The Official 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix Thread **Spoilers**

[hairyben]

rdjohn said:

Derek Smith said:

hairyben said:

rdjohn said:

I suspect that since Spa, there is an understanding at Mercedes that once a car is clearly ahead, the first few corners are not contested and so it looked like Lewis was tucked-in behind Nico. From Bottas's camera, it looked almost like Nico was tip-toeing around, rather that a Bottas lock up.

Nico pretty much parked it on the apex and asked for a menu. Ham had already tucked in behind and pretty much conceded the place, mercs were several car lengths ahead, nico brakes to nothing- look how much Bottas then gained in the corner and half the field were wrong footed- thats not just concertina effect.

I wonder what the printout from NR's car says about the corner.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7nAFYbxT_sE
i think if you look again here, it's pretty obviously 50% racing incident, 25% Nico going steady being a tad early braking with Lewis following but not contesting the corner and 25% Bottas being way off-line but taking a normal braking point.

But the Stewards these days feel they have to award penalties ( how harsh was KMag's?) Lewis did suffer a lot of damage.

nico braked so much Lewis could have just driven clean around the outside there

[s3fella]

johnfm said:

Clickbait said:

The Party at HAAS will last all week

As Haas said last week, they don't party. They have work to do to improve.

I'm really liking the Haas lot, and enjoying and rooting for Manor too. Although I think their livery is a bit odd!

[S0 What]

kambites said:

Bottas definitely did get hit from behind - whoever was behind him lost part of his front wing to it (is that where Ricciardo picked up his damage or was it someone else?). I'm not sure whether that was before or after the impact with Hamilton though. I assumed it was afterwards when I first saw it but I might be wrong.

It was after, VB slowed as he hit LH and that bought DR into him, rather lightly, deffo not enough to shunt VB into LH (he awas already into him anyway at that point) and there was little flying debrit from the impact (IF it was even an impact and not just very VERY close) ?

[The Moose]

kambites said:

Bottas definitely did get hit from behind - whoever was behind him lost part of his front wing to it (is that where Ricciardo picked up his damage or was it someone else?). I'm not sure whether that was before or after the impact with Hamilton though. I assumed it was afterwards when I first saw it but I might be wrong.

He got hit but after he and Hami made contact.

[dc2rr07]

Otispunkmeyer said:

Dumb arguement RE Hamitlon and Bottas.

Put simply, Hamilton's duff start put him in that situation. End of. That's where it all started. OK Bottas was in a little hot, but bog the start, risk getting caught in the first corner bunch up. Nico nailed the start and was out and clear by turn 1. Hamilton just has to work on the start, its clear he hasn't got the best of the new arrangement yet.

You must have been watching a different race to me, Nico got the better start but he was certainly not out and clear by turn 1 if he had been LH would not have had to slowdown as much and may not have been hit.

[deadslow]

dc2rr07 said:

Otispunkmeyer said:

Dumb arguement RE Hamitlon and Bottas.

Put simply, Hamilton's duff start put him in that situation. End of. That's where it all started. OK Bottas was in a little hot, but bog the start, risk getting caught in the first corner bunch up. Nico nailed the start and was out and clear by turn 1. Hamilton just has to work on the start, its clear he hasn't got the best of the new arrangement yet.

You must have been watching a different race to me, Nico got the better start but he was certainly not out and clear by turn 1 if he had been LH would not have had to slowdown as much and may not have been hit.

LH had a poor start, Bottas saw a space, it didn't work out. Years ago a hard charging LH used to go for every space. I think NR had the legs on him anyway.

[dc2rr07]

deadslow said:

LH had a poor start, Bottas saw a space, it didn't work out. Years ago a hard charging LH used to go for every space. I think NR had the legs on him anyway.

Agree, LH will have to sort them starts out.

[Wills2]

Haas are making Ron's outfit look like a joke, hats off to them great start.

[Mr_Thyroid]

I think Bottas would've gotten away without a penalty if he hadn't lost the back end - he ended up counter steering into Lewis.

[37chevy]

Otispunkmeyer said:

Dumb arguement RE Hamitlon and Bottas.

Put simply, Hamilton's duff start put him in that situation. End of. That's where it all started. OK Bottas was in a little hot, but bog the start, risk getting caught in the first corner bunch up. Nico nailed the start and was out and clear by turn 1. Hamilton just has to work on the start, its clear he hasn't got the best of the new arrangement yet.

UNBELIEVABLE! Only on this forum would Hamilton get blamed FOR SOMEONE ELSE HITTING HIM!

Yes he had a rubbish start but so did kimi and Daniel as did a few other drivers....did they get hit? No!

Bottas mucked up, he went in too hot on cold tyres...the penalty was fair, having said that It wasn't intentional, just a first corner racing thing but as professional drivers at the top of their game you would expect them to avoid contact....hell if it was the other way around and Hamilton hit another driver he would be getting chastised on here right now!

[Sixpackpert]

Wills2 said:

Haas are making Ron's outfit look like a joke, hats off to them great start.

Not really, it's mainly an engine formula at the moment and they have a proven PU. The PU is what is letting Macca down at the moment.

[Otispunkmeyer]

37chevy said:

Otispunkmeyer said:

Dumb arguement RE Hamitlon and Bottas.

Put simply, Hamilton's duff start put him in that situation. End of. That's where it all started. OK Bottas was in a little hot, but bog the start, risk getting caught in the first corner bunch up. Nico nailed the start and was out and clear by turn 1. Hamilton just has to work on the start, its clear he hasn't got the best of the new arrangement yet.

