Official 2020 Austrian & Styrian Grand Prix Thread *Spoilers

[TheDeuce]

Deesee said:

Merc 1-2-3 with Mylander taking the flag for a ninth time!

Oh well at least Racing Point won’t need to worry about the cooling problems on last years Merc.

If we're including tracing point then it could end with a Merc 1-2-3-4-5

[Deesee]

This would have been the 6th wet weekend, what a season it could have been.

It’s a good job with got a double header in the UK!

[TheDeuce]

Even without the interesting weather, this season was set to be a belter. It had all the makings of following the (excellent) 2019 season but with even more exciting subplots. It was to be the sequel to 2019... More of the same but in a good way.

Much of that still holds true but It's been a long wait, and now a short season shoehorned into a very random selection of circuits and double headers. If it is indeed a worthy sequel to 2019 it's going to be sad that it's so short. Maybe 16 races.. still a tad optimistic maybe.

[HustleRussell]

I take a dual view on F1 these days as I have indoctrinated a friend into the sport and so while I personally am looking for any kind of improvement, I also want to see a grand scale transformation of the competitiveness of the sport double quick for the benefit of my more casually interested friend and the wider public.

I think this season will be intriguing in a lot of small ways.

However on behalf of my friend I fear that Mercedes will be quickest and will have some kind of margin, the competitive spread from Mercedes to the 9th fastest team will be no closer and the whole thing will quickly look all too familiar once we've gotten used to the new liveries.

Fingers crossed for an upset

[HustleRussell]

TheDeuce said:

Deesee said:

Merc 1-2-3 with Mylander taking the flag for a ninth time!

Oh well at least Racing Point won’t need to worry about the cooling problems on last years Merc.

If we're including tracing point then it could end with a Merc 1-2-3-4-5

Parallel predictathon- how many front wings is Lance Stroll going to destroy over the weekend?

[Leithen]

TheDeuce said:

Deesee said:

Merc 1-2-3 with Mylander taking the flag for a ninth time!

Oh well at least Racing Point won’t need to worry about the cooling problems on last years Merc.

If we're including tracing point then it could end with a Merc 1-2-3-4-5

Considering who owns the place, and all the other obvious factors, I'd suggest that Max will either win it or bin it.

[Deesee]

HustleRussell said:

TheDeuce said:

Deesee said:

Merc 1-2-3 with Mylander taking the flag for a ninth time!

Oh well at least Racing Point won’t need to worry about the cooling problems on last years Merc.

If we're including tracing point then it could end with a Merc 1-2-3-4-5

Parallel predictathon- how many front wings is Lance Stroll going to destroy over the weekend?

A few, lots of sausage curbs in Austria 2x races will be a front wing and floor wrecker, he's pretty good in the wet though.. could be first of the midfield.

[Deesee]

Leithen said:

and all the other obvious factors,

?

[Leithen]

Deesee said:

Leithen said:

and all the other obvious factors,

?

Rain, aggression, balls, etc etc....

[TheDeuce]

HustleRussell said:

I take a dual view on F1 these days as I have indoctrinated a friend into the sport and so while I personally am looking for any kind of improvement, I also want to see a grand scale transformation of the competitiveness of the sport double quick for the benefit of my more casually interested friend and the wider public.

I think this season will be intriguing in a lot of small ways.

However on behalf of my friend I fear that Mercedes will be quickest and will have some kind of margin, the competitive spread from Mercedes to the 9th fastest team will be no closer and the whole thing will quickly look all too familiar once we've gotten used to the new liveries.

Fingers crossed for an upset

Mercedes do appear to be a foregone conclusion this season - same as last, which was still a good season.

Personally, I'm interested in Ferrari Vs red bull, that's where the actual racing is likely to be - along with whatever other battles form further down the grid.

However, I totally understand from a newcomers perspective that it's not ideal to be able to name the champions ahead of the season even starting! But for me it's all racing, regardless of a battle for first, fourth, whatever. This season Ferrari potentially being knocked down to third in the WCC carries more drama and intrigue for me than Mercedes managing to win both WCC and wdc again..

[Deesee]

Leithen said:

Deesee said:

Leithen said:

and all the other obvious factors,

?

Rain, aggression, balls, etc etc....

Rain.. yep handy in the rain has secured a few podiums and a win

List of wet races in turbo hybrid era

2014 Japanese GP
2015 British GP
2016 Monaco GP
2016 British GP
2016 Brazilian GP
2017 Chinese GP
2017 Singapore GP
2018 German GP
2019 German GP

Have a look at the results

[Leithen]

Deesee said:

Leithen said:

Deesee said:

Leithen said:

and all the other obvious factors,

?

Rain, aggression, balls, etc etc....

Rain.. yep handy in the rain has secured a few podiums and a win

List of wet races in turbo hybrid era

2014 Japanese GP
2015 British GP
2016 Monaco GP
2016 British GP
2016 Brazilian GP
2017 Chinese GP
2017 Singapore GP
2018 German GP
2019 German GP

Have a look at the results

Did you miss the bit where I said he would win it or bin it?

[Deesee]

Leithen said:

Did you miss the bit where I said he would win it or bin it?

I like the improvements he's made becoming more consistent in the last few years, he still has the flash of brilliance to madness to self destruct that I like to see in a front runner, so on balance your probably right

[TheDeuce]

In preparation for this GP and new season I'm re-watching the 2014 season, to remind myself of the days when this hybrid era began. My god the fans and pundits spent a lot of the season complaining about noise (lack of)..

