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Grand Prix thread Ooredoo Qatar Grand Prix 2021

Discussion in 'Formula 1' started by ched999uk, Nov 18, 2021.

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Who will gain the 25 points for a win?

Poll closed Nov 20, 2021.
  1. Lewis Hamilton

    73.3%
  2. Max Verstappen

    6.7%
  3. Valtteri Bottas

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  4. Sergio Perez

    6.7%
  5. Lando Norris

    6.7%
  6. Carlos Sainz

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  7. Charles Leclerc

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  8. Sebastian Vettel

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  9. Fernando Alonso

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  10. Any Other

    6.7%
  1. Julius Caesar

    Julius Caesar Well-Known Member
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    Some disaster needs to befall Hamilton to stop him from winning the title now. I can't imagine Red Bull will find an answer to this pace in Jeddah or Abu Dhabi.
     
    #241
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  2. Number 1 Jasper

    Number 1 Jasper Well-Known Member

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    I can imagine Charlie Whiting inviting them all in for tea and biscuits .

    Minus the tea and biscuits :)
     
    #242
  3. Big Ern

    Big Ern Lord, Master, Guru & Emperor

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    yeah, but how much did Brazil take out of it?
     
    #243
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  4. Big Ern

    Big Ern Lord, Master, Guru & Emperor

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    I think Gasly went a bit wide, remembered why he had a new chassis, and went wider to avoid the inner kerb that destroyed it yesterday.
     
    #244
  5. Number 1 Jasper

    Number 1 Jasper Well-Known Member

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    That’s the great thing about this season , none of us know :)
     
    #245
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  6. Mark Blow

    Mark Blow Well-Known Member

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    why not bring a new one again for Saudi. The pace from it was unbelievable in Brazil and Saudi looks a far faster track and save the Brazil one for Abu Dhabi?
     
    #246
  7. Number 1 Jasper

    Number 1 Jasper Well-Known Member

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    Horner has apologised .


    https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/...rshal-comments-in.6nrJux4Gw5Nt7TqSixbwEo.html




    Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has been given an official warning by race stewards for comments he made regarding marshalling at the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix. Horner apologised for his remarks, which came after Max Verstappen was handed a five-place grid penalty for a yellow-flag infringement during qualifying.

    Horner was deemed to have broken the FIA’s International Sporting Code after describing the official who waved the double yellow flag in question as a ‘rogue marshal’. He told stewards that his reaction was “made under the pressure of competition” when news of his driver’s penalty came through shortly before the race.

    "Some comments were made, I think in our interview earlier, where you asked me about the marshalling and I'd like to make it clear that marshals do a wonderful, wonderful job," Horner told Sky F1.

    "They are volunteers and they do a great job. And my frustration in what I voiced earlier wasn't at marshals, it was at a circumstance. So if any offence was taken by any individual, then obviously I apologise for that.”




    Horner offered to extend that apology in person to the marshal in question, who stewards confirmed had performed his role in the correct manner, and also to participate in the 2022 FIA International Stewards Programme in early February.

    "My frustration wasn't with an individual marshal,” Horner added. “It was with a situation where one car had driven [past], there was no yellow. One car gets a single yellow, one car gets a double yellow, so it's the inconsistency across that.

    "We can learn from that, as a sport we can learn from that. But all the marshals out there: we need you, we think you do a wonderful job. And apologies if any offence was interpreted."

    Despite the penalty – and his team boss’s frustration – Verstappen recovered to finish in second place in Qatar and set the fastest lap of the race.
     
    #247
  8. moreinjuredthanowen

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    Good race, decent track, very disposable location and crowd of rich people faking interest while partying but not watching.

    Kind of sad the f1 circuit is going. Oil state 1, embassy murders 2 and then finish the season at the other oil state.
     
    #248
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  9. SgtBhaji

    SgtBhaji Well-Known Member

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    If any offensive was taken, then I apologize for that is about as weak an apology as you can get.

    But I understand him being frustrated, it's looking like it may unravel for then right at the end, so it's gotta be annoying as hell. Just directing that frustration in the wrong direction.
     
    #249
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  10. DHCanary

    DHCanary Very Well-Known Member
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    I guess it's unknown at this point how easy overtaking will be at Jeddah, a fresh engine might not compensate for starting P6 behind Checo and Max.
     
    #250

  11. moreinjuredthanowen

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    Why do that when they already saved engine 4. As hamilton is on engine 5 he can run either but he has not taken the other components at all.

    In effect hamilton has that 4th engine to fall back on.
     
    #251
  12. moreinjuredthanowen

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    Just running the scenarios here.

