F1 2023: Qatar GP - Lusail (Oct 8)

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

The Mercedes BlitzKrieg goes on , with LEW's suicide dive-bomb .
But this time the blast hit his own face ...
Wolff would say: This incident was part of the Mercedes race strategy ..

Toto Wolff will have a déjà vu of the Rosberg-Hamilton crash in Spain/Barcelona 2016 (Verstappen's first F1 victory).

Listen again to what Niki Lauda disclosed about how he handled the aftermath together with Toto Wolff (see from 03:38 to.08:49):

Rosberg confirmed this:

[M5Rick]

Max at the winning post
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...165143924.html

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

Apparently lots of drivers have serious fatigue problems. (next to SAR having to retire)
Albon off to the medical center, Stroll almost passed out while getting out of the car, Ocon also threw up in his car....
The drivers (amongst Max) have said before that the amount of races is getting out of hand and presses on their personal life....
With extremely fatiguing locations like this (Qatar's contract has been signed for 10 years) and more sprint races, this protest can only get worse.

In the post-race interview, Piastri coined this Qatar race his (physically) toughest races ever.

Verstappen coined it in his top 5 of toughest races