Official 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix **SPOILERS**
Discussion
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Could have handled it better in a few ways.. but I believe bottas did spook him with the shift to the right - didn't leave Russell much choice but to react. The wet grass did the rest..It's still arguably George's fault (if we have to assign blame..) because bottas is allowed to play dirty so long as he doesn't break any rules. He is allowed to spook George and ultimately George has to be ready for that. Albeit personally I have a problem racing drivers gambling with safety in such a way, but no rules were broken.
custardtart said:
The fact that Wolf stated from a global brand perspective blah blah blah Russell should not take risks with a Mercedes is a sad indictment of the state of F1’s up it’s own arseometer!
Imagine what Senna’s response to that would’ve been!
Indeed.Imagine what Senna’s response to that would’ve been!
Russell went for a gap in tricky conditions, fair play to him.
Bottas once again proving that he can't do a recovery drive, unlike his team mate.
Racing incident for me, but if I were Toto I'd also be putting the spotlight on Bottas.
vaud said:
Indeed.
Russell went for a gap in tricky conditions, fair play to him.
Bottas once again proving that he can't do a recovery drive, unlike his team mate.
Racing incident for me, but if I were Toto I'd also be putting the spotlight on Bottas.
Yes. I’ve stuck up for Bottas more than a few times over the years but that was a miserable performance vs his teammate yesterday. Russell went for a gap in tricky conditions, fair play to him.
Bottas once again proving that he can't do a recovery drive, unlike his team mate.
Racing incident for me, but if I were Toto I'd also be putting the spotlight on Bottas.
Toto thinks he’s innocent in the crash but a Merc should not be tootling along such that a Williams could consider having a go at it.
vaud said:
Indeed.
Russell went for a gap in tricky conditions, fair play to him.
Bottas once again proving that he can't do a recovery drive, unlike his team mate.
Racing incident for me, but if I were Toto I'd also be putting the spotlight on Bottas.
I’m sure Toto will be talking to Bottas, to try and understand why he was off the pace this weekend - in private. Russell went for a gap in tricky conditions, fair play to him.
Bottas once again proving that he can't do a recovery drive, unlike his team mate.
Racing incident for me, but if I were Toto I'd also be putting the spotlight on Bottas.
In public he’ll be backing his driver to the hilt, as would any team manager in that situation.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Formula 4: Champion (first season)GP3: Champion (first season)
F2: Champion (first season)
F1: 100% Qualifying record over team mates, 1 last minute drive in a front running car, led most of the race and would have won were it not for a significant team error.
His loyalty to Mercedes has probably been his undoing in terms of having a better seat in F1, but may ultimately be a clever move assuming he finally gets the big seat next season.
If you were a team boss, and had one seat left would you pick George or Lando?
Two years ago that was 60/40, perhaps 70/30, Now for me overwhelming Lando..
George made a critical error while racing for points, points Williams will need for constructors cash.
Massive impact yesterday, and confronted a fellow driver, did not check if he was ok.
George’s fault as well, DRS open, on the wet track, and definitely no grip on the grass. Looks like his front left also caught Bottas Halo during impact.
Oh and kept the racing line under blue flag while getting lapped by Lewis..
Can see why Toto made a few choice comments after the race.
Two years ago that was 60/40, perhaps 70/30, Now for me overwhelming Lando..
George made a critical error while racing for points, points Williams will need for constructors cash.
Massive impact yesterday, and confronted a fellow driver, did not check if he was ok.
George’s fault as well, DRS open, on the wet track, and definitely no grip on the grass. Looks like his front left also caught Bottas Halo during impact.
Oh and kept the racing line under blue flag while getting lapped by Lewis..
Can see why Toto made a few choice comments after the race.
Sandpit Steve said:
vaud said:
Indeed.
Russell went for a gap in tricky conditions, fair play to him.
Bottas once again proving that he can't do a recovery drive, unlike his team mate.
Racing incident for me, but if I were Toto I'd also be putting the spotlight on Bottas.
I’m sure Toto will be talking to Bottas, to try and understand why he was off the pace this weekend - in private. Russell went for a gap in tricky conditions, fair play to him.
Bottas once again proving that he can't do a recovery drive, unlike his team mate.
Racing incident for me, but if I were Toto I'd also be putting the spotlight on Bottas.
In public he’ll be backing his driver to the hilt, as would any team manager in that situation.
I firmly believe that it's unacceptable that Bottas is in that seat. I'm disappointed in Toto, who doesn't normally shrink from a fight, but seems to have taken the easy option rather than go through another Lewis-Nico situation. I'm a major fan of the Merc F1 team but I'd be quite pleased if this costs them the constructors title.
Bottas in that seat is unfair, it's unfair to the sport, to the fans, to the other teams, the other drivers, the Merc employees and personnel, and so on. It was unacceptable that George overtook VB twice in the Merc last year, it's unacceptable that he was much quicker in the Williams yesterday. The whole situation is unacceptable.
