2021 motor racing thread

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This new pit system is fucking dumb, there was no reason to give into Mercedes crying about it.

What's new with the system? I didn't get the nitty gritty except it should add about .5s to Red Bull
 
How did Max get ahead of everyone else?

A lot of dive bombing from the highlights I saw. I think in general most people parted like the red sea. Just let him by (look at Bottas)..

It was like the Tour de France and Max had the yellow jersey. Just let him be


I dislike Lewis just as much as the next guy but taking a flight to NY to go to a fashion show isn't exactly hard on your neck lmao. Give the guy a break ffs

He probably didn't fly coach either
 
Sochi went from melodramatic race with predictable outcome, to a drama filled final laps! The rain factor was a nice addition in the end. It made for some great late strategy and totally flipped the outcome. Poor Lando! He was stuck and should have taken a chance with his team instruction to box. He raced great today and will learn from this. Hamilton gets his 100 gp win record by staying calm, collected, and focused. Great race by Lewis as well. And of course Max coming from back of the grid to take a podium spot! Good stuff in Sochi today!

Could have easier gone the other way. It's like 1.5mins a lap and there was like 4 laps remaining when the call came? 6 minutes. I've never driven a race car, but for 6 mins and unsure conditions, never having won before and racing at a track where people say it's processionary without being a street circuit, I reckon I would've been like Lando and been steadfast about keeping my track position
 
What's new with the system? I didn't get the nitty gritty except it should add about .5s to Red Bull

Short version is it's about the automation that teams had built into their pitstop systems. Previously the wheel guns would register that the wheels were on correctly and then send a signal to allow for car release, now that action is to be completed manually by the pitcrew.

Could have easier gone the other way. It's like 1.5mins a lap and there was like 4 laps remaining when the call came? 6 minutes. I've never driven a race car, but for 6 mins and unsure conditions, never having won before and racing at a track where people say it's processionary without being a street circuit, I reckon I would've been like Lando and been steadfast about keeping my track position

Absolutely. Lando made a call based on emotion, that probably would have been different if the rain came with 20 to go.
However what it does show is the importance of the team in scenarios such as this, and the different ways they can support their drivers.
 
Awesome race. Heartbreak for Lando, but he'll get there. What a season.

Also worth remembering that this isn't the first time that gamble has been made this year, although it paid off the first time.
When it rains with only a handful of laps remaining, staying on track is usually the choice that pays off. Lando will have known this and I can't blame him for chasing that win.

MotoGP Austria:
 
Short version is it's about the automation that teams had built into their pitstop systems. Previously the wheel guns would register that the wheels were on correctly and then send a signal to allow for car release, now that action is to be completed manually by the pitcrew.



Absolutely. Lando made a call based on emotion, that probably would have been different if the rain came with 20 to go.
However what it does show is the importance of the team in scenarios such as this, and the different ways they can support their drivers.

I don't think that was a emotional call. With just a handful of laps to go he probably felt that track position was better to hold on to and that the rain wouldn't get worse. Someone needed to tell him "Lando, there's a torrential storm above our heads"
 
I don't think that was a emotional call. With just a handful of laps to go he probably felt that track position was better to hold on to and that the rain wouldn't get worse. Someone needed to tell him "Lando, there's a torrential storm above our heads"

By being based on emotion, I mean Lando not thinking big picture - he's 3 laps away from his first win and doesn't want to give that up, which is what he thinks will happen if he pits.

But yes, your last sentence is 100% correct - that's where the team got it wrong.
 
By being based on emotion, I mean Lando not thinking big picture - he's 3 laps away from his first win and doesn't want to give that up, which is what he thinks will happen if he pits.

But yes, your last sentence is 100% correct - that's where the team got it wrong.

I think that is the big picture tbh. It's wet, can I keep it on the track/finish first if I stay out. It's a calculated gamble. If the decisions are different the loser will always feel aggrieved. Put it this way, if he had held it together OR the rain stopped after a lap and everyone that went to inters fell back, he'd look like a genius.

I saw somewhere that Lewis ignored the team call to box for one lap as well.

Sucks for Lando but he gambled and it didn't pay off and I can't fault him for it. It wasn't a egregious error without the benefit of hindsight.
 
Qatar confirmed for the F1 calendar this year, returning in 2023 for a further 10 years (that may not be held on the Losail circuit...)

