Chinese GP chat and Predicitions.

Sorry guys, been away for a few days, so you haven't got long to choose.

 

I'll have a chicken chow mein

 

Number 16 please.

 

A picture of dominance

 

So is this the 1000th or 1001st ever F1 race?

Autosport have said its the 1001st, as they did an article on the 500th race from Japan 1990. But I remember a BBC documentary on the 500th race and it was clearly at Adelaide, the race after.

SO WHICH IS IT!!??

 

Maybe it depends on how you see San Marino '82.

 

That is quite a shocking set of images. Well in the last 100 races Merc have won 75 and only Ferrari and Red Bull have been on the top step!!!!
I really hope the new 2021 regs don't allow 1 team to be so dominant, not that it hasn't been similar in the past but future regs are an opportunity to level the playing field.
Can't remember where I saw it but an idea about giving the teams who finish towards the bottom of the grid extra time on CFD and wind tunnel testing or more testing days. Which sounds good but obviously would have cost implications!!!

 

Drivers are allowed a free helmet design change this weekend to celebrate so we may see some special ones.

Russell has gone for a Montoya tribute

 

it was a serious gap in p1 given it was mediums.v sorts but bottas has basically matched/bettered vettel here so far in p2.

verstappen is too close to both of them so there's more to come here

 

Something doesn't seem right at Ferrari. Seem very cautious...or sandbagging

 

Apparently Mercedes and Red Bull have been ordered to change their front wing designs for qualifying as they don't adhere to the rules.

https://www.planetf1.com/news/fia-tell-mercedes-red-bull-to-change-illegal-wings/

 

Great quali from Bottas, he’s been on it all weekend. Great stuff from him.

Should be a real race tomorrow- tyres and/or safety car could make or break it.

 

imo Hamilton's car isn't there. He's going to have more.tyre wear.

was interesting yesterday people saying this.is really.high workforce track and it shows with red bull.

ferrari imo won't get near and bottas should.win this if he does get through first corner

 

Battles of the team mates tomorrow then. Good for Ricciardo to have just pipped Hulk there. Charlie L right up Vettel’s gearbox again. Wait till he really learns the team and the car! Gasly got to Q3, but Max is gobbling him up at the moment.

 

Looks like Bottas service pack 3 has been released

 

Looked like Red Bull or Max messed up getting over the line to get last quali lap in.

 

did it really matter?

I don't think they had any hope of catching really.

 

Probably not but it was funny to hear him moaning about others then while he failed to get over the line. Then in the interview he said Vettel overtook him and 'it wasn't the done thing in quali'. I thought a driver would take every opportunity that presented itself? To me it just showed that he hasn't matured yet and still thinks the world revolves around him

 

Pretty sure Max got through Q2 on Mediums (as did all the front runners), whilst Gasly used the softs and was still half a second slower. So whilst he got sixth, he's not got a strategy advantage over the cars 7-10th. There's no chance he finishes higher than 6th without retirements. It'll be interesting to see how Gasly fairs against Kvyat in 11th.

In past seasons, there was a gentleman's agreement that when there's a queue at the end of the lap for space on track, you queue, not overtake. That appears to be increasingly disrespected. Magnussen and Alonso at Monza last year was one example of it being broken.

Today, following etiquette cost you the chance to put a lap in. Vettel broke it in order to get a lap, whilst Verstappen was patient behind Leclerc as Leclerc tried to make a gap for himself. For the "gentleman's agreement" to be followed properly, Ferrari should have compromised Leclerc by telling him to start his lap sooner, in order to make sure both Verstappen and Vettel crossed the line in time. So by following the 'rule' Verstappen got completely screwed. Given Ferrari could have avoided the situation entirely, I don't think it's unfair for Verstappen to say he won't be doing them any favours in the future.