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2020 Formula 1 Season Thread

Agreed it is very hard to choose a single greatest driver. Different car designs suit different driving styles as well. All very difficult to compare. So the only way to truly compare a driver is with the team mate. and as @robbieduncan puts it, yesterday Lewis left his for dust.

I'm glad he has broken the record rather than it dragging on for weeks being a thing. I suspect Lewis will be one of those drivers that people will either love or hate.

What Mercedes plan to do post Lewis will be interesting. Normally a team would have a young gun lined up at this stage. Is that Russell or someone else? Or ask they simply expecting him to keep going for a few years yet?
 
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Congratulations to Lewis for breaking a record many thought was unbreakable. Having the best car has made it possible, but he needed to get it around the track first 92 times.

I've almost enjoyed watching this years races given the new locations, but the racing at the front has been even worse. At least last year Ferarri looked like they've put forward some challenge in the first half of the season. The new regulations can't come soon enough.
 
Apple fanboy said:
Agreed it is very hard to choose a single greatest driver. Different car designs suit different driving styles as well. All very difficult to compare. So the only way to truly compare a driver is with the team mate. and as @robbieduncan puts it, yesterday Lewis left his for dust.

I'm glad he has broken the record rather than it dragging on for weeks being a thing. I suspect Lewis will be one of those drivers that people will either love or hate.

What Mercedes plan to do post Lewis will be interesting. Normally a team would have a young gun lined up at this stage. Is that Russell or someone else? Or ask they simply expecting him to keep going for a few years yet?
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I think it will be more challenging to keep him interested after he wins championship no. 8 (assuming he does). It's more than plausible he could get to 10 if he keeps going and keeps having a car capable of winning
 
robbieduncan said:
I think it will be more challenging to keep him interested after he wins championship no. 8 (assuming he does). It's more than plausible he could get to 10 if he keeps going and keeps having a car capable of winning
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I think he’ll retire and he doesn’t strike me as someone who will continue working within the sport either. It’ll be the occasional celebrity appearance I think.
 
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Crazy Badger said:
Congratulations to Lewis for breaking a record many thought was unbreakable. Having the best car has made it possible, but he needed to get it around the track first 92 times.

I've almost enjoyed watching this years races given the new locations, but the racing at the front has been even worse. At least last year Ferarri looked like they've put forward some challenge in the first half of the season. The new regulations can't come soon enough.
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Jarno Trulli is, in fact, the GOAT.

Didn't bother to amass a showy win count as a measuring stick to his greatness. ;)



Learn from me children... learn.
 
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Nice to see Gasly retain his seat.

However, I feel based on Horner's latest comments (not fond of Horner), Albon could lose his seat. That would be a shame, I like Albon; I feel he is always trying to do better. But, I guess at this level, even more is required of one...
 
tee_cup said:
Nice to see Gasly retain his seat.

However, I feel based on Horner's latest comments (not fond of Horner), Albon could lose his seat. That would be a shame, I like Albon; I feel he is always trying to do better. But, I guess at this level, even more is required of one...
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I think Red Bull need to assess how they support their drivers going forward. Gasly and Albon are very good drivers and both seem to have been swamped by the Verstappen machine. It’s like Red Bull supper one driver and play the PR game that everything is equal. Webber found that out initially but it’s a pattern that keeps coming back.
 
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The-Real-Deal82 said:
I think Red Bull need to assess how they support their drivers going forward. Gasly and Albon are very good drivers and both seem to have been swamped by the Verstappen machine. It’s like Red Bull supper one driver and play the PR game that everything is equal. Webber found that out initially but it’s a pattern that keeps coming back.
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I certainly agree with that.
 
The-Real-Deal82 said:
It’s like Red Bull supper one driver and play the PR game that everything is equal. Webber found that out initially but it’s a pattern that keeps coming back.
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Having the right #2 driver is a tough standard to meet. Especially at the front of the grid.

I think we saw this with Hamilton and Rosberg for much of their time together. Both great drivers, but so closely matched, and so wildly competitive that they (literally) ended up bumping wheels on more than one occasion. And the rivalry ended up making both drivers unhappy, plus creating tension within the team itself.

And IMHO that's part of the brilliance of Mercedes with Valtteri Bottas. Bottas is clearly a good enough driver that he regularly matches Hamilton for pace in qualifying. And if Hamilton falls by the wayside due to mechanical or pentalty problems, Bottas is there to keep Mercedes on the podium. But Bottas is enough of a team player - and skilled, mature driver - to be able to avoid tangling with Hamilton during the race. And, let's not forget, in a race where Hamilton isn't leading, Bottas has done his job to keep Verstappen (or Leclerc) from winning the race.

