Join Paul and me as we review the US Grand Prix. We cover each prodigiously talented driver as they finished and each team. We share our thoughts on the Max Verstappen penalty and even hand out awards for best pass, driver of the race and donkey of the race. We do this from the US, not a couch in Stevenage…or Exciter…or Oldham.
"You can't take F1 to America, you have to take America to F1."
Negative Camber
Chief Opinion Officer, TPF
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Now I want to listen to a Melle Mel song for some reason…
Boo, DRS! Well, yes, it’s artificial. But remember those races before it came in, the ones where nobody overtook and it was the most tedious thing ever? The options were to dumb the cars down by taking away a massive amount of aero and/or by fitting the hardest tyres known to humankind – all of which would mean you could follow a car without destroying your tyres and pressure a driver into a mistake – or to go for something like DRS. The teams all kicked back against the aero and tyres options, which explains how we got to where… Read more »
If it had to stay I would rather it limited to a certain number a race, no limitations where or when.
Yep, there’s some merit to that, though there’s still artificiality – Mercedes would inevitably build a better boost button and get past as they can do now.
If I could wave a magic wand I’d take away a large chunk of aero – maybe 50% – so they can follow each other just a foot or two apart without destroying tyres. It wouldn’t solve everything, but would give drivers the opportunity to follow and pressure for long periods, to force the pass
And you lose one activation each time you exceed track limits. Then when you get below zero, DRS stays open for the rest of the race………
I agree that DRS is there as an attempt to fix the basic problem, that the aero means the cars can’t follow without losing downforce, so can’t pass without stuffing their tyres. Getting rid of DRS doesn’t solve the basic problem. I understand that the original aim of DRS was to let the car behind catch up, so it could ‘contest the braking area’, not to award a free pass for getting within 1 sec. So maybe the short term solution could be to reset the DRS zones so they allow catching not passing. The maths will be well within… Read more »
What was the deal with Grosjean being told to shut up by his engineer?
I missed it on the live broadcast but came across this video on youtube https://youtu.be/APMAG3FBOk8?t=2m23s. Sounds like GRO had diarrhea of the mouth at the 2:23 mark…
They took it down. here’s another: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EHpbSoucZ0
How rude! Grosjean has told everyone he’s not moaning, and then his engineer cuts off his flow of constructive feedback so rudely, I’m shocked.
DRS is good! It’s just implemented wrong. Both drivers need to have it enabled. With high speed for both drivers into the braking zone enables more opportunity for wide exits, and passing due to driving, not defaulting the driver behind can get past.
Thanks for the insightful commentary. In the Netherlands ‘we’ are all mad about the penalty given to Max. The media has gone crazy and Max called the steward a “Mongol”, read: retard/idiot. And you know, I also thought that it was cutting the corner and a penalty was to be expected. But I didn’t dare to mention it to my patriot countrymen! Paul made it clear and I rate his opinion very high!
Agreed! Paul and Todd did a great job explaining this one. Sadly it is nothing new…
.And according to “the telegraaf” he told them that “I called that steward an idiot, and I will not take it back”. now lets see what he will tell stewards/FIA when he is called to answer for what he said.
I had hoped Stevie Wonder would do the podium interviews.
Or the national anthem ?
Good race review podcast Todd and Paul, lots of controversy for you to get your teeth into, and years and years of comedy from Michael Buffer’s awful announcements. Good grief Austin / Liberty Media what were you thinking????????
95% with you on the ‘celebrity interviewer’ comments, we learn nothing from those podium interviews.
Why only 95%? The other 5% is for Davide Valsecchi, he’s gold!
I love his over the top enthusiasm, great fun.
It’s so weird that this podcast is obsessed with DRS and the engines, which are mixed blessings, instead of the aero and the tires, which are unmitigated disasters. We had a time with no DRS, it’s not like the racing was better, it was even worse than the crap racing we have now. It’s not like what are DRS assisted passes now were real racing passes then, it’s just that there was no passing at all.
I’m not obsessed by it, I loath it. DRS is an artifice to racing and a construct to mitigate the other issue you very rightfully bring up, aero. Fix aero, don’t need DRS. that simple. So in that, I agree with you on the aero being the bigger of the two issues. What I hate about DRS is it deprives us a real racing and great defensive battles. Also, I hate any construct that isn’t the same for everyone. Tires are the same for everyone but like you, I do not like artificially degrading tires either.
That also seems valid. Point also taken.
1) there was endless ‘off the track’ going on with no penalties in that race 2) Kimi moved in on him 3) Max is the only interesting part of F1 2017 4) If you don’t want corner cutting put grass or gravel there don’t put tar and say ‘don’t drive there’ 5) If Niki Lauda and Toto who benefitted from it call it horrid why are we even discussing it? 6) No one’s mentioning that the other penalty, on Ericson, was wrong as well, Magnussen cut into him and hit him. 7) Max’s comments are not the same as screaming… Read more »
We did mention the Marcus penalty and said it was wrong. Maybe you didn’t listen to the end of the podcast where Sauber usually is. ;)
That seems valid. Point taken.