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F1 News & Discussions => General F1 Discussion => Topic started by: lkjohnson1950 on November 13, 2021, 11:29:27 PM

Title: Brazil-Sao Paulo Sprint
Post by: lkjohnson1950 on November 13, 2021, 11:29:27 PM
Surprised no one has a comment, so I'll go. Lewis was brilliant. The pass on Norris was one of his best. Yes, the Merc had a speed advantage, but how many times have we seen Bottas fail to move up in similar circumstances? Speaking of Bottas, losing his seat seems to have inspired him a bit. He made a great start and then did a superb job of managing his tires to keep Max at bay. Sainz made an even better start and put a good move on Max at the end of the back straight. He wasn't able to hold Max off to the end, but did a good job keeping Perez behind and getting a podium. I don't like the idea of qualifying races, but as a race, this was pretty good. I kind of like Brundle's idea of whoever gets pole in quali, keeps it no matter what. As it is, qualifying loses a bit of luster when it just orders the Sprint.
Title: Re: Brazil-Sao Paulo Sprint
Post by: Jericoke on November 14, 2021, 12:28:41 AM
Surprised no one has a comment, so I'll go. Lewis was brilliant. The pass on Norris was one of his best. Yes, the Merc had a speed advantage, but how many times have we seen Bottas fail to move up in similar circumstances? Speaking of Bottas, losing his seat seems to have inspired him a bit. He made a great start and then did a superb job of managing his tires to keep Max at bay. Sainz made an even better start and put a good move on Max at the end of the back straight. He wasn't able to hold Max off to the end, but did a good job keeping Perez behind and getting a podium. I don't like the idea of qualifying races, but as a race, this was pretty good. I kind of like Brundle's idea of whoever gets pole in quali, keeps it no matter what. As it is, qualifying loses a bit of luster when it just orders the Sprint.

I think THAT is what they were hoping for from a sprint race.  It was absolutely riveting, with Lewis carving through the field, Max bobbling his advantage, and Bottas holding on masterfully.

That was some of Hamilton's best driving.  Yes, he had a speed advantage, but you could see him learn the track, learn his opponents and create passes.  In NHL hockey, the rule of goaltending is to make the tough ones look easy, and the easy ones look tough.  Lewis made 15 passes in 24 laps, and he made the tough ones look easy.  He's going to be a force tomorrow, now that he knows how to make a pass at Interlagos.

Max has seemed much cooler than I expected in a close battle, but he's yet to 'seal the deal'.  The pressure goes up from here, not down.  Hopefully Lewis takes it to Max, and we get to see what Verstappen is truly made of.
Title: Re: Brazil-Sao Paulo Sprint
Post by: rmassart on November 14, 2021, 06:23:02 AM
That was quite some drive from Lewis.  He's still in with a chance of winning the race today, especially if Bottas can repeat in the opening 20 laps his drive from yesterday.

As for the disqualification...  tin foil hat time, but Lewis being disqualified after an irregularity on the part of the car which Max was fooling around with in parc ferme?  :DD :DD

I'm just kidding. I am assuming Max noticed the issue during the qualifying laps and decided to have a closer look and maybe bring attention to the matter?
Title: Re: Brazil-Sao Paulo Sprint
Post by: rmassart on November 14, 2021, 06:33:40 AM
A couple more points on the infringements. It seems Mercedes were unlucky, as the part was OK before qualifying, but not after. So it was not an intentional infringement. But perhaps Mercedes were also lucky that this happened on a sprint race weekend. On any other weekend Lewis would now be starting last, not 10th!

Also, it is worrying that it apparently needed fan footage posted on the web to catch Max touching Lewis's car. I really hope the stewards had their own materials by which to make a judgement. It sets a really worrying precedent...
Title: Re: Brazil-Sao Paulo Sprint
Post by: John S on November 14, 2021, 12:06:27 PM
I was staggered by the pace of the Mercedes in the hands of Lewis, most of the other competitors never stood a chance. Hell even Lando's McLaren supposedly with the same power unit was no match once he fell out of DRS to Sainz in front of him.

Since all of Lewis passes, save first lap, were from DRS I'm sure Lewis car was first in line for DRS check after that lightening speed charge thru the field.  :D

Now maybe Lewis is that much better than Bottas but my suspicion is that Red Bull don't have the best car as Lewis keeps claiming. Then again in this topsy turvey season Red Bull win at traditional Merc strongholds and vice versa.

