Grand Prix thread Ooredoo Qatar Grand Prix 2021

Actually, I was referring to Nige.

 

So the idiots as well …..

 

The mustachioed deity.

 

some joke or other about his name and shoes cos the lad apparently likes his shoes. you know the sort of thing that people need to apologise about when the whole thing implodes in a few years time

I was just laughing at them falling over each other to then act like they are his chums and know him well etc.

 

Hamilton sandbagging after. Mercs seem to have a massive advantage so far, unless something changes massively then its a 1/2 for Mercedes here and not much verstappen can do.

 

horner... whining on about merc wing. there you go tit for tat rubbish.

Talking of protest for the merc rear wing about scoring. going to have a look now at thier rear wing on camera and see if red bull with throw in a protest just for the fun of it.

Lets have a race maybe? just a thought.

 

Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas set the pace in Friday practice at the Qatar Grand Prix as the Formula 1 title battle heads into its final three races.

The Finn was 0.209 seconds quicker than Alpha Tauri's Pierre Gasly, with championship rivals Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton third and fourth.

Just 0.072secs separated Verstappen's Red Bull and Hamilton's Mercedes, which appeared closely matched for race pace.

Verstappen was 0.350secs off Bottas' single-lap headline pace.

 

Let’s try and remember there is another race going on this weekend as you have suggested MITO

 

My nan?

 

You're Italian?

 

Seems to be a few cars getting on top of set up issues.

Alpha Tauri being about level with Red Bull was interesting and suggests Max and the boys will up the ante tomorrow, as will Lewis of course.

Lando Norris within half a second of the pace - that bodes very well for him and McLaren usually as they are majorly tuned down on Friday running and make a nice step on a Saturday usually.

 

P3 shows hamilton sandbagging as per.

Bottas and hamilton have a 0.3second gap right now.

This is then all about race pace.

I expect a 1/2 in quali later for merc unless something happens.

 

Not looking good for Red Bull at all and I had this down as their best opportunity from the last three races.

I've never liked Max, but it will be disappointing if this year ends with yet another bloody Mercedes title. They appear to have found half a second somehow.

 

I know it doesn't change the feeling of same team winning, but at least if they do win this year they have had to fight for it and haven't had it easy. Regardless of the next 3 races, it's been a good season to watch.

 

I know we just want good close racing but with Red Bull whining about Mercs rear wing this is on youtube which is interesting:

Sorry if it's not available in your country.

Basically right at the end it shows the 'marks' Red Bull are going on about. To me it does look like the main wing plane isn't actually bonded to the end plates towards the trailing edge. It looks like under high load this back edge could flex backwards and reduce drag, causing the witness marks!!!!
Toto has said the wing drawings are with FIA and it has passed tests! Well didn't Red Bulls wings pass the tests until the tests were tightened to increase weight?

When asked about the rear wing 'marks' Toto seems to say 'I think it's within what is allowed', so to me that means they are complying with the rules as currently written. But it may be an interpretation thing again, wings will flex, even though they are not supposed to, so if Merc have designed in flex at trailing edge that passes the load tests but has designed in flexibility at higher load would that be within the rules or not as it's a moveable aero device as designed!!!

Once again more grey areas.

Funny that Toto has even said 'we will cut it up and send it to you' what's the betting any cut would be between the main plane and the end plate

Anyway, hopefully we get some decent clean close racing this weekend.

 

So basically Mercedes were done by one side of their dodgy wing bending under load and then went ape **** and pretended to be victims of a conspiracy.

 

Very poor first lap from bottas

 

Sometimes i wonder why do the top 6 or 8 card bother being out late in the session. Huge traffic and hamilton is never ever in danger but is out here complaining on the radio about traffic.

 

Q2 basically 0.3 second gap which was exactly what was there after q2 yesterday.

Medium tyres to start absolutely no need to go out again for hamilton, gasly verstappen or bottas.

Perez poor again