Grand Prix 2021 British Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Better late then never!

There is a Formula One Grand Prix this weekend. Now, let's take a step back and look at that sentence. We use some words without thinking about what they mean so why is it Formula One? My apologies if this seems a bit patronising but the Formula bit refers to the design specification for the car and engine around which the teams must design their car. It's One, because it is supposed to be the pinnacle of motor sport, the fastest, the toughest test of car and driver. And for this you win a grand prize, and although other races use the term Grand Prix, this is the only series which (I believe) is allowed to use the term.

So why am I going on about this? Well, this weekend the powers that run Formula One Grand Prix racing have given up trying to actually create a competitive race series and have decided that it is better that this series can be made more exciting by trying to get the drivers to crash in to one another in a "Sprint Race" on Saturday rather than than allowing the fastest car and driver combination to start from the front of the grid as has been the norm in virtually all forms of motor sport since people started racing cars.

I know motor racing is contrived and there is no such thing as "pure" motor sport, but there are a few norms which I believe should not be messed with, and the idea of a qualifying session which often pushes the driver to, and sometimes beyond, the limit is one. How that session works, what groups of cars go out when, whether drivers get one lap or one hundred I don't mind. I do object to trying to gerrymander the starting grid by running what I'm sure the power brokers in F1 hope will be a destruction derby to replace a qualifying session.

That's my two pence worth. I may be wrong, it may be a great success, it might be very exciting, I have no idea. I am really not that excited about the prospect of this experiment.

Anyway, here's the revised running order for this race:

Friday
14:30 to 15:30 F1 practice
18:00 to 19:00 Qualifying Session (for the sprint race)

Saturday
12:00 to 13:00 F1 Practice (yup, after the qualifying session)
16:30 to 17:00 Sprint "Qualifying"

Sunday
15:00 to 17:00 F1 race

So there you go. I shall rant about the 2022 car design elsewhere.

 

[cider_and_toast]

That's his forfeit for dropping the car

 

[F1Brits_90]

FB ive always liked vettel outside the car even at red bull because it in all interviews i found him hilarious.

 

[Bill Boddy]

Who was it who said "Give a racing driver a gap, however small, and he will go for it ; if he doesn't go for it he isn't a racing driver".

Both of them are racing drivers.

 

[FB]

That was Ayrton Senna, not long after he went for a non-existent gap up the inside of Alain Prost at the Suzuka chicane in 1988.

 

[The Pits]

The thing that gets me is DC and MW in the C4 commentary seem to revel in Seb's issues. I know he has become very error prone, but I think these 2 seem to forget their own avarageness when commentating. Over this weekend I felt that the C4 commentary was awful, worse than normal

 

[cider_and_toast]

I must admit, I have chuckled slightly at the "Verstappen needs to think that the race isn't won on lap 1"

Surely the same applies to Hamilton? He had no need to risk his car climbing all over the back of Verstappen on lap one. After all, Hamilton secured victory by overtaking LeClerc with 3 laps to go.

It goes both ways really.

 

[Bill Boddy]

That's one of the reasons that I listen on BBC The Pits.

 

[cider_and_toast]

The thing that gets me is DC and MW

Neither are founding members of the Friends of Sebastian Vettel club.

Webber obviously had his issues as Number 2 while Coulthard had a very similar dynamic at McLaren with Mika as his teammate.

A combined 6 world titles versus a combined 21 wins. Jealous? Much.

 

[Il_leone]

I must admit, I have chuckled slightly at the "Verstappen needs to think that the race isn't won on lap 1"

Surely the same applies to Hamilton? He had no need to risk his car climbing all over the back of Verstappen on lap one. After all, Hamilton secured victory by overtaking LeClerc with 3 laps to go.

It goes both ways really.

In Hamilton's eyes he had nothing to lose and more to gain...

I said these things about Hamilton back in 2010 on another forum which turned in childish rants going all out on lap 1 Verstappen was not willing to give an inch with some robust defences and at times it looked wild and ragged. Then again it was bound to happen that someone was going to stand up to him and not hold back

You can say that is inexperience because its been a while that Verstappen is in a championship lead position and balancing the percentages

 

[Il_leone]

The thing that gets me is DC and MW in the C4 commentary seem to revel in Seb's issues.

Vettel is an obvious target given his reputation and starting the same time as Hamilton and the expectation Aston Martin were going to be frontrunners. He is not speaking to Uncle David anymore.

