Poll: Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2021, Jeddah - Race 21

[Jono8]

I'm still pretty worried Max is just going to do his usual brake late with no hope of making the corner again on the 1st turn at Abu Dhabi. It doesn't matter to him if he takes himself and Lewis out, if he can make it look at least the slightest bit unintentional.

Let's face it, even if Lewis is on pole, he's going to qualify 2nd or 3rd so will definitely have the opportunity to do this.

Really don't know what Lewis/Merc can do to counter.

 

[BuffetSlayer]

I'm still pretty worried Max is just going to do his usual brake late with no hope of making the corner again on the 1st turn at Abu Dhabi. It doesn't matter to him if he takes himself and Lewis out, if he can make it look at least the slightest bit unintentional.

Let's face it, even if Lewis is on pole, he's going to qualify 2nd or 3rd so will definitely have the opportunity to do this.

Really don't know what Lewis/Merc can do to counter.

Couple of options I suppose. Use Bottas as a blocker (or torpedo!)

Or let Max get pole and stay clear turn 1 then overtake him on DRS later in the race. I think the Merc has the pace to catch and pass and it will remove the “first lap leniency” from any stewarding if Max plays dirty later in the race.

 

[Mr Jack]

Whatever happens this coming weekend, I fear this is going to be a season remembered for controversy rather than the racing. Which is a real shame given how close things have been and how much genuinely good racing we've seen.

 

[Greboth]

I think Verstappen winning by dirty driving will be remembered longer than Hamilton winning over a dirty driver.

Especially given if Hamilton wins it, it will be more remembered for his 8th WDC.

 

[Jono8]

Use Bottas as a blocker (or torpedo!)

I dont have much faith in Bottas being at all useful at this stage

God knows why he took so long to get past Ocon/was so slow. If he had pulled his finger out, Max's penalties might have meant something.

 

[Psycho Ned]

If there's one thing I've learnt from the years of Bottas as a number 2 at Merc, don't rely on him for anything he'll only let you down

Max will be past him like a rat up a drainpipe.

Suspect it'll be Lewis and Max 1 and 2 on the grid on Sunday and everyone will need to close their eyes and hide behind a cushion as they barrel into turn 1!!

 

[Jono8]

Suspect it'll be Lewis and Max 1 and 2 on the grid on Sunday and everyone will need to close their eyes and hide behind a cushion as they barrel into turn 1!!

Indeed! Its going to be mega tense.

If only Lewis had got the fastest lap in Quatar.....

Max has a massive advantage still in this last race (the ability for them both to DNF and still win).

 

[LeMson]

Yep, max the missile into hammer t1, start the party early in the rbr garage

 

[woppy101]

Yep, max the missile into hammer t1, start the party early in the rbr garage

If that happens at any point on Sunday, I can see it ending up in court, especially the way max has acted across the whole season

 

[MagicBoy]

If that happens at any point on Sunday, I can see it ending up in court, especially the way max has acted across the whole season

Plenty off precedent for him driving unacceptably back to 2016...

Liberty will be happy - they'll get good viewing figures. Unfortunately they've got to contain the self entitled unhinged monster the FIA and themselves created...

 

[GhostWKD]

One thing that hasn't really been mentioned much (I guess less relevant given red flag) but genuinely intrigued me...

Under the SC when Hamilton was coming into the pits the gap between Ham and Bot went from 2s to 7s... surely something wrong about backing Max up under the SC (you could see when Hamilton came into the pits Bottas wasn't even in shot in the background). Allegedly Hamilton at the top of his safety car delta and Bottas right at the bottom of his so within the rules but just felt wrong

Not a Hamilton fan (used to be, find him intolerable now) nor a Max fan so class myself as a neutral watching this but crazy from both sides. Dutch friends are brilliant in their bias mind

 

[413x]

I dont have much faith in Bottas being at all useful at this stage

God knows why he took so long to get past Ocon/was so slow. If he had pulled his finger out, Max's penalties might have meant something.

I couldn't believe it. I hoped he would get 4th. Just to really hit. Home how bad an overtake he is. Hamilton would have been past Ocon immediately.