I know it's been tough on Bottas the last couple of years. But let's also remember he's been paid millions of Euros to drive for the best team in F1. Not exactly the worst job in the world. The only problem for Bottas is this: He's only about four years younger than Hamilton. If he waits around for a post-Hamilton retirement Mercedes team, he may himself be too old to win the World Championship he probably deserves.
 
vrDrew said:
Having the right #2 driver is a tough standard to meet. Especially at the front of the grid.

I think we saw this with Hamilton and Rosberg for much of their time together. Both great drivers, but so closely matched, and so wildly competitive that they (literally) ended up bumping wheels on more than one occasion. And the rivalry ended up making both drivers unhappy, plus creating tension within the team itself.

And IMHO that's part of the brilliance of Mercedes with Valtteri Bottas. Bottas is clearly a good enough driver that he regularly matches Hamilton for pace in qualifying. And if Hamilton falls by the wayside due to mechanical or pentalty problems, Bottas is there to keep Mercedes on the podium. But Bottas is enough of a team player - and skilled, mature driver - to be able to avoid tangling with Hamilton during the race. And, let's not forget, in a race where Hamilton isn't leading, Bottas has done his job to keep Verstappen (or Leclerc) from winning the race.

I know it's been tough on Bottas the last couple of years. But let's also remember he's been paid millions of Euros to drive for the best team in F1. Not exactly the worst job in the world. The only problem for Bottas is this: He's only about four years younger than Hamilton. If he waits around for a post-Hamilton retirement Mercedes team, he may himself be too old to win the World Championship he probably deserves.
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I wonder if they’ve promised him a year as the number one when Lewis retires? But that doesn’t mean it will work out that way. For one there is no guarantee the car will still be the best at that point. Also bringing in a young driver to partner him (Russell?) doesn’t mean he’d beat him. I’m sure Ferrari didn’t expect LeClerc to beat Vettel.
But what are Bottas’s choices? Drive for another team and get no podiums? He’s not good enough to go to another top team and push Lewis in a Merc. So number two for millions of Euros in the best car isn’t so bad.
 
This was too good not to repost

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Glideslope said:
Max Q2 “ I have no power, I have no power.” In the garage, Honda Mechanics change spark plug in 5min flat.
Back out to P5 in Q2.

I’m going to miss Honda. :(
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You do know Red Bull use their own mechanics, it's just the Honda engine?

Red Bull are actually in talks to take over the Honda engine program.
 
Lewis Hamilton didn't win himself too many friends in F1 management with his prediction of a "boring race" tomorrow.

Who knows. I predict a tough fight down to the first corner. But if Hamilton finds himself in second (or third) he's going to have to manage his distances and his tires very carefully in order to pass Bottas or Verstappen once DRS is enabled.

Of course, predicting the way an F1 race is going to unfold is a fools errand. But still I keep doing it all the same.
 
michael9891 said:
You do know Red Bull use their own mechanics, it's just the Honda engine?

Red Bull are actually in talks to take over the Honda engine program.
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Yes, thanks. Just wanted to throw out Honda as many times as possible. To be fair though, there are specific Engineers from Honda assigned to RBR to oversee training on the RB16.

I'm not hopeful RBR will take over the program. I'll stay positive however. ;)
 
Glideslope said:
I'm not hopeful RBR will take over the program. I'll stay positive however. ;)
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The other F1 engine manufacturers (Ferrari, Mercedes, and Renault) are all owned by automobile manufacturers with both an interest in seeing their consumer vehicle brands associated with the pinnacle of motorsports performance, as well as considerable financial and technical resources.

It's not impossible to imagine hybrid power-unit tech developed for F1 ending up in Mercedes or Ferrari road cars. I have a hard time seeing the same engineering know-how making it into sports drinks. No matter how highly-caffeinated they might be.
 
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vrDrew said:
The other F1 engine manufacturers (Ferrari, Mercedes, and Renault) are all owned by automobile manufacturers with both an interest in seeing their consumer vehicle brands associated with the pinnacle of motorsports performance, as well as considerable financial and technical resources.

It's not impossible to imagine hybrid power-unit tech developed for F1 ending up in Mercedes or Ferrari road cars. I have a hard time seeing the same engineering know-how making it into sports drinks. No matter how highly-caffeinated they might be.
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Red Bull Racing worked with Aston Martin on the Valkyrie, which plays in the same market category as the Mercedes-AMG One.
 
CWallace said:
Red Bull Racing worked with Aston Martin on the Valkyrie, which plays in the same market category as the Mercedes-AMG One.
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That may be true, but we need to keep in mind the fact that all current Aston Martin road cars use engines sourced from Mercedes-AMG. Moreover Racing Point will, starting next year, be racing under the Aston Martin name, using Mercedes-AMG power units.

