F1 2021 Season

First topic message reminder :

Jeff Navarro wrote:I’ve watched f1, and motorsports in general, for many years and I’ve never seen the bartering of penalties.

Beyond a joke.

Yeah from what I read, Masi inherited a lot of Charlie's responsibilities at short notice, but none of his support structure. One guy managing the entire race on his own while also having to manage the politics between the teams seems like a pretty thankless job.

dyrewolfe wrote:

Jeff Navarro wrote:Right something I didn’t understand. Yes they tried to improve the track at Yas Marina, but what on earth is the second banked turn about? The old chicane was a genuine passing opportunity. Now aside from the chicane between the straights - there’s literally no opportunity to pass.
Where Verstappen passed Hamilton isn’t a genuine passing opportunity, that was tyre differential.
I don’t understand why the track has to go under the hotel.

They wanted to make it a faster, more flowing circuit - presumably after seeing the Qatar and Saudi tracks. The idea was to take out some chicanes so there would be fewer braking areas. Ended up taking about 15 seconds off the lap time.

I think banked sections are just becoming fashionable now. Drivers seem to like them and it looks cool, seeing cars take them at high speed.

Track probably goes under the hotel to give guests a view of the action. I'm more curious as to why they decided to make the pit lane go through a tunnel.

Born Slippy wrote:
Does anyone know why RB boxed Perez by the way? It was clearly tactical but what did it gain?

They had to retire the car. Sensors must have picked up something was about to fail. Sad for Checo after the race he had.

Following up on the T9 situation.
According to Karun Chandhok, the original recommendation was that T9 banking should be 9 degrees. But the track designers started work too late and they could only get 5 degrees into the corner.
Remains to be seen if they further modify the corner for next year.

If they wanted overtaking they should've just removed the chicane, make it one straight and make the T9 corner a hairpin with a braking zone

Apparently, Mercedes refused to take part in an official FIA photoshoot commemorating the constructors champions of 2021. Also, pulled the Formula E team from their photoshoot.

That'll show them

You must be on refresh every five seconds

Or my lunch break

Seems like Mercedes board, entire company not just Motorsport, are wanting the appeal ended. Even former Mercedes bigwig Norbert Haug gave that opinion.

Mercedes confirm they have abandoned their appeal

As suspected, heavily influenced by Hamilton's team who didn't want to pursue an appeal

Also see in the statement put out they say

"Their move follows a decision by governing body the FIA to conduct a "detailed analysis" of the end of the race and an admission it was "tarnishing" Formula 1's image.
Mercedes said they "welcomed" the move and would "hold the FIA accountable".
Mercedes said it had been in "constructive dialogue" with the FIA since the race in an attempt to "create clarity for the future"."

From the wording of Susie Wolff seems like Mercedes may have accepted Masi’s removal or a change in the structure, which I mentioned somewhere above.

Mohammed bin Sulayem has been named new FIA President, replacing Jean Todt.
First piece of business for bin Sulayem has been to ‘investigate Wolff and Hamilton boycotting the FIA awards ceremony’.
As if we need nonsense like that ffs.

Probably should've had a better answer prepared for it, I think it was essentially a journalist asking him after he won the election and he gave the rules are rules answer. I suspect they'll find a way to let it go

The “rules are rules” quote was exceptionally tone-deaf. I’d be very surprised if they actually punish Lewis for it though, given how badly FIA messed up.

Born Slippy wrote:The “rules are rules” quote was exceptionally tone-deaf. I’d be very surprised if they actually punish Lewis for it though, given how badly FIA messed up.

My thoughts exactly. After the last race debacle the FIA are in no position to take the moral high ground with Mercedes or Hamilton.

Rules are rules, says the organisation who decided that they were apparently allowed to completely ignore all rules if it allowed them to engineer an "exciting" finish to the drivers' championship a week ago...

In an embarrassing development, the organisers of the Belgian GP have refused to refund the 70,000 poor sods whom sat around in the rain for hours just to witness a 2 lap farce behind the SC.
What a pathetic decision.