The two results on street circuits have masked how badly he is struggling against Stroll who he is not blowing away.

Alonso is moving forward since his return which wont help either. The only other people C4 could pan is Mazepin...we really dont need that j#rk getting air time because he should not be in F1...

Raikkonen ..we know he should be getting his pension but he does not care

Ricciardo ...at least he is honest about his struggles but still knows he has a tough challenge

 

[Dartman]

Having watched the collision, Hamilton was considerably further alongside before he started to bale out when he realised Verstappen was going to shut the door, Hamilton when a collision is inevitable has a skill that allows him to place his car that causes him the least damage, in most collisions involving him irrespective of fault he will suffer the least loss of time or track position, perhaps he learnt it from Jenson who was also skilled in the same circumstances

 

[The Pits]

I think Lewis was remembering the sprint, once Max was round the first lap, he was untouchable, so I undetstand the urgency to get past.

 

[cider_and_toast]

So a race can be won on the first lap then?

 

[F1Brits_90]

So a race can be won on the first lap then?

you cant win on lap 1 but you can certainly lose it

He had no need to risk his car climbing all over the back of Verstappen on lap one

thing with this is that. is that you could swap verstappen for Hamilton & you've got Imola & Spain

but as Fans we all can bit hypocrital as we apportance blame. but battles & drama with great rivalry is what got us all into the sport there a reason why we still debate vettel/webber, prost/senna Schumacher v Hill / Hakkinen / Villeneuve / Alonso

 

[cider_and_toast]

I'm simply playing devils advocate.

It was a racing coming together. Hamilton had every right to have a go and Verstappen responded aggressively and came off second best.

Nothing more to it really.

This "causing an avoidable accident" era of F1 is a proper pain in the bum.

Technically speaking, all accidents are avoidable.

Verstappen was no less likely to easily concede the corner than Hamilton was to see a gap and not go for it.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Further, these bloody commentators who give it the "he should just let him through because he's not racing him today" bullshit are just as bad for spreading this ethos that the fastest cars have a divine right to be at the front of the race.

You want to be first, then pass the guy in front.

 

[F1Brits_90]

that does wind me up cider_and_toast . like lando Norris in Styrian gp. he's in 3rd & McLaren are more bothered about securing 5th place

i think being the British GP had some part to play in this & sprint race had an effect to. because he's said as much in chequered flag podcast. " i was very hard on myself after Saturday & i thought ive got to give these guys something special" its very rare you see Hamilton in that mode if ever. but he was win it or bin it

with psychology of not wanting to back out every time as Verstappen will play on that like senna did. you have 2 guys that both people refuse to give in

i find Christian Horner dodgier with every interview i hear. as it almost like he is reading from script because when FIA radio came on i thought predictable but under adrenaline, understandable. but then he was nearly word for word identical on world feed interview & then with ted Kravitz BBC 5 live & i would bet the same on channel 4. no matter what 1st question they ask he replies with "im glad max verstappen was seriously injured today" & uses alot of the same quotes

 

[Il_leone]

I'm simply playing devils advocate.

It was a racing coming together. Hamilton had every right to have a go and Verstappen responded aggressively and came off second best.

Nothing more to it really.

This "causing an avoidable accident" era of F1 is a proper pain in the bum.

Technically speaking, all accidents are avoidable.

Verstappen was no less likely to easily concede the corner than Hamilton was to see a gap and not go for it.

I am sure if the roles were reversed they will be telling everyone Max is an aggressive racer who wont back down and we want to see that. That is why he is the best driver on the grid blah blah

Looking at the in car shots Verstappen on Sky did give more room on the apex but he did not expect Hamilton to still keeping his foot on it. There is nothing wrong with that unless they can prove Hamilton was steering left aggressively. Had it been Bottas, Vettel or Raikkonen they would have backed out but not Hamilton

Would the stewards have bothered if it happened further down the grid

BTw has anyone sent a message to Bernie Ecclestone " Kiss My Bum!" after he said Lewis is no longer the same driver .. he has gone awfully quiet you know

F1Brits_90 i wish I was more bolder on Lewis on the fantasy f1 as I knew he would be angry yesterday

 

[The Pits]

So a race can be won on the first lap then?

A one lap race can.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Johnny Carwash you inspired me for this terrible photoshop attempt