2021 Formula One Season: Championship Decider Abu Dhabi - Verstappen Wins in a Controversial Race! 🏆 🍾

[happy_eagle]

Question: If Hamilton retires, could Piastri slot straight in?

At Mercedes, absolutely no way.
At Alpine if Alonso/Ocon go to Mercedes, would probably be the case.

 

[darth_timon]

Increasing talk of Hamilton weighing up his options, this won't help lure him back to F1.

I do wonder what Mercedes will do if Hamilton walks. I think they would have to go after an experienced driver to support George for a couple of seasons.
Vettel and Alonso would be the obvious choices. Ricciardo and dare I say Bottas (would be weird) would be outside choices.

I can't see it being Vettel, he's been too much of a spent force these last few years. Alonso looks like he can still compete at the top.

 

[Skull Face]

Part of me is hoping for a lewis retirement just on the off chance it brings piastri into F1, but I was keen to see Russell beat him.

 

[nWo]

Newbie here

love F1 and it was a crazy end to season.

I know it’s the rules etc but why didn’t they just red flag and stop the race? It was obvious they wanted a result and so they should.

 

[FR0GGY]

Was impressed with Hamilton post race but the whole Mercedes team sooking it up since then, is not a good look.

 

[Monocle]

Was impressed with Hamilton post race but the whole Mercedes team sooking it up since then, is not a good look.

There was a whole lot that was "not a good look" last Sunday.
The sport lost a lot of credibility.
The brand of F1 was tarnished.

When the outcome of a marathon is manipulated and contrived, so that a grand finale sprint is put in place, to ensure a TV viewing drama at the expense of principals and ethics of the sport.
Then you know that something is inherently amiss within the sporting organisations governance.

Regardless of who won, the way that they went about deciding who the winner was, the result was undeniably manufactured for TV.
Hardly a fitting end to what had been a wonderfully competitive season.

 

[Bradesmaen]

There was a whole lot that was "not a good look" last Sunday.
The sport lost a lot of credibility.
The brand of F1 was tarnished.

When the outcome of a marathon is manipulated and contrived, so that a grand finale sprint is put in place, to ensure a TV viewing drama at the expense of principals and ethics of the sport.
Then you know that something is inherently amiss within the sporting organisations governance.

Regardless of who won, the way that they went about deciding who the winner was, the result was undeniably manufactured for TV.
Hardly a fitting end to what had been a wonderfully competitive season.

Yawn, these type of posts are getting boring. It wasn't manipulated, it wasn't contrived. This is no Nelson Piquet Jr incident.

 

[Loonerty]

Yawn, these type of posts are getting boring. It wasn't manipulated, it wasn't contrived. This is no Nelson Piquet Jr incident.

I wish I could see the alternate reality where Hamilton wins the race the way Max did, and then see your comments.

There's no doubt in my mind you'd be crying foul.

 

[Bradesmaen]

I wish I could see the alternate reality where Hamilton wins the race the way Max did, and then see your comments.

There's no doubt in my mind you'd be crying foul.

Would have said the same thing but good job assuming like usual. Ace.

 

[Loonerty]

Would have said the same thing but good job assuming like usual. Ace.

Doubtful

 

[Bradesmaen]

Doubtful

Cool story. Right up there with the bible and jack and jill as fairy tales.

 

[yaco55]

The 2021 season should see F1 grow from strength to strength - When you have two top-class drivers at the top of their game it creates interest in the sport - You can also add Drive To Survive which is growing interest in F1.

 

[happy_eagle]

Saw this on Reddit

Hard to distinguish this from the real thing
(hint: its the F1 video game with a graphics mod applied)

 

[darth_timon]

Saw this on Reddit

Hard to distinguish this from the real thing
(hint: its the F1 video game with a graphics mod applied)

Games are fast-catching up to reality. Some of the PS5 footage is so close to the real thing it's scary.