I'm betting that higher fuel loads in the first half of the proper race will not allow Lewis to charge thru as easily as in the Sprint. Seems to me Merc traditionally gets a speed advantage on the Bulls & others when half the fuel has gone, think Max is safe but Checo might have to fight with Lewis in the last quarter.
Good fun watching Sprint race though!  :good:
Title: Re: Brazil-Sao Paulo Sprint
Post by: cosworth151 on November 14, 2021, 01:31:42 PM
I didn't get to watch it because I was on my way home from a Veterans Day trip to Washington D.C. I followed it with the live commentary on the F1 website. Lewis showed once again that he is one of the all time best at coming back from a bad situation.
Title: Re: Brazil-Sao Paulo Sprint
Post by: Monty on November 14, 2021, 08:27:24 PM
The Red Bull is clearly the fastest car around a track; the high rake design and Honda power plant definitely make it considerably faster in twisty parts. Everyone keeps saying that the Mercedes has this phenomenal straight line speed but several cars were faster on the straights (without DRS). Certainly the Mercedes really benefits from DRS and slip streams. However, Hamilton was overtaking due to his ability on the brakes - not just because of top speed.
Title: Re: Brazil-Sao Paulo Sprint
Post by: Ian on November 14, 2021, 10:48:29 PM
Never liked the sprint but this one was great.  :good:
Title: Re: Brazil-Sao Paulo Sprint
Post by: Andy B on November 15, 2021, 04:36:49 AM
It seems the DRS was out by 0.2 mm that's huge if you are a microb.
I'm puzzled though as the FIA have stated that it was unintentional and the wing complied before quali so as RB had been allowed repairs in the past why not the Merc's?
Title: Re: Brazil-Sao Paulo Sprint
Post by: cosworth151 on November 15, 2021, 02:38:43 PM
It reminded me of Hunt's DNQ at the 1976 Spanish GP because his McLaren was 1.5 cm too wide. That was overturned later in the season as being "minimal".
Title: Re: Brazil-Sao Paulo Sprint
Post by: John S on November 15, 2021, 02:42:52 PM
It seems the DRS was out by 0.2 mm that's huge if you are a microb.
I'm puzzled though as the FIA have stated that it was unintentional and the wing complied before quali so as RB had been allowed repairs in the past why not the Merc's?

The Bulls asked for repairs to damaged parts that were not in contravention of the tech regs when they made their requests, where as Lewis Merc DRS failed a specific FIA tech compliance check.

Expecting a penalty free repair after you've failed compliance check is completely different, and a bloody cheek IMHO.  >:(
Title: Re: Brazil-Sao Paulo Sprint
Post by: Andy B on November 16, 2021, 06:27:06 AM
It seems the DRS was out by 0.2 mm that's huge if you are a microb.
I'm puzzled though as the FIA have stated that it was unintentional and the wing complied before quali so as RB had been allowed repairs in the past why not the Merc's?

The Bulls asked for repairs to damaged parts that were not in contravention of the tech regs when they made their requests, where as Lewis Merc DRS failed a specific FIA tech compliance check.

Expecting a penalty free repair after you've failed compliance check is completely different, and a bloody cheek IMHO.  >:(

The part was legal before quali and only after quali did it fail and reported as damage while in use. If it had been intentional then I would agree with you but the FIA want them to spend less and use parts for longer than more of this is to come.
Title: Re: Brazil-Sao Paulo Sprint
Post by: John S on November 16, 2021, 10:49:17 AM
It seems the DRS was out by 0.2 mm that's huge if you are a microb.
I'm puzzled though as the FIA have stated that it was unintentional and the wing complied before quali so as RB had been allowed repairs in the past why not the Merc's?

The Bulls asked for repairs to damaged parts that were not in contravention of the tech regs when they made their requests, where as Lewis Merc DRS failed a specific FIA tech compliance check.

Expecting a penalty free repair after you've failed compliance check is completely different, and a bloody cheek IMHO.  >:(

The part was legal before quali and only after quali did it fail and reported as damage while in use. If it had been intentional then I would agree with you but the FIA want them to spend less and use parts for longer than more of this is to come.

Sure the Stewards accepted that it was non intentional so it's either a part failure or damage from running on track. However other team's repair events, specifically Red Bull that Herr Woolf seeks to use in his cry of foul, were sanctioned after the teams reported a problem to the FIA and asked permission to make repair; not after they had failed an FIA tech regs check.

I believe that if FIA had not pulled them up then Merc themselves would have found that the DRS was non compliant, since the teams are all responsible for self scrutineering during race weekends. That would be the time to have the conversation about a penalty free repair. Now if that repair was not granted I can see Toto would have grounds for being miffed, other wise it's a slam dunk penalty for failing tech regs check.

Maybe FIA are more lenient about crash damage - I don't know, anyway that's not what we are talking here. Crumbs though in some series even crash damage is not mitigation for failing tech regs tests.

I think either Brundle or Button got it right in chat on SKY F1 by saying Toto is trying to compare eggs with cheese,
......and that's why I say he's got a bloody cheek.  :P

 
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