Poll: Sakhir Grand Prix 2020, Sakhir - Race 16/17

[Mr Jack]

A nested clusterfudge from the usually flawless Mercedes pit and I expect Toto’s had the team Luger sat on the table during the post-race debrief.

Mercedes haven't performed well with rushed pitstops under safety car this year. Remember Hamilton's penalty for entering a closed pitlane?

I do wonder whether being pulled off, left to cool, and then slapped back onto burning brakes damaged Bottas' tyres. It seems strange that he fell back so much, even given his older rubber.

 

[deuse]

10 out of 10 for the rollercoaster ride Mercedes gave poor George.

A nested clusterfudge from the usually flawless Mercedes pit and I expect Toto’s had the team Luger sat on the table during the post-race debrief.

Wolf didn't seam that upset to me.
Normally he would say "This is not acceptable" and look angry then hit the table.

Maybe it's because Merc have won everything?

 

[Terminal_Boy]

Apparently, Toto said “that was a complete **** up by the team” live on Sky F1. He definitely pulled a “Helmut, fetch the Emergency Luger, there’s going to be an execution” face when the camera caught him as he watched the clusterfudge unfold.

Being a very good manager, he praises in public and will have made his displeasure known in private if it turns out to have been human error.

 

[pastymuncher]

That was the best race of the year for me and they should bin the normal layout for this one. Mercedes were totally incompetant today and threw away the win by screwing up the pitstops.

George Russell is the real deal and Toto should have him sign a contract for 2022 there and then. He deserves the seat more than Bottas who once again showed us just how utterly useless he is. Hell, get George in that car next year instead of Bottas. It would be nice to see a teamate keep Hamilton honest.

Racing Point are a bunch of two faced gits. Celebrating Checo's win yet they got rid of him for the has been that is Vettel next year. He's miles better than Stroll and is far more deserving of that seat but daddy isn't going to sack his son to give a better driver the seat.

I think that Albon will be gone and not before time either. Horners face told all when Albon yet again screwed up. If there is any justice Checo will be in Albons Red Bull next year.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

Mercedes haven't performed well with rushed pitstops under safety car this year. Remember Hamilton's penalty for entering a closed pitlane?

I do wonder whether being pulled off, left to cool, and then slapped back onto burning brakes damaged Bottas' tyres. It seems strange that he fell back so much, even given his older rubber.

Those hards just had no gauge left to them and couldn’t be brought back up to operating temperature after cooling further under the safety care. If anything, it let Bottas off the hook to a certain extent as it overshadowed his poor performance earlier in the race.

 

[Deleted member 651465]

I feel sorry for George. He got shafted by the blunder with the tyres but the one time you'd want low fuel + super soft tires and the layout basically negated his tyre performance advantage.

I'm not convinced the layout really helped the racing, as this is the 2nd race in Bahrain (this year) and both have been mental.

 

[RoboCod]

I just don't see Merc taking on Russell with Hamilton at the helm. They already have consistent 1+2 results, why would they decide to potentially jeopardise that?

 

[Mr Jack]

Racing Point are a bunch of two faced gits. Celebrating Checo's win yet they got rid of him for the has been that is Vettel next year.

The team still want to win whether or not the driver is leaving, there's nothing two faced about that.

He's miles better than Stroll and is far more deserving of that seat but daddy isn't going to sack his son to give a better driver the seat.

At the time the decision was made Stroll was well ahead of Pérez in the standings, and Stroll is still a very young driver with plenty of room to improve. Pérez, it has to be said, has stepped up a level since he was sacked too, putting clear blue water between him and Stroll especially with Stroll's run of awful luck.

I think that Albon will be gone and not before time either. Horners face told all when Albon yet again screwed up. If there is any justice Checo will be in Albons Red Bull next year.

I like Albon, but he's simply not performing in that car, and Checo would make a great addition to Red Bull. I fear that leaves Albon with nowhere to go though. I wonder whether he can get that seat in Formula E he was heading for until Ricciardo leaving caught Red Bull by surprise.

 

[Mr Jack]

I just don't see Merc taking on Russell with Hamilton at the helm. They already have consistent 1+2 results, why would they decide to potentially jeopardise that?

Firstly, because they don't? In races they've both finished, Max has finished ahead of Bottas at 5-4 and that was this year when the lead Mercedes have has been mighty. In '17 and '18 Bottas was well back.

Secondly, because Hamilton ain't going to be around forever. Mercedes have the opportunity to hire someone many consider to be one of the best of his generation, and build the team around him for years to come after Lewis retires.

 

[Danthus]

What Russell did yesterday was pretty special when you think about it.

He had 3 days to learn the controls and systems in the car, all the hundreds of combinations of the steering wheel.

He is in a strange car, built for a man 5 inches smaller using pedals and paddles that don't feet his feet and fingers.

