Poll: Russian Grand Prix 2018, Sochi - Race 16/21

Rate the 2018 Russian Grand Prix out of ten

  • Total voters
    97
  • Poll closed .
I wonder if Mercedes are expecting Lewis to need to take extra engine parts before the end of the season and this is why they swapped, to get maximum benefit before that happens?
 
Moses said:
Are you allowed to take new parts even if you don't need to? Because if so there's an argument for just taking everything and starting from quite far back... could end up say 3rd or 4th and not lose too many points (better than a DNF, obviously!) and then a fairly fresh engine for the rest of the season.
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You can take new parts any time you like AFAIK, teams have done it before to introduce upgrades.
 
Feel sorry for Bottas, hopefully they can get the championship wrapped up quickly and let Bottas get some wins towards the end of the season, not that it'll make up for what they've done to him this weekend, he's been on point all weekend.
 
drunkenmaster said:
Meh, if this was 2014-2016 the Mercedes had a dramatically large advantage than everyone in those seasons which means Rosberg even driving much slower, got 2nd most places and Bottas with a far bigger gap to Ferrari would also get 2nd most places. It would also mean any time Hamilton had a failure Bottas would win and just like for Rosberg that meant a 25point gain on multiple occasions that again due to the lack of competition meant taking fully 5 wins to claw back that one DNF.

Rosberg isn't a top driver, he was beaten hands up and down in 95% of on track battles. The only times Ham couldn't pass him was either with a car problem or at a 'non passing' track. Everywhere else he'd catch and pass him.

You also have the other issue, this year if Ham is ahead of bottas but just stays 2 seconds ahead saving the engine, then Ferrari gain and might beat them on strategy. In 2015 Ham stays 2 seconds ahead of Rosberg and Ferrari are 15 seconds back, zero threat. So this year Ham is pushing a lot more which has frequently exposed a large gap to Bottas.

People are way over rating Rosberg because due to lack of competition he got easy seconds and a single issue disproportionately hurt Hamilton.
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Meh
 
Moses said:
You can't get rid of them as even if they're banned then some teams would still find ways to switch cars... it'd only serve to punish teams which respect the rules.
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Mr Jack said:
F1 is a team sport.

I have no problem with team orders in a situation like this where one driver is fighting for the championship and the other isn't. It's only when teams favour one driver over the other from the start of the season that it gets my goat.
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Yeah, I know. I still don’t like it. :p
 
Trollvester Trollone said:
Mercades killing F1. Disgusting.
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I wouldn't go that far nobody would have bat an eyelid if Ferrari had done it, I think if Hamilton had been 40 pts behind in the title race nobody would have cared but he's been schooling Vettel even without team tactics, it kind of takes away from how dominant he has been that he feels he even needs the help.

Hopefully in one of the last races of the season when the championship is secured Hamilton is able (and willing) to return the favour.
 
When Ferrari were winning everything, it was only because Schumacher was number one and the second driver was only there to support him. If things go wrong and Mercedes lost the championship because of those few extra points, we'd all be talking about how stupid they were to give Bottas a pat-on-the-head win today.

In the end as has been pointed out above, if they let the Mercedes cars race, chances are Hamilton would have got past Bottas (when has he not been faster?) but in doing so both cars (and the 1-2 win and overall championship win) could have been put in jeopardy. It's difficult to criticise Mercedes for team orders when any team would have done the same, and it is allowed in the rules. Ferrari has done plenty of swapping it's own drivers around when it's to their advantage, and that's what Mercedes has to compete against.

It's tough for Bottas, but when he's a hundred plus points behind, and can only win the championship if neither Vettel nor Hamilton score in any of the remaining races, he's got to play the team game and play a supporting role for the overall benefit of the team winning both championships. That's the way the sport is when the competition is tough and the number two driver is underperforming.
 
Watching the Lewis and Vettel pass, I think Vettel realised that he double moved and therefore left space on the next turn (where Hamilton overtook) thus avoided a penalty.

Vettel does see red when Lewis is around. I know Lewis is no saint and will dish it out. When you compare Monza where Lewis and Raikonnen were racing wheel to wheel - both left space.

I feel for Bottas although its a no brainer, its been like this since the dawn of time for F1, team orders etc. I am sure if the roles were reversed Hamilton would do the same. Did Schuey in 1999 take on the role of a rear gunner when his chances of winning the WDC were effectively zero?
 
Bit of a boring race. But hard luck to Bottas and some nice driving by Max.

Vettel making more mistakes.
 
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