Grand Prix 2019 German Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

So onwards we got to what has become the annual Hamilton/Mercedes lap of honour. After victory in his home country was secured Lewis now turns his eyes to a nice bit of PR for his team at the Hockenheimring. The once great Hockenheim is not what it was and isn't the most exciting track in the world (the stadium section is alright I guess) but we should feel lucky to have a German Grand Prix at all really given recent history. Once again we are predicting this will the last race at this circuit and that it will drop off the calendar next year. But as with Silverstone this seems to be said every year. I wouldn't say I would miss the track but not having a German Grand Prix with such German involvement but going to Viet Nam would be beyond mental.

Compeating to come second to Lewis Hamilton this weekend will be Valteri Bottas -just starting his mid-season slump, Charles LeClerc - trying not to become Jean Alesi, Max Verstappen - got his sensational win for the season under his belt, and Sebastian Vettel - coming off the back of his worst run of results in a decade. I can't say I'm that excited about it all but it might be interesting I guess. Mercedes 1-2 all the way.

Midfield is interesting. Gasly needs to jump out of it. Sainz and Norris need to continue the Mclaren revival. Haas need a new car. Renault need some results and George Russell needs to just keep doing what he's doing.

Not the greatest write up I know but I'm afraid life has got in the way - over F1Brits_90 who has some stuff he'd like to add.

 

[Il_leone]

I think the race is what F1 needs .. I still say Canada 2011 was the best but yesterday saw tested all the drivers and in those situations there is always a chance of shock results

I feel sorry for

LeClerc - just when he looks like he might win the race and firmly send a message to the Ferrari hierarchy he aint a No2 driver he bins it

Hulkenberg - the man may end up with no podium in his F1 career which is unimaginable but again he bins it

Albon - 6th was impressive but he lost out on the pit stops and could have been on the podium

Russell - somehow was beaten by Kubica to getting WIlliams first points

No sympathy for

i) Mercedes pit wall - what happened everything yesterday they reacted too little too late and put both their drivers out of position and lost the race.

The Hamilton pitstop was farcical

ii) Gasly - His start got slightly ruined by Verstappen but he was outperformed by the Toro Rosso drivers again and missed a real opportunity to capitalise.

The C4 team keep bringing up his name as a man under pressure and Kyvat/ Albon's performances won't help his situation

iii) Alfa Romeo's - the rules are there clearly written about the clutch set for the start and now its cost them points against Haas

iv) Bottas - He made Lance Stroll look like Max Verstappen in struggling to pass him and get himself a guaranteed 2nd place . Too cautious and when told to push he bins it but he should not have put himself in that situation given a much faster car

 

[RasputinLives]

Have to say I missed the Alfa's being DQ'd. Means Hamilton got 2 points after all.

 

[FB]

...and extended his lead in the Championship.

 

[F1Brits_90]

The Hamilton pitstop was farcical

we were discussing the race over breakfast & we saying that we dont understand the chaos. Because all pit crew when not in use are watching the race like the rest of us. so how on earth did they get caught out. Because everyone saw hamilton off break the wing. did they have bargain hunt on the other side

...and extended his lead in the Championship.

yeah that funniest part after a disastrous 2nd half for mercedes he effectively improved as if he was 3rd & 4th. but bottas should be looking over his shoulder because hungary always suited the downforce of red bull. whose say that gap could be 12pts between bottas & verstappen

 

[Publius Cornelius Scipio]

I for one can't stand races like this - it's not racing when half of it is spent behind the SC and the conditions are so bad that the cars have no grip, downforce, or heat in the tyres.

F1 cars aren't designed for those conditions, and it shows.

I think that you're making a very good point, in my view the start of the race was beyond contempt, there wasn't all that water and they even broadcast the radio messages of drivers saying that the conditions were ok and that they should let them race. Sometimes I wonder if the tv production has an anti-F1 agenda or if it is full of masochists

Re F1 cars running on a wet track I think that more than not being designed for those condtions, which is partly true, the most astonishing point IMHO is that despite the fact that the FIA knows that you can't run a modern F1 on a wet track with a dry set up otherwise the car would be undrievable because the car sits too low on the ground and therefore a film of water builds up between the track surface and the bottom of the car (and the tyres become irrelevant), despite all this and despite the fact that this problem has been known for years and has caused many controversies, yet despite all of the above they still haven't changed the park ferme rules to allow the teams to increase the ground clearance of the cas and to let them reduce the front wings. I mean that doesn't look like rocket science, they could allow every team to increase the ground clearance of a set amount and let them decrease front wing at choice, all this could be done in a matter of a few minutes under the close supervision of the stewards and that wouldn't impact on the costs.

With the current aero bias wet races tend to be much more interesting than dry races, the fact that the powers that be refuse to let the cars be set up to run under wet conditions IMHO is utterly nonsensical

Other than that I don't agree with some drivers blaming the slippery surface on the outside of the Motodrom, if you exit the track it's your fault, paying a price for a mistake IMHO is a fair consequence, if similar conditions were available at other traks I believe that the racing would be better

 

[olegg]

It's very interesting stat:

 

[Ruslan]

It's very interesting stat:

Good posting. Hamilton has always been good in the rain, although didn’t do so well this last weekend.

