Grand Prix 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

For the first time since 1996 Formula One racing returns to Portugal. It maybe just nostalgia talking but I've always had fond memories of the Estoril circuit and seem to remember it producing some decent races. It was dropped from the calendar after 1996 due to an ongoing argument between the race organisers and the FIA regarding the poor standard of facilities at the track. Despite being pencilled in to return in 1997 and 1998 the work went undone and F1 never returned.

For me, the classic Portuguese Grand Prix will always bring this to mind:


Moving on to 2020 and we find ourselves at the Algarve International Circuit. Classed as an FIA grade one circuit from it's completion in 2008 the track has been used to host a variety of motorsports from Superbikes, Moto GP, the A1 GP series and the FIA GT series but this will be the first time that F1 cars have turned a wheel at the track.

Below is a Youtube video of a lap of the track in an Aston Martin Vantage. What stands out for me is the change of gradient. F1 has often sought out track layouts that have gradient changes and F1 fans have often longed for a race at the famous Laguna Seca raceway because of the corkscrew corner. I have to say this looks like the closest we'll see in F1 to that sort of track design. Given that the Vantage in the video features a higher seating position than an F1 drivers eye view and yet, many of the corners are blind due to the rise in the gradient and the sudden fall away, the blind entries will be even more difficult for F1 drivers to navigate. I expect a number of safety cars due to the nature of the circuit.


To add to the problems that the track layout may cause the drivers, the 10 day weather report for the region suggests that it may rain on the Friday and on race day.


What ever happens, I've not looked forward to an F1 race this much for a long, long time and my one takeaway from this Covid affected season is that new and interesting circuits need to make their way onto the calendar each year. Let's hope we are not left disappointed.
 
but for im confused at Bottas pace 1st 15 laps he looked good 3 secs ahead & then Lewis said his tyres were dead & then went to another level. he closed down the gap with ease overtook bottas & won by 30 secs.

Maybe Bottas hasn’t got his car setup for the race as well as Hamilton has. Also we have seen this time after time that at the end of a tyre stint, he puts in the laps all of a sudden and Bottas can’t live with him, or maybe Bottas just can’t run at the pace that Hamilton can for a race distance.
 
Neither did Max Verstappen learn.
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I was actually referring to Verstappen in my "Pillock" comment.
I must apologise though, he's not a pillock, he's a ****ing retard.
 
After information began to appear that Russell might lose his place for the next season,
there were reproaches in the direction of Mercedes that They would not take the talented Russell instead of Bottas.
And it is because Mercedes are satisfied with the calm situation in the team and Hamilton's dominance...
I agree that Russell is very talented, but not the fact that Bottas is so much worse than Russell
and young talant will make more pressure on the Hamilton.
Agree. I think they should have given Russell a chance. But to be fair, this was the first race weekend where I saw him as a compelling driver worthy of a Mercedes drive. Until this race, I thought he was talented but needed more development before moving to a top team. In an ideal world they would promote him to a McLaren or Aston Martin drive before going to Mercedes. In fact Russell would ideally replace Stroll, but this is not a fair world.
 
i was thinking on Saturday about Russell. can you imagine 12 months ago him outqualifying vettel numerous times. i would go as far as to say it would be 1 of most unfair sacking i could remember if Russell was let go
 
Well I'm surprised the belief that calling people a "****ing retard" and a "mongol" only indicates that he's "a bit angry"
 
Well I'm surprised the belief that calling people a "****ing retard" and a "mongol" only indicates that he's "a bit angry"
as Anthony Davidson said on maybe Saturday FP. "you dont have time (or mental capacity) to be polite"

i can fully understand that when your in the car. with all the adrenaline, the emotion, concentration. your not thinking rationally. its the hulk analogy i always talk about at football grounds. some who is mild mannered 6 days a week. that 2 hrs as football fan & he will see red
 
I think it says much about him that those words were even in his vocabulary.

When and if I am cut up on the road, '@$%^£* idiot' is the strongest phrase that I am likely to use. I have never, ever, heard anyone use either of those two expressions.
 
i won’t apologise for him, i’m surprised anybody’s excusing him.
If he considers that the fact people might be offended is not his problem then he’s the problem.
Shameful.
I’ll make no further comment regarding it on this thread.
 
i won’t apologise for him, i’m surprised anybody’s excusing him.
If he considers that the fact people might be offended is not his problem then he’s the problem.
Shameful.
I’ll make no further comment regarding it on this thread.
its not acceptable but you got give drivers a bit of leeway. they are human. when they arent thinking rationally, they are in a high pressure career. & the fight or flight response is triggered. they are driving a car at the limit. if he had done that in post practise interviews. when he'd calmed down yes have ago at him. in the same way if an RAF fighter pilot had a near miss. he wont be say. "golly gosh, do you mind just tell me what that was. when you have a minute" its going to be "what the :censored: was that"

im sure i heard crofty talk about how when they went to stewards. its amicable & they apologised. & understood both peoples point of view.
 
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Well Lando Norris copped a bit of flak for his criticism of Stroll and his disrespect towards Hamilton's achievements. He has had to apologise to both.

In defence of Lando he was really angry that his race was ruined to be honest in the manner it was and probably said things that he would not have .

I can understand the comments about Stroll if they were championship rivals it would be called mind games so I did not think he had to publicly apologise for that. The Hamilton comment whilst sounding like sour grapes would sound like something Alonso would say too in reference to Vettel. He probably was put on the spot and that was the last thing on his mind.
 
its not acceptable but you got give drivers a bit of leeway. they are human. when they arent thinking rationally, they are in a high pressure career. & the fight or flight response is triggered. they are driving a car at the limit. if he had done that in post practise interviews. when he'd calmed down yes have ago at him. in the same way if an RAF fighter pilot had a near miss. he wont be say. "golly gosh, do you mind just tell me what that was. when you have a minute" its going to be "what the :censored: was that"

im sure i heard crofty talk about how when they went to stewards. its amicable & they apologised. & understood both peoples point of view.
Why do we need to give him leeway? I can recall other angry drivers, but don't recall anything like this? Worst i can remember was Vettel calling Karthikeyan a cucumber. And he has not taken the opportunity to apologise after had event.

No leeway from me.
 
Worst i can remember was Vettel calling Karthikeyan a cucumber.
While working in Istanbul, the office window was open and I heard a bit of a kerfuffle between two drivers.

One of them got out of the car and shouted at the other driver "hıyar ağası", which translates to "lord of the cucumber" LOL
 
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