UNBELIEVABLE! Only on this forum would Hamilton get blamed FOR SOMEONE ELSE HITTING HIM!

Yes he had a rubbish start but so did kimi and Daniel as did a few other drivers....did they get hit? No!

Bottas mucked up, he went in too hot on cold tyres...the penalty was fair, having said that It wasn't intentional, just a first corner racing thing but as professional drivers at the top of their game you would expect them to avoid contact....hell if it was the other way around and Hamilton hit another driver he would be getting chastised on here right now!

I am not blaming hamilton for anything.

In fact, I really want him to win. To at least beat his smug faced team mate. I was merely stating hamilton got a crap start (2 for 2) and rosberg got it done ( 1 for 2 I guess as in Melbourne they both got bum rushed by Ferrari). Because of the duff start hamilton automatically puts himself in a riskier position with respect to the chasing pack bunching behind. He got tangled up. Not saying its his fault per se, certainly it should be the job of the driver behind to avoid the driver in front, but the slow start didn't help his odds of staying out of danger. Racing incident for me btw, I did not think it warranted a punishment for bottas.


Still its early days, hamilton doesn't appear too concerned. He seems very mellow in fact. I hope its just an act for Nico et al though (I'm sure it is).

Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Monday 4th April 22:18

[Otispunkmeyer]

Sixpackpert said:

Wills2 said:

Haas are making Ron's outfit look like a joke, hats off to them great start.

Not really, it's mainly an engine formula at the moment and they have a proven PU. The PU is what is letting Macca down at the moment.

Yes even Renault drivers were complaining about not being able to catch the Manor cars. It might not be the most advanced car on the grid but they've fitted a rocket in the back and its showing. Not the first time the folk in Northampton have made engines so good everyone wanted it (think it was IndyCar that eventually all had engines by Ilmor, Ilmor which became Mercedes HPE and then back to Ilmor when Mercedes went off on their own. Probably took a lot of knowledge with them)

Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Monday 4th April 22:23

[stephen300o]

So how come this is much more exciting than f1? Haha

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk9JDHvhI00

Mine won!

[London424]

Otispunkmeyer said:

37chevy said:

Otispunkmeyer said:

Dumb arguement RE Hamitlon and Bottas.

Put simply, Hamilton's duff start put him in that situation. End of. That's where it all started. OK Bottas was in a little hot, but bog the start, risk getting caught in the first corner bunch up. Nico nailed the start and was out and clear by turn 1. Hamilton just has to work on the start, its clear he hasn't got the best of the new arrangement yet.

UNBELIEVABLE! Only on this forum would Hamilton get blamed FOR SOMEONE ELSE HITTING HIM!

Yes he had a rubbish start but so did kimi and Daniel as did a few other drivers....did they get hit? No!

Bottas mucked up, he went in too hot on cold tyres...the penalty was fair, having said that It wasn't intentional, just a first corner racing thing but as professional drivers at the top of their game you would expect them to avoid contact....hell if it was the other way around and Hamilton hit another driver he would be getting chastised on here right now!

I am not blaming hamilton for anything.

In fact, I really want him to win. To at least beat his smug faced team mate. I was merely stating hamilton got a crap start (2 for 2) and rosberg got it done ( 1 for 2 I guess as in Melbourne they both got bum rushed by Ferrari). Because of the duff start hamilton automatically puts himself in a riskier position with respect to the chasing pack bunching behind. He got tangled up. Not saying its his fault per se, certainly it should be the job of the driver behind to avoid the driver in front, but the slow start didn't help his odds of staying out of danger. Racing incident for me btw, I did not think it warranted a punishment for bottas.


Still its early days, hamilton doesn't appear too concerned. He seems very mellow in fact. I hope its just an act for Nico et al though (I'm sure it is).

Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Monday 4th April 22:18

For me Ham only had a bad start compared to Nico. The Mercs are miles clear of anyone else. In almost every start when cars are that far clear you'd certainly have no expectation of contact unless someone makes a mistake.

I mean look how far clear they are.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nAFYbxT_sE

[patmahe]

stephen300o said:

So how come this is much more exciting than f1? Haha

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk9JDHvhI00

Mine won!

So is this the new driverless series

Strangely mesmerising

[glazbagun]

stephen300o said:

So how come this is much more exciting than f1? Haha

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk9JDHvhI00

Mine won!

It's the new qualifying format, each team has to pick a colour.

[hornetrider]

stephen300o said:

So how come this is much more exciting than f1? Haha

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk9JDHvhI00

Mine won!

Epic racing

[FourWheelDrift]

hornetrider said:

stephen300o said:

So how come this is much more exciting than f1? Haha

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk9JDHvhI00

Mine won!

Epic racing

I like the slipstreaming overtakes.

[Dr Z]

If Webber or DC mentioned 14 seconds, they were very much mistaken. Front running pace with heavy fuel was around 5s slower than maximum they could do. This is simply the functional characteristic of the tyres. Each compound has the best degradation rate for race and qualifying to extract max performance depending on the conditions. And the pace was consistent through out the race.

The fastest race lap was more than 2s faster than last year's race. The total race time improved enough to suggest that, Nico in the W07 with the 2016 tyre strategy would have lapped Lewis in a W06 with 2015 tyres. Again, consistent with the improvement we saw in qualifying pace vs last year.

ETA: Oops where did that post go? Anyway, Webber/DC apparently mentioned a big difference between qualifying and race pace. My post is in reply to that.

Edited by Dr Z on Tuesday 5th April 11:29