On top of that, there is the expectation that he will finish high up because he is in the best car.

He was under huge pressure, he was on a hiding to nothing, win, "So he should, he's in the best car" finish 3rd or lower and "he's not up to the job".

However good that car is, he absorbed all the pressure and delivered, for me, best of all, he was gutted he didn't win.

The way he handled himself post-race was just as impressive.

 

[cainer]

George Russell is the real deal and Toto should have him sign a contract for 2022 there and then

Far too premature for that as it would pretty much be telling Bottas that no matter what happens you're gone at the end of next season

 

[SoliD]

The way he handled himself post-race was just as impressive.

Just watching the post race stuff now and the way he's conducted himself in that, had the slight expletive but everything was we, we, we. Even though he actually did nothing wrong. Real team player will shine through.

 

[KiNgPiN83]

Far too premature for that as it would pretty much be telling Bottas that no matter what happens you're gone at the end of next season

I know what you mean but yesterday he also showed how good he is to all the other teams on the grid so if Mercedes aren't careful they could miss out. (Unless the Mercedes young driver program contract with George gives them first dibs or something?!)

 

[Kenai]

He had 3 days to learn the controls and systems in the car, all the hundreds of combinations of the steering wheel.

He is in a strange car, built for a man 5 inches smaller using pedals and paddles that don't feet his feet and fingers.

Whilst the point about the car being built for Lewis is very valid and what he has achieved is extremely impressive, it's worth remembering as Mercedes Junior driver, he's completed plenty of testing mileage in previous Mercedes cars, so would presumably be vaguely familiar with the general control setup Mercedes use in their cars.

 

[Danthus]

Whilst the point about the car being built for Lewis is very valid and what he has achieved is extremely impressive, it's worth remembering as Mercedes Junior driver, he's completed plenty of testing mileage in previous Mercedes cars, so would presumably be vaguely familiar with the general control setup Mercedes use in their cars.

Vaguely yes, but he was asking about button combinations over the team radio, that isn't a criticism by the way.

 

[kindai]

I really hope he gets to race next weekend.

 

[Flibster]

I definitely think it's too late to get Russell in the car for 2021. He barely fits in this one, so changing the chassis for 2021 is out.

2022... replacing Bottas... hmmmmmmm.

A year with Hamilton and Russell together. I could live with that. (Yes, I think Hamilton will retire at the end of 2022)

 

[fez]

Firstly, because they don't? In races they've both finished, Max has finished ahead of Bottas at 5-4 and that was this year when the lead Mercedes have has been mighty. In '17 and '18 Bottas was well back.

Secondly, because Hamilton ain't going to be around forever. Mercedes have the opportunity to hire someone many consider to be one of the best of his generation, and build the team around him for years to come after Lewis retires.

They don't care about anything really apart from the constructors championship. I gues they want one of their drivers to win the drivers but beyond that they couldn't care less how it pans out.

If they continue to have the best car on the grid they won't have any issue plucking a top driver from any team to fill Hamiltons spot.

Basically, the dangers of replacing Bottas with a more capable driver are far greater than any potential benefits it would bring. Imagine another season with 2 drivers who don't get on, won't adhere to team orders because they are competing for the title and who potentially crash and lose the team the constructors championship as a result.

 

[pastymuncher]

Far too premature for that as it would pretty much be telling Bottas that no matter what happens you're gone at the end of next season

What with the single year contracts and the fact that he is constantly outperformed then surely he knows he is only a temporary stand in until someone better comes along?

 

[Mr Jack]

They don't care about anything really apart from the constructors championship. I gues they want one of their drivers to win the drivers but beyond that they couldn't care less how it pans out.

Yeah, I don't buy that. Having a World Champion driver is to valuable to the brand for them not to care.

If they continue to have the best car on the grid they won't have any issue plucking a top driver from any team to fill Hamiltons spot.

That's a very big if. We've already seen two seasons where Hamilton made the difference between winning the WDC and not, one of which would have been WCC loss too. As for not having any issue, it's not like the other top teams are simply going to hand their drivers away. Max is signed until '23 and - assuming RB sort their engine woes - will probably sign another multiyear contract. Leclerc is signed up for even longer, until '24.

Basically, the dangers of replacing Bottas with a more capable driver are far greater than any potential benefits it would bring. Imagine another season with 2 drivers who don't get on, won't adhere to team orders because they are competing for the title and who potentially crash and lose the team the constructors championship as a result.

Didn't stop them trouncing the field in '14-'16, but - in any case - that's assuming conflict between the drivers which is hardly a given. The risk of having a second driver who drops the ball seems to me to be substantially higher, as does the risk of not having the best driver they can for when Hamilton retires. Far better to get the succession in order first than hope they can manage to wrangle someone decent into post.