 

[nWo]

Yawn, these type of posts are getting boring. It wasn't manipulated, it wasn't contrived. This is no Nelson Piquet Jr incident.

For us newbies - what is this?

 

[Bradesmaen]

For us newbies - what is this?

Singapore 2008, Alonso had pitted and Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashed causing a safety car. I believe at the time they had Champ Car style rules where Pit lane was auto closed on a safety car.

 

[OldBlueFan]

Mean doesn't mean exactly 4 laps. It takes as long as it takes to make the track safe. It's still a huge gamble in such an important race.

If over the last 10 years a safety car rarely (and I mean very rarely) was out for more than 4 laps, then the bigger gamble is to assume that it will be out for more than 4 laps. There was nothing particularly difficult about clearing Latifi's car. It's not like it was a major accident, the car was almost completely intact, had only lost a wing.

And again, assuming that such an "important race" would finish under a safety car, is by far the bigger gamble.

 

[OldBlueFan]

I don't have a problem with cars being allowed to pass the safety car, until the race leader is immediately behind the SC. By definition, these cars are not regaining a lap - they may be regaining 99.9% of a lap, but they are still remaining on the same lap that they were on (relative to the race leader).

What I have a problem with is allowing lapped cars behind the leader to overtake both the leader and the SC, in order to regain the lap they have lost. These cars regain a full lap, which is just plain unfair on the cars/drivers which weren't lapped prior to the SC intervention.

You're splitting hairs here. So you're happy with someone regaining 99.9% of a lap, but you're not ok with someone regaining 100.1% of a lap? It doesn't make any difference to the leaders of the race, it's only important to those in the positions of "just been" or "about to be" lapped.

The lapped cars have only been lapped by the leaders, they haven't been lapped by the cars immediately in front of them. Your approach effectively grants their immediate rivals a lap over them. How is that fair?

 

[Vader]

You're splitting hairs here. So you're happy with someone regaining 99.9% of a lap, but you're not ok with someone regaining 100.1% of a lap? It doesn't make any difference to the leaders of the race, it's only important to those in the positions of "just been" or "about to be" lapped.

The lapped cars have only been lapped by the leaders, they haven't been lapped by the cars immediately in front of them. Your approach effectively grants their immediate rivals a lap over them. How is that fair?

Yes - that's the difference between being lapped, and not being lapped.

 

[Neale4brownlow]

I wish I could see the alternate reality where Hamilton wins the race the way Max did, and then see your comments.

There's no doubt in my mind you'd be crying foul.

I think you've made the point.

Everyone picks their camps, and cries foul regardless.

Its sport.

The F1 brand has never been stronger. And comments to the contrary are just Hamilton fans.

 

[owen87]

You can also add Drive To Survive which is growing interest in F1.

Can't wait to see the behind the scenes footage from the Mercedes team of the final race.

 

[Sixpence]

The F1 brand has never been stronger. And comments to the contrary are just Hamilton fans.

Based on what? I've been following the sport for about 25 years and while this year was interesting, I don't think the sport itself is at its peak.

And to label disagreeing opinions as just Hamilton fans is ignorant. I'm no Hamilton fan.

 

[DamoESP]

Watched the F1 Season predictions video....it seems that Kimi had already made up his mind about retiring before the season started

Here is the full video:

 

[OldBlueFan]

Yes - that's the difference between being lapped, and not being lapped.

Are you deliberately ignoring the fact that the lower placed unlapped cars have NOT lapped their immediate rivals, and so gain an unfair advantage, effectively being given a free lap over them?

Or are you just failing to understand the concept?

 

[Vader]

Are you deliberately ignoring the fact that the lower placed unlapped cars have NOT lapped their immediate rivals, and so gain an unfair advantage, effectively being given a free lap over them?

Or are you just failing to understand the concept?

Nope, I understand. I just don't care. Nobody should be allowed to regain a lap once they've been lapped, unless they are able to overtake the lead car on merit.