qualifying that sets the sprint grid.
The big consequences I can see from this is an increased chance of crashes in sprints.
The big benefit to fans is a ton of overtaking on Saturday and Sunday. And to see the best teams really get to show off.

 

[mattquinley]

His run on the sprint qualifying gave me an idea:
Have sprint qualifying every race weekend and the sprint has an inverted grid. To prevent sandbagging points would be rewarded for the normal qualifying that sets the sprint grid.
The big consequences I can see from this is an increased chance of crashes in sprints.
The big benefit to fans is a ton of overtaking on Saturday and Sunday. And to see the best teams really get to show off.

Might be fun to watch, but I think Brazil was a big outlier. Perfect storm for Mercedes & Hamilton:

• The track favors/rewards straight line speed more than most circuits.
• Mercedes already has one of, if not the fastest straight line car.
• Hamilton had a brand new engine that only needs to last about 1/3 the time of a "normal" engine, so was quite clearly putting out significantly more HP than anything else on the grid.

A few of Lewis' passes were fun to watch, where he actually had to do some driving with late braking or unconventional lines into/through corners, but most of them were just ridiculously easy due to the car's massive straight line speed advantage. It was like watching a Top Fuel dragster racing a bone stock 1976 VW bus, there was nothing any of the other drivers could do to defend.

 

[saintnick912]

I saw some speculation that if Quatar and Jeddah were reversed, we might see Hamilton take another engine with the 5-place penalty attached and run each for only two races. But Jeddah looks unfavorable for overtakes, so people think it's unlikely.

 

[Doug Beerabelli]

I don't fully understand the new rules/spending limits coming up for next season, but would the new guidlines limit the amount of times a team could install a new engine in a season?

 

[cgori]

I saw some speculation that if Quatar and Jeddah were reversed, we might see Hamilton take another engine with the 5-place penalty attached and run each for only two races. But Jeddah looks unfavorable for overtakes, so people think it's unlikely.

I thought (perhaps incorrectly) that taking the engine just adds it to the pool of available hardware for the team. I didn't think they were required to use the same engine consecutively.

 

[Nick Kaufman]

It does look as if Hamilton has the better car heading to the 3 races; he deserves all the credit in the world for keeping it close, but Verstappen deserves the championship. If he hadn't had rotten luck in Baku, Silverstone, Hungary, he would be comfortably ahead right now.

 

[tmracht]

Crazy qualifying. Tomorrow could be really good.

 

[kfoss99]

Crazy qualifying. Tomorrow could be really good.

We'll see how they get through turn 1, but Perez made it a lot harder for Red Bull to win the constructor's championship with his terrible qualifying.

Hamilton is a speed demon in his Merc.

 

[Nick Kaufman]

Assuming no accidents or retirements due to mechanical problems, Verstappen needs a win in one of the two races. How and where is he going to get it? Is Jeddah his best chance since it's going to be harder to overtake? Hamilton has the best car right now.

 

[BrazilianSoxFan]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVR7u48De2U

 

[kfoss99]

F1 Team Founder Sir Frank Williams Dies At Age 79 (jalopnik.com)

 

[SocrManiac]

They should use Williams livery on every car this weekend as a tribute.

 

[swiftaw]

They should use Williams livery on every car this weekend as a tribute.

I really want them to use the white/blue/yellow livery from the Williams glory days

 

[Nick Kaufman]

That lat corner in the qualifying lap might just cost Verstappen the championship,

 

[Nick Kaufman]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG8MHTS1uMw

 

[tmracht]

Spoiler

That lap was Verstappen in a nutshell. Soooo fucking fast. And just a little tooooo aggressive.

 

[swiftaw]

I think the race today is going to be nuts. Just a feeling.

 

[SocrManiac]

I think the race today is going to be nuts. Just a feeling.

You win.

 

[Average Reds]

Tremendously fortunate break for Max. Perhaps championship-deciding.

Sucks for Hamilton but he benefitted in an earlier race, so not much to complain about. (Narrator: “They will.”)

 

[Nick Kaufman]

I don't care what his fanboys say, he's a world class whiner.

 

[SocrManiac]

And now…

 

[SocrManiac]

And now…

Tremendously fortunate break for Max. Perhaps championship-deciding.

Sucks for Hamilton but he benefitted in an earlier race, so not much to complain about. (Narrator: “They will.”)

 

[Average Reds]

That was interesting.

 

[Average Reds]

I don’t blame Max for that move, but I think he’ll be placed behind Hamilton here. Will be interesting to see how they rule.

 

[SocrManiac]

I don’t blame Max for that move, but I think he’ll be placed behind Hamilton here. Will be interesting to see how they rule.

Agree. I don’t think he was significantly further behind but I can’t help but feel if you’re assigning blame you go a percentage point higher in Max.

 

[SocrManiac]

Okay, didn’t expect that.

 

[Average Reds]

Also interesting that Red Bull was informed that their understanding of the ten second rule was off, because it wasn’t a formation lap.

FIA rules are a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.

 

[Average Reds]

Red Bull with a great call having mediums, but they are betting on another red flag, because he won’t make the end of the race with them.

 

[SocrManiac]

This is insane.