Grand Prix 2020 70th Anniversary Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

So, for round 5 of the championship F1's global travelling circus rolls into...wait, what? Ah yes, we're back at Silverstone, the airfield circuit generously hosting the second race of a double-header to help the sport's owners deliver a full 2020 championship (and fulfil their broadcast obligations) in spite of the challenges of Covid-19.

Disdaining more obvious geographical or historical alternatives, such as English Grand Prix, Northamptonshire-Buckinghamshire Border Grand Prix, Towcester Grand Prix, Mutton Grand Prix, Stirling Moss Trophy or Daily Express International Trophy, this race has been designated the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix to celebrate 70 years of Formula One in this, the 71st season. The location is apt, since the first Formula One World Championship race was held at the same venue back in 1950 - albeit not in the same month. Things were very different back then: the reigning monarch was in attendance (Silverstone making its usual impression on posh visitors, neither the King nor Princess Elizabeth returned in subsequent years); Alfa Romeo dominated the event; Ferrari decided not to show up at all; and there were around 200,000 more spectators than will be present this Sunday.

The pre-race buildup will surely be focused on Pirelli, who are investigating after three drivers suffered tyre failures in the latter stages of the British GP. All three were attempting ambitious stint durations, and it's worth noting that the planned allocation for this weekend was for all three tyre compounds to be a step softer: so this week's "Hard" will be the same as last week's "Medium". On the face of it, this makes a one-stop race out of the question, and creates the possibility of some strategic variety.

Mercedes will be looking to make it five wins out of five of course, and it looks as though they will only be beaten this year if they beat themselves, as was nearly the case last time out. Perhaps Max Verstappen can put enough pressure on them to force some kind of mistake? In the midfield, Racing Point will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing home race, and Nico Hulkenberg will hopefully get to properly test his supersub credentials this time. Is he a Mika Salo or a Paul di Resta? Home hero Lando Norris was in the thick of a turgid midfield non-battle, but finished close enough to eventual podium finisher Charles Leclerc to think a place on the rostrum could be his this weekend. Meanwhile Ferrari's other driver is in dire need of a strong race and will be looking, at a minimum, to get ahead of Italy's other team. Romain Grosjean will hopefully have a good night's sleep and get out of bed on the right side on Sunday morning.

Hopefully this race will be a cracker. But if the event fails to fully hold our attention, it is traditional at a 70th anniversary race - I have decided - to look back on the history of the sport and our engagement with it - the drivers and teams we've supported, the races that have thrilled us, drama that left us breathless and, perhaps, those moments when we've had to look away.

It is in that spirit that I humbly present Galahad's 14 milestones of F1's first 70 years:

70_anniversary_composite_2.png


1955 Le Mans disaster causes 4 races to be cancelled; Mercedes to withdraw
1958 Moss takes the first rear-engined win for Cooper in Argentina
1967 The Ford Cosworth DFV debuts at Zandvoort
1968 Full commercial sponsorship is legalised
1968 Ferrari and Brabham debut aerodynamic wings at Spa
1970 Chapman's Lotus 72 sets the template for modern F1 design
1977 Renault's RS01, the first F1 turbo, debuts at Silverstone
1981 The first Concorde Agreement establishes the commercial framework of F1
1984 Senna nearly wins the wet Monaco GP in the uncompetitive Toleman
1993 Max Mosley bans artificial driver aids
1994 Senna and Ratzenberger die in separate accidents at Imola
1996 Schumacher, Brawn and Byrne join Ferrari from Benetton
2007 McLaren implode at the Hungarian Grand Prix
2014 Radical turbo V6 hybrid engine regulations are introduced

Finally some historical precedents that may be of interest to the superstitious:
  • The 70th anniversary Le Mans 24 Hours was won by an Australian at the wheel of a French car
  • The 70th anniversary Monaco Grand Prix was won by a German at the wheel of a Ferrari...
Please gamble responsibly!
 
It's almost like the time they aired Hamilton saying "Guys I've just been passed by a Williams!" and it sounded like they were moaning at him but then when you heard the whole thing they were talking about keeping to a delta for strategy and he was asking if being overtaken by the Williams would make a difference to their strategy.
 
While my comment is supported by
A curious pit stop . Based on what everyone thinks about Tracing Point it is undelivering on results
Hulkenberg post race:

"We were kind of forced to pit off the prime set," Hulkenberg explained on Sky Sports F1 after the race.

