F1 Restart

[HomerJSimpson]

Does the fact that Russell has managed to come 2nd in qualifying, only 0.03 seconds behind Bottas, detract from Hamilton's performances over the last season or more? I'm not a big F1 fan and will occasionally watch the first few laps, or a bit more if it looks like there might be some rain, but the fact that some 22 year old (yes I know he's a professional driver) can step into your car and comfortably beat 18 of the other 19 drivers out there seems to suggest that it's the car that is the main factor rather than the organic bit behind the wheel.

Like you not a massive fan but for me its a little from column A and a little from column B. Mercedes are without doubt leaps ahead of the other teams so the car must give him a massive advantage but also with so little opportunity bar testing, he's clearly shown he has an abundance of talent to come in and take the car to second. The car may be good but you have to get it round and quickly.

 

[Deleted member 29109]

Does the fact that Russell has managed to come 2nd in qualifying, only 0.03 seconds behind Bottas, detract from Hamilton's performances over the last season or more? I'm not a big F1 fan and will occasionally watch the first few laps, or a bit more if it looks like there might be some rain, but the fact that some 22 year old (yes I know he's a professional driver) can step into your car and comfortably beat 18 of the other 19 drivers out there seems to suggest that it's the car that is the main factor rather than the organic bit behind the wheel.

Not in my opinion. We all know the Mercedes is by far the best car this year, but you'll struggle to find anyone who's opinion counts that doesn't consider Lewis as one of the best of all time.

Russell has driven a Mercedes on a number of occasions previously, and is up there with the very very best of the young drivers. He is certainly the next Mercedes driver when Bottas' contract is up next season.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Does the fact that Russell has managed to come 2nd in qualifying, only 0.03 seconds behind Bottas, detract from Hamilton's performances over the last season or more? I'm not a big F1 fan and will occasionally watch the first few laps, or a bit more if it looks like there might be some rain, but the fact that some 22 year old (yes I know he's a professional driver) can step into your car and comfortably beat 18 of the other 19 drivers out there seems to suggest that it's the car that is the main factor rather than the organic bit behind the wheel.

If you look at the difference between Bottas and Hamilton on the track, you can only come to the conclusion that Hamilton is a class above Bottas and everyone else in the field right now. If you can be that much quicker than your team mate then it's not just the car

 

[Smiffy]

Well done Georgie boy......just shows you he could have been world champ this year if allowed to drive that car.......

Could have..... but we'll never know.
It will be interesting to see if he can hold it together during the heat of battle today.
There is a big difference between punching a fast quali lap in to actually winning a race.
Where Lewis is strong is his reaction times to events that unfold in front of him, and it's these decisions made in milliseconds that separate world champions from just very good drivers.
Going to be interesting for sure.

 

[SaintHacker]

People that say ' its just the car' seem to forget Russell blitzed F2 a couple of seasons ago, a series where the cars are all the same, and Lewis did similar back i hos GP2 days. Yes a fast car obviously helps, buts its only as good as the bloke holding the steering wheel

 

[Bunkermagnet]

People that say ' its just the car' seem to forget Russell blitzed F2 a couple of seasons ago, a series where the cars are all the same, and Lewis did similar back i hos GP2 days. Yes a fast car obviously helps, buts its only as good as the bloke holding the steering wheel

People also forget that LH also just missed winning the 2007 title by one point in his debut season with Mclaren, and beating his much lauded team mate Alonso in the process.

 

[Reemul]

I don't think anyone is saying Lewis is not a great driver, he certainly is, however the fact he is a 7 times world champion is not just because he a great driver. The mercedes for the last 4 years and probably next year is so far and away better than any other car that any very good driver would win the world championship in it. It certainly would be closer with Lewis not in the car but the world championship would come down to whoever was in the Merc not the other cars unfortunately.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I don't think anyone is saying Lewis is not a great driver, he certainly is, however the fact he is a 7 times world champion is not just because he a great driver. The mercedes for the last 4 years and probably next year is so far and away better than any other car that any very good driver would win the world championship in it. It certainly would be closer with Lewis not in the car but the world championship would come down to whoever was in the Merc not the other cars unfortunately.

