Championship showdown this weekend. Will Lewis win his eight title or will Max win his first? All will be revealed on Sunday.
TV Times:
Qualifying Live: 1PM. (Sky Sports)
Race Live: 1PM. (Sky Sports and Channel 4)
Bring! It! On!
Not correct, you are making out that Masi did it for Verstappen.
He did it because all teams agreed to finish under green flags where possible, he had the powers to meet that agreement and he used them.
Fair play Masi.
A late safety car.... with the RD deciding only to unlap the cars in the way of Max, and bring the safety car in a lap earlier than would have been done on any other occassion.
The issue isn't that Max benefited from a lucky safety car (from his perspective), it is that the RD decided to make up processes and ignore precident and rules to give max every advantage and a chance he should not have had, safety car or not.
Merc chose track position cause there was not time to get back to racing. The RD throwing process and rules out the window is what changed that.
Been watching F1 since the 80's, and this season has been unreal. It has had everything. I wanted a GP every weekend.
Over the course of the season I think Max has deserved the Championship, he's really delivered this season, his qualifying, esp the last 2 races was phenomenal. IMHO I think he's more of a racer, look how he goes for any opening & then defends it while in the lead. I was disappointed with Hamilton, ie. the duel with Perez (on worn tyres) and then not defending well enough against Max on the last lap.
In terms of luck, just look back at Azerbaijan where Max was comfortably leading with a few laps to go & his rear tyre blows up, but then with the race at his mercy Hamilton makes an error & this ultimately cost him the Championship.
Yes. I agree. They had to make a choice, and it was just unlucky.
It definitely would have. But I can understand why they didn’t. They were in a position where they had 2 choices:
Pit, lose track position and have to race Max to get it back(knowing that max can afford contact)
Stay out and keep RB at arms length on old tires.
They made the most sensible choice, and were incredibly unlucky that it backfired on them.
A question: had Lewis pitted lap 38 VSC, do people think those fresher tyres would have given him a much better chance over the final 3.5 miles or so?
Sound post, McFly
I can’t take anyone seriously who thinks a title is tainted or has an asterisk beside it because of one incident, and mainly because that one incident is the most recent one.
Both Max and Lewis had to race the wheels off each car for the whole year to even be in a position to win it, so to boil it down to one decision you don’t agree with just because it’s recent does an incredible disservice to the drivers imo.
And the incident itself is being treated as if Mercedes literally had a title snatched away from them by the race director. Mercedes chose track position and distance on old tires for the whole race. That was their call. A late safety car without the distance to pit and maintain track position was always a possibility and they gambled on it not happening. Had they been a bit braver during the race and gave up track position during the VSC the car had the pace and Lewis the talent to get back into first by racing, and they would have been covered off from any danger with a late safety car.
Max and Lewis are different class, and as much as I think Max deserved this season, had Lewis won I wouldn’t be begrudging him his title.
Much to my suprise, Max is the F1 world champion. Like it or not, this fact will not change. Move on and accept it, life is too short. Lewis can try again next year, although I think that Russle will put manners on him.
Speaking as a Max fan that has never supported Hamilton, I would like to acknowledge Hamilton's sporting behaviour. Fair play to Lewis, I now have so much more respect for him.
Hamilton gained plenty more then Max did over the season from red flags or SC from what I can remember. So if the SC scenario on Sunday is to be considered, if the rules on red flag were different regarding changing damaged parts (start in pit lane for example and don't unlap yourself) then Max only needs 3rd place on Sunday.
Lewis had plenty of good fortune earlier in the season, this is only an issue because the luck fell Max's way with 6 laps of the season left.
How is Lewis hard done by?
Lewis gained a free lap and probably 10 points minimum more then he would have after he binned it at Imola because of a red flag.