Having said that I do think George screwed up both LH & VB yesterday.
Bottas in that seat is unfair, it's unfair to the sport, to the fans, to the other teams, the other drivers, the Merc employees and personnel, and so on. It was unacceptable that George overtook VB twice in the Merc last year, it's unacceptable that he was much quicker in the Williams yesterday. The whole situation is unacceptable.
Having said that I do think George screwed up both LH & VB yesterday.
I think the irony of George’s actions yesterday are that he did the right thing in planting it on the dry line when Lewis thought he could pull it off going round the outside on the damp track. George saw the consequence of that rate mistake from the current World Champion. And yet he believes that a lap later, he could achieve what Lewis could not in a superior car.
He made a dumb mistake at Imola last year on a damp track. A clever driver learns from their own, and others mistakes. Not immediately saying sorry to Valteri just makes him look daft and if, having seen replays, he still feels the same way this morning, then Mercedes seriously need to think about his future.
He made a dumb mistake at Imola last year on a damp track. A clever driver learns from their own, and others mistakes. Not immediately saying sorry to Valteri just makes him look daft and if, having seen replays, he still feels the same way this morning, then Mercedes seriously need to think about his future.
HustleRussell said:
liner33 said:
Maze pin crashed into Latifi
No he didn’t. Latifi crashed into Mazespin. Regarding George, I think he was technically correct that Bottas jinked into him a little, but he really shouldn't have been there if it was that tight in respect to the dry line.
He undoubtedly has huge talent and he'll learn. It's easier to make a fast driver crash less than it is to make a driver who never crashes fast.
Lando is the one really impressing me at the moment - that's two great races from him this year and he's third in the championship, making Ricciardo (who, to be fair, is still acclimatising) look a little ordinary.
I think it was all but inevitable for Russell to make the move. There's been a lot of stirring after Russell's brief performance in the Mercedes last season and what better than for Russell to overtake and beat the superior 'works' Mercedes in an inferior car wheel-to-wheel?
Ok, it went a bit pear-shaped but it added a bit of much needed fizz to the race.
Ok, it went a bit pear-shaped but it added a bit of much needed fizz to the race.
cjm said:
Did Toto fling Bottas under the bus in the post race interview? Looking at the replays Russell messed up and took Bottas out, the only thing Bottas did wrong was being slow enough for a William to catch him, but the crash was no way his fault. Toto didn't back up his driver at all.
I agree with your opinion on the incident but from what I recall Toto seemed to think George was at least primarily to blame- threatening to demote him to Clio Cup for example. swisstoni said:
The simple truth is that mistakes can be tolerated.
Being slow can’t.
That's a great summary. George was in a position to pass Valtteri on merit, that's significantly worse for Valtteri than whether he was to blame or not. Toto may well have thrown away a constructors to give Lewis a clean shot at #8 this season, I'm not sure that's really acceptable.Being slow can’t.
TheDeuce said:
It's still arguably George's fault (if we have to assign blame..)
Only think I’d add is that most people see it as a racing incident that was caused by George losing control on the damp in an attempt to pass.George actually started the assigning blame discussion with his very poor comments about Bottas.
I think that’s also why Toto changed his tune a few hours after the race, he was initially taking 50/50 or 60/40. Maybe it was seeing the incident again and hearing George’s comments that triggered him to be less diplomatic and say it how he really saw it.
George could have almost made it a positive... say he had to go for it as he wouldn’t get many shots at passing the Merc and moving up through the field, say there was just enough space, but it was damp, on a kink, at top speed with DRS open, the car just got away from him and he apologizes to Bottas..... We’d all be saying how mature he is.
heebeegeetee said:
I firmly believe that it's unacceptable that Bottas is in that seat. I'm disappointed in Toto, who doesn't normally shrink from a fight, but seems to have taken the easy option rather than go through another Lewis-Nico situation. I'm a major fan of the Merc F1 team but I'd be quite pleased if this costs them the constructors title.
Bottas in that seat is unfair, it's unfair to the sport, to the fans, to the other teams, the other drivers, the Merc employees and personnel, and so on. It was unacceptable that George overtook VB twice in the Merc last year, it's unacceptable that he was much quicker in the Williams yesterday. The whole situation is unacceptable.
Having said that I do think George screwed up both LH & VB yesterday.
How did he screw Hamilton's race yesterday. If Russell hadn't kindly taken Bottas out Hamilton would've been a lap down after putting himself in the gravel with no easy way to get the lap back? If anything it did him a bit of a favourBottas in that seat is unfair, it's unfair to the sport, to the fans, to the other teams, the other drivers, the Merc employees and personnel, and so on. It was unacceptable that George overtook VB twice in the Merc last year, it's unacceptable that he was much quicker in the Williams yesterday. The whole situation is unacceptable.
Having said that I do think George screwed up both LH & VB yesterday.
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