The Official 2019 Australian Grand Prix Thread **SPOILERS**
Discussion
Last season became known for Vettel's defining errors which cost him so much, but at the halfway point it was Max who seemingly couldn't complete a race without hitting someone. I wonder how he'll handle being the more experienced driver in the team.
The first GP is a funny one to remember as the season progresses and the deviation from mean works itself out. I remember Alonso's "now we can fight!" and KMag winning McLaren's last podium, both irrelevent in the later season, and also Mercedes "Party Mode" of another Silver whitewash which would later turn into the excitement and disbelief as Ferrari out-dragged Mercedes at Spa.
I also think this may be Bottas' last roll of the dice. If the Ferrari's are even further ahead this year, then he needs to be top-drawer every race.
The first GP is a funny one to remember as the season progresses and the deviation from mean works itself out. I remember Alonso's "now we can fight!" and KMag winning McLaren's last podium, both irrelevent in the later season, and also Mercedes "Party Mode" of another Silver whitewash which would later turn into the excitement and disbelief as Ferrari out-dragged Mercedes at Spa.
I also think this may be Bottas' last roll of the dice. If the Ferrari's are even further ahead this year, then he needs to be top-drawer every race.
glazbagun said:
Last season became known for Vettel's defining errors which cost him so much, but at the halfway point it was Max who seemingly couldn't complete a race without hitting someone. I wonder how he'll handle being the more experienced driver in the team.
The first GP is a funny one to remember as the season progresses and the deviation from mean works itself out. I remember Alonso's "now we can fight!" and KMag winning McLaren's last podium, both irrelevent in the later season, and also Mercedes "Party Mode" of another Silver whitewash which would later turn into the excitement and disbelief as Ferrari out-dragged Mercedes at Spa.
I also think this may be Bottas' last roll of the dice. If the Ferrari's are even further ahead this year, then he needs to be top-drawer every race.
History suggests that young drivers mature quickly so max should in theory start this season with a more mature, calculating mindset behind the wheel. But.. he is Max, so... I'd imagine there will be some more questionable decisions he'll make on the track The first GP is a funny one to remember as the season progresses and the deviation from mean works itself out. I remember Alonso's "now we can fight!" and KMag winning McLaren's last podium, both irrelevent in the later season, and also Mercedes "Party Mode" of another Silver whitewash which would later turn into the excitement and disbelief as Ferrari out-dragged Mercedes at Spa.
I also think this may be Bottas' last roll of the dice. If the Ferrari's are even further ahead this year, then he needs to be top-drawer every race.
As for the rest, I think the most informative part of this weekend will be qualifying, we will then know who's fast and who is not. Whatever happens in the race itself, as you allude, isn't representative of what tends to happen later in the season.
Bottas might survive purely because Hamilton finds him useful!! I'm being semi serious about that.. he seems a very compliant person, taken advantage of in some ways perhaps. It seems to work very well for Hamilton and Mercedes, for Hamilton to not have to worry about competing against his own team mate too much. Yet bottas is a driver that wins the other big chunk of points they need to wrap up the WCC. Imagine if he was replaced with another capable driver such as verstappen, or leclerc though? Would Hamilton be as comfortable then?..
TheDeuce said:
History suggests that young drivers mature quickly so max should in theory start this season with a more mature, calculating mindset behind the wheel. But.. he is Max, so... I'd imagine there will be some more questionable decisions he'll make on the track
As for the rest, I think the most informative part of this weekend will be qualifying, we will then know who's fast and who is not. Whatever happens in the race itself, as you allude, isn't representative of what tends to happen later in the season.
Bottas might survive purely because Hamilton finds him useful!! I'm being semi serious about that.. he seems a very compliant person, taken advantage of in some ways perhaps. It seems to work very well for Hamilton and Mercedes, for Hamilton to not have to worry about competing against his own team mate too much. Yet bottas is a driver that wins the other big chunk of points they need to wrap up the WCC. Imagine if he was replaced with another capable driver such as verstappen, or leclerc though? Would Hamilton be as comfortable then?..
