Poll: Emilia Romagna Grand Prix 2021, Imola - Race 2/23

Rate the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix out of ten


  • Total voters
    87
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Indeed, a VERY different line to his own social media posts and media interview quotes all yesterday afternoon, even after he had time to cool down and review the footage. If it is indeed his own wording, then it shows why you should always sleep before sending that email to your boss :p

That is his own social media post :confused: You can see as the day went by yesterday that he was steadily moderating what he was saying. This doesn't seem particularly out of keeping with what he was saying before. Russell is one of the most open drivers with all his social media and streaming stuff, and while he's certainly someone who manages a smooth exterior most of the time I don't think it's really fair to claim that he's being overruled by some PR team.
 
Seems like he’s a real piece of work when not being reigned in by his PR crew.

In some ways I get his frustration, but that behaviour, and some of these mistakes, could put his Mercedes seat in jeopardy if he isn’t careful. Doesn’t matter what I think, but I highly doubt Mercedes’ sponsors or board will look favourably on yesterday.

Plenty of drivers have acted poorly in the moment, but few go as far as he did yesterday. Outbursts are one thing, physical contact is another.

What for one little incident. Now Pascal Wehrlein seemed more like a piece of work than Russell.

I don't see why everyone is upset about it. It adds to the sport. Makes it more fun to watch.
 
That is his own social media post :confused: You can see as the day went by yesterday that he was steadily moderating what he was saying. This doesn't seem particularly out of keeping with what he was saying before. Russell is one of the most open drivers with all his social media and streaming stuff, and while he's certainly someone who manages a smooth exterior most of the time I don't think it's really fair to claim that he's being overruled by some PR team.

Sorry, it’s standard PR damage limitation. As a minimum Toto has directed him.
 
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Bottas is not a dangerous driver and always very fair. Russell was desperate to get past Bottas as its great for his MB ambition. Ended up in a shunt. Realising this; use the age old race driver tactic of pinning all the blame on the other guy.

Now in hindsight and probably a rollicking, issued an apology. The slap was not really malicious, you see far worse conduct in other sport!

Enjoyed the race. If only Hamilton had moved to the inside from the start line and blocked Verstappen (who drove very well). ;) Great to see Norris do so well - where did that performance come from?!
 
Enjoyed the race. If only Hamilton had moved to the inside from the start line and blocked Verstappen (who drove very well). ;) Great to see Norris do so well - where did that performance come from?!

Indeed, we know which red bull he’ll cover next time. There’ll be at least one race where Hamilton and max take each other out.
 
Indeed, we know which red bull he’ll cover next time. There’ll be at least one race where Hamilton and max take each other out.

Can see it being like 2018 after the Azerbaijan clash, it's definitely going to be a good season. Battles throughout and a much closer pack mean there has been something going on all the way through the races so far.
 
Christ. The lad makes an unnecessarily desperate bid to launch past a hopeless driver in the car he should be in and everyone starts branding his driving like he's Mazepin. Emotions run high in the heat of the moment and that's that. You'd think he'd followed it up by storming down the pitlane heading for the Merc garage...
 
Christ. The lad makes an unnecessarily desperate bid to launch past a hopeless driver in the car he should be in and everyone starts branding his driving like he's Mazepin. Emotions run high in the heat of the moment and that's that. You'd think he'd followed it up by storming down the pitlane heading for the Merc garage...

Yep, sounds like a lot on here want a boring sterile F1 with no controversy, arguments, grudges, and gamesmanship. Can't imagine how they coped with F1 in the 80s/90s. Personally I love all that stuff. The more controversial the more entertaining it is, same as any sport.
 
He made a schoolboy error that should have ended his afternoon but because he has the best car can just tootle back up to 2nd place

Bottas, in that same car, qualified 8th, and had fallen back to 9th - despite Gasly's tyre choice putting him down the order - by the time he had the crash. No doubt that Merc is a fine car but without Lewis driving it, it doesn't cut through the field like that.
 
Yep, sounds like a lot on here want a boring sterile F1 with no controversy, arguments, grudges, and gamesmanship. Can't imagine how they coped with F1 in the 80s/90s. Personally I love all that stuff. The more controversial the more entertaining it is, same as any sport.

Exactly. The battles and the rivalry are what made the sport back then. Half the time the racing was nowhere near as close as people remember it being. Yes, there's often a fine line but racing drivers need to race. These guys are meant to be like rockstars. Not sterile marketing objects.

Russell cut through the field in his Merc last year whilst filling in for Lewis. Nico did too. It's just Valtteri who struggles.
 
I like Russell and I don't even care that he slapped Bottas... he's only made himself look a bit of a plank, so he only has himself to blame if he feels judged for that.
 
He made a schoolboy error that should have ended his afternoon but because he has the best car can just tootle back up to 2nd place

I note that Bottas was unable to tootle on up to third behind him during that phase of the grand prix in the best car as well. Funny that.
 
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