Grand Prix 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

i had a bit of time so i thought i would give it ago.

the 1st ever Saudi Arabian GP, it feels weird to be this far into the year & we still arent into the finale. into context lewis debut season in 2007, the penultimate race was on 6th october. but we are on the final leg for what has been 1 of most enjoyable seasons for many a year (to be fair its a low bar) & arguably the best rivalry since Hakkinen/Schumacher 23 years ago. some cracking racing between the 2 title contenders. alot of controversy along the way. the momentum like a rollercoaster as at times Hamilton & Verstappen have looked like they were heavy favourites only for it to swing the other way by the next race or in space of 24 hours. really looking forward to see which way it swings again.

Saudi Arabia like the middle east is trying to move away from their reliance on oil to generate income & are using sport to rebrand themselves or as some critics call it sportwashing but for legal reasons i may leave that alone. but they have spent big hosting Joshua V Ruiz heavyweight rematch, Formula E, Dakar Rally, Spanish + Italian Super cups, Fifa World Club Cup, the worlds richest horse race, Golf, Asian games in the future & the F1. then surrounding areas hosting the 20/20 cricket world cup , potential bids for both the world cup & Olympics

it will be the 1st time that F1 has raced at back to back new venues outside of Europe as prior 2 times 1959 Germany/Portugal & 1970 Germany/Austria. its a miracle that their is a race on at all because it has been a race against time to say the least. 5 weeks ago it looked more like the pictures of 1 year to go not 1 month go

1st November 2021

1st December 2021

the circuit looks like a real challenge, its high speed, imagine baku without the twisty middle sector. it could be carnage because you make a mistake your hitting the wall at 150mph. i would expect safety car or 2 & that unpredictability not good for Lewis Hamilton at the moment because is imperative that he finishes ahead of max verstappen otherwise the title would get very tough

Finally the 1st GP since Frank Williams passing what a man what a motorsport icon. who will be missed & hopefully they will have a moments silence for him. before the race

 

[F1Brits_90]

got to love the drama of this F1 season, just when you think this season cant get any better you get that finish to Q3 like that. agree with crofty whatever side of the fence your on. you have to feel for verstappen, because he was driving 1 of the laps of the season at the most vital time, under greatest of pressure. because take pole convert it into a win in saudi & he only need to finish 4th in Abu Dhabi to win the title. all but job done you assume

& he aced the 1st 26 corners he 1/4 of a second up. but a tiny mistake at the final corner & pole has gone. he's not even on the front row

 

[F1Brits_90]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1467196020551393281

 

[F1Brits_90]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1467204835833430016

https://twitter.com/x/status/1467198471312654336

 

[Dartman]

To get pole you have to be the quickest over the finishing line, he wasn't, losing it on the last corner when ahead is just careless, the old saying " age and experience generally beats youth and exuberance.

 

[Il_leone]

Senna would have loved this circuit

 

[FB]

The commitment from Max on his last qualifying lap was stunning. It's a shame he didn't complete it, but that's the risk when you are right on the edge.

 

[gethinceri]

Agreed, that was an absolutely awesome lap…
until it wasn’t.

 

[sobriety]

If Hamilton wins the WDC this year, then I reckon the exit of turn 27 should become known as the wall of not quite champions.

 

[F1Brits_90]

watching the slow motion, i agree this is arguably impossible in the situation with all the adrenaline but he just waited & been a bit more patience before he put accelerator down. he couldve saved that

 

[Il_leone]

Verstappen was on the limit and got it just wrong on the painted curb which is enough to cause him too lose control. This circuit is unforgiveable

 

[P1]

It’s entirely possible the championship will be decided by a slip like that

 

[The Artist.....]

I have a nasty suspicion that Verstappen and Hamilton will head to Abu Dhabi level on points... That's prime position for an accident between the two

 

[MarkP2017]

I have a nasty suspicion that Verstappen and Hamilton will head to Abu Dhabi level on points... That's prime position for an accident between the two

I wonder if Max will take the usual approach to “hard racing” if he goes into Abu Dhabi trailing on points and finds Hamilton trying to pass.

 

[Dartman]

If they are level on points Max may well take a punt at Lewis but I doubt if he has the cold skill and finesse to execute the move without putting himself out, in fact on collisions Lewis tends to have a good record of being the survivor of such incidents or they both go out, on any front to rear wheel incident the inside cars front wheel touching outside cars rear will result in a spin out of the outside car, see Silverstone or Button on Alonso Canada 2011, it's a skill the more mature drivers seem to perfect. The outside car in any collision is always at greater risk of retirement.
On another related topic, Red Bull will either have to change Max's gearbox or take a chance as as far as I'm aware in Parc Ferme conditions they can't test it on the road and there are no facilities to test it under load, so unless there is obvious damage then it's 50/50 decision.

 

[FB]

The F2 race was a disaster because the track is too narrow for the drivers to go round without running in to each other. I suspect the F1 race will not be too different so anticipate many VSC and Safety Cars periods, red flags and the race running out of time before the full number of laps are completed.

Oh. and it was initially delayed while they rebuilt part of the safety barriers. The pinnacle of motor sport!

 

[FB]

Enzo Fittipaldi and Theo Pourchaire have been taken to hospital after a big crunch at the start. Fittipaldi, apparently, has leg injuries.

Given how blasé F1 drivers can be about accidents these days I hope they show a little more caution than usual during this race.

 

[F1Brits_90]

here a thing considering how great it was to see verstappen attack lap. should liberty bring back 1 lap qualifying in Q3 & go in reverse Q2 order & try have that crescendo every weekend that was fantastic

 

[The Artist.....]

I think Red Bull may have just thrown away this race... Bottas should be getting a penalty though

 

[The Artist.....]

Actually, I don't see how they can repair the circuit under safety car... Surely they'll throw a red flag in a lap or two

 

[The Artist.....]

Michael Masi is an absolute idiot... It was absolutely clear that this was going to have to happen, and now Verstappen gets a free pitstop.