Poll: Bahrain Grand Prix 2021, Sakhir - Race 1/23

[BuffetSlayer]

Possibly this, possibly the need to not put anyone in the car who will actually challenge Hamilton for the title.

Yeah it does start to look a bit suss. Bottas is a good driver but not good enough. Max and Sergio is a powerful combination if RBR keep up their cars performance. Merc may regret their decisions to keep Bottas on board when they have RBR chomping at their heels. I think the Merc is flattering Bottas but perhaps he has sold his soul and agreed to be Lewis' bitch in return for his seat..........

 

[turbot1984]

Yeah it does start to look a bit suss. Bottas is a good driver but not good enough. Max and Sergio is a powerful combination if RBR keep up their cars performance. Merc may regret their decisions to keep Bottas on board when they have RBR chomping at their heels. I think the Merc is flattering Bottas but perhaps he has sold his soul and agreed to be Lewis' bitch in return for his seat..........

Probably his last season at Merc? Four years is a good run though, I think Bottas is a good driver eclipsed by Lewmax Hamstappen.

 

[adam cool dude]

Probably his last season at Merc? Four years is a good run though, I think Bottas is a good driver eclipsed by Lewmax Hamstappen.

It cannot be good for the mind when you know you are second fiddle for your entire career.

Barichello came out a little bit when he left Ferrari and Schumacher's shadow.

 

[MissChief]

It cannot be good for the mind when you know you are second fiddle for your entire career.

Barichello came out a little bit when he left Ferrari and Schumacher's shadow.

Straight into Jenson's sadly.

The thing is, if Bottas could match and beat Hamilton I reckon Mercedes would give him his shot and back him as they have Hamilton. He just can't do that.

 

[rubberduck]

Lol at someone voting it a 1/10.

 

[JBeck]

Yeah it does start to look a bit suss. Bottas is a good driver but not good enough. Max and Sergio is a powerful combination if RBR keep up their cars performance. Merc may regret their decisions to keep Bottas on board when they have RBR chomping at their heels. I think the Merc is flattering Bottas but perhaps he has sold his soul and agreed to be Lewis' bitch in return for his seat..........

I disagree, Merc had no need to replace Bottas because the rest of the field/RB were not enough of a threat to mandate a driver change so I don't think any conspiracy theories/bitch to Lewis are justified. But now with the threat that RB pose we'll soon see what's what, and what that will be is Bottas out, Russell in, and there won't be any room for playing second fiddle it'll be quickest wins.

 

[JBeck]

Probably his last season at Merc? Four years is a good run though, I think Bottas is a good driver eclipsed by Lewmax Hamstappen.

Half of the field would eclipse Bottas in a Merc, Russell, Leclerc, Max of course, Ric, Norris, Sainz, Gasly, they all have more potential than he does.

As per my previous post he's only been there so long due to the lack of threat from the opposition.

 

[Junglist]

Straight into Jenson's sadly.

The thing is, if Bottas could match and beat Hamilton I reckon Mercedes would give him his shot and back him as they have Hamilton. He just can't do that.

Ultimately this is the truth. Each year they start out at 0 but it seems Bottas for whatever reason can't mount a year long effort without falling too far behind mathematically before he makes himself become the second fiddle

 

[Mr Jack]

I'd like to see Bottas in a decent car after he leaves Merc. It's really hard to judge his quality when he's up against Hamilton, although being an average of just 0.082s slower in Qualifying against in Hamilton across a season seems like a solid result to me.

 

[JRS]

Lol at someone voting it a 1/10.

Lol at someone calling attention to themselves voting it a 1/10.

 

[MissChief]

I'd like to see Bottas in a decent car after he leaves Merc. It's really hard to judge his quality when he's up against Hamilton, although being an average of just 0.082s slower in Qualifying against in Hamilton across a season seems like a solid result to me.

But across a race, even 50 laps which is a longish circuit that's still 4 seconds behind your team mate. In an equal car that may as well be a hundred seconds. I think we all know Bottas isn't there to challenge Hamilton, he's there because he's a steady ship that can't challenge Hamilton but is also decently fast, fast enough that with the car advantage they've had over the past 4 years he will routinely bring in second place in the race.

 

[BuffetSlayer]

I disagree, Merc had no need to replace Bottas because the rest of the field/RB were not enough of a threat to mandate a driver change so I don't think any conspiracy theories/bitch to Lewis are justified. But now with the threat that RB pose we'll soon see what's what, and what that will be is Bottas out, Russell in, and there won't be any room for playing second fiddle it'll be quickest wins.

I disagree on two points. Merc would have identified the probable threat of the RBR this season, particularly given that DAS is banned and the aero changes favour higher rake cars. Also, at every turn they have done what they can to keep Bottas in 2nd so he can't challenge Lewis.

Bottas only just bagged 2nd in WDC in 2020 with equal podiums and wins with Max, so to say there were no credible threats isnt quite true. Granted it may not have threatened the championship but to have a Merc driver only just scraping 2nd against an opponent in an inferior car should have sent up some red flags.

But I agree that if the heat is on and the WDC / WCC look under threat, I would be surprised if Bottas lasts the season (unless we see a consistently improved Bottas 3.0 or whatever version number he is on now).

 

[deuse]

I do wonder why they never told Ocon to give the place back to Yuki after cutting turn 4 to get the job done?

First race and F1 is in a mess of sorts.

 

[Mr Jack]

But across a race, even 50 laps which is a longish circuit that's still 4 seconds behind your team mate. In an equal car that may as well be a hundred seconds. I think we all know Bottas isn't there to challenge Hamilton, he's there because he's a steady ship that can't challenge Hamilton but is also decently fast, fast enough that with the car advantage they've had over the past 4 years he will routinely bring in second place in the race.

I don't disagree, but I don't think that makes him a bad driver. With a handful of exceptions I don't think many of the drivers on the grid could get that close. Bottas gets compared to the best and comes up short. No shame in that.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

I'd like to see Bottas in a decent car after he leaves Merc. It's really hard to judge his quality when he's up against Hamilton, although being an average of just 0.082s slower in Qualifying against in Hamilton across a season seems like a solid result to me.

He’s good on Saturdays, but can’t quite hang onto Hamilton on a Sunday. His problem this year is that there’ll be 2-3 faster drivers in equal and near equal cars sat around him on the grid on a Sunday.

 

[Steampunk]

He’s good on Saturdays, but can’t quite hang onto Hamilton on a Sunday. His problem this year is that there’ll be 2-3 faster drivers in equal and near equal cars sat around him on the grid on a Sunday.

Yes, everyone talks up Rosberg, but he was racing at a time when the Mercedes was mostly untouchable. If he was in the second seat the last couple of years, Rosberg would have the same problems that Bottas is having. Some of the other teams have caught up to Mercedes and are able to put pressure on them now. If you're not a Hamilton and able to give the car that little bit more performance, you're in the mix with other drivers in a way that didn't happen a few years ago.

I don't think Bottas is terrible, but he's not being flattered by the car the way Rosberg was because other teams have now caught up. Unless you're a Verstappen in a resurgent RBR, you're not going to compete with Hamilton/Mercedes at the front.

 

[GravyMonster]

Lol at someone voting it a 1/10.

You know the vote is public, right?

 

[Jimbeam3678]

Haha oh dear @rubberduck - comedy gold!

 

[Stumble Bum]

Lol at someone voting it a 1/10.

On about half of the races last year you rated it 1/10.

Bit sad really.