I'm never really that impressed when one of the top team drivers has to work his way from the back, it's happened several times. Not just because of the superior performance differences but backmarkers with power supplied by YOUR team moving aside without fight.

Lew lost the race off the start. Kimi was boxed in at turn 3, locked up. That said, if Hamilton had given a little more room, no contact. If anyone had elbows out, it was LH. He technically left room, just barely, not enough it turns out. Kimi may have taken responsibility post-race for the incident, I think more to defuse Merc's ridiculous finger pointing than anything. Racing incident IMO.

And of course the safety cars. Maybe he didn't get his expected win but LH should thank his lucky stars for a second place. It's the best he could hope for, more than he deserved.

And then there's the talk of Pirelli altering compounds to benefit Mercedes after the Mercs' tire eating at Austria. From what I could tell, everyone's tires looked good at the end, none of those ragged things we saw in Austria. Team order for Bottas to let Hammy by, a real slap in VB's face. From his just finished fight with Vettel, no real indication Bottas' tires were shot. But clearly when he let Hammy by, Bottas finished with his dauber well down.

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I'm never really that impressed when one of the top team drivers has to work his way from the back, it's happened several times. Not just because of the superior performance differences but backmarkers with power supplied by YOUR team moving aside without fight.

Ahhahahahahahaha

I agree with most of Ripley's assessment but....
Bottas was out of tires. He slipped back after Vettel passed and Lewis went by. You could see him sliding around on Vettel's camera.
I suspect they may have left him out there without tires to stack up the Ferraris for a few laps in the hope Lewis would jump them both. Lewis tires were also old and a harder compound than the Ferrari's and Red Bull had fitted at the last stop.
Lewis did say this morning that his actions and comment were "stupid" and that it was a heat of the moment thing. Good to hear that but his whining over the radio is getting old too.
I forgot about the tread thickness change a few races ago that seemed to be to address mostly a Merc problem.
Seems to have helped everybody however and tire failures and safety issues make Pirelli look bad so that's a part of it too.

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Lewis did say this morning that his actions and comment were "stupid" and that it was a heat of the moment thing. Good to hear that

And he was tired, and he was exhausted and he gave his all to satisfy his fans he said. The same fans for whom he ditched an event earlier this year as I recall.

If he'd pitched this bitch in laps 1-5 that's heat of the moment. Even if it was on-track interviews after, maybe. But he waited until Brundle cornered him on podium. Also, if you look at the press conference afterwards he stuck with the story. This is all 2+ hours after incident, and 20-30 minutes after race is over.

He's sorry he's been called out, he's not the least bit sorry for his childish outburst I suspect. I get that he's frustrated, but come one man, why do we always have to come up with some bizarre conspiracy theory and blame others? I don't wish him any personal harm, but I hope his season unwinds from here to something so awful it's nearly comical.

Wait - that may be too harsh. Instead just lose the WDC by 1 point.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/...che-absence-1058040/

Red Bull says the Honda engine will be competitive next year. Bahahahahaha.

Sure it will. Take your place alongside McLaren.

Coming out of the last safety car at the British GP, seeing the three top teams -- all six cars -- nose to tail had me on the edge of my seat yelling at the tv.

Whoever you're pulling for, relish this season. I'll hope against hope we can maintain something close to this level of competition to the final checkered flag at Yas Marina. Ten down, eleven to go, this is fun.

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Originally posted by 280nosler:
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/...che-absence-1058040/

Red Bull says the Honda engine will be competitive next year. Bahahahahaha.

Sure it will. Take your place alongside McLaren.

Red Bull has all the data to make a well informed decision since they own the team using Honda's now.
Honda needs to continue improve the reliability but they are near to Renault now in performance. The Renault powered teams look like they will be taking penalties soon and Honda is way ahead of where they were last year in both departments.

quote:

Originally posted by 220-9er:

quote:

Originally posted by 280nosler:
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/...che-absence-1058040/

Red Bull says the Honda engine will be competitive next year. Bahahahahaha.

