Join Paul and me as we review the European Grand Prix from Baku. We cover each team as they finished and even talk briefly about De-rate gate as well as offer our awards of the race and more.
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Negative Camber
Chief Opinion Officer, TPF
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I have to say, although a Ferrari fan for the F1 heritage, I have this year become a massive Seb fan. Not sure what changed, but the joking, relaxed, and no-chip-on-his-shoulder and 100% all-out on track Seb has really grown on me. Lewis has matured as a top driver for sure, but Alonso’s situation is so frustrating for me. He is probably STILL the best all-around driver on the grid still, and look at Mclaren. We hardly hear commentators during broadcasts marvel at his skill like in the Ferrari days…its so frustrating.
I’m pretty sure Vettel did not really change (he was at a personal level always likable), it is probably your perception of him that has changed :-)
I suspect that Ferrari reacting to Red Bull’s early switch to a two stop race is worthy of a Donkey award. It hampered Raikkonen’s race with the slow pace he had to drive to make the soft tyres last for the rest of the race. Only Vettel’s insistence that his tyres were fine enabled him to optimize a one stop race.
Probably and there does seem to be an interesting story there about Ferrari’s strategy of late. No doubt a tough job but are they overreacting, getting it slightly wrong. I can’t recall who offered the commentary but I did hear (it may have been Sky) that Ferrari are still calling strategy as if they aren’t as competitive as they actually are. Not sure but something is slightly off.
Isn’t this the third time in a row they have reacted to RBR? They need to start taking the initiative, probably understanding the duration of the tires better, and be proactive instead.
You will never win just by following others. For a team with the history they have, they seem to have forgotten how to win. Much like Williams did a few years ago.
The Ferrari strategists turns out to be the weak spot of Ferrari, he or she keeps throwing away podium positions.
When you read what Paddy Lowe stated, you implied several things about Lewis, but you left out some other items that were also from that interview: “Rosberg was helped by the fact that, when he suffered a loss of power, he had only recently switched to the suspect mode – and he worked out for himself that it might be the problem. In contrast, Hamilton had not just switched to the suspect mode, and had been in it for a while. Thus it was that much harder for him to work it out. It took Hamilton until lap 41 to… Read more »
I’ve read many accounts from Niki to Toto to Paddy to others in the team and many of the F1 journalists. They all have varying degrees of eh details and perhaps the most succinct report I read is that is by design because what happened is very much deep into the secret sauce so they aren’t keen to talk about it but in generalities. I’d go as far as to say perhaps Lewis’s was in this mode from the start maybe and Nico’s wasn’t but he had switched into a mode in the early laps and then later realized that… Read more »
I agree with you 120% on how the press is inconsistent in their coverage of the same issues. I think it is a case of the introvert driver (Nico) vs the extrovert driver (Lewis) and the press is a magnet for extroverts (like Daniel Ricciardo). Nico may be a nice guy, but he comes across as “too hard to get to open up” hardly ever smiles, I know because my friends remind me of this constantly – and I just feel fine, but the demeanor comes across wrong. Lewis is outgoing, fashion statement, high-energy, always something about him that you… Read more »
No doubt, the extroverted Lewis is a great brand appeal for F1 and Merc, no question. He does that very well. Completely understand that appeal. :)
It’s a bit, actually, like Paul’s Dad Brand really. :)
Its amazing how your dislike for Hamilton completely blinds you from thinking straight. The radio ban was about preventing driver coaching. For example where to brake and optimum line or gear for a certain corner. But you knew that didn’t you? The “derate gate” as you’ve coined it was a technical issue. But because of your opinion of Hamilton, you’ve flipped it into the driver aid column. If it was Vettel who had the issue, I’m pretty confident you won’t have a problem with the discussion that took place afterwards. These cars are very complex with all kinds of independent… Read more »
Ok, let’s be clear, drivers shouldn’t be IT people in order to drive but Max said you do have to do your homework. Nico should have known that in Spain and both should have some working knowledge of their car in Baku and what changes what. Lewis fans can’t seem to understand that I like Lewis too but because I call foul when the press launch into Hamilton apologetics immediately and offer more excuses and justification that his own team does, somehow that makes me a Lewis hater. I’m not saying this is a driver aid issue, the radio ban… Read more »
It all has to do with where you’re coming from. Your starting point dictates how you will see the series of events that occurred. If you’re starting point is Hamilton relies on natural talent and does not put in the work needed to succeed. Is not as a studious or as smart as Rosberg, that reasoning is going to take you down a twisted path. These are all subjective traits we ascribe to certain people or drivers without any merit or proof. If you think Mercedes or any team for that matter is going to let their drivers race these… Read more »
Let me tackle a couple things here. I am not coming from the standpoint that Lewis wasn’t bright enough to figure it out, that’s your assertion of my intent. I think he was struggling in the wrong setting and trying to figure it out and it’s very complicated as Nico said. I think he does know what the wheel does. Max says you have to do your homework to figure all this stuff out. Indeed. I read Lowe’s statement and he did not say Nico caused his situation. He said Nico was in the setting for a shorter period of… Read more »
1. So, why couldn’t “force majeure” be claimed (re: gearbox)? 2. Hamilton proves just how human he really is. 3. At least Ferrari made a little improvement. Still need to work on their brains, though. 4. Perez with another podium. Me thinks he just might become a regular appearance. 5. That’s the way to do it: Hide your owner and things will go well. 6. Williams is definitely going backwards. 7. McLaren: Two steps forward, one step back. 8. Pass to Verstappen over Massa, dive-bomb move at Turn 1 late in the race. 9. Donkey…hard to do, maybe Hamilton’s steering… Read more »
NC – Maybe I’m missing something in your post, but when I read it all I see is an article about how the media treats a similar situation (engine settings) differently depending on the drivers involved. I’m not sure how anyone can read the article objectively and not see that. How anyone can claim your “Lewis bashing” is beyond me. The post is clearly discussing the media’s actions to the incident in question. I’ve been visiting this website and listening to the weekly podcast since 2009 and I think I can confidently say you are not a Lewis hater. How… Read more »
That’s pretty much it in a nutshell. I’ve no axe to grind with Lewis, hell I couldn’t have figured out what was wrong with the engine and I doubt many could…especially at 180mph. My point was that the media, as your professors stated very well, was incredibly ham-fisted in setting the narrative and trying to tell the world what they should be concerned about given Lewis’s issues and lack of a win or podium. That really wasn’t the real story of the weekend. Gram, below, for some reason seems to feel he truly knows about some undertow of hate or… Read more »
I’m not as critical of DRS as the hosts because there’s worse in F1 than seeing a parade of faster cars stuck behind one slow car (McLaren) for the whole race, anything seems better than that. In this race, however, I think the design of the track combined with DRS made a mess. If you’re going to have DRS on a course with half the course barely wide enough for one car and no room for mistakes, and the other half the course a straight over a mile long, the drivers are going to tiptoe around the twisty bit and… Read more »