F1 2022 thread - see post 1 for rules

Frank Bullitt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119700840#Comment_119700840

He was fairly invisible during the race, so maybe the strategy?

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119700907#Comment_119700907

So was Lando and Daniel but they done OK. Lance Stroll too was barely ever on Screen except for at the beginning of the race and he done good.

Maybe it was strategy do as you say.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119700907#Comment_119700907

Maybe they favoured Yuki over Gasley at pitstops.

Speaking of favouring a driver, Mercedes used Russell as a lab mouse on the slick tyres. It was justifiable because Hamilton was racing towards the front, but there's no way they would have left Hamilton on the wrong tyre for an entire stint, just to know when was the right time to switch Russell to slicks.

Some here have suggested Russell is becoming Mercedes team leader... but he ain't.

Frank Bullitt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119701137#Comment_119701137

In fairness, Russel had nothing to lose at all with that move, he was so far back. I think both drivers have been subjected to bad decisions my Merc so far this year, just look at the Dutch GP when they pitted Russel over Hamilton during the SC.

rock22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119700840#Comment_119700840

He complained that they pitted him too early for slicks and therefore lost track position

Captain_Crash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119701247#Comment_119701247

Tbf that stop in Holland was Russell’s call not the teams.

Frank Bullitt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119701350#Comment_119701350

Exactly, it goes against the statement above that Russell isn't the Merc No.1 at present. He made that call to gain advantage, he is ahead in the points etc. Right now he is doing a damn good job of it.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119701903#Comment_119701903

Russell isn't mercedes no.1.

They had nothing to lose by leaving him out on slicks, losing 2 seconds a lap to the back not the field pace (not the lead pace) purely as an experiment to see when it was the right time to change Hamilton to slicks.

Do you honestly think they would have done the same to Hamilton of the roles were reversed?

Frank Bullitt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119702059#Comment_119702059

Yes I do, why wouldn't they? They had no other real choice and it was done to see if he could make up pace, not to see if it was right for Hamilton. Surely, Hamilton would have made that call himself no?

Russell has been ahead in the points since round 2 of the championship and has generally gotten more out of the car when it counted. So yeah, it is not unfair or wrong to call him the No.1 right now.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119702108#Comment_119702108

I doubt you honestly think they would leave Hamilton 2 second soffit the pace on the wrong tyre as an experiment for Russell.

They figured out it was the wrong tyre immediately. They left him out for an entire stint purely to know when was the right moment to switch to softs. He was 50 seconds behind the car in second last when he finally pitted again.

To answer your question They wouldn't have done that to Hamilton because he's their primary driver.

Frank Bullitt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119702134#Comment_119702134

Shouldn't their primary driver be leading the team though? And just for clarity, I am not saying Merc have dumped Ham over Russell for good, just pointing out that he is leading the points and getting the most out of the car on Sundays.

As for Sunday, pitting Russell again would have cooked his goose altogether, so leaving him out with the time loss might not have amounted to the same as a pit for new inters, which would grain and overheat just as bad as the slicks couldn't get the heat into them. Even on that, his fastest lap was 1.5 faster than Perez and 4 seconds faster than Hamiltons best in the same race. His position in the race dictated the gamble on dry tires, nothing to lose on that.

bennyx_o

Russell said he was going to stick with the slicks on the team radio, so Mercedes didn't leave him out on them, it was his choice

PsychoPete

It seems mad to me that Merc would favour Russell over a 7 time world champion. I thought Russell would have got a penalty for hitting Schumacher in Singapore. He does come across as fairly arrogant

McFly85

Do Mercedes even have a number 1 driver right now? They don’t have a championship car, so seem happy enough to let the drivers race and prioritise whoever has a better chance to finish higher on any given weekend.

The big calls will need to be made if they have do have a car that’s capable of challenging. I would think they would love to have Hamilton break the record, but Russell has shown this season he’s too good to be automatically thought of as a support driver.

thefa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119702179#Comment_119702179

Glad you said it because I was starting to think I had imagined that team radio! Russell is happy to bide his time and play the team game when it suits.