MotoGP from COTA this weekend, with 4 races left in the title (including this one) it's a two horse race between Quartararo and Bagnaia.
Both have only had one premier class start at COTA with both finishing in the back half of the top 10, though it's worth noting Bagnaia won the Moto2 race here in 2018.

Indycar season wrapped up last weekend at Long Beach, with Alex Palou being crowned the champion. 2021 was a definite 'changing of the guard' year, with many young up and comers showing genuine pace and emerging as genuine title contenders.
 
Qatar confirmed for the F1 calendar this year, returning in 2023 for a further 10 years (that may not be held on the Losail circuit...)

MotoGP from COTA this weekend, with 4 races left in the title (including this one) it's a two horse race between Quartararo and Bagnaia.
Both have only had one premier class start at COTA with both finishing in the back half of the top 10, though it's worth noting Bagnaia won the Moto2 race here in 2018.

Indycar season wrapped up last weekend at Long Beach, with Alex Palou being crowned the champion. 2021 was a definite 'changing of the guard' year, with many young up and comers showing genuine pace and emerging as genuine title contenders.
Is Qatar nov 21?
 
Yep.

So we have this week off.
Turkey
Week off
COTA
Week off
Mexico
Interlagos
Qatar
Week off
Saudi
Abu Dhabi

7 races left, but it will come quick. Going to be a mad scramble for both championships
Merc saying they probably won’t be able to make the engines last. So let’s see. Could be a grid drop for Lewis at some point.
 
Merc saying they probably won’t be able to make the engines last. So let’s see. Could be a grid drop for Lewis at some point.

With how close the points are they can't afford to run conservative with their engines, so yes I expect an engine change for Lewis. Looking ahead, maybe for Mexico as that is likely the next power-sensitive circuit.

Will be a critical moment in the championship, especially with Max coming 2nd with his engine penalty.
 
Bagnaia leads Quartararo 1-2 in MotoGP qualifying. With only 4 races left, I think Quartararos points lead is too big, but its still great to see the two title contenders fighting it out head to head.

Speaking of bikes, watch this if you missed it - Last lap at Aragon:
 
Former NASCAR driver John Wes Townley was shot and killed Saturday night after allegedly attacking his ex-wife and another man with a hatchet in her home in Athens, Georgia, authorities said Monday.

It seems Townley brought a hatchet to a gun fight although the above statement could also indicate that the other man had the hatchet.

Townley's ex-wife Laura was also shot and seriously injured.
https://www.kiro7.com/news/trending...driver-police-say/J7IV6X7SX5FYLD46WRESXG27UE/

Townley was always getting into altercations and seemed to be a hothead. He plead guilty to disorderly conduct involving his wife in 2019.
 
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Turkish GP this weekend and as has been speculated, Mercedes has performed a power unit change for Lewis Hamilton. That means a rear of grid start for the race.

With Verstappen taking his engine penalty and converting it into a 2nd place finish in Sochi last time out, Lewis' ability to minimise the damage from taking his penalty will be a huge storyline this weekend.

This kind of pressure between the contenders is exactly what we've been wanting to see. If they had a more comfortable points lead, Merc likely would have been able to manage their engine performance and avoid needing to take a penalty, but due to the intensity of the title fight they can't afford that luxury.

It's similar to what made the French GP so good. Mercedes went with the 'faster' 1 stop strategy, but making that work is dependent on being able to manage the race pace, something that can't be done when you have another team fighting you for the win.
 
So far it was announced that Mercedes has taken a 4th internal combustion engine for Hamilton's car which would be a 10 place grid penalty. They could decide to take additional components before the race to have spares available and start even further back, especially if something would happen in qualifying. Ferrari has elected to take a complete power unit foe Sainz which would drop him to the back of the grid.

Hamilton was fastest in the first practice so if he could take the pole in qualifying he would start 11th.
 
Yeah. Thought it was 10 place, not back of the grid. But they still have time to take other new parts I guess.

I assume merc expects they can make passes of this track, so the reason for doing it here?
 
Yep, my mistake - 10 place, not rear of grid as not a full power unit change. Cursed click bait headlines lol

And yes, Turkey isn't bad for overtaking so they should expect quite reasonably to be able to move forward. It's certainly a track with more overtaking opportunities than Sochi.
 
Leclerc is fast in practice and I'm sure Mercedes would like to see him ahead of Verstappen. The wind is causing problems today.

Sounds like several other teams plan on taking new power plants too, including Aston Martin.
 
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