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Post by René on Nov 12, 2020 17:21:18 GMT
Another great track back on the calendar but this time a relatively new circuit and, granted, a successful Tilke design. Heavily inspired by sections of existing tracks but the end result is good and the rolling countryside helps a lot. What to expect? There are no reasons to expect anything different to previous races but we can always hope for a crazy race due to the weather or other unexpected events. I remember Felipe Massa used to be awesome at this track. 
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Post by robmarsh on Nov 12, 2020 17:32:37 GMT
Yep Felipe had Michael's measure for sure on this track. Heart bet again this week. I am sure Ferrari will win one of the remaining four races.
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Post by René on Nov 12, 2020 17:43:52 GMT
Yep Felipe had Michael's measure for sure on this track. Heart bet again this week. I am sure Ferrari will win one of the remaining four races. Yes I am also convinced they will, even if it will need some luck. This would be a nice track to take that win! Forza!  |
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Post by chrisb on Nov 13, 2020 8:20:44 GMT
sorry Rene, can't manage it twice! Turkey is one circuit Tilke got right, Massa was awesome there and provided further question marks over Michael as I remember,
Peter Windsor has done a piece about the forthcoming race and echoes what a lot of us are saying, a proper race track - I have gone for Danny as I don't think the MB's will be able to exploit all their advantages here -
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Post by René on Nov 13, 2020 13:44:16 GMT
Not looking too bad Rob... so far. Forza Ferrari.
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Post by robmarsh on Nov 13, 2020 16:14:14 GMT
Yep we could be in for a surprise yet Rene
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Post by chrisb on Nov 14, 2020 11:10:36 GMT
and it is wet, this may well spice things up,
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Post by René on Nov 14, 2020 15:00:28 GMT
Well, a surprise it was!
Congratulations to Lance Stroll and to Racing Point with a 1-3 qualy result. First Canadian pole since Jacques Villeneuve in 1997 and I must say I was impressed. Under these kind of circumstances it's always a mix of good car control, good setup and good timing but then you need to do it. And Lance has shown more than once that he can do it. So hats off to him. A bit sour for Max who was fastest in all sessions and in a league of his own on full wets but with the Mercs further back his chances for the race could hardly be better.
Good result for Albon who really can't afford another off weekend so that looks good. Kimi was also on form again. Big disappointment for Ferrari who looked more competitive under dry but struggled massively in the rain. That was clearly not driver related but a tyre temp/setup issue. If it rains tomorrow anything can happen but when dry I can't see anyone else win but Max. The Mercs are not very fast on this slippery surface and there is noone else that can follow the Red Bulls on race pace in the dry. The Ferraris should make good progress however given their pace in the first sessions. But we have a mixed up grid so especially the first part of the race should be fun.
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Post by robmarsh on Nov 14, 2020 16:03:59 GMT
Well I thought it was poetic justice that Lance Stroll should beat Max to pole position. Something that Max said about Lance a little while ago must make it terrible to be beaten by someone so deficient. According to max that is.
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Post by mikael on Nov 14, 2020 17:29:33 GMT
It's nice, actually, to see Lance Stroll coming good. His place in F1 has often been questioned, and it's good to see him justifying it himself, through his driving ability.
Curious to see the Mercedeses being four seconds slower. Hamilton is undoubtedly a true "Regenmeister", and I'm confident that that Mercedes just couldn't be driven faster than it was today.
A shame that there aren't more cold and wet European races left (such that we could have more of this mixing-up of the field). The remaining three races will be "desert races"; and then everything will - most likely - return to the usual pecking order.
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Post by robmarsh on Nov 15, 2020 12:36:58 GMT
Congratulations to Lewis Hamilton. That was a drive worthy of a champion in a car that was clearly not the best in the field on this track. LH has now won every one of the "new races" this year, pretty impressive. I thought he came across very well in the post race interviews as well.
Great to see Seb on the podium and a good race from Charles as well. Nice result for Ferrari lets hope they can build on the momentum. Good drive from Perez and initially a great drive from Stroll but it went to pieces later.
Max drove a bit like a rock ape. It seemed he thought the race was his by right and he made too many mistakes.
Albon lost an opportunity and the McLaren boys were pretty impressive.
All in all a great race.
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Post by René on Nov 15, 2020 17:43:36 GMT
Big congratulations to Lewis Hamilton and what a stylish way to secure his 7th World title!
That was an absolute top class performance of a driver who is on the peak of his abilities and it looks like there is even more to come. Yes I know, best car for years, number one status in the team, bla bla bla, but... you still need to do it. I was impressed today by his driving and his words after the race. A great champion. Lance Stroll learned today that winning a race is another matter but he did very well in the first part of the race. Sergio Pérez did another one of his magic tyre management races (like Lewis) to bring it home in a well deserved second. He ought to be on the grid next year if you ask me.
Experience really mattered today and I was so happy to see the 'old' Sebastian Vettel again. Never did I have the feeling he would lose the car or make some kind of mistake like he did so many of late. Great drive from the German who deserves to end his Ferrari tenure on a high.
Charles Leclerc was brilliant again even if he lost out to second within sight of the finish. He was harsh on himself after the race but he can still be content with that drive. But I can understand he was pissed with himself.
Also a magnificent drive by Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard drove absolutely mega! Worst performance of the day must be Verstappen's. Jeez he drove like a headless chicken. He had the car to win and the speed but somewhere along the road forgot his brain. Those drivers that made the least mistakes and used their brains and had patience when needed finished in the top 5 today. A very enjoyable race with a good end result. Formula 1 can actually be very entertaining if you throw in some variables like the weather and a new track surface! |
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Post by robmarsh on Nov 15, 2020 17:51:03 GMT
Spot on Rene lovely post and I echo your sentiments about Lewis. I think there is so much more to him than we see or are allowed to see in public. As you said Rene he still has to do it. I remember in one of Jackie Stewart's books he said it was so difficult to pick one's self up mentally after winning a championship to do it again the next year at the same intensity. LH has done it for seven years on the trot virtually.
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Post by René on Nov 15, 2020 18:08:12 GMT
Quote/radio message of the day must be Bottas's: Race engineer: "Valtteri, only four laps to go". Valtteri: "I wish it was less!"  |
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Post by mikael on Nov 15, 2020 18:21:48 GMT
Great summary René and Rob.
Yes, some years hence, this may well be a race that will come to be considered as a "classic". Absolutely masterclass by Hamilton. The starting grid probably showed the true "place" of the cars in those wet and cold conditions. (Really interesting that the Racing Point was so fast, in the light that it, as it has been said, by-and-large is a 2019-spec Mercedes.) So this time, Hamilton did actually win in a car that had "no place" on the podium. (One could just notice where the other Mercedes were: out of the points - it was even being lapped!)
I felt sorry for Stroll that his outstandingly good drive in the first half eventually didn't amount to that much. But as René writes, in such difficult conditions, the experience of "the old hands" come to fore.
A wonderful result for Vettel. One lap more and he would have been second.
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