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Post by René on Mar 24, 2021 16:01:48 GMT
Finally, first race weekend of the 2021 season is about to begin! Still a lot of question marks after the three test days but this weekend will surely answer a couple of them: - Has Mercedes really made a false start and if so, can they recover fast? - ..or worse (or not..  ), have they made a fundamental design error? - Is Red Bull Honda finally ready for a serious championship challenge and can they capitalize on a possible slow Mercedes start? - Can Ferrari return to the front of the grid? They will surely improve from last year but by how much? - How strong will McLaren be with the new Mercedes engine and a proven race winner in one of their cars? - And which rookie will impress the most? There’s a lot more going on with several drivers changing teams so this is going to be an interesting weekend without a doubt. Not the most interesting track but it’ll have to do and Imola and Portimão are next on the calendar anyway! Bring it on!
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Post by chrisb on Mar 24, 2021 16:34:55 GMT
it is a sad thought that the start of the season is at a place such as Bahrain, where money does buy you what you want and it does not exactly fill me with an overwhelming enthusiasm, however, there is something about this year that is a cause for more optimism, hopefully that won't be squashed after the first practice
I have gone for Ricciardo, only the very false hope of why not, wouldn't that be amusing if it happened
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Post by robmarsh on Mar 24, 2021 17:06:33 GMT
Hope springs eternal and if you don't have hope in this day and age what do you have. My normal pre season hopes for Ferrari mean I go for Leclerc. After 15 races, provided the race results prove it, I may change to a call based on the evidence to date I may change my bet, but I probably won't.
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Post by robmarsh on Mar 24, 2021 17:08:59 GMT
As a warm up for this weekend I have been watching Netflix Drive To Survive Season Three. It is very interesting, especially behind the scenes at Mercedes. I may be biased but it doesn't show Toto in very good light. Maybe it's the camera angle!!!
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Post by charleselan on Mar 24, 2021 18:55:59 GMT
Sorry chaps I am not getting worked up about this one, I just detest these places. Keeping my powder dry for Imola and Portimäo, proper race tracks and hopefully not a grain of sand in sight.
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Post by mikael on Mar 25, 2021 10:13:29 GMT
I fully agree that those desert tracks are not too inspiring. But it's interesting to note that Grand Prix racing has a long history in going to such "exotic" places - like, for example, to Tripoli (Libya), in the 1930's.
Caracciola, Tripoli Grand Prix 1935
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Post by René on Mar 25, 2021 13:09:36 GMT
Yes, and in 1958 the Moroccan Grand Prix in Casablanca! But those were not the dull tracks we see now in the desert! |
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Post by Carl on Mar 25, 2021 16:47:43 GMT
I fully agree that those desert tracks are not too inspiring. But it's interesting to note that Grand Prix racing has a long history in going to such "exotic" places - like, for example, to Tripoli (Libya), in the 1930's.
Mikael, Great highlight films! Hermann Lang is my favorite pre-war Mercedes driver. Despite his great skill, as a former mechanic he was forced to endure the spiteful hostility of von Brauchitsch, who felt that noblesse is not obliged, but simply entitled. Rudolf Uhlenhaut and Alfred Neubauer, both featured here, were the two central geniuses of Mercedes racing for decades.
The faces of the crowd in the grandstand are remarkable, as though they were aware of being filmed and determined to appear more important or blasé than the others. 
Cheers, Carl
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Post by Carl on Mar 25, 2021 17:11:21 GMT
Yes, and in 1958 the Moroccan Grand Prix in Casablanca! But those were not the dull tracks we see now in the desert! René Great photograph, with Ferrari by coincidence front and center!
With unsurpassed driving talent and extraordinary character, Stirling Moss should have been world champion that year and several others.
-Carl
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Post by mikael on Mar 26, 2021 16:57:31 GMT
Really interesting that McLaren now is in the mix!
It would be nice indeed if the final year of the present format/formula ended with a "bang" - as a real "cliffhanger"!
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Post by René on Mar 26, 2021 18:29:50 GMT
Yep, it's looking very promosing so far! Not a dominant Mercedes to begin with and Max is looking very strong. Like you say Mikael, McLaren also impresses but so does Ferrari who are just as fast as the Mercs (Sainz, Leclerc had a scruffy lap). Still early days but the first signs are very good!
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Post by charleselan on Mar 26, 2021 18:51:10 GMT
Due to a sudden turn to bad weather here I sat down and watched FP2, very interesting but good grief I do not think that S*YF1 could get any worse they were like five year olds and Croft, Jeez!! According to them what we all want to see is Hamilton v's Verstappen, Yeh! Right.
I want too see Hamilton V's Verstappen V's Leclerc V's Sainz V's Norris V's Russell and anyone else who can bring something to the show. It ain't about just two drivers, it is about a plethora of talent that we have right now. Absolute morons!
In the midst of qualifying simulations Carlos goes real well in the Ferrari, to which Croft comes out with well we don't know how little fuel he was running!! It was a qualifying simulation you muppet, so obviously a low fuel run.
Wonderful to see McLaren running strongly and Nando Norris was very impressive indeed, plus the field as a whole has closed considerably, hopefully it will be like this all season long.
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Post by Carl on Mar 26, 2021 23:30:15 GMT
Due to a sudden turn to bad weather here I sat down and watched FP2, very interesting but good grief I do not think that S*YF1 could get any worse they were like five year olds and Croft, Jeez!! According to them what we all want to see is Hamilton v's Verstappen, Yeh! Right. I want too see Hamilton V's Verstappen V's Leclerc V's Sainz V's Norris V's Russell and anyone else who can bring something to the show. It ain't about just two drivers, it is about a plethora of talent that we have right now. Absolute morons! In the midst of qualifying simulations Carlos goes real well in the Ferrari, to which Croft comes out with well we don't know how little fuel he was running!! It was a qualifying simulation you muppet, so obviously a low fuel run. Wonderful to see McLaren running strongly and Nando Norris was very impressive indeed, plus the field as a whole has closed considerably, hopefully it will be like this all season long. At one point, David Croft mentioned that the track record is considerably faster than anyone had yet achieved, then added it had been on the modified course which eliminates the slower mid-section. He really is an idiot. |
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Post by chrisb on Mar 27, 2021 7:29:19 GMT
as I was distracted elsewhere I only followed this by caption and it is looking interesting, well, could this be the season that sees the end of MB's dominance? well done McLaren, you are looking good -
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Post by René on Mar 27, 2021 14:13:00 GMT
Well, what say of this last practice session.. Max is clearly on form and will be hard to beat. Mercedes is not far off but don't look as convincing as before. And what about Pierre in the AlphaTauri? And the Ferraris set their times on Mediums. Kimi in 7th shows the improvement the Ferrari PU made. And McLaren a bit further back.
Qualy will tell.
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), have they made a fundamental design error?
