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

 

[Dartman]

Best known for being involved in a spectacular pit stop refueling fire with Benetton, two third places in F1 so rather average

 

[Bill Boddy]

They say he did not do it deliberately but its ridiculous to go that slow on the fastest line of the fastest part of the track

But the reason that Verstappen was going slow was that he was trying to carry out the instructions given by the stewards to give the place. However Hamilton didn't want to go past until he could be sure that Verstappen would not be able to get DRS (drs - spit). Just why Hamilton was tailgating I do not know.

 

[Il_leone]

But the reason that Verstappen was going slow was that he was trying to carry out the instructions given by the stewards to give the place. However Hamilton didn't want to go past until he could be sure that Verstappen would not be able to get DRS (drs - spit). Just why Hamilton was tailgating I do not know.

Why was Verstappen hitting the brakes suddenly like that? What if another car was behind?

 

[Dartman]

You don't tail gate in F1, you slip stream, the object is to get as close as possible so as when the front car accelerates the reaction gap is minimal, therefore as the speed increases so does the slip stream effect increase, added to DRS an overtake is easy. Whether Max brake tested or braked heavily so Lewis was forced past him before the DRS activation point is questionable. Tail gating doesn't exist in racing

 

[MarkP2017]

What sort of driver was his Dad ? I have read that he was a bully, but obviously I don’t know if that’s true.

I think the guy with the fractured skull at the kart circuit would probably lean towards it being true.

 

[Brogan]

But the reason that Verstappen was going slow was that he was trying to carry out the instructions given by the stewards to give the place.

No.

It's because he was trying to do it 'tactically' - as per the radio message - meaning he wanted Hamilton to pass the DRS line in front of him, so he could gain another advantage and take the place back.

I hope the guy's luck runs out sooner rather than later and he ends up seriously injuring himself.
That's the only thing which may make him change.

 

[cider_and_toast]

I think we need to be a bit careful about wishing ill on anyone no matter how big a dick we think they are.

I get your point though, once bitten, twice shy.

 

[F1Brits_90]

hope the guy's luck runs out sooner rather than later and he ends up seriously injuring himself.
That's the only thing which may make him change

but the problem he has been in serious accident. Silverstone. he had a 51G impact, according to horner he was in hospial, briefly unconscious & sore for a few days

 

[Hamberg]

But the reason that Verstappen was going slow was that he was trying to carry out the instructions given by the stewards to give the place. However Hamilton didn't want to go past until he could be sure that Verstappen would not be able to get DRS (drs - spit). Just why Hamilton was tailgating I do not know.

Hamilton did move to the left though and without the gradual then sudden deceleration of Max, he may have overtaken cleanly. As Dartman has said, this type of slipstream is perfectly normal and we often see drivers come very close to kissing the rear wing before making the move.
The three things that went wrong here:
1. Lewis should have been told before Max was
2. Max was told to do it strategically
3. Max is a petulant, arrogant little shit that heavily confuses bad driving with hard racing

 

[Il_leone]

but the problem he has been in serious accident. Silverstone. he had a 51G impact, according to horner he was in hospial, briefly unconscious & sore for a few days

Brogan F1Brits_90

I am more concerned that he disregards other drivers safety..if that was the 80's or 90's Hamilton would have been launched into the air

Schumacher was the same with his deliberate late brake and weave defence

Verstappen would even go as far as parking the bus and just letting everyone crash into it so he can be world champion.

Verstappen thinks he can't be killed like Senna and Schumacher did. Prost found it too much to take in 1989 and said if Senna wants to die to win the title then he can give it too him. Hamilton is not at that stage of thinking

One thing I will say to Hamilton is to practice the Mansell dummy move for this weekend and pass Verstappen at the 2nd drs zone

 

[Brogan]

And there you have it - Verstappen: Penalised Saudi Arabian GP move "was fine in Brazil"

It was inevitable, as everyone, including the FIA and stewards knew when they approved the move without even a sniff of an investigation and subsequently rejected the appeal.

 

[P1]

It was inevitable, as everyone, including the FIA and stewards knew when they approved the move without even a sniff of an investigation and subsequently rejected the appeal.

Mercedes should re-appeal Brazil in light of Saudi

 

[Brogan]

It wouldn't make any difference and I suspect the F1 reg's don't allow for another appeal.

 

[F1Brits_90]

1. Lewis should have been told before Max was

this was surprising because surely you would let the aggrieved party no 1st so they know what to expect

 

[Bill Boddy]

You don't tail gate in F1, you slip stream

There's not much of an advantage with a slipstream at 50 mph.

The only logical reason that I can see Brogan is that the message was not passed on clearly to Hamilton. It would explain why he was in that place.

 

[Johnny Carwash]

And there you have it - Verstappen: Penalised Saudi Arabian GP move "was fine in Brazil"

This just about sums up how stupid he is.I’m beginning to think that he has been involved in to many crashes and it’s effecting his brain. As mentioned before until he is rained in by Horner, Marko and Verstappen snr, he is just going to carry on like this. He seriously needs to grow up and start to be more mature, instead of having a face like he’s sucking on a lemon every time things don’t go his way.

 

[Il_leone]

This just about sums up how stupid he is.I’m beginning to think that he has been involved in to many crashes and it’s effecting his brain. As mentioned before until he is rained in by Horner, Marko and Verstappen snr, he is just going to carry on like this. He seriously needs to grow up and start to be more mature, instead of having a face like he’s sucking on a lemon every time things don’t go his way.

Perhaps they need to consider disqualifying from the championship if he take out Hamilton because none of the other penalties will matter if they crash together

 

[Il_leone]

There's not much of an advantage with a slipstream at 50 mph.

The only logical reason that I can see Brogan is that the message was not passed on clearly to Hamilton. It would explain why he was in that place.

That is what Mercedes Ron Meadows said to Mike Masi why they were not told in advance that Verstappen was going to let Hamilton by . They only got the message as the incident occurred

Masi's response was " I can only push so many buttons Ron"

 

[MarkP2017]

Brogan F1Brits_90

I am more concerned that he disregards other drivers safety..if that was the 80's or 90's Hamilton would have been launched into the air

Schumacher was the same with his deliberate late brake and weave defence

Verstappen would even go as far as parking the bus and just letting everyone crash into it so he can be world champion.

Verstappen thinks he can't be killed like Senna and Schumacher did. Prost found it too much to take in 1989 and said if Senna wants to die to win the title then he can give it too him. Hamilton is not at that stage of thinking

One thing I will say to Hamilton is to practice the Mansell dummy move for this weekend and pass Verstappen at the 2nd drs zone

Remember Webber’s incredible Eau Rouge move on Alonso. Incredible skill, guts and respect between the two drivers. You would be out of your mind to try that move on the manchild.

 

[F1Brits_90]

David Coulthard: Formula 1 has become 'F1 UFC', anything goes

David Coulthard feels that Formula 1 has been 'redefined as F1 UFC' with 'pretty much anything' being allowed on track.

www.planetf1.com

the Scot said on the F1 Nation podcast This now feels like F1 has been redefined as F1 UFC, and pretty much anything is going, and then the stewards are stepping in.”Watching the action unfold, Coulthard felt that the sport was becoming “F1 UFC,” referring to the mixed martial arts competition.
"If we look at UFC, as far as I know there’s only two rules and it’s about below the belt and it’s about the eyes, and everything else goes,”