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

[kiseca]

TheDeuce said:

kiseca said:

TheDeuce said:

Flooble said:

TheDeuce said:

Whatever the details of whatever RB are actually doing... If Merc can indeed demonstrate a safety concern then that pretty much forces the FIA to take some sort of action.

Just imagine how different this season could look right now if RB's pit stops had been just fractionally slower on average compared to mercs..

I’m sure the Mercedes strategy team would still find a way

The Mercedes strategy team is a bit rusty - they haven't really had to worry too much since 2014

I actually think in terms of strategy it's not that Merc are bad... More that RB are just excellent in that regard. Probably because they've had to really rely upon great strategy to elevate their performance this era and keep up with Merc and Ferrari most of this era - which they generally have managed despite a sizeable budget deficit.

Edited by TheDeuce on Friday 25th June 10:51

I think their advantage is they are flexible, which means most likely that it's one person with a really sharp, agile mind and a strong memory behind the decisions, compared to a group of analysts going through all the probabilities but slowed down by the need to collaborate all their results and share a range of options to a decision maker who hasn't come to a conclusion on their own. The latter process works, and would probably be right more of the time, but the solitary genius works faster.

Committee culture! You could well be right.

If it is that way, it will mean Merc are always strong, they'll consistently have a game plan that puts them right at the top. The Moneyball philosophy - accept you may get beaten from time to time but don't let that distract you, instead have faith that the plan will work over the season and will succeed more times than it doesn't.

Then you have the agile mind that from time to time can spot a small gap in that plan and exploit it, steal the occasional win but noone notices the times when they don't see a gap, stick to their own plan and still do OK. Whereas, without that mind, when you deviate from the plan, you take a bigger risk and are more likely to have a howler... which Merc has done from time to time. Again, going back to the Moneyball philosophy, that's why Billy Beane wouldn't watch the matches. He wouldn't be able to stop himself from reacting to the current events and make on the spot decisions that mess with their strategy for the season.

[TheDeuce]

Sandpit Steve said:

TheDeuce said:

The Mercedes strategy team is a bit rusty - they haven't really had to worry too much since 2014

I actually think in terms of strategy it's not that Merc are bad... More that RB are just excellent in that regard. Probably because they've had to really rely upon great strategy to elevate their performance this era and keep up with Merc and Ferrari most of this era - which they generally have managed despite a sizeable budget deficit.

Mercedes are also good, have had many of their own race strategy wins over the years. They got it wrong last weekend though.

That's my point really - they are good. I seem to remember Vs Ferrari alll those seasons we generally praised their strategy.

It's just RB seem to be a cut above and the reality is that these days we only judge Merc strategy Vs RB.

Tbh I still think Lewis will take WDC this season in the end

[kiseca]

TheDeuce said:

Sandpit Steve said:

TheDeuce said:

The Mercedes strategy team is a bit rusty - they haven't really had to worry too much since 2014

I actually think in terms of strategy it's not that Merc are bad... More that RB are just excellent in that regard. Probably because they've had to really rely upon great strategy to elevate their performance this era and keep up with Merc and Ferrari most of this era - which they generally have managed despite a sizeable budget deficit.

Mercedes are also good, have had many of their own race strategy wins over the years. They got it wrong last weekend though.

That's my point really - they are good. I seem to remember Vs Ferrari alll those seasons we generally praised their strategy.

It's just RB seem to be a cut above and the reality is that these days we only judge Merc strategy Vs RB.

Tbh I still think Lewis will take WDC this season in the end

Yep, I think RB's strategy is as good as Merc's and they have the added benefit of being able to make better quality decisions in the moment, making them more agile with less risk.

[majordad]

F1 has come alive recently, I can’t get a full 30 mins sleep.

[TheDeuce]

Fairly standard 2021 FP2 so far, everyone hates all the tyres and everyone falls off the track frequently..

At least the weather will likely make life even more complex for them

[carinaman]

Bottas sideways in pitlane.

He's done a Coulthard?

[Sandpit Steve]

Oh dear Valtteri. That might be a grid drop, for not controlling the car in the pit lane.

[TheDeuce]

carinaman said:

Bottas sideways in pitlane.

He's done a Coulthard?

And rescued by McLaren mechanics! He's not having the best season is he...?

[carinaman]

There's a time and a place. That wasn't it.

Grid penalty?

[Flooble]

Sandpit Steve said:

Oh dear Valtteri. That might be a grid drop, for not controlling the car in the pit lane.

Is that a thing?

[honda_exige]

Bottas spinning it coming out of his garage. Absolutely brilliant. What was Toto saying about making the pits safer again? Gimps.

https://streamable.com/jdmmot

[thegreenhell]

Did he say "Watch this!" over the radio just before he left the pit box?

[48k]

[carinaman]

They should have included rear wheel steer in the 2022 rules?

[thegreenhell]

[Sandpit Steve]

VB summoned to the Stewards, in 10 mins.
https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/decision-d...

[Smollet]

carinaman said:

There's a time and a place. That wasn't it.

Grid penalty?

Don’t think so

[ch37]

He still lit the tyres up even when pulling away after the McLaren boys helped him out

[mk1coopers]

ch37 said:

He still lit the tyres up even when pulling away after the McLaren boys helped him out

That was to wear down to the rest of the back tyres to the level of the flat spots

[thegreenhell]

honda_exige said:

Bottas spinning it coming out of his garage. Absolutely brilliant. What was Toto saying about making the pits safer again? Gimps.

https://streamable.com/jdmmot

Did Croft really just say well done Bottas for supreme car control and for not letting that get out of hand?