Formula One 2021 - General Discussion Thread

[eviltimeban]

Just setting this up to start. Hope to see some of the old Boardsies posting here.

I think the only rule was to keep race-specific chat in a separate thread, but will wait and see if there will be one!

[Frank]

The last race has set it up lovely for maximum needle between the big two. Really looking forward to the rest of the season.

[eviltimeban]

Yes, I think there'll be added tension and drama now, especially after the last race. We're either going to see more argy-bargy on track, or at least very aggressive racing. That's if they are in line to race each other - there may be races coming up where Max disappears off into the distance.

Which of the remaining tracks suit Red Bull / Merc best?

[JDaniels]

Red Bull have requested a review of Lewis Hamilton's penalty in the British GP for the collision with Max Verstappen.

Under the FIA's International Sporting Code, competitors can request a right of review up to 14 days after a stewards' ruling if "a significant and relevant new element is discovered which was unavailable to the parties seeking the review at the time of the decision concerned".

A spicy start to the weekend

[Frank]

Love it. They’ll get nowhere but that’s probably not the point.

[eviltimeban]

RB playing the game; if they can distract Mercedes even slightly from the job at hand then that's a result.

Max is really gonna be going for it this weekend.

[Osamabindipper]

What was your opinions on the sprint race? Feel it add anything at all?

I personally think it was a waste of time.

[Hairy-Joe]

Added nothing.

I'd much rather Alonso's suggestion of a single lap shootout. It's a single lap, one and done.

Another suggestion would be points for the fastest laps. In the WRC, the final stage is designed a "power stage" and the top 5 times get extra points. Maybe if the 5 fastest laps on the final lap got extra points it would make things more interesting.

[Osamabindipper]

Yeah pretty cool idea that, So many of the teams are capable of one of fast Laps just not have the race pace.

[Shane]

Not just run into the issue of what happens in qualifying where one car ruins another’s flying lap getting stuck in traffic.

[Osamabindipper]

Not just run into the issue of what happens in qualifying where one car ruins another’s flying lap getting stuck in traffic.

Wouldn't that not open the possibility of tactics and risk vs reward. Do you play for a gap in the track near end of the race or do you push to get ahead of car in front to give you position.

[JDaniels]

So as expected, Red Bull's review came to a whole load of nothing. Couple of interesting things though -

• They got Albon to try and re-create Hamilton's line at Silverstone and get video of it(!!)

• And this bit -
  

  The Stewards note, with some concern, certain allegations made in the Competitor's above letter. Such allegations may or may not have been relevant to the Stewards if the Petition for Review had been granted. The Stewards may have addressed these allegations directly in any decision that would have followed. The Petition having been dismissed, the Stewards make no comments on those allegations.

  which reads to me as Red Bull accused Hamilton of taking Verstappen out intentionally and if the stewards had gone any further with the review they would have called it out as bullshit. But they didn't so they can't.

As I said, spicy!!

[Osamabindipper]

Be interesting to see how it plays out. It's definitely insured the second half of the season will be great fun. Let's hope Mercedes can up their game to make it a proper race for the tittle and it could be one that is talked about for years.

[Widdensushi]

Be interesting to see how it plays out. It's definitely insured the second half of the season will be great fun. Let's hope Mercedes can up their game to make it a proper race for the tittle and it could be one that is talked about for years.

The opposite, the sport is seen as being corrupt, drive your opposition out of the race with a clear illegal manover, a token penalty, their engine unpredictable after such an impact, so possibly two wins out of driving your opponent off the road, driver possibly impacted after such a heavy impact, the fixtures will suit Mercedes as the season goes on, the whole thing has done damage to the sport, just when they were getting audiences back.

[Frank]

That’s some length of a delay to remove debris.

[Osamabindipper]

That was very good race. I watched it on catchup so only finishing now..

[Gonzovision]

Ye very enjoyable. Great battle between Hamilton and Alonso. Delighted for Ocon.

[Osamabindipper]

Yeah Alonso won the race for Ocon but good drive. Second half of season is shaping up well.

[Eoin_B]

The opposite, the sport is seen as being corrupt, drive your opposition out of the race with a clear illegal manover, a token penalty, their engine unpredictable after such an impact, so possibly two wins out of driving your opponent off the road, driver possibly impacted after such a heavy impact, the fixtures will suit Mercedes as the season goes on, the whole thing has done damage to the sport, just when they were getting audiences back.

What was the "illegal" Manover?

[Osamabindipper]

What was the "illegal" Manover?

Wouldn't even bother mate. People have opinions and some you just can tell no point in debating them.

There were moves today that were very same as what Hamilton did last week but the driver on the outside knew there was a chance of someone been on inside so didn't turn it. Its racing if no one tried overtaking or pressing the opponents to make mistakes it would be boring.

[Eoin_B]

Wouldn't even bother mate. People have opinions and some you just can tell no point in debating them.

There were moves today that were very same as what Hamilton did last week but the driver on the outside knew there was a chance of someone been on inside so didn't turn it. Its racing if no one tried overtaking or pressing the opponents to make mistakes it would be boring.

Absolutly each driver is responsible for their own 4 corners and where the decide to put them!

[Andrew76]

I see Vettel has been disqualified since they couldn't get the mandatory 1 litre of fuel out of the car (https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/58050375) - so that bumps everyone up a place and increases Lewis's lead over Max to 8 pts.

Crazy race it was and gutted Bottas robbed us of a decent fight. Hopefully RB can make another step and keep the pressure on Merc for the rest of the season - would love Max to win the title just to break the monotony of Merc/Hamilton domination (as much as I'd admire their success).

[Hairy-Joe]

Well it all comes down to this weekend.

While I'm not Hamilton's greatest fan and I think Verstappen comes across as a maverick, I think for the good of the sport, Hamilton shouldn't win. Having a different winner would show that there was some element of competition in this era.