He seemed really pleased with himself he out dragged him with drs.

 

[I_M_Weasel]

One thing that hasn't really been mentioned much (I guess less relevant given red flag) but genuinely intrigued me...

Under the SC when Hamilton was coming into the pits the gap between Ham and Bot went from 2s to 7s... surely something wrong about backing Max up under the SC (you could see when Hamilton came into the pits Bottas wasn't even in shot in the background). Allegedly Hamilton at the top of his safety car delta and Bottas right at the bottom of his so within the rules but just felt wrong

Not a Hamilton fan (used to be, find him intolerable now) nor a Max fan so class myself as a neutral watching this but crazy from both sides. Dutch friends are brilliant in their bias mind

It isn't allowed - really though Bottas was doing this to prevent himself from being passed in the pits if Max stopped too as he would have had to wait to be serviced while the team dealt with Lewis; holding back gave Merc the time to service Lewis and then immediatly get to work on Bottas.

Didn't need to do it has Max didn't pit - the 7 seconds would have been made back once they were behind the safety car anyway.

 

[413x]

Tbh I think it would be better if Hamilton let max get p1 at start and overtakes him in pit stops or something.

I m excited and scared of. The prospect of max taking out Lewis, winning, the stewards taking a month to dish out a penalty off the books that switches the WDC.

Is there anyway for lewis to win if max obviously takes him out? Like a penalty isn't enough? Or is it?

 

[Feek]

I just hope the changes at Abu Dhabi mean that racing is actually possible and it's not the boreface, snooze-fest it's been previously. It was an absolutely awful circuit for overtaking.

 

[MooMoo444]

Tbh I think it would be better if Hamilton let max get p1 at start and overtakes him in pit stops or something.

Nah, not worth the risk. He could speed off into the distance.

 

[Deleted member 651465]

There was a point in Saudi (the 2nd standing start) that Bottas locked up going in to T1 and nearly went in to the back of Max.

If there was ever a time we he could have done Lewis a favour, it was then. Relying on Bottas to qualify P2 and to beat Max to T1 at Abu Dhabi is pretty much wishful thinking.

Tbh I think it would be better if Hamilton let max get p1 at start and overtakes him in pit stops or something.

I m excited and scared of. The prospect of max taking out Lewis, winning, the stewards taking a month to dish out a penalty off the books that switches the WDC.

Is there anyway for lewis to win if max obviously takes him out? Like a penalty isn't enough? Or is it?

The only option for Lewis to win the WDC if Max takes him out, is if the stewards agree that he did it intentionally and disqualify him from the championship altogether. A finish on equal points benefits Max as he's won more races on count-back*

*which annoys me, as they classify the 2 laps under the SC at Spa, as a race.

 

[woppy101]

I just hope the changes at Abu Dhabi mean that racing is actually possible and it's not the boreface, snooze-fest it's been previously. It was an absolutely awful circuit for overtaking.

You would like to think with the changes it should be a good overtaking track

 

[englishpremier]

One thing that hasn't really been mentioned much (I guess less relevant given red flag) but genuinely intrigued me...

Under the SC when Hamilton was coming into the pits the gap between Ham and Bot went from 2s to 7s... surely something wrong about backing Max up under the SC (you could see when Hamilton came into the pits Bottas wasn't even in shot in the background). Allegedly Hamilton at the top of his safety car delta and Bottas right at the bottom of his so within the rules but just felt wrong

Not a Hamilton fan (used to be, find him intolerable now) nor a Max fan so class myself as a neutral watching this but crazy from both sides. Dutch friends are brilliant in their bias mind

Not allowed. It broke the rules and so the terminology used on these boards is cheating. They got away with it due to the red flag. Masi didn't bother referring anything to the stewards, he was quite inept this race as he has been a few times this season.

It is my understanding that the stewards can look at incidents regardless of whether the race director asks them too, and if they make a decision it overrides him, but they are probably not going to do that for most things unless it's a major incident.

 

[Deleted member 651465]

You would like to think with the changes it should be a good overtaking track

Do me a favour, can you post a smaller screenshot?