Also I forgot how dramatic it was that season to see a young Ricciardo routinely showing up his team mate Seb

[Derek Smith]

TheDeuce said:

Even without the interesting weather, this season was set to be a belter. It had all the makings of following the (excellent) 2019 season but with even more exciting subplots. It was to be the sequel to 2019... More of the same but in a good way.

Much of that still holds true but It's been a long wait, and now a short season shoehorned into a very random selection of circuits and double headers. If it is indeed a worthy sequel to 2019 it's going to be sad that it's so short. Maybe 16 races.. still a tad optimistic maybe.

I was expecting it to be the one we looked back on as one of the greatest ever. Still, 2019 was fabulous, and in my opinion, Bahrain was one of the best. It had everything: two Ferraris battling, two Mercs battling, Mercs and Ferraris battling, and disputes all down the road. The ending was sublime with the pathos of the young Ferrari driver, out in front after his favoured team mate blew it, and just 10 or so laps from the end he lost power. It was obvious that LeC wouldn't even get on the podium after his dominant driver, and then the two Renaults obliged us.

We were spoiled last season. There was the occasional dullard, but the majority were exciting.

I just hoped for more.

Still, there's a chance I suppose. Let's hope.

[TheDeuce]

Derek Smith said:

TheDeuce said:

Even without the interesting weather, this season was set to be a belter. It had all the makings of following the (excellent) 2019 season but with even more exciting subplots. It was to be the sequel to 2019... More of the same but in a good way.

Much of that still holds true but It's been a long wait, and now a short season shoehorned into a very random selection of circuits and double headers. If it is indeed a worthy sequel to 2019 it's going to be sad that it's so short. Maybe 16 races.. still a tad optimistic maybe.

I was expecting it to be the one we looked back on as one of the greatest ever. Still, 2019 was fabulous, and in my opinion, Bahrain was one of the best. It had everything: two Ferraris battling, two Mercs battling, Mercs and Ferraris battling, and disputes all down the road. The ending was sublime with the pathos of the young Ferrari driver, out in front after his favoured team mate blew it, and just 10 or so laps from the end he lost power. It was obvious that LeC wouldn't even get on the podium after his dominant driver, and then the two Renaults obliged us.

We were spoiled last season. There was the occasional dullard, but the majority were exciting.

I just hoped for more.

Still, there's a chance I suppose. Let's hope.

Well if nothing else this season will be interesting due to its bizarre nature. The second race at each double venue might in fact, simply be dull. But in the run up we'll all have plenty to debate about what could change the outcome..

And still I expect we'll see Ferrari trip themselves up, which is always entertaining/baffling in equal measure. Red bull probably back to full force this season too. Will Ferrari be up there at all??

Racing point; it'll be interesting to see if you can become best of the rest simply by copying one of last season's top cars (wouldn't surprise me if they pull it off tbh)..

I reckon with so long to prepare for their first two races 'at home' red bull could do very well and possibly distort our expectations for the rest of the season.

All in all, I'm pretty confident it'll be another very enjoyable season - albeit it's had its wings clipped by losing so many circuits. Especially Vietnam and zandvoort, which were the two I was most looking forward too this year. And of course Monaco, just because it's Monaco and it's plain weird to have an F1 season that doesn't go there.

[paulguitar]

TheDeuce said:

And of course Monaco, just because it's Monaco and it's plain weird to have an F1 season that doesn't go there.

Crikey, I don't think that's any great loss...Plodding around at up to eight or nine seconds off the potential pace.

[sparta6]

Deesee said:

Rain.. yep handy in the rain has secured a few podiums and a win

List of wet races in turbo hybrid era

2014 Japanese GP
2015 British GP
2016 Monaco GP
2016 British GP
2016 Brazilian GP
2017 Chinese GP
2017 Singapore GP
2018 German GP
2019 German GP

Have a look at the results

We were trackside at Hockenheim last year and Max's 360 in the race was impressive.

[TheDeuce]

paulguitar said:

TheDeuce said:

And of course Monaco, just because it's Monaco and it's plain weird to have an F1 season that doesn't go there.

Crikey, I don't think that's any great loss...Plodding around at up to eight or nine seconds off the potential pace.

Predictable Monaco response

Yea it's a comedy circuit, useless for modern F1 really.

Doesn't mean it hasn't still got a value and place on the calendar though. It's history, glamour, spectacle. At times it's quite amusing too, several low speed accidents have caused interesting road blocks simply because the cars basically no longer fit the circuit.

F1 and Monaco are intertwined.

[paulguitar]

TheDeuce said:

Predictable Monaco response

Yea it's a comedy circuit, useless for modern F1 really.

Doesn't mean it hasn't still got a value and place on the calendar though. It's history, glamour, spectacle. At times it's quite amusing too, several low speed accidents have caused interesting road blocks simply because the cars basically no longer fit the circuit.

F1 and Monaco are intertwined.

Yeah, I know it was a predictable response, and I also appreciate the points you make in its favour.

I just find myself almost every year becoming more and more cynical about the whole charade. The tedious, predictable insistence of presenting from a yacht, banging on and on about 'glamour'. Money is not 'glamour', and Monaco itself I find to be rather dull and soulless. The Sunday plod around the streets is the final insult and I'm frankly thoroughly relieved when it finally, mercifully ends and we can get back to some real tracks.