Bottas already lost all of his sponsors for being a pussy last season. He said in an interview that he will come back and beat everyone. Remember Hamilton? He never slowed down to let his teammate go but Bottas had to hold position in Germany, let him go in Russia, keep Kimi behind him in Italy and so on. If I was Him I wouldn’t comply to James at all. As for the rest, I think the most informative part of this weekend will be qualifying, we will then know who's fast and who is not. Whatever happens in the race itself, as you allude, isn't representative of what tends to happen later in the season.
Bottas might survive purely because Hamilton finds him useful!! I'm being semi serious about that.. he seems a very compliant person, taken advantage of in some ways perhaps. It seems to work very well for Hamilton and Mercedes, for Hamilton to not have to worry about competing against his own team mate too much. Yet bottas is a driver that wins the other big chunk of points they need to wrap up the WCC. Imagine if he was replaced with another capable driver such as verstappen, or leclerc though? Would Hamilton be as comfortable then?..
exelero said:
TheDeuce said:
History suggests that young drivers mature quickly so max should in theory start this season with a more mature, calculating mindset behind the wheel. But.. he is Max, so... I'd imagine there will be some more questionable decisions he'll make on the track
As for the rest, I think the most informative part of this weekend will be qualifying, we will then know who's fast and who is not. Whatever happens in the race itself, as you allude, isn't representative of what tends to happen later in the season.
Bottas might survive purely because Hamilton finds him useful!! I'm being semi serious about that.. he seems a very compliant person, taken advantage of in some ways perhaps. It seems to work very well for Hamilton and Mercedes, for Hamilton to not have to worry about competing against his own team mate too much. Yet bottas is a driver that wins the other big chunk of points they need to wrap up the WCC. Imagine if he was replaced with another capable driver such as verstappen, or leclerc though? Would Hamilton be as comfortable then?..
Bottas already lost all of his sponsors for being a pussy last season. He said in an interview that he will come back and beat everyone. Remember Hamilton? He never slowed down to let his teammate go but Bottas had to hold position in Germany, let him go in Russia, keep Kimi behind him in Italy and so on. If I was Him I wouldn’t comply to James at all. As for the rest, I think the most informative part of this weekend will be qualifying, we will then know who's fast and who is not. Whatever happens in the race itself, as you allude, isn't representative of what tends to happen later in the season.
Bottas might survive purely because Hamilton finds him useful!! I'm being semi serious about that.. he seems a very compliant person, taken advantage of in some ways perhaps. It seems to work very well for Hamilton and Mercedes, for Hamilton to not have to worry about competing against his own team mate too much. Yet bottas is a driver that wins the other big chunk of points they need to wrap up the WCC. Imagine if he was replaced with another capable driver such as verstappen, or leclerc though? Would Hamilton be as comfortable then?..
Its sad, but him being as good as he is, buy also not threatening Hamilton for any glory, has been very valuable for Mercedes.
I think Bottas' trouble is that, unlike Rosberg, he wasn't pushing Hamilton from the go. By the time "... Valteri it's James" came on the radio, he was on only his second probable win of the season.
In 2014 or 2016 you'd have been hard pressed to decide who Mercedes should pick for #1 status even at the halfway point. Bottas has yet to even make it a question.
I don't have the stats so will check tomorrow, but I felt that the Ferraris tended to finish 1-2 or 2-3 more often than the Mercs in 2018 (glorious Monza being a memorable exception
).
It's going to be a fascinating season I hope.
In 2014 or 2016 you'd have been hard pressed to decide who Mercedes should pick for #1 status even at the halfway point. Bottas has yet to even make it a question.
I don't have the stats so will check tomorrow, but I felt that the Ferraris tended to finish 1-2 or 2-3 more often than the Mercs in 2018 (glorious Monza being a memorable exception
). It's going to be a fascinating season I hope.
Charlie Whiting just passed away apparently - sudden heart attack - must be chaos over there at the minute:
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/142088/fia-f1-ra...
Hope they give him a good send off at the event - love him or hate him he's played a big role over the years.
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/142088/fia-f1-ra...
Hope they give him a good send off at the event - love him or hate him he's played a big role over the years.
PhillipM said:
Charlie Whiting just passed away apparently - sudden heart attack - must be chaos over there at the minute:
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/142088/fia-f1-ra...