 

[Angel]

What strikes me is that you have to go back to 2014, so five years ago, to find 9 wet races. Also apparently 2016 was a wetter year than most with 3 races. Shows how few we actually get and only 2 in Britain as well as 2 in Germany. Interesting stats olegg

 

[olegg]

What strikes me is that you have to go back to 2014, so five years ago, to find 9 wet races. Also apparently 2016 was a wetter year than most with 3 races. Shows how few we actually get and only 2 in Britain as well as 2 in Germany. Interesting stats olegg

It's not me stats.
It's on F1 official twit
However, I do not see a strong contradiction to reality.
This can be seen including the page overtakings on cliptheapex.
However, I understand why you are so excited.
Very unpleasant statistics of Hamilton for you,
whose results are very concerned you

 

[Il_leone]

that stat that Hamilton has the last 9 races bar Sunday in the wet is incredible - should be called the rain master

 

[Ruslan]

that stat that Hamilton has the last 9 races bar Sunday in the wet is incredible - should be called the rain master

Well in most of those races he won, he had the superior car. So I would be hesitant to give him too much credit. It would be interesting to look at who was winning in the rain from 2007-2013.

 

[Bill Boddy]

.... It would be interesting to look at who was winning in the rain from 2007-2013.

Well in 2007 Alonso hit a pool of water in Japan which put him out of the race whilst Hamilton won it and Hamilton crashed out at the pit lane entry in China whilst Alonso finished second.

 

[RasputinLives]

If you go back prior to 2014 you'll find that Jenson Button had a stint as 'rainmaster' too. More accurately wet/dry master.

I'm sure someone will pop up to tell me it was all down to luck and he wasn't really good in the wet at (they always do) but facts are facts.

 

[Angel]

It's not me stats.
It's on F1 official twit
However, I do not see a strong contradiction to reality.
This can be seen including the page overtakings on cliptheapex.
However, I understand why you are so excited.
Very unpleasant statistics of Hamilton for you,
whose results are very concerned you

olegg I was actually just surprised that it took getting on for probably 100 races to have 9 wet races, you'd assume it would happen more often. I am not bothered either way about Hamilton winning so many of them, good for him, that wasn't what interested me in those stats is all.

 

[Chasz]

Anyone got the facts to back up RasputinLives ?

 

[RasputinLives]

Chasz - I can tell you he had 7 wet race wins between 2006 and 2012 but I couldn't tell you how many wet races there were between that period.

This guy on Reddit did a table of drivers winning wet races between 1980 and 2015 which JB came 4th in behind Schumacher, Senna and Hamilton. It seems fairly accurate.

The best wet weather drivers 1980-2015 : formula1

 

[F1Brits_90]

This is a list of every Wet Race since 2007. with the winner & where Lewis came

Europe/germany 07 - Alonso - Lewis 9th

Japan 07 - Hamilton

China 07 - Raikkonen - Hamilton was leading before infamous DNF

Monaco 08 - Hamilton

British 08 - Hamilton

Belgium 08 - Massa - Hamilton 3rd but won on track

Italy 08 - Vettel - Hamilton 7th

China 08 - Hamilton

Brazil 08 Massa - Hamilton 5th (who could forget)

Malaysia 09 Button - Hamilton 7th

China 09 Vettel - Hamilton 6th

Australia 10 Button - Hamilton 6th

China 10 Button - Hamilton 2nd

Belgium 10 Hamilton

Korea 10 Alonso - Hamilton 2nd

Canada 11 Button - Hamilton DNF

Britain 11 Alonso - Hamilton 4th

Germany 11 Hamilton

hungary 11 Button - Hamilton 4th

Korea 11 Vettel - Hamilton 2nd

Malaysia 12 Alonso - Hamilton 3rd

Brazil 12 Button - Hamilton DNF from lead

Hungary 2014 - Riccardo - Lewis PL > 3rd

 

[olegg]

This is a list of every Wet Race since 2007. with the winner & where Lewis came
Canada 11 Button - Hamilton DNF

Yes... that was amasing race.
Button first pushed to the wall on the straight his partner Hamilton,
and then during the race knocked off the track Alonso....
That race is considered to be the best race Button for his career.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Yes... that was amasing race.
Button first pushed to the wall on the straight his partner Hamilton,
and then during the race knocked off the track Alonso....
That race is considered to be the best race Button for his career.

im going to apologise for being hipster or left field. but that is my favourite race, benchmark for great endings to a f1 race & Jenson button was amazing to come from last to win. but i feel Australia 2010 was a better wet weather drive as he showed how great he was. because showed the leadership i talk about hamilton shouldve showed. if i remember he basically said "right get the slicks ready as im coming in" (bar 1 issue) he could stay on the track when others couldnt & slid off

 

[Bill Boddy]

In the Canadian race in 2011 that I saw Hamilton ran into the back of Button. The visibility was so poor Button would have not been able to see any car behind him.