Fair enough, one could go back to every single race of the year but the reality is the last race is what decided it, and in my opinion, just an opinion, that’s not how the world championship should be decided because that’s the end, no one has the ability to come back at the next race, game over, ball burst ! It is what it is but no team or diver would be happy losing like that, that should speak for itself, F1 needs to learn from this, it’s not good for the sport, anyone hung ho on either side is delusional, it’s a messed up situation.
I wonder if the vitriol would be as strong if the 2 contenders were more likeable. Say what you will about both, but neither come off as particularly likeable individuals. That's possibly why they're the top 2 drivers (compare seb now who seems a right sounder to seb when he was winning), but it does make it harder for the Lewis fanboys to recongise Max's achievements and for Max fanboys to acknowledge that Lewis was hard done by at the end.
Like if this was Danny Ric versus Carlos Sainz would people be fighting over this as hard?
Have Masi or anyone in the decision making give a reason why they gave 2 cars an advantage over all other cars?
Max and the last car to unlap itself. Reason Max got 2 cars between him and person behind and 5 cars infront of him got removed to attack Hamilton.
Last unlap car meant he couldn't get attacked and lose a place.
The same Toto who
demanded no safety car when Gio went off because that would bunch the field up and give an advantage to Max
who wanted the race distance shortened to suit his guy
who went to the stewards in Russia last year because his guy can't be bothered reading the race directors notes and got penalised for having practice starts outside of the designated space on safety grounds but then accused the FIA of trying to stop him
Who emails the RD at silverstone to justify Max being put in the wall by Hamilton
The world championship is not tainted. If Lewis had won, would it be tainted after say Imola and Silverstone?
Look, I get that people will always be partisan, it’s only human nature. I’ve been torn on Max and Lewis, I’ve been such a huge fan of Max for years but how can one not appreciate Lewis, he is one of the all time greats, that is just a fact.
I think we can all agree that the rules need a bit more clarity and my personal opinion, I believe, deciding a world championship with that type of decision is not good enough for a season like that, I’ve been watching F1 for over 30 years, this one just doesn’t sit right, Lewis will be fine, he has done more than enough to show his greatness, the lack of conviction from F1 on these issues puts a taint on Maxs first championship
Mearly asking question, Wheatley wanted to understand why Hamilton didn't have to give the place back and when he got his answer he was done. Horner wanted to know when then back markers would be clear, he got his answer and he was done. Toto was dictating when a safety car should be used or when a red flag shouldn't be used and then piss and moaned all the way from the back markers being cleared until turn 14. Also tried to dictate when a race should end. Not to mention saying "f*** them" to the FIA and all the stewards after being caught with their dodgy wing. I didn't see RB marching into the stewards with barristers.
Huge difference.
The Red Bull fellah Wheatley is in Masi's ear numerous times every race and we even heard Horner doing so yesterday, which is unprecedented for him I believe. Horner also made a snide remark referencing Charlie Whiting which was intended to undermine Masi. Wolff's comments on the radio were mild enough and certainly could not be considered abusive or intimidatory. If Lewis had won the title in similar circumstances yesterday we know Red Bull would be hiring lawyers and lodging appeals right now.
I love his engineer. They both got a good laugh out of that!
Mick did a couple, kinda messed them up though 😂
Probably a little bit too subtly!
I was referring to the drivers recent habit of going off track...
Schumacher and Vettel did donuts alright but it wasn't shown on tv. I think one of the Alpines did a few too.
Ah ok. That makes sense. I wonder was that done to prevent donuts?
...None of the drivers on the podium could keep on the track doing them...
...which is it makes sense for Hamilton avoid him like the plague...
It's a habit that could be exploited with a more competitive and aggressive team mate, with nothing to lose and everything to prove.
Because of th ending, we didn't to get see any donuts this year? Would've been a good way to end the current regulations with the cars having everyone do donuts
Max does on race wins but no doubt would have got a penalty if he had managed to exit that corner ahead of Hamilton.
Hampton should have kept his line and let Max crash into him. If they'd both crashed out who wins....