Would love to know what his race pace is like versus Verstappen on a level playing field. When Hamilton was really on form mid-season, he tended to beat Russell which makes me think there’s a way to go yet. Could see him matching LeClerc.

Frank Bullitt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119702265#Comment_119702265

Main reason why I refer to Russell as No.1 is because of his results. He has made the right calls in races and been super consistent throughout the season, especially at the start of it. It is why he has had the points over Ham since race 2.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119702174#Comment_119702174

That's a difficult argument to make. He came out on slicks 14 seconds behind Magnussen. After 6 laps he was 54 seconds behind Magnussen. They could have pitted him when they saw he was nearly 10 seconds a lap slower than the car in 17th place. But instead, they left him out on the wrong tyre purely to see when was the right time to pit their primary driver. Can you honestly say they would have done the same id the roles were reversed? Honestly?

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119702467#Comment_119702467

That's being a good secondary driver in the team. He knows his role and his position within the team. There's no way they expect Hamilton to make that decision and no way they leave him out, losing such huge time for an entire stint.

Burkie1203

Anyone know what time the FIA are making the cost cap announcement at?

Twitter is already unbearable

McFly85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119703284#Comment_119703284

Was wondering myself, none of the sites I have checked have given a time though.

And F1 Twitter should be ignored at the best of times! You already know people will be screaming that it’s a fix unless Verstappen is stripped of last years title and banned from F1 entirely.

thefa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119703111#Comment_119703111

Russell wasn’t made stay out on the dry tyres for the team. Using Singapore to prove your point is a reach given the circumstances. Would need more closer racing between the two to try to prove it either way or even make the point of #1 & #2 relevant.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119703415#Comment_119703415

I don't suppose the team made him do anything. He knows what's expected of him because of his position in the team.

Do you think the team watched him lose 40seconds to magn in 6 laps and just left it up to the driver's discretion to pit or not?

How do you explain him staying on the wrong tyre for the stint, losing so much time?

AMKC

So Japan up next. Early morning races here. So who is going to watch it live at 5 or 6am?

I for one am not. I will be more than happy to watch the highlights of it on C4 around midday.

I might watch the US race live do and maybe the Brazillian one and Mexico too.

Don't really care if I see Abu Dhabi live or not its never a great race anyway.

McFly85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119703478#Comment_119703478

The missus thinks I’m mental, but yeah I probably will get up for it! I’d like to see it live if the championship is to be decided. It helps that I have a 5am start in work the next day so getting up early on Sunday might force me to bed early too🤣

flazio

From what I've observed over the whole season so far, Mercedes-Benz's strategy preference goes to.... Mercedes-Benz. Leaving everything Toto says down those ugly red and blue microphones aside, I don't see any consistent repeated evidence of Merc throwing one driver under the bus to the direct benefit of the other. While 3rd isn't what we're used to seeing from them the fact that they are comfortably ahead of McLaren and Alpine through consistency in their strategy means they avoided having a much worse season. Same thing with Ferrari last season, look at the second half of the 2021 season the two Ferraris were consistent in following each other, bringing home double points and managed to finish 3rd ahead of both McLaren and Alpine despite not having won a race while those 2 had one win each.

Mercedes-Benz got their heads down and made the most out of what was a poor car by their standards. Without having to elevate one car over the other.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119703478#Comment_119703478

I'll head over to a mate's house and watch it as-live with the lads at 1 or 2.

dulpit

My small fella usually wakes between 5 and 6am, so will likely get to watch it live. Although knowing my luck it'll be the one morning he decides to sleep-in.

What time are the Channel 4 highlights on at if I miss race live?

Hijpo

I'll record it but with the intent of watching it live. if my brain says no when the alarm goes off ill watch the recording as early as possible

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119704287#Comment_119704287

10:50am on Saturday for the Qualifying and 12:30pm on Sunday for the race.

Captain_Crash

Don’t know how genuine it is but this is doing the rounds on twitter