Two new circuits and a significantly modified third one certainly is a spicy way to end the championship

So will be the inevitable ad infinitum debates & scandals regarding track limits...

The FIA will not open an investigation into Verstappen's turn 48 maneouvre in Brazil.

 

The footage was indeed new they admitted but it didn't add anything that they didn't already know.

 

 

 

Pretty much as expected.

 

 

 

Meanwhile Red Bull are still questioning the legality of the Mercedes new rear wing since the mid season break.

All well and good but sets the precedent for everyone else on the grid now so if anything this should make the racing juicier!

 

And haven't Red Bull themselves had some rear wing issues? Seem to keep changing them during parc ferme each weekend due to "damage".

I’ve seen so many Hamilton fans bring this up since he was correctly DQd. They have applied tape to the wings but that’s always either during or before the start of the session and thus before Parc Ferme regulations kick in. They can change Wings I believe in Parc ferme as long as the spec is identical. But maybe I’m wrong on that. In any case, it’s tape Red Bull have been applying and it’s always before the start of Parc Ferme which is why the FIA has never actually taken any action (coz there’s no action to take) despite twitter and the Motorsport.com comment section being packed to the rafters with eejits crying because their golden boy actually has to earn something for once.

 

 

 

 

 

Talking of which. I don’t think I’ve rolled my eyes so hard as his rainbow helmet. He was homophobic to his literal flesh and blood, said nothing in Hungary when Vettel was head to toe in rainbow and has decided now to jump on the bandwagon to ensure he’s central in the narrative as usual. Maybe I’m just cynical but I find it quite hard to stomach when a homophobic person suddenly tries to play ally.

Can someone' explain why Bottas gets a three place grid penalty but Max gets a five place grid penalty??

Valtteri has a single waved yellow and Max had double. A double waved yellow indicates more danger and should see a quicker reduction in speed so ignoring them considered more dangerous and gets a harsher penalty.

 

 

 

Fairly open and shut as penalties go.

 

Nando up to third on the grid is tasty tho. That Alpine is a wiiiiiiiiide car but then again when you have an illegal rear wing that shouldn’t be an issue should Nando get past dickhead at the start

A much better race than seemed to be anticipated. It's difficult to see anything other than Max and Lewis being the top 2 in the final two races. Think both Red Bull and Alpha Tauri messed up their strategies today, Gasly got to be unhappy with that starting 2nd and Alpine surely nailed on beating them in the constructors now.

Absolutely stoked for Nando!!!!! Superb race for Alpine, both cars gave a good effort and easily our best race since Hungary and this time we didn’t need half the grid knocked out to achieve it!

 

Thought there was some good racing and while I dislike the sand tracks if we had to only keep one this would be the one I kept (but I’d change track limits to any part of the wheel beyond the end of the kerb)

Yeah it was a pretty decent showing for its first race there. A backdrop of a proper title fight is always gonna help but the race itself was good. Not too many overtaking opportunities but turn 1 is very good (bit like Hungary) and having Bottas & The RBs a bit further back kept the action going.

 

Good to see Alonso back on the podium again. Helpful VSC timing with his tyres hanging on and Perez on the charge on fresh mediums. All the tyre failures reminded me of Silverstone last year.

 

So if Lewis can win next week with fastest lap & Max second they'll be level on points going into the final race. Tasty tasty…

The Merc screamer engine is back in the car next week too in time for what looks like a proper power track.

 

 

 

Strange to see the Alpine strong tho at what was quite a high speed circuit (and it was weakest in sector 2) given that Renault haven’t touched the engine in like 2 or 3 seasons. If the (delayed) 2022 engine concept pays off, Alpine and Fernando could be a threat next year

Best driver: Fernando Alonso

Worst driver: Nikita Mazepin

Best team: Alpine

Worst team: Haas

Best overtake: Alonso on Gasly

Worst overtake: Vettel at the start?

Best moment: Alonso finishing third

Worst moment: Mick Schumacher unsafe rejoin

 

And the race in a sentence: A long way from being a classic.

Best driver: Fernando Alonso

Worst driver: Nikita Mazepin

Best team: Alpine

Worst team: Haas

Best overtake: Alonso takes second place

Worst overtake: Verstappen on Gasly (not unexpected and never Max's fault, but very much on a plate)

Best moment: Alonso on the podium

Worst moment: That sinking feeling that the years best driver probably won't be champion

 

And the race in a sentence: Not as dull as I expected

If the last two races end with Lewis #1 and Max #2 then surely talk of the Silverstone incident will be everywhere!

 

I love Lewis but I will be heartbroken if Max loses it now

oh wow really liked the race, the ending was very nerve-wrecking, was praying Alonso's wheels wouldn't explode

still not sure how Alpine suddenly was running much better than the rest including Ferrari and McLaren

If the last two races end with Lewis #1 and Max #2 then surely talk of the Silverstone incident will be everywhere!

 

I love Lewis but I will be heartbroken if Max loses it now

 

 

And Hungary, and Baku. Max has dropped loads of points through no fault of his own, whereas Lewis has been very lucky in Imola, Silverstone and Sochi

And Max was lucky in Spa and Sochi as well. Agreed that Max should have a bigger points lead but it's not like he's had all the misfortune here. Baku was the really true bit of bad luck and Lewis didn't capitalise on that occasion.

I think most things are just give and take of Motorsport, including Baku because let’s be honest a tyre explosion is not unusual with the current dreadful supplier, with the exception of Silverstone in my book. If max comes a close second then that will be the only reason that Hamilton takes it. Even after having to use an illegal rear wing and a screamer engine, a concept long since retired from F1, to overhaul a deficit with his 25 point tainted advantage.

 

 

 

Spa doesn’t really count because the whole grid faced the same circumstances.

You could equally argue Max was unlucky with Spa. He had pole and was quicker than Lewis all weekend. The curtailed race meant he earned 12.5pts to Lewis' 7.5. Had he won the race, which did look likely, he'd have cut Lewis' lead by 7 points and not 5 (assuming Lewis came 2nd)

 

 

Granted he benefitted at Sochi too.

 

 

But the point was that Max lost a likely 60+ points through external forces which is high in any year.

Edited November 22, 20213 yr by Severin