Hope they give him a good send off at the event - love him or hate him he's played a big role over the years.
Genuinely so so sad about this. It would be very hard to hate him with all the dedication to the sport he’s shown and by and large got it right. He’s also very well respected by the drivers. A hard act to follow. https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/142088/fia-f1-ra...
Hope they give him a good send off at the event - love him or hate him he's played a big role over the years.
PhillipM said:
Charlie Whiting just passed away apparently - sudden heart attack - must be chaos over there at the minute:
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/142088/fia-f1-ra...
Hope they give him a good send off at the event - love him or hate him he's played a big role over the years.
Oh no, that's terrible news to hear https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/142088/fia-f1-ra...
Hope they give him a good send off at the event - love him or hate him he's played a big role over the years.
Only 66 too. I really thought he was older.
He did so much for safety in the sport. I'm glad he got to see the life saving results of the halo device he supported and pushed for.
This sad news of course changes the tone of everything this weekend now. He was part of every race and will be sorely missed I have no doubt.
It feels wrong asking this so soon after Charlies passing, but we are only hours away from the first session of the season.
Has there always been a second race director on standby, in case of something like this happening, you never know when illness or travel issues would strike, I can't imagine F1 not having a contingency plan.
If so, who is that person?
Has there always been a second race director on standby, in case of something like this happening, you never know when illness or travel issues would strike, I can't imagine F1 not having a contingency plan.
If so, who is that person?
cjs racing. said:
It feels wrong asking this so soon after Charlies passing, but we are only hours away from the first session of the season.
Has there always been a second race director on standby, in case of something like this happening, you never know when illness or travel issues would strike, I can't imagine F1 not having a contingency plan.
If so, who is that person?
It's a fair enough question, I'm sure Charlie's first concern would have been race safety even at a sad time.Has there always been a second race director on standby, in case of something like this happening, you never know when illness or travel issues would strike, I can't imagine F1 not having a contingency plan.
If so, who is that person?
I'm really not sure if there was a formal 'deputy' though. Never heard them mentioned, and Charlie never missed a day so such a person never had to do the job before.
I've no doubt they will put someone suitably experienced in his place for this weekend though. It won't affect the race, other than than it being sad for everyone. Whoever does take on the role this weekend will surely be someone that knew and worked with Charlie well.
TheDeuce said:
History suggests that young drivers mature quickly so max should in theory start this season with a more mature, calculating mindset behind the wheel. But.. he is Max, so... I'd imagine there will be some more questionable decisions he'll make on the track
As for the rest, I think the most informative part of this weekend will be qualifying, we will then know who's fast and who is not. Whatever happens in the race itself, as you allude, isn't representative of what tends to happen later in the season.
Bottas might survive purely because Hamilton finds him useful!! I'm being semi serious about that.. he seems a very compliant person, taken advantage of in some ways perhaps. It seems to work very well for Hamilton and Mercedes, for Hamilton to not have to worry about competing against his own team mate too much. Yet bottas is a driver that wins the other big chunk of points they need to wrap up the WCC. Imagine if he was replaced with another capable driver such as verstappen, or leclerc though? Would Hamilton be as comfortable then?..
max is entering his fifth season. How much longer can they use the up-and-coming excitable youngster excuse for his errors? With Gasly and Leclerc in representative cars it'll be interesting, but for my $ even if the RB-Honda is as good as some want us to believe, that max doesn't have the maturity to take it to the titles. Not unless its dominant and gasly can't do anything about it.As for the rest, I think the most informative part of this weekend will be qualifying, we will then know who's fast and who is not. Whatever happens in the race itself, as you allude, isn't representative of what tends to happen later in the season.
Bottas might survive purely because Hamilton finds him useful!! I'm being semi serious about that.. he seems a very compliant person, taken advantage of in some ways perhaps. It seems to work very well for Hamilton and Mercedes, for Hamilton to not have to worry about competing against his own team mate too much. Yet bottas is a driver that wins the other big chunk of points they need to wrap up the WCC. Imagine if he was replaced with another capable driver such as verstappen, or leclerc though? Would Hamilton be as comfortable then?..