"I think we got a couple of nice big blisters on both rear tyres. The vibration just gets so quickly out of hand that within two, three laps, it just skyrocketed.

"I don't think the tyre would have survived to the end. It was a pity. First half of the race was very under control, very managed.

"The second I got onto the second prime set, that just felt like a different set of tyres, a different compound, and it just didn't work in the end."
 
The second I got onto the second prime set, that just felt like a different set of tyres, a different compound, and it just didn't work in the end."

Well there is proof then. Stroll's dad arranged for Nico to have a crap set of tyres to sabotage his race and allow Lance to finish ahead.

By the way, did you know, the best finish Hulkenberg has ever had was fourth and that was only twice in 178 GP starts. The last time it happened was the Korean GP in 2013.

Do you think Lance showed him his 3rd place trophy from Azerbaijan 2017?
 
Lance Stroll.
Italian F4 Champion 2014
Toyota Racing Series Champion 2015
European F3 Champion 2016
Youngest ever driver to score a podium in F1 2017
Youngest ever driver to qualify on the front row in F1 2017

(Oh and both this F1 things were done in a terrible Williams in the wet which is supposed to be the sign of a good driver)

But....ya know...he is only here because of his Daddy's money.
 
It's probably fair to say though that without his dad's connections and money, he wouldn't be where he is now.

I'd do exactly the same though - if I was 35 years younger, about 20 cm shorter, and had a billionaire dad.
 
Well let's be fair. Every single driver in F2 and F3 has to pay for their seat. They are all bank rolled by somebody it's just not always their Dad. Being bank rolled by a billionaire you are not related too is fine though - hence why Sergio Perez gets a free pass.
 
Indeed.

Hamilton is probably the outlier.

Even Hamilton had significant backing - albeit from McLaren, rather than a private backer...

To get to F1, drivers either need significant private backing, or show enough talent to secure backing to help them through F3/F2...
 
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Well there is proof then. Stroll's dad arranged for Nico to have a crap set of tyres to sabotage his race and allow Lance to finish ahead.

By the way, did you know, the best finish Hulkenberg has ever had was fourth and that was only twice in 178 GP starts. The last time it happened was the Korean GP in 2013.

Do you think Lance showed him his 3rd place trophy from Azerbaijan 2017?
He was 4th in Spa in 2016
 
Lando Norris was bankrolled by Bristol businessman and Billionaire, Steve Lansdown through his Bristol Sport group:

 
Well let's be fair. Every single driver in F2 and F3 has to pay for their seat. They are all bank rolled by somebody it's just not always their Dad. Being bank rolled by a billionaire you are not related too is fine though - hence why Sergio Perez gets a free pass.
Usually those bank rolled by a billionaire tend to those that are notoriously remembered as pay drivers like Pedro Diniz (his record was better than that) and tend to be the ones that people think should not be in F1.

Perez is the odd one because he gets the results and podiums consistently so he can't be called a pay driver
 
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Lando Norris was bankrolled by Bristol businessman and Billionaire, Steve Lansdown through his Bristol Sport group:

He did not buy his seat into a team though
 
wasnt Lando Norris alot like hamilton being in the McLaren junior program. the 1 people have forgotten is Alex Albon he is a rarity these days in that he is in F1 against the odds & with little funding. & alot of luck
 
Well yes but no. Albon grew up in a house worth 4.5 million quid by a mum who ran a multi million pound car dealership (before being convicted for 9 million pound fraud) and his father was a racing driver involved with Porsche.

So not being backed by a F1 team yes (although Red Bull backed him through the junior series) - not having a budget - no.

....and this is my point. All the drivers are buying their way into seats one way or another. People just have a problem with Lance because it's his Dad and it's public.
 
dont forget that at the end of 2017. he was out because he was dropped by ART. admits himself he had no budget. someone else drive at DAMS fell through. got a 1 race deal for 2018 impressed & persuaded the boss to give him the full season. & the rest is history

i have no problem with lance stroll. for me all drivers should only be judged by the stopwatch
 
Even Hamilton had significant backing - albeit from McLaren, rather than a private backer...
Hamilton didn't get any support from McLaren until he had already won championships.

Unsurprising though as bookmakers were already giving odds on him at the age of 12 that he would be the F1 WDC.

So yes, he was bankrolled from about the age of 17? (not sure of the age), after he already had some measure of success, which is different from a lot of the others who get a drive because they are bankrolled from the start.
 
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