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Post by Carl on May 10, 2021 4:23:06 GMT
I always wanted Carlos Reutemann to do well, as he often would when properly motivated, and was very sad to learn about his condition. If good wishes can travel to Argentina, let ours comfort this great driver.
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Post by Carl on May 10, 2021 4:31:22 GMT
The race resembled a 3-dimensional chess match between Toto and Helmut/Horner more than a contest of drivers. Because Toto moved his pieces with more intelligence and foresight, as the final laps approached it was checkmate.
It's not necessarily a given that Formula One wants close competition between drivers, but if so it should provide a tyre compound skilled drivers can make last the race distance, clear away excess wing elements, dispose of artificial drag reduction and put Adrian Newey out to pasture.
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Post by robmarsh on May 10, 2021 6:49:47 GMT
I always wanted Carlos Reutemann to do well, as he often would when properly motivated, and was very sad to learn about his condition. If good wishes can travel to Argentina, let ours comfort this great driver. They can Carl. I also always liked Reuteman from the moment he put the BT34 on pole in his first Grand Prix in Argentina 1972. I rooted for him when he was racing for Williams and always thought that Jones came across as a huge whinger because Carlos didn't move over for him in 1981. If Jones was as good as he believed himself to be then he wouldn't have had that written into his contract in the first place and certainly wouldn't have enforced it. As an aside if the Aussie cricket team were as good as they thought themselves to be then they wouldn't have shown "True Aussie Grit" when they used sandpaper to alter the ball in that infamous cricket match in South Africa a few years ago. I think Carlos showed immense integrity when he withdrew from the Williams team in 1982 just before the Falklands conflict. He obviously couldn't bee seen to be racing for a British team by his own country and nor could he give away what was about to happen. Given his place in Argentinian society and political circles and that invasions are not the work of a moment, I wonder if the knowledge of what was in the wings was partly responsible for his inexplicable loss of form in the Grand Prix at Ceasars Palace at the end of 1981. A real gentleman |
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Post by charleselan on May 10, 2021 11:01:07 GMT
I watched the race yesterday and to be honest wasn't expecting too much as it isn't one of my favourite venues as it does not encourage any real racing. I read all sorts of "professional" commentators spouting all this hype about it being a real technical challenge to drivers, and how the best (Lewis Hamilton) are allowed to display their superiority on this track. However to most followers of motor sport much of that will be lost on them as they wish to see real racing and overtaking, not analyse some scientific experiment. My normal way of viewing these days is to have the calm and mature coverage of the Swiss SFR provider displayed on my iMac and the UK S*YF1 running on my PC alongside (with volume often turned well down). However on this occasion I had the sound turned up and became increasingly annoyed with the commentary of the S*Y booth. All we heard was how dominant Max and Lewis were and then Brundle came out with "Leclerc is acting like a cork in a bottle", to which the idiot Croft then espoused that he was ruining Bottas race. Now to some this might sound pretty innocuous but if one looks at it from the point of view that many watching are not necessarily fans who understand every aspect of the sport, or are young kids learning about F1 then they are being told a false narrative, and Brundle in particular should know better. Charles Leclerc was driving out of his skin in a car that was no where near in performance of the two leaders and Bottas, would he have said the same about Gilles at Jarama in 1981. They also made very little in the way of a remark about his outstanding overtake of Bottas at turn three on the opening lap, which was inexcusable. We then had Brundle comment a little later that Max & Lewis were on another level to the rest of the field, maybe so in respect of the majority but when one considers what Charles was doing that was patently not true. As the event drew to a close we suddenly had Karun Chandcook mention what a great race Charles had driven and then the commentary team come in with something like "Oh! yes a fine drive". It was as if someone had brought them up on this. In all fairness to S*Y they had the ever sound Jensen Button interviewing Charles Leclerc after the race and he gave high praise to the early overtake and suggested that maybe Charles had seen old footage of Alonso doing it in the past, to which Charles replied, that no he had not actually seen it but knew that he could do something like that in the early laps as the grip would be good out wide, but as the race wore on it would not as it would covered in marbles. Very JYS(ish) there young man  . Later in the evening I watched Peter Windsor's post race analysis (Part 2) on YouTube and after extolling the virtues of Lewis and how he beat Max, he then stated that in his opinion the two outstanding performances were from Lewis and Charles, who he actually said were of a comparable level. Otherwise I actually felt sorry for Max as he driven a superb race and in the end he was beaten by strategy. I am not saying that Lewis Hamilton would not have won if they had run the same race pattern, but who knows as he would have to have overtaken with similar tyre life. Good to see Daniel Ricciardo drive more like his old self, even if his wobbling around on the straight was a bit unsavoury. Lando Norris was a bit low key in the race and his late move on Carlos his old mate was very naughty. Peter Windsor was a bit hard on Carlos saying he was way off Charles but failed to noter that he started further back on a track that is almost impossible to overtake on, and the fact that he got mired behind Mercedes Benz powered cars and even with the ridiculous DRS could not pass which backed up the issue Max had at Portimao. Apologies guys if it is a bot of a rant but to me commentary is important and we can do without the tabloidesque narrative; can you imagine a football (soccer) commentary just praising the goal scorer when the really outstanding player was a midfielder who was barely mentioned. |
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Post by René on May 11, 2021 11:46:00 GMT
All very good comments and really not much to add! 
For a Spanish Grand Prix on this track it was actually not a bad race. Both Lewis and Max are driving at a very high level right now and so is Charles whose driving is really exceptional.
