Well tomorrow should be fun, anything but a win for Hamilton is a failure and Verstappen really should be looking to get top 5. All on a green track
Think the biggest thing for Max tomorrow is to stay out of any first lap cock ups, then start working on his way up. Too quick off the line and he might be in the knob-headery zone.
At this point, with Hamilton failing to make the most of qualifying, knowing Hamilton still has to take an engine penalty soon, and that the advantage is about to move in his favor, you would think/hope that this is the time he plays it smart. Top 5 tomorrow is a good result and could/should see him able to take it. A Lando win would be nice tomorrow. Can he do a Ricciardo?
Forget F1 tho....last race of the Indycar season tomorrow. Title decider that's just been set up beautifully in qualifying. That's where the action is at tomorrow.
Lewis is making too many mistakes this year, if he has Long Covid he won't be feeling 100% at any race. If he hasn't then he is making uncharacteristic errors.
Definitely more mistakes than in recent years. I do wonder if it's Long Covid plus pressure as other than Rosberg he hasn't had much competition recently. He must be so frustrated with Merc that they haven't really developed the car this year just when he could be first to 8 championships. Next year could be very different if Merc get things wrong!!! Then the year after George will be putting him under serious pressure as he will have had input to the 2023 car and a years experience of the team. So I almost feel this is Lewis's best chance to get the 8th!
I agree. Lewis doesn't look sharp in his interviews. I think he is struggling and I suspect it is long covid, his exhaustion has shown the signs. His chance of a win or improved place tomorrow is not finished. Tomorrow is going to be interesting if nothing else. But it is not just Lewis, the team are not functioning 100%, from strategy to pitstops to tyres.
Is it long Covid, is it a team that struggles to deal with not winning from the front, or is it age? Hamilton is fast becoming an old man of the sport, and one thing you can always count on in F1 is that the next generation is going to come through and put the old to the sword. Could likely be a mix of all really at this time.
Bottas taking (well, being given) some strategic new engine parts to drop him to 17th. Urgh. On one hand Merc and within their rights to do this and to drop Bottas down to slow down Max is a perfectly legitimate strategy. Doesn't sit right right with me though. It's a little over the line of fair sportsmanship imo. I want to see Lewis win the WDC because he outclasses Max and pumps in some brilliant victories, not because Valterri is used as a sacrificial lamb at any opportunity. Sigh. I suppose RB will just do the same if/when Ham takes a pen with Checo. And let's be honest, Bottas is hardly likely to slow Max down for long anyway.
Bottas must be fuming . I also agree that if they think Valtteri will hold up Max for long, we'll good luck with that .
Just imagine if Bottas and Max collide into the first corner now. It's a odd move to be honest, seems overly risky unless they've seen something in the PU data. Maybe they want to test an upgrade?
I wonder if they are going to put Valtteri on a harder tyre than Max to try and mess his pit stops up. As for him holding Max up - Bottas doesn't have great form in being able to do that. So that means Bottas has 2 fresh PU for the last 9 races and Lewis has none!!
Is anyone watching the sky piece about Bond and Aston? Lance, Seb and Martin in a db5 drifting and donuts - needless to say Lance came 3rd!