Can you name any driver winnning the World driver championship a number of times that wasn't in the best car? Schumacher certainly was (and he was helped by team orders that were very obvious and a very pro Ferrari FIA) ), Vettel in the Red Bull....
Between 1999 and 2008 Ferrari won the constructers championship 8 times. Red Bull between 2010 and 2013.
In fact if you look at the constructers championship list of winners, there are very few times a team hasnt won more than once in isolation and even then you have to examine any possible name changes of the team.
Did we here many moaning about "our Nige" winning in the Williams when they were dominating along with Mclaren? A man so loved by the public yet wouldn't help the Lotus team in their hour of need, the same Lotus team that gave him his chance when no-one else would?

 

[Reemul]

Can you name any driver winnning the World driver championship a number of times that wasn't in the best car? Schumacher certainly was (and he was helped by team orders that were very obvious and a very pro Ferrari FIA) ), Vettel in the Red Bull....
Between 1999 and 2008 Ferrari won the constructers championship 8 times. Red Bull between 2010 and 2013.
In fact if you look at the constructers championship list of winners, there are very few times a team hasnt won more than once in isolation and even then you have to examine any possible name changes of the team.
Did we here many moaning about "our Nige" winning in the Williams when they were dominating along with Mclaren? A man so loved by the public yet wouldn't help the Lotus team in their hour of need, the same Lotus team that gave him his chance when no-one else would?

Again no one is saying that. Vettel won 4 times on the trot in the best car by miles. What is unusal as in has not happened in recent memory is one car being so good for so long. We are talking 7 or 8 years on the trot. Normally other great drivers cars come good and they can challenge closely or their team mate was as good as a driver and could challlenge, in the 80's there was 6 different winners (4 Constructors), 7 in the 90's (3 Constructors), 5 in the 0's (3 Constructors) and 3 in the 10's (3 Constructors). It is getting worse. You pretty much have zero chance to win if you aren't in Merc for the last 7 years and that makes F1 a lot more boring and people questioning anyone winning 7 world championships especially one after another. The only time Lewis didn't win Rosberg did and that was because Lewis had some terrible luck.

No one is thinking anyone but Lewis is going to win next year and I mean no one, most of us are waiting for the following year with the rule reset and new cars, hopefully we get an evening out so we can have more competitive racing but please don't try and make out Hamilton is some god at driving,we would in all likely hood be saying the same about another driver who had the last 7 years in that car. Hamilton is great driver in the worlds best car for the last 7 years and good for him.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Again no one is saying that. Vettel won 4 times on the trot in the best car by miles. What is unusal as in has not happened in recent memory is one car being so good for so long. We are talking 7 or 8 years on the trot. Normally other great drivers cars come good and they can challenge closely or their team mate was as good as a driver and could challlenge, in the 80's there was 6 different winners (4 Constructors), 7 in the 90's (3 Constructors), 5 in the 0's (3 Constructors) and 3 in the 10's (3 Constructors). It is getting worse. You pretty much have zero chance to win if you aren't in Merc for the last 7 years and that makes F1 a lot more boring and people questioning anyone winning 7 world championships especially one after another. The only time Lewis didn't win Rosberg did and that was because Lewis had some terrible luck.

No one is thinking anyone but Lewis is going to win next year and I mean no one, most of us are waiting for the following year with the rule reset and new cars, hopefully we get an evening out so we can have more competitive racing but please don't try and make out Hamilton is some god at driving,we would in all likely hood be saying the same about another driver who had the last 7 years in that car. Hamilton is great driver in the worlds best car for the last 7 years and good for him.

You had 3 constructers winning team during the 80's, Ferrari, Williams and Mclaren, and they spanned 1979 to 1994, with Benetton poking their noses in during 95 with a return to the same 3 until 2005.
Perhaps instead of bemoaning how strong Mercedes and LH are we should all be questioning why Ferrari and even Red Bull have been so bad.