Just imagine if the Ferrari was on par with the Merc and the Bull and, like Carl said, they are running on tyres that could last the distance. Just imagine those three fighting it out. Three different teams and three excellent drivers giving it their all.
Just imagine....  |
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Post by robmarsh on May 11, 2021 12:01:25 GMT
All very good comments and really not much to add!
For a Spanish Grand Prix on this track it was actually not a bad race. Both Lewis and Max are driving at a very high level right now and so is Charles whose driving is really exceptional.
Just imagine if the Ferrari was on par with the Merc and the Bull and, like Carl said, they are running on tyres that could last the distance. Just imagine those three fighting it out. Three different teams and three excellent drivers giving it their all.
Just imagine.... I do have a strong feeling Rene that by the end of the season that may well happen. Charles looked very positive after the Grand Prix and he has unfulfilled business to achieve in Monaco. |
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Post by René on May 11, 2021 12:08:09 GMT
All very good comments and really not much to add! For a Spanish Grand Prix on this track it was actually not a bad race. Both Lewis and Max are driving at a very high level right now and so is Charles whose driving is really exceptional.
Just imagine if the Ferrari was on par with the Merc and the Bull and, like Carl said, they are running on tyres that could last the distance. Just imagine those three fighting it out. Three different teams and three excellent drivers giving it their all. Just imagine.... I do have a strong feeling Rene that by the end of the season that may well happen. Charles looked very positive after the Grand Prix and he has unfulfilled business to achieve in Monaco. A bit of Monaco 1981 wouldn't be bad, hey?  |
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Post by Carl on May 11, 2021 17:33:40 GMT
All very good comments and really not much to add!
For a Spanish Grand Prix on this track it was actually not a bad race. Both Lewis and Max are driving at a very high level right now and so is Charles whose driving is really exceptional.
Just imagine if the Ferrari was on par with the Merc and the Bull and, like Carl said, they are running on tyres that could last the distance. Just imagine those three fighting it out. Three different teams and three excellent drivers giving it their all.
Just imagine.... The 1977 Long Beach Grand Prix was one for the ages. Jody Scheckter, Mario Andretti and Niki Lauda were nose to tail for most of the race until Jody's Wolf had a slow puncture that allowed the Lotus and Ferrari to pass. My nephew and I were top row* at the end of 195 mph Shoreline Drive, where Andretti passed on the penultimate lap, and of course the crowd went wild to have an American again on the top step of the podium.
* in certain grandstands at some circuits, the top row allows a panoramic view and always the choice of standing without anyone objecting.  |
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Post by robmarsh on May 11, 2021 17:50:05 GMT
Nice Carl, those DVDs of the 70s seasons were very good. nice to see a very young Dan Gurney.
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Post by René on May 12, 2021 13:12:22 GMT
All very good comments and really not much to add! For a Spanish Grand Prix on this track it was actually not a bad race. Both Lewis and Max are driving at a very high level right now and so is Charles whose driving is really exceptional.
Just imagine if the Ferrari was on par with the Merc and the Bull and, like Carl said, they are running on tyres that could last the distance. Just imagine those three fighting it out. Three different teams and three excellent drivers giving it their all. Just imagine.... The 1977 Long Beach Grand Prix was one for the ages. Jody Scheckter, Mario Andretti and Niki Lauda were nose to tail for most of the race until Jody's Wolf had a slow puncture that allowed the Lotus and Ferrari to pass. My nephew and I were top row* at the end of 195 mph Shoreline Drive, where Andretti passed on the penultimate lap, and of course the crowd went wild to have an American again on the top step of the podium.
* in certain grandstands at some circuits, the top row allows a panoramic view and always the choice of standing without anyone objecting.
A real classic, Carl. And you were there!
For the real die-hards, here's the full race:
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Post by charleselan on May 12, 2021 18:05:42 GMT
I have just read that Carlos Reutemann has now stabilised following an abdominal procedure, is lucid and well aware of his surroundings. Good news one hopes, which is at least positive.
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Post by Carl on May 12, 2021 18:19:25 GMT
I have just read that Carlos Reutemann has now stabilised following an abdominal procedure, is lucid and well aware of his surroundings. Good news one hopes, which is at least positive. Good to hear! |
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Post by René on May 12, 2021 19:26:00 GMT
I have just read that Carlos Reutemann has now stabilised following an abdominal procedure, is lucid and well aware of his surroundings. Good news one hopes, which is at least positive. Wonderful news. Still some way to go I understand but this is good. |
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Post by robmarsh on May 13, 2021 7:14:36 GMT
Excellent news, Thanks for the update Charles. Your question answered Carl.
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Post by charleselan on May 13, 2021 13:50:00 GMT
I see that we are back to the "Bendy wings" once again, or more to the point complaints about certain teams having wings that apparently deform. From what I have read about the subject it would appear that the "bendability" of these wings is not actually illegal as defined by the current regulations, which is interesting. Technically if this is the case then they should be allowed to continue during this current season and then be ruled out for the following year(s), however the authorities after being lobbied by a certain team are making a change mid season to outlaw them.
OK I am not a fan of aero in F1 to the extent we have these days but it is currently the thing, so anyone who invents a way to get a lead in that field should not be discriminated against because some other team does not like it. It always appears to me that when ever a team gets into a position to challenge the all dominant current team then the latter starts crying.
Cheating is one thing but clever interpretation of the rules to gain an advantage is surely OK, Colin Chapman if he were alive today would approve I am sure.
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