Official 2021 Styrian and Austrian GP thread **SPOILERS**

[TheDeuce]

HighwayToHull said:

Bit of rain would be nice.

(Well anything would be nice as long as it's not the usual Merc 1-2 borefest.)

They haven't actually had 1-2 at all this season, which I agree has made things more interesting

[Jasandjules]

TheDeuce said:

They haven't actually had 1-2 at all this season, which I agree has made things more interesting

And I don't think they will. At this point I think the only reason they have podiums is because Lewis is, well Lewis... Bottas is showing where the car should be most of the time. Unless Merc can really, really, really improve the car 1-2s are not going to happen this season....

[TheDeuce]

Jasandjules said:

TheDeuce said:

They haven't actually had 1-2 at all this season, which I agree has made things more interesting

And I don't think they will. At this point I think the only reason they have podiums is because Lewis is, well Lewis... Bottas is showing where the car should be most of the time. Unless Merc can really, really, really improve the car 1-2s are not going to happen this season....

I think so far you're right. People are attacking bottas but he is, minus some bad luck, showing where Mercedes car is on the circuits so far. Lewis is just an insane talent that has plucked podiums and wins when he had no right to do so! Which actually reminds me of his earliest F1 years, so I suppose that means he hasn't faded at all - very impressive.

However... I do also think that as luck levels out over the course of this very long season, we might yet see that the Mercedes is possibly the best package overall.

Or if red bull can carry the distance, I'd be delighted for them too. As an F1 fan I can't really lose.. this is an incredibly exciting season in an era most had written off as dull

[RZ1]

I’m hoping lando can keep up his good results and nice to see Danny ric do better

[SturdyHSV]

HighwayToHull said:

Bit of rain would be nice.

(Well anything would be nice as long as it's not the usual Merc 1-2 borefest.)

As others have pointed out, try watching the races, the last Merc 1-2 was Imola last year, and other than Monaco being Monaco, we haven't had a boring race since Paul Ricard 2019

[LaurasOtherHalf]

TheDeuce said:

However... I do also think that as luck levels out over the course of this very long season, we might yet see that the Mercedes is possibly the best package overall.

That’s quite a bold claim given the evidence thus far.

[honda_exige]

Hell has frozen over and Toto says that Merc had the faster car in France after years of making out that the Merc is as slow as a Williams.

Also interesting that he reinforces why Perez being competitive in the 2nd RB is so important.

https://racer.com/2021/06/22/wolff-believes-merced...

[HighwayToHull]

paulguitar said:

HighwayToHull said:

(Well anything would be nice as long as it's not the usual Merc 1-2 borefest.)

Guess you've not been watching this season!

It's true I don't pay much attention to F1 these days, as I'm old enough to have seen it in earlier, and better, times.

[vaud]

HighwayToHull said:

It's true I don't pay much attention to F1 these days, as I'm old enough to have seen it in earlier, and better, times.

I'm always curious as to when people are referring to for the "better times" (I've been following since about '88) and have watched earlier years archives.

For me each era has been pretty good. Different dynamics, different challenges for the drivers.

I quite like the modern era in that it's unlikely I will see a driver die on track...

[HighwayToHull]

If you only started in 88, you missed the better times.

[Mark-C]

vaud said:

HighwayToHull said:

It's true I don't pay much attention to F1 these days, as I'm old enough to have seen it in earlier, and better, times.

I'm always curious as to when people are referring to for the "better times" (I've been following since about '88) and have watched earlier years archives.

For me each era has been pretty good. Different dynamics, different challenges for the drivers.

I quite like the modern era in that it's unlikely I will see a driver die on track...

Absolutely with you on this having got interested in the mid-70s and really got hooked in 1978. I've loved it for most of this time despite some dull years - the cars, circuits, engines, politics have all changed and kept things interesting. I don't like the homogenisation of the current regs but the racing has become increasingly exciting as the rules have remained settled.

There were different times and certainly more exciting times than we had a couple of years back but not always better ... it's one long continuous series of change to me.

[vaud]

HighwayToHull said:

If you only started in 88, you missed the better times.

The ones where drivers regularly died? Or where mass the gap from front to back could be multiple laps and maybe only a few cars on the same lap at the end? Or where unreliability decided many many races?

I said I started watching in 88, and have watched many earlier seasons from archives. Sure there were some great races, but there was also a lot of truly awful races and seasons.

[jimPH]

HighwayToHull said:

If you only started in 88, you missed the better times.

Which are?

[SturdyHSV]

jimPH said:

HighwayToHull said:

If you only started in 88, you missed the better times.

Which are?

A rose tinted compilation of highlights only partially remembered and witnessed at the time as an unjaded youth who hadn't seen it all before 50 times over.

[TheDeuce]

SturdyHSV said:

jimPH said:

HighwayToHull said:

If you only started in 88, you missed the better times.

Which are?

A rose tinted compilation of highlights only partially remembered and witnessed at the time as an unjaded youth who hadn't seen it all before 50 times over.

When I was a kid, every day of summer was long and hot

[vaud]

TheDeuce said:

When I was a kid, every day of summer was long and hot

Mine weren't, I grew up in Yorkshire

[airbusA346]

"FIA to slow down Formula 1 pitstops from Hungarian GP"

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/fia-to-slow-dow...

[HustleRussell]

FIA hobbling Red Bill now in an ongoing effort to balance the equilibrium

[Flooble]

Hmm, that does seem a little like ‘Red Bull have the fastest stops, we need to slow them down’.

[DanielSan]

HustleRussell said:

FIA hobbling Red Bill now in an ongoing effort to balance the equilibrium

They've been doing that continuously, 'bendy wings that pass all the required FIA tests. Ban them.

Pirelli tyres fail, accuse the teams of messing with pressures and despite no concrete evidence either way, Red Bull look like they're benefitting so increase the pressures anyway...

And now slow down the pit stops.

It would be easier to just save everyone millions and put them in F2 cars if the FIA want everyone to be equal.

And yes I am in a bad mood today