Poll: Russian Grand Prix 2018, Sochi - Race 16/21
- Thread starter Shimmy
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So, Hamilton only needs 76 points to guarantee the championship. 5x2nd places would give him 90.
Vettel really needs to step up and win the remaining 5 races if he wants a chance. It's possible, but won't be easy for him.
Also, has something changed with the Ferrari power unit? Haven't seen it smoking anywhere near as much, if at all. Oddly, that stopping seems to correspond with their 'downturn'
Vettel really needs to step up and win the remaining 5 races if he wants a chance. It's possible, but won't be easy for him.
Also, has something changed with the Ferrari power unit? Haven't seen it smoking anywhere near as much, if at all. Oddly, that stopping seems to correspond with their 'downturn'
Soldato
Coulthard said it right. That it's very nice of Toto to feel bad for Bottas by giving team orders to allow Lewis to pass, but at the end of the day, Bottas has had the same chances as Lewis to be in the mix for the championship and he simply hasn't been as good. I also understand why Lewis felt conflicted about the win today because as he said himself, he likes to win races the proper way and not be given any advantage. I'm glad he didn't celebrate the normal way and made Bottas his priority to speak to after getting out the car. It was the right thing to do.
Caporegime
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I can't remember if I said it earlier but Toto was right, better to be the bad guy today than the idiot who lost a title at the end of the season. This race will be forgotten even 2 months from now, if you throw away the title in less than 7 points this race would have been remembered for years, decades, every single time people talk about Hamilton's legacy and having 6 instead of 7 titles or 7 instead of 8 they'll mention Toto not being strong enough and harming Hamilton's legacy for the next 50 years when Hamilton is talked about.
Also you know, he's a huge German guy, of course he makes a better baddie than an idiot
Also you know, he's a huge German guy, of course he makes a better baddie than an idiot
Man of Honour
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The usual suspects giving 1/10 
Associate
This is no different when it's the other way around lol.
Either way, I think team orders should be banned, it ruins a lot of the on track entertainment.
Soldato
Although I agree, like we have seen in the past, I reckon it would be pretty much impossible to police, the swaps just wouldn't be as blatent.
The result definitely leaves a bitter taste, but I understand why they did it. Was it necessary? We will only know for sure at the end of the season.
Catch 22, if Lewis loses the championship by 7 points and they didn't do the switch it would be looked at in the different way.
Like you said, we'll know at the end of the season, but Lewis has one hand on the championship already, I can't see him losing from here on to be honest, plus it looks like Mercedes have gained the edge back from Ferrari with their recent upgrades.
Soldato
Voted a 6 as the first third of the race was brilliant, after the early stops it reverted to a typically poor Russian GP. Tempted by 5 but bumped up to a 6 due to some hard and good racing rather than just DRS drive-bys.
It would take a cataclysmic meltdown for Mercedes to throw it away with a 43 point lead - if that were to happen they wouldn't deserve to win it, just as Vettel doesn't. It would be like 1999 when Irvine and Hakkinen did their utmost not to win and nearly let (an excellent) Frentzen pip them in a Jordan.
I didn't think Mercedes would swap yesterday so long as Hamilton was ahead of Vettel. I was more annoyed at Bottas trying to slow Vettel while Hamilton pitted (Bottas had a 4 second gap when Vettel exited the pits dropping to 1.4 at the end of the that lap) - I didn't mind the team orders so much, but that was very unsporting.
It would take a cataclysmic meltdown for Mercedes to throw it away with a 43 point lead - if that were to happen they wouldn't deserve to win it, just as Vettel doesn't. It would be like 1999 when Irvine and Hakkinen did their utmost not to win and nearly let (an excellent) Frentzen pip them in a Jordan.
I didn't think Mercedes would swap yesterday so long as Hamilton was ahead of Vettel. I was more annoyed at Bottas trying to slow Vettel while Hamilton pitted (Bottas had a 4 second gap when Vettel exited the pits dropping to 1.4 at the end of the that lap) - I didn't mind the team orders so much, but that was very unsporting.
Soldato
Why? That's just racing.
Man of Honour
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Agreed, the gap is crazy now.
Funny, even Vettel has said that the team orders were a no-brainer.
Funny, even Vettel has said that the team orders were a no-brainer.
Can you imagine how bad it would be for audiences if just one of the top Two Teams vanished. It doesnt
bother me but general Audience It Does.
The most interesting part of the race is for best of the rest. Renault died when they switched tyres. Force India couldn't get past haas. Sometimes the haas chew up their tyres
A shame dont see more of it. This GP was really bad. Almost saw none of the overtakes because of the race director. I felt I might as well watch a timing screen. Much of action wasnt screened at all.
Soldato
I noticed this on the highlights on Channel 4. Despite it being a highlights show, I think all the max overtakes were just replay clips - none of the build up of him catching the cars. You'd think they could atleast do better on a highlights show!
Thats what I was watching (no way I watch races live now!).
I also believe that the individual broadcasters have no control over that? Even on highlights?
That’s what I meant, the race for the best of the rest is normally what keeps things exciting but none of it was shown.
All we did see was Hamilton, Bottas and Vettle running within 5 seconds of each other throughout the race but they were all just cruising the entire time apart from the 3 laps covered by pit stops.
Vettle couldn’t challenge and Merc were just managing the pace at 0.1 above what Ferrari could maintain on a 1 stop. Kimi was invisible, as was anyone behind Vestapen. Given there was another 14 cars on the track it was disappointing.
C4 commentary spent all of the second half of the race talking about team orders between Merc and Force India.
The finish was just frankly awkward with the whole team orders deciding the race and shaking hands with Putin who honestly couldn’t have looked less interested. Money talks and all that.
All we did see was Hamilton, Bottas and Vettle running within 5 seconds of each other throughout the race but they were all just cruising the entire time apart from the 3 laps covered by pit stops.
Vettle couldn’t challenge and Merc were just managing the pace at 0.1 above what Ferrari could maintain on a 1 stop. Kimi was invisible, as was anyone behind Vestapen. Given there was another 14 cars on the track it was disappointing.
C4 commentary spent all of the second half of the race talking about team orders between Merc and Force India.
The finish was just frankly awkward with the whole team orders deciding the race and shaking hands with Putin who honestly couldn’t have looked less interested. Money talks and all that.
Man of Honour
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Anyone watch the team radio yet? I missed Ferrari in practice and their timing mishap with both Vettel and Kimi. What on earth is going on in that team.
But Ferrari didn't swap Kimi and Sebastian's places several races ago, when they had an opportunity.
Kimi finished second, regardless...
The thing is that Ferrari don't use team orders, while Mercedes look idiots now, because there is certainly no need for unfair play.
Kimi finished second, regardless...
The thing is that Ferrari don't use team orders, while Mercedes look idiots now, because there is certainly no need for unfair play.
Deleted member 651465
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