What went wrong for Mercedes here? This one was supposed to be an almost cert. I mean the podium also felt awkward as the wrong driver was on the top step than was intended.
Merc are not used to having a scrap with another team and don't react in a dynamic way. They should have won this, they needed to win this. Totto talking of winning in Mexico, I don't see it at all. RBR have had to struggle in the previous seasons and this has made them quick in making late strategy decisions as a race unfolds. On the positive, I was pleased to see Riccy seeming to have a good race.
Not quite as fast as they were. Great driver in the RBR. Hamilton becoming past the peak of his powers, Inability to react by Merc, 2022 regs coming up... There's a lot at play atm.
They should be in a position to go in to the last 4 races with around a 6pt deficit...but like you say, Max could be a full win ahead.and I suspect Hamilton is going to have some more hardware replacements coming. I think it's done.
As soon as I read Hamilton say he never wanted to be remembered as just a racing driver , I wondered if his heart is Really in it . I hope it is and I so want the WDC to go to the last race !
Honestly.. today was a title decider I feel. It's going to take something catastrophic for them to lose from here on out. Personally... I want to see Hamilton get #8, but overall it's going to be a good thing for the sport if we have a new champion. So I can't be too sad.
I said just recently that I don’t know what way this season will end , but as a fan of the SPORT ! I am loving it I would like Lewis to get #8 .
While I think merc's dropping rear suspension wasn't used after FP1 due to the bumpiness of the track plus the number of high speed corners I think that could be the only chance they have to win the championship. I would like Lewis to win just so he has the record but I feel Max and Red Bull have the edge. The thing that is intriguing me is the 2022 regs and I can't really believe Red Bull went all in on 2021 to win. So when the 2022 cars hit the track in anger I can't see Red Bull being slow so how are they managing to have developed the 2021 car and develop the 2022 car within the budget car? Is it just that they are using double the budget for their 2 teams and creating 1 great car and one with what ever is left?
They have an Adrian Newey.... While he can't fix the HP issues, he can fix everything else. So I don't expect them to be behind come 2022 when it comes to the chassis. Unless he builds a rare howler.
Your budget comment is key I feel , are they milking Alpha Tauri ? or were there clauses in Max contract that if by point x in the season he wasn’t at position y in the WDC he could talk to other teams ?
I think Merc should have stuck with Target plus 6 rather than 8. At 6 they were between 6 and 7 secs behind, at 8 they were 8 to 9 seconds behind. Extending those 2 laps was a mistake, another in a number they have made. Target plus 6 they would have caught Max when Max hadn't just got DRS and Lewis failed to, That was the tactical error that cost them the win, in my opinion.
Which other team? No other offered the opportunity RBR has given him, neither Merc nor Ferrari would have upset their balance with a Max signing.
Yeah I think that's pivotal. The Red Bull will be strong in Mexico and Perez finds an extra half second there. I don't see Hamilton in the top 2. Does he take the engine change there, and write it off? I think Hamilton needs a Verstappen retirement now to stand a chance. Number two drivers had a massive influence today, and Perez put in a stunning performance whilst Bottas was woeful. Perez's great quali and first stint meant both Max and Perez could undercut Hamilton, forcing Hamilton into pitting earlier in the first stint than he'd have liked, denying Hamilton the option of a long first stint. He drove a great race with suboptimal tyre options, delivered the podium, and I was surprised Red Bull didn't gamble on him getting fastest lap and sacrifice third, the option was there. Bottas, average quali, poor start, dreadful first stint. Merc knew he'd probably be starting below 6th, his car must have been set up for straightline speed/overtaking, and he made absolutely no progress. He couldn't get in Verstappen's pit window (Ricciardo in 5th was at the first stops, so it was doable), he couldn't even get in Perez's window and ruin the second part of Red Bull's clever strategy. Strategists made a difference too. Red Bull pulled a blinder at the end of the first stint, and then boldly and decisively pit Verstappen when Hamilton got into undercut territory. Meanwhile Hamilton wasn't pitted first in the first stint, when he probably would have cleared Ricciardo and had several seconds of clean air to Perez, who would have struggled to hold him up on old Mediums. He didn't take the undercut when 2.8 seconds behind Verstappen in stint 2, and then held him on those tyres too long and lost a few seconds extra before his second stop.
Is it time for Mercedes to consider dropping Bottas early? Turkey is probably his only decent race in the last 10? Would Russell be any worse? Roll the dice and see if Russell can influence the Championship, because Bottas won't?
The next two races are Red Bull circuits on paper, but on paper they shouldn't have been miles off Merc in Turkey. The title will be decided by who can keep it clean and get their setups right. I also still think Bottas is more likely to get inbetween Max and Lewis than Perez is.
It's really hard to tell, but today makes it definitely advantage to RBR. Fair play to them, they played it beautifully all weekend when they should have been up against it. With where we are at though... If it comes to it, I don't think Bottas will put himself in the way of a potential title win for Hamilton. He doesn't come across as vindictive, and if he finds himself in the position to help Hamilton, I think he will. I'm just not sure we'll get to that point. I think it's done.