Sure it will. Take your place alongside McLaren.

Red Bull has all the data to make a well informed decision since they own the team using Honda's now.
Honda needs to continue improve the reliability but they are near to Renault now in performance. The Renault powered teams look like they will be taking penalties soon and Honda is way ahead of where they were last year in both departments.

True....
However they made their decision in the week leading up to the Canadian Grand Prix. And announced it the Wednesday following it. Since Monaco, Red bull 2.0 team have not scored a point, and also burned through three engines. Hartley's car is on 3/3, and may be on #4 follow the British GP. Gasley was easily passed by stroll, Perez and Vandoorne. They have not scored a single point, and had at least 1 car retire from each race since the announcement. Before their announcement, red bull junior had scored point in 3/6 races, and retired 1 car in three (of 6) races. Granted several retirements were the cause of collisions, like Hartley's in Canada, but still.
Furthmore, Renault had already told them they were not supplying them, so they had to find an alternative. It was not like Merc and Ferrari we're lined up - hell both told them to get bent 2 years ago. Yes, they have a good aero kit, and sure they are down on HP, but by all standards the Renault had had 4 engines do down over 3 teams and 4 race weekends, and Honda has had 3 do down with 1 team and the same time. If I'm Horner, I'm hoping for a miracle.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Georgeair,

quote:

Originally posted by 280nosler:
Red Bull says the Honda engine will be competitive next year. Bahahahahaha.

Sure it will. Take your place alongside McLaren.

I'm sure Honda will come good...look at how ugly it was for them in Indycar when they were only with Rahl.

I just don't know if it will be next year

It's not as if Red Bull doesn't know how to win. It does seem odd with all their Renault experience that they can't continue a good partnership, but Renaults' works team must undermine that relationship a a bit.

That being said, RB would go with Honda unless they knew they could get a competitive if not winning relationship. Information (MGU, MGU-k, MGU-H, etc.) will be going both ways as soon as that partnership is solidified.

Bottas signed with Mercedes for 2019, with an option for 2020.

And Shamilton too.

True.
Hammy got a 40M/yr 2yr deal.

Sounding like there's just the 1 seat at RBR & Ferrari to fill for 2019. Assuming Danny Ric takes the RBR seat & either Kimi or LeClerc takes the Ferrari seat.

Also saw a 2021 proposal to go to 18" wheels & ban tire blankets. Front tires also losing a bit of width, rears to stay as-is.
F1 still looking for a single tire supplier, so anyone outside of Pirelli would have to make a 1-off set for 2020 before the move to 18" in 2021.

Interesting race. Not how I wanted to see it end, but it was not another boring procession to say the least. The 360 by Leclerc was hero level.

The recurring theme throughout the race was poor tire performance -- for nearly everybody. Somebody has to tell Pirelli to get their shit together.

Not to excuse Vettel's mistake which cost both him and Ferrari the lead in the championships, but it was painful to watch!

I hated racing in the rain, especially in the transitional time when it was starting and ending.

Wasn't Vettel's first F1 win in the rain?

Very tricky conditions today. Any one of them could have been caught out the same way.

Nothing wrong with the tires. Everyone has the same options. Some were trying go longer with reasonable pace (and Hamilton did) to make fewer stops.

I feel bad for Riccardo and would have liked to see how things could have worked out without the engine problem. The question is, would they have put on ultra softs or inter's like Max when he pitted. He put up with low grip for so long, then evened out when others were worn out and moved up well into the points. He could easily hold out for the right moment to pit.
Hungary is his big chance so I hope he doesn't get another grid penalty for the engine.

Ferrari/Vettel had one job, mark Hamilton. They should have responded immediately when LH went to ultras. Vettel had the pit stop delta covered and would have stayed ahead. Rain and an extra tire change would have affected both the same.

Ferrari have rolled the dice a handful of times the last couple years, staying too long on worn tires. They got bit today and really, really screwed the pooch.