As for Hamilton, a safe team mate is a two sides coin; my Mrs is utterly convinced he lifts his game and performs better with a faster team mate to push him and show him the car has more to give, and with bumblealong bottas merc risk Hamilton taking his eye off the ball.
TheDeuce said:
cjs racing. said:
It feels wrong asking this so soon after Charlies passing, but we are only hours away from the first session of the season.
Has there always been a second race director on standby, in case of something like this happening, you never know when illness or travel issues would strike, I can't imagine F1 not having a contingency plan.
If so, who is that person?
It's a fair enough question, I'm sure Charlie's first concern would have been race safety even at a sad time.Has there always been a second race director on standby, in case of something like this happening, you never know when illness or travel issues would strike, I can't imagine F1 not having a contingency plan.
If so, who is that person?
I'm really not sure if there was a formal 'deputy' though. Never heard them mentioned, and Charlie never missed a day so such a person never had to do the job before.
I've no doubt they will put someone suitably experienced in his place for this weekend though. It won't affect the race, other than than it being sad for everyone. Whoever does take on the role this weekend will surely be someone that knew and worked with Charlie well.
LaurasOtherHalf said:
TheDeuce said:
cjs racing. said:
It feels wrong asking this so soon after Charlies passing, but we are only hours away from the first session of the season.
Has there always been a second race director on standby, in case of something like this happening, you never know when illness or travel issues would strike, I can't imagine F1 not having a contingency plan.
If so, who is that person?
It's a fair enough question, I'm sure Charlie's first concern would have been race safety even at a sad time.Has there always been a second race director on standby, in case of something like this happening, you never know when illness or travel issues would strike, I can't imagine F1 not having a contingency plan.
If so, who is that person?
I'm really not sure if there was a formal 'deputy' though. Never heard them mentioned, and Charlie never missed a day so such a person never had to do the job before.
I've no doubt they will put someone suitably experienced in his place for this weekend though. It won't affect the race, other than than it being sad for everyone. Whoever does take on the role this weekend will surely be someone that knew and worked with Charlie well.
https://www.formula1.com/en/championship/inside-f1...
The stewards were set well in advance, they will need to appoint a race director.
Long term I think it would be nice to have the role perhaps shared, a driving side and a technical side.
Like with Sid, Charlie is irreplaceable.
I think it was a pulmonary embolism that killed Charlie. It’s going to be strange having a Grand Prix without his input. He’s been involved in the GP scene since long before I was born. But, to coin a phrase, the show must go on, I’m sure the situation will be dealt with adequately. As far as the race goes, I’m going to be looking forward to Leclerc’s performance, in particular. Apparently he was only 0.01 seconds slower than Vettel in testing, and absolutely neck and neck with him in the full race simulations. This could be interesting ( at least until the finger fills his overalls and Ferrari tell Leclerc to calm down).
The race safety stuff, there must be quite a few that step into that role. There must be people that have worked with him long enough to understand vwhy he made the calls he did.
It was his behind the scenes expertise, checking out new tracks, improving current tracks, having an excellent relationship with the driver's - that's the tricky bit to replace.
It's the decades spent in the sport which I think helped make him a person the teams and drivers would respect, and also probably helped him to avoid knee jerk safety measures and retain as much soul in the sport as was reasonable.
It was his behind the scenes expertise, checking out new tracks, improving current tracks, having an excellent relationship with the driver's - that's the tricky bit to replace.
It's the decades spent in the sport which I think helped make him a person the teams and drivers would respect, and also probably helped him to avoid knee jerk safety measures and retain as much soul in the sport as was reasonable.
glazbagun said:
Last season became known for Vettel's defining errors which cost him so much, but at the halfway point it was Max who seemingly couldn't complete a race without hitting someone. I wonder how he'll handle being the more experienced driver in the team.
Yes it's interesting that since Monaco MV calmed down a bit which resulted in 5 podiums, 1 win, 2 DNF's.Presumably if he keeps calming down and the RB can match his natural speed we should see an improvement.
Vettel certainly made some errors and I'm sure the poor health and sad passing of Marchionne had an impact on the entire team.
Edited by Bo_apex on Thursday 14th March 09:58
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