F1 2021
- Thread starter anon1
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This Jeddah Street Circuit is supposedly REALLY fast, but they might still be building it an hour before free practice starts. The podium drivers might be allowed to spray champagne on each other, but they don't dare drink it in public in Saudi Arabia.
Watching free practice this morning, this course is a death trap waiting to happen.
100%, someone is going to get killed there. It needs to be changed.
Look at the damage it did to LeClerc's car.
It's so narrow and a high speed track I have visions of Jeff Krosnoff's and a course workers death at the 96 Toronto Molson Indy. I was at that race and it was a sad day and somber mood for everyone.
I remember that Toronto race. I had taped it since I was out that day..I did not know about the fatal accident until I watched the tape later that evening.. Years later you could see the scars left on the tree.
That was a crazy fast lap he strung together. Hamilton will cruise to victory on Sunday but I can see there being several SC and VSC's.
If Bottas can get away in 2nd place to the first corner, then team orders(as usual) will be to hold up Max as long as he can.
Drivers who do not have a contract with their team for the next season have been known to disobey team orders. If Bottas gets ahead of Hamilton at the start or if he's ahead late in the race, don't necessarily expect him to make it easy for his teammate to pass him, as if he was Reubens Barrichello. René Arnoux ignored team orders to let Alain Prost pass him while Arnoux was leading the 1982 French Grand Prix, and Arnoux got a Ferrari seat for 1983. The team couldn't sanction Bottas, either, because team orders are, I believe, still 'officially' a rules violation. Teams get around that by telling drivers when to pit for fresh tires, or with radio instructions that are orders, but are not worded explicitly.
During the post Q interviews...Hamilton blow enough smoke up Bottas' ass to make sure he plays the perfect wingman. Who knows...Merc would probably offer Bottas an extra million for the race just to play the wingman.
You are wrong about Team orders. Teams are free to use Team Orders, it is no longer a sporting violation...F1 racing is a team sport at the end of the day.
About the only time the Team cannot help the driver is on the formation lap.
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My information was out of date. They were banned for a while, and they'll be banned again. The FIA makes a lot of stupid changes, just for the sake of change. The 'knockout qualifying' might be the worst of many.
I see no reason to ban team orders in a team sport.
I do miss the 12 lap qualifying of the past. The current system is OK, as you get to see the top 10 fastest cars fight it out with less back markers in the way. Sprint Race idea is stupid...but that won't chance as the financial gain to F1 seems to be driving the issue forward.
The one lap qualifying was dull...that timed knock out qualifying was stupid as f...no clue what the old man was thinking.
You are correct.
Bottas said very clearly during a post quali interview " Sure I want to win but it's about the team and I'm not fighting for a championship and will help Lewis".
Bottas is a good soldier and will do what Toto tells him to do. Always has.
Go to 2:30 of the video.
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There was no need to ban team orders, but the FIA did it anyway, change for the sake of change.
Back in the day, Ron Dennis and Frank Williams couldn't have cared less who won the Driver's Championship. They cared VERY much about winning the Constructor's Championship, and McLaren cared a lot about the trophies. The team kept all trophies for drivers' podium places. I don't know if that's still the case. I know historic F1 much better than the past few years.
Of course they did. Constructor's championship brings a huge pay day at the end of the year.
Formula 1 bracing for a title-deciding crash in the final two races of the season
F1 personalities reckon fans could see Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton crash in the final two races, and they hope it is not deliberate.
www.planetf1.com
