Poll: Official 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Race Thread - Jeddah Circuit - Race 2/23
- Thread starter chrismscotland
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Caporegime
They don't need to manufacture it. Sergio is no Rosberg.
Disqualified from qualifying, yea, makes sense. Broke the rules that potentially gained them an advantage in qualifying.
Agree on Rosberg, should have been binned as well.
If teams stopped pushing boundaries it wouldn't be the sport it is, might as well just make it a spec series like Indycar
Soldato
1. I can't believe people are still thinking Perez is up there with Max. Perez will drop off like a sack of spuds by mid-season.
2. Team orders are part of the sport, people don't like it, sometimes drivers don't like it but it's not some new concept. Even Hamilton/Rosberg were subject to team orders...the last race in particular was a spicy one for that.
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Yeah he's not on par with Max over the course of a season but I wouldn't underestimate Perez. He should cruise to second in the DC easily. It would be good to see an actual true fight, because although Max would win, at least he would give him a run. Nobody else can this season.
Soldato
I'm waiting for the interesting scenario if/when Stroll is up to speed with Alonso, will daddy dictate team orders?
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Soldato
You're missing the point.
Caporegime
He should have cruised to 2nd easily last year.
Ferrari were much more in the mix though and challenged. Perez had to get "used" for the team more I feel. Dunno...I'd have to watch it back and remember. It's all a bit of a non event last season after it became evident nobody could challenge Max half way through when red team fell away with mistakes and issues.
haha. Fernando will love that.
Soldato
All you are confirming is that all the teams will bend the rules if and when they can and if they feel they can get away with it. The current Mercedes front wing has also a great deal of flex to it.
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Soldato
It was just the car really, Perez liked the heavier early incarnation but when RB started to take weight from it, making it more suited to Max's 'pointy' preferences, Perez struggled a bit more. This season they appear to have have a car that's suited to both. Although it is very early days yet...
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Caporegime
Depends I think on how the development battle plays out. I don't see anyone challenging Max, but I don't think Pérez will enjoy the same luxury. If the other teams can make just a few tenths back they'll be able to get past Pérez - he was a third of a second back on average last season and I think he did even worse the season before (?).
That'll be avoided by Stroll never getting up to speed with Alonso
I think we'll see a few races where Stroll beats Alonso. Lance has always been a driver to deliver the odd exceptional performance that makes you think he's going to finally get it together. Hell his drive in Baku in his first season must be one of the best rookie season weekends of recent times. But, yeah, overall it's just not going to happen until age finally catches up with Alonso.
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Perez is a decent driver, but he won't beat Max to the championship unless Max gets some serious bad luck (ie multiple engine failures/retirements etc).
Perez is more of a Bottas type. Good, but not in the elite like Max, Lewis, Alonso etc.
Perez is more of a Bottas type. Good, but not in the elite like Max, Lewis, Alonso etc.
I wonder if Oscar is regretting going to McLaren. He burned a lot of bridges/created a lot of drama to get there and it looks like he may have had a more competitive season in the Alpine.
I always thought it was odd that he did it anyway, considering McLaren and Alpine were fairly even at the time. If he did it to join the likes of Red Bull, then i would get it, but it seemed like a lot of drama for just a sideways step (which actually seems to have worked out as actually a downward step).
Also, i feel like he may have come off more favourably against Ocon in the teammate battle compared to Norris, which may have increased his stock further. In your first season at F1 you want to impress and beat your team mate at least.
All in all, it seems like a slightly odd career move.
I always thought it was odd that he did it anyway, considering McLaren and Alpine were fairly even at the time. If he did it to join the likes of Red Bull, then i would get it, but it seemed like a lot of drama for just a sideways step (which actually seems to have worked out as actually a downward step).
Also, i feel like he may have come off more favourably against Ocon in the teammate battle compared to Norris, which may have increased his stock further. In your first season at F1 you want to impress and beat your team mate at least.
All in all, it seems like a slightly odd career move.
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Soldato
At the time he signed with McLaren he didn't know Alonso would be leaving - so didn't know the Alpine seat to be available.
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Oh really? I didn't know that. It always seemed to be made out that he chose to ditch the Alpine seat and went with McLaren.
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