F1 Thread

[RichC]

He joined Merc in 2013, and in 2014 the rules changed and Mercedes were the dominant team from the off, never looking back. The only person he's had to beat since then has been his teammate, and he's never been pushed as No 1 driver for the team, he's always had a stooge (apart from one year when it just felt like Mercedes were desperate to have a German driver win the title).

He drove well in 2008 that's true, and had a good battle with the Ferrari's, but Ferrari shot themselves in the foot in that season, with an unreliable car.

Masi has been a farce yes, but I think the stewards have also never covered themselves in glory, so inconsistent from race to race with what is acceptable and what isn't.

And that's no different to Schumacher, he went to Ferrari and won 5 titles on the trot with them.

Massi has been dreadful but yeah the stewards have also been inconsistent.

Shame the season has ended as it has as both drivers have been very good and it's a bit of shame it's ended up like this.

[RichC]

Doesn't help that he's got people like Toto and Horner in his ear the whole race. They shouldn't be allowed to speak to him.

Yeah, to a point I agree but he's been a weak Race Director for me and inconsistent pretty much the entire season.

The absolute farce that was the Belgian GP was horrendous and done to trouser as much cash as possible from the fans.

[Scratch]

And that's no different to Schumacher, he went to Ferrari and won 5 titles on the trot with them.

Massi has been dreadful but yeah the stewards have also been inconsistent.

Shame the season has ended as it has as both drivers have been very good and it's a bit of shame it's ended up like this.

Regarding Schumacher, he went to Ferrari when they were a struggling also-ran (13 years without a Constructor's and 17 without a Driver's championship and it took 4 years to develop a winning car with them. If he hadn't gone there, Ferrari would not have got back their glory years.

He was also at Mercedes for the 2 years proceeding Hamilton's appointment and tho the results didn't go his way, the knowledge he brought certainly helped the team.

Rossi was similar, leaving the domination of Honda behind to try and drag a struggling former powerhouse back to it's glory days, successfully with Yamaha. I feel both men could have won a lot more titles if they had made other career choices, but each was driven to prove themselves in different ways.

As for the stewards, are they changed each round, or is it the same team at every event? If it's the former, then that's like VAR is now, it just becomes subjective and almost pointless.

[labourRed]

As for the stewards, are they changed each round, or is it the same team at every event? If it's the former, then that's like VAR is now, it just becomes subjective and almost pointless.

Nah, the race director is permanent. Masi took over from the much more widely respected Charlie Whiting. There's been a lot of drivers coming out today calling yesterday "weird"

They did the same after Brazil when no one really knew what the rules were re overtaking.

I think Masi is pretty much untenable now. Not just because of yesterday but all year he's just been weird in his decision making. This is a sport that is usually by the book but this clown is just making it up as he goes along and is probably a little bit green to be fair to him.

[Scratch]

I know the Racing Director is a permanent fixture, but the 'driving incidents' get referred to the stewards a lot, and I was wandering if that panel changes from round-to-round, or if it's the same 3(?) each time out?

[ChesterDave]

It changes from round to round. Saw somes comments on twitter that suggested they shouldn't to avoid them being corrupted but surely its easier to corrupt someone that can be a tool for 10 rates a season than to nobble someone every round?

[labourRed]

I know the Racing Director is a permanent fixture, but the 'driving incidents' get referred to the stewards a lot, and I was wandering if that panel changes from round-to-round, or if it's the same 3(?) each time out?

Nah, they change but they don't have the final say... Masi does.

[RichC]

Regarding Schumacher, he went to Ferrari when they were a struggling also-ran (13 years without a Constructor's and 17 without a Driver's championship and it took 4 years to develop a winning car with them. If he hadn't gone there, Ferrari would not have got back their glory years.

He was also at Mercedes for the 2 years proceeding Hamilton's appointment and tho the results didn't go his way, the knowledge he brought certainly helped the team.

Rossi was similar, leaving the domination of Honda behind to try and drag a struggling former powerhouse back to it's glory days, successfully with Yamaha. I feel both men could have won a lot more titles if they had made other career choices, but each was driven to prove themselves in different ways.

As for the stewards, are they changed each round, or is it the same team at every event? If it's the former, then that's like VAR is now, it just becomes subjective and almost pointless.

I think we're agree to disagree. Both Schumacher and Hamilton are great drivers.