 

[Deleted member 29109]

The best drivers find their way into the best cars which often leads to periods of domination.

The Redbull wasn't that much better in the first couple of years of their 4 year reign. Seb won one championship without leading it at any time before the last race.

The Mercedes has been the best car on the whole since 2014. But in 2017 and 2018 the Ferrari was its equal, often faster. Although Ferrari were cheating in 2018.
Mercedes won both those championships because of 2 things. They are an all round better team. And Lewis. Even Ferrari said if Lewis was driving their car in 2018 he would likely have made the difference.
Mercedes have completely re-defined how to develop an F1 car and run an F1 team. I've no doubt that there will be many books written about performance management and team building based on this Mercedes team. It's arguably one of the best teams in the history of all sports.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Got to feel for Russell. Had a chance to win and then a horrendous pit stop (cynically Hamilton never seems to have these under pressure) and now a puncture ruins his race.

 

[ger147]

Amazing to think Perez doesn't have a seat for next season. Great win after being smashed off the track on lap 1 by Leclerc. Stayed calm, drove impeccably and took advantage of other team's mistakes to win.

Let's hope he gets the last seat up for grabs next season.

 

[Deleted member 29109]

Got to feel for Russell. Had a chance to win and then a horrendous pit stop (cynically Hamilton never seems to have these under pressure) and now a puncture ruins his race.

They have a couple of times. Monaco a few years ago springs to mind.

 

[SaintHacker]

Got to feel for Russell. Had a chance to win and then a horrendous pit stop (cynically Hamilton never seems to have these under pressure) and now a puncture ruins his race.

Ironically all caused by 'his' car.
Absolutely gutted for George tonight, i really hope Merc do the right thing and give Lewis an extra few days off to recover and give George another drive next week, its the least they owe him after that debacle

 

[Norrin Radd]

Ring ring , Toto it's Lewis ,I'm watching the race mate ,you gotta do something cos he's making me look like it's the car and not me that won the championship.
You gotta stop him mate or im not signing on next year.

 

[Reemul]

I wonder how GR will feel now he knows a real car feels like, that Williams is going to feel pants now.

 

[Smiffy]

An absolutely brilliant race, best one I've watched for ages. Edge of the seat stuff, right from "lights out" to the flag.
Really pleased that Checo got his first win, but gutted for George. He had it in the bag, he really did.
There's going to be some serious head scratching at Mercedes today.
George made Bottas look distinctly average yesterday. Beat him away from the lights, he was pulling away, (easily), and was controlling his race.
He even overtook him again after the pit stops!
It's got us all asking a very important question as well.... exactly HOW good is Hamilton???
I'm not a "Hammy hater", you've got to admire his achievements, but if George could go out in that car first time out and stamp his authority on a race in that way, what would the likes of Verstappen, Checo, Sainz or even Vettel (in his current state) achieve in it?
Could they actually dump Lewis and save a helluva lot of money employing George, who has proved he can do it? Highly unlikely.
Could they dump Bottas and give George the second seat and let them race? Now that would be interesting, and something F1 fans would love to watch.

 

[need_my_wedge]

Ring ring , Toto it's Lewis ,I'm watching the race mate ,you gotta do something cos he's making me look like it's the car and not me that won the championship.
You gotta stop him mate or im not signing on next year.

Made a very similar comment during the race...

I'm no F1 fan, haven't watched it for years, but my lad is, and as a result we watched last nights one (saved me the turmoil of watching the Arsenal). Actually really enjoyed watching it last night, was routing for George form the start of the weekend, so had a little interest to follow. Couldn't believe he was undone so badly by the team........ Hope he gets another chance next week.

 

[harpo_72]

If your going into a contract negotiations, you will look at it simply as pay George £200k /annum let him make earnings on image. Bin Lewis save £40+million, run Bottas contract down and out knowing you have some young guns in F2 that will be of interest... German engine team = Schumacher if he shows promise in the lower formula ...
Time for the engineering to re-establish control like Frank used to have it. It was harsh but actually it was fair.