Jean Todt is rejoining Ferrari

What happened to Just John / Gareth - has he decided to give up with Formula 1?  For me 2021 ended in farcical circumstances and as a result for me this year will be the asterisked year.  However others would probably have other years as asterisked - but 2021 was when the race director intervened making things up in the moment.

I wasn't particularly sold on the sprint races.

2022 - if this brings the field together and there are no circuits where it is processional because no-one can overtake without destroying their tyres etc - then I can see myself getting interested in it again.  I suppose all the new regulations being brought in is designed to  narrow the field so we shall see.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/60318052

The fix was in and blatantly obvious.

Duty281 wrote:https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/60318052

The fix was in and blatantly obvious.

Wow...just wow...

When you've got a team boss "advising" the Race Director how to restart the race, you're on extremely thin ice... 

Makes me glad that from this season onwards, the workload will be split and team bosses will no longer have direct access to the RD.

That audio isn’t a new btw - it’s been publicly available since mid December…

It was a ridiculous ending and it doesn't get any better. It doesn't look good for the Red Bull brand although I am not sure how many people actually follow F1 closely nor what they would do if they really objected to what happened - people will still buy the drink.

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:That audio isn’t a new btw - it’s been publicly available since mid December…

It's wild the depths "journalism" has plumbed. I expect this from the ****rags but a bit more from the bbc

I'm just waiting for the audio of Wheatley asking for a penalty after lap 1 and being told no to be unearthed.

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:That audio isn’t a new btw - it’s been publicly available since mid December…

That changes things how?

Last years title will always have an * next to it and we all know what went down.

Because it was originally presented as new so it could framed as some kind of smoking gun or evidence that was being suppressed.

In reality, someone just decide to dig it out and feed the outrage coincidentally on the same day RB presented their 2022 car.

GSC wrote:Because it was originally presented as new so it could framed as some kind of smoking gun or evidence that was being suppressed.

In reality, someone just decide to dig it out and feed the outrage coincidentally on the same day RB presented their 2022 car.

Oh no poor Red Bull, they helped to manipulate a race but we shouldn't bring it up any more because reasons.

And thus why it gets traction

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:That audio isn’t a new btw - it’s been publicly available since mid December…

Doesn't matter - its still pretty damning. Also makes you wonder why it wasn't reported until now.

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:
It's wild the depths "journalism" has plumbed. I expect this from the ****rags but a bit more from the bbc

Since when did reporting facts become "plumbing the depths"?

Just because there was a delay in reporting this "new" audio doesn't make it any less relevant. Just adds further weight to the facts that were already available. Namely that Masi made a number of gross misjudgements that day that swung the outcome of the race (and the title) in RB's favour.

Dyre you know my thoughts on team officials lobbying the race director during the race. But there really isn't anything here that every team isn't guilty of last season. Including Toto asking for the safety car to not be brought out midway during the race because it favoured his driver. Or Wheatley again asking for action on the lap 1 incident.

We seem to be conflating that because RB asked for something that favoured them, and it happened, that it was therefore done at red bulls request. To which I'd respond, I watched forest Blackburn last night, a Blackburn player dived into a tackle, the forest players surrounded the ref asking for a booking, which was duly delivered. Was that ref also crooked? We're making very broad reaches and assumptions to fit a viewpoint we already hold.

Beyond that the BBC's chief F1 writer has essentially looked at what's trending on twitter and written an article leading with incorrect information designed to frame it in a way that makes it seem more sinister, before correcting the headline later in the article. You let me know what standard of journalism you judge that to fit. As I say, I expect it from the mail etc but I'd like to think the BBC is capable of a bit better

When I first saw the article it clearly stated it wasn't new, and it is relevant because the outcome of the inquiry is due to be released in the next few days.

Most F1 fans know that Verstappen's title 'win' was bent, with the rules being clearly broken, in any case.