The stewards change from race to race which is probably the right thing to do.

Massi for me is untenable and you can imagine a few teams will be pushing for him to be removed from the role.

[Oberon]

That's the first time I've seen a robbery after the car chase!

To be fair RB & MV didn't do anything wrong, neither did Merc & LH.

It seems to me that so desperate was the need for a green flag finish the rules were "re-interpreted" to allow this. A red flag immediately the safety car was deployed plus a standing start would have provided that. It would have provided a more level playing field and not denied Sainz a crack at MV & LH too, it is car racing after all!

I thought LH & Merc played it exactly right and had the positions been reversed RB would have done the same and Merc would have made the same pleadings as CH did.

While I think LH deserved the title I'm not sure taking from MV now is the right thing to do. This is a mess entirely of the authorities making and I can't see a wholly fair way out of it

[RichC]

That's the first time I've seen a robbery after the car chase!

To be fair RB & MV didn't do anything wrong, neither did Merc & LH.

It seems to me that so desperate was the need for a green flag finish the rules were "re-interpreted" to allow this. A red flag immediately the safety car was deployed plus a standing start would have provided that. It would have provided a more level playing field and not denied Sainz a crack at MV & LH too, it is car racing after all!

I thought LH & Merc played it exactly right and had the positions been reversed RB would have done the same and Merc would have made the same pleadings as CH did.

While I think LH deserved the title I'm not sure taking from MV now is the right thing to do. This is a mess entirely of the authorities making and I can't see a wholly fair way out of it

They race was contrived at the end but that’s not on RB or MV.

[fidget]

Mercedes should have told Bottas to crash as soon as they knew what was going on.

[Harv]

That's the first time I've seen a robbery after the car chase!

To be fair RB & MV didn't do anything wrong, neither did Merc & LH.

It seems to me that so desperate was the need for a green flag finish the rules were "re-interpreted" to allow this. A red flag immediately the safety car was deployed plus a standing start would have provided that. It would have provided a more level playing field and not denied Sainz a crack at MV & LH too, it is car racing after all!

I thought LH & Merc played it exactly right and had the positions been reversed RB would have done the same and Merc would have made the same pleadings as CH did.

While I think LH deserved the title I'm not sure taking from MV now is the right thing to do. This is a mess entirely of the authorities making and I can't see a wholly fair way out of it

I don't think he did at all.

He got some very favourable decisions go his way all season. Should've been DQ'd at Silverstone but ended up winning, got very lucky at Baku when Max was cruising to the win and Hamilton out of the points - only to be let down with his tire exploding out of nowhere. Those were two key moments that changed the title. Cant recall Max getting the rub of the green many times, felt like because of his aggressive style and Hamiltons/Toto's tendency to whinge and cry that Max always get his arse hauled over the coals with any incident...whilst Hamilton gets away with it. Case in point the corner cutting on the first lap. Had that been Max, like the week prior, he'd have been made to give that place back.

I also still don't see what peoples problem is with them letting the back markers move out the way. It wasn't robbery FFS. Hamilton still had front position and opportunity to pass once he got overtaken. He was unlucky, finally, when all the luck had been with him the rest of the way.

[Kenneth]

We get it, you despise him.

[RichC]

I don't think he did at all.

He got some very favourable decisions go his way all season. Should've been DQ'd at Silverstone but ended up winning, got very lucky at Baku when Max was cruising to the win and Hamilton out of the points - only to be let down with his tire exploding out of nowhere. Those were two key moments that changed the title. Cant recall Max getting the rub of the green many times, felt like because of his aggressive style and Hamiltons/Toto's tendency to whinge and cry that Max always get his arse hauled over the coals with any incident...whilst Hamilton gets away with it. Case in point the corner cutting on the first lap. Had that been Max, like the week prior, he'd have been made to give that place back.

I also still don't see what peoples problem is with them letting the back markers move out the way. It wasn't robbery FFS. Hamilton still had front position and opportunity to pass once he got overtaken. He was unlucky, finally, when all the luck had been with him the rest of the way.

Any comment on the Monza incident or was that just “racing”

[chadrtc]

Or maybe the race Max won in Belgium after only 2 laps behind the safety car? I think you’re seeing a narrative that doesn’t exist personally.

Lewis Hamilton has been a class act this season, look at his response to the cluster**** on Sunday, it’s in stark contrast to Verstappen the week before being correctly penalised.