Red Bull will work something out.
 
The-Real-Deal82 said:
To put it simply, ‘Lewis is one of the greatest F1 drivers in the sports history’.. I don’t think anybody could credibly deny that.
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This is the same debate as any other sport.

The most credible statement would be to say "Lewis is one of the greatest F1 drivers of his generation/era/time." It is difficult to argue such a declaration.

The sport has evolved, just like football, tennis, track & field, basketball, whatever.

Replace Lewis with another person and F1 with another sport. Willie Mays and MLB, Michael Jordan and NBA, Hope Solo and women's international soccer, Jack Nicklaus and golf.

One must look at the larger picture and the ever evolving sport.

Mike Tyson at age 19 could beat the living daylights out of Mike Tyson at age 29. And Mike Tyson eventually started losing.

No one can be great forever.

Not Kelly Slater, not Kerri Walsh, not Tom Brady, not anyone. Hell, if someone asked me to name a dominant athlete of all time in his/her sport, it certainly wouldn't be an F1 driver. I might submit Kelly Slater or Kerri Walsh. Maybe Serena Williams.

F1 is heavily reliant on the vehicle technology and the willingness to spend by the team owner. This phenomenon is especially evident in America's Cup yacht racing. Better funded teams generally field better efforts.

Kerri Walsh is an old lady hitting the same beach volleyball as her opponents half her age on the other side of the net. The fact that Walsh is still a credible Olympic contender in her forties is mind boggling.

Same with Serena Williams on the tennis court.
 
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Erehy Dobon said:
This is the same debate as any other sport.

The most credible statement would be to say "Lewis is one of the greatest F1 drivers of his generation/era/time." It is difficult to argue such a declaration.

The sport has evolved, just like football, tennis, track & field, basketball, whatever.

Replace Lewis with another person and F1 with another sport. Willie Mays and MLB, Michael Jordan and NBA, Hope Solo and women's international soccer, Jack Nicklaus and golf.

One must look at the larger picture and the ever evolving sport.

Mike Tyson at age 19 could beat the living daylights out of Mike Tyson at age 29. And Mike Tyson eventually started losing.

No one can be great forever.

Not Kelly Slater, not Kerri Walsh, not Tom Brady, not anyone. Hell, if someone asked me to name a dominant athlete of all time in his/her sport, it certainly wouldn't be an F1 driver. I might submit Kelly Slater or Kerri Walsh. Maybe Serena Williams.

F1 is heavily reliant on the vehicle technology and the willingness to spend by the team owner. This phenomenon is especially evident in America's Cup yacht racing. Better funded teams generally field better efforts.

Kerri Walsh is an old lady hitting the same beach volleyball as her opponents half her age on the other side of the net. The fact that Walsh is still a credible Olympic contender in her forties is mind boggling.

Same with Serena Williams on the tennis court.
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Were you making the same point as me there or am I missing something?
 
177Valtteri BottasMERCEDES1:14.2211:14.5851:13.60922
244Lewis HamiltonMERCEDES1:14.2291:14.6431:13.70622
333Max VerstappenRED BULL RACING HONDA1:15.0341:14.9741:14.17616
410Pierre GaslyALPHATAURI HONDA1:15.1831:14.6811:14.50219
53Daniel RicciardoRENAULT1:15.4741:14.9531:14.52018
623Alexander AlbonRED BULL RACING HONDA1:15.4021:14.7451:14.57221
716Charles LeclercFERRARI1:15.1231:15.0171:14.61620
826Daniil KvyatALPHATAURI HONDA1:15.4121:15.0221:14.69621
94Lando NorrisMCLAREN RENAULT1:15.2741:15.0511:14.81417
1055Carlos SainzMCLAREN RENAULT1:15.5281:15.0271:14.91119
1111Sergio PerezRACING POINT BWT MERCEDES1:15.4071:15.06116
1231Esteban OconRENAULT1:15.3521:15.20114
1363George RussellWILLIAMS MERCEDES1:15.7601:15.32318
145Sebastian VettelFERRARI1:15.5711:15.38520
1518Lance StrollRACING POINT BWT MERCEDES1:15.8221:15.49416
168Romain GrosjeanHAAS FERRARI1:15.91810
1720Kevin MagnussenHAAS FERRARI1:15.93911
187Kimi RäikkönenALFA ROMEO RACING FERRARI1:15.95310
196Nicholas LatifiWILLIAMS MERCEDES1:15.98712
2099Antonio GiovinazziALFA ROMEO RACING FERRARI1:16.2088


RUSSELL 13th !!!
 
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