    Mercedes in effect ran to match verstappen here. Hamilton was quoted on the radio "dont stop me early, the tyre feel good" then whinges "feels too early"

    Imagine if verstappen doesn't get lucky hanging out on the inside where the grip was great. Imagine he is 7th and hamilton has a 20 second lead as verstappen works up the field.

    Could it have been hamilton with the puncture late on trying to run one stop?

    Did they hang bottas out too long looking at perez or would Mercedes have messed up hamilton too?

    For me alonso showed that a careful driver could have 1 stopped but he had to coast for 10 laps at the end really

    These are the margins that championships get won on. Today hamilton wanted to run longer and wolff was adamant yesterday tyre deg was not bad. The race proved the front lefts were marginal and the kerbs did the rest.

    Imo the simple.but effective match the guy behind and use the gap strategy worked and mercedes should stick with it for the next two races. They should have pole each race and should win these two races. Only a mercedes mistake can stop hamilton imo
     
    #252
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  13. moreinjuredthanowen

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    Finally this championship hinges on the fact that hamilton needs to finish in front of verstappen twice.

    8 point gap.

    Suppose somehow an accident takes both out in one race..... and the stewards somehow find no fault for either..... then hamilton cannot win the title even if he wins and fastest laps in the other race as verstappen would have won 10 to 9 races.

    Bottas is the joker in the pack but he is just not a racer so for me the pressure is all on red.bull here
    Cars tripping over each other becomes very tempting as we all know from the dim and distant past.
     
    #253
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  14. El_Bando

    El_Bando Can't remember, where was I?
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    we're all out of those this season now. Its Mercedes championships to lose.
     
    #254
  15. Dell Boy

    Dell Boy Well-Known Member

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    I think the difference may come down to the fact that RBR have a second driver that is capable of supporting Verstappen with the undercut or whatever else is required, Whereas Bottas offers very little.
    2 onto 1 may just be the difference when the title race is so close?
     
    #255
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  16. DHCanary

    DHCanary Very Well-Known Member
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    The strategy works, but probably cost them a chance at fastest lap today?

    There's certainly an element of hindsight to this, but...

    The undercut didn't exist today, that was clear from everyone who pitted early to hards, I don't think anyone made an undercut work without a significant car advantage. So when Verstappen pitted, it was hugely unlikely that he jumped Hamilton when Hamilton stopped. Had Hamilton run 5 laps longer, and extended a little bit on the second stint too, he could have put softs on for his final stint and had a shot at fastest lap.

    It made sense not to risk a safety car messing things up, and minimise puncture risk, and they expected to have Bottas in play to steal fastest lap if necessary, but that didn't go their way.
     
    #256
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  17. moreinjuredthanowen

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    Not really, the virtual safety car cost them as the lap after max pitted Hamilton should have reacted again and easily snatched it imo. Verstappen had a cheap stop under virtual safety car but Hamilton could not really until the following lap or he would cede track position to verstappen and he couldn't register a time as it would have been not a complete flying lap.

    I think matching verstappen was the only safe easy strategy with a 10 second lead, stretching could have opened up the undercut so why risk it.

    If merc had said 1 stop is clearly better Hamilton could have been boned, not sure why they decided pushing bottas so long was right. Perez was caught behind cars but the lead never stretched out. Did they think he couldn't pass perez?
     
    #257
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  18. Justjazz

    Justjazz Well-Known Member

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    Mercedes show a lack of common sense on strategy yet again. I know it is hindsight but Bottas was on the Medium, he exceeded the recommended laps provided by Pirelli, could not understand the perceived advantage of staying out longer and putting more laps on the Medium rather than the Hard. Bottas made a poor start and thankfully George is in that car next year but the the puncture was a definite Merc strategist error, why did they go for longer than recomended? What did they expect to gain? Surely they knew the danger on the corners. I know the punctures followed by why did know one see the potential danger. Someone will have looked at the curbs during practise days.
     
    #258
  19. Justjazz

    Justjazz Well-Known Member

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    As it stands, with the weakness of Bottas I hope my preferred outcome comes to fruition. That is RBR with the Constructors. I want this as a justification for Honda, not RBR. Honda were treated badly.
    Hope that Lewis manages the WDC because I want him to gain his 8th and put clear air between himself and Michael. Will silence much (but never all) debate about Lewis vs Michael in the years to come. I hope but do not assume.
     
    #259
  20. Mark Blow

    Mark Blow Well-Known Member

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    As someone who has lived and worked in Qatar, that statement is partly correct. There are lots of rich people that attend all the different F1 races, but as the vast majority of people are ex pats this was a great chance for them to see a F1 race for the first time. That’s not feigning interest. I’ve never actually been to the British GP, yet I’ve watched F1 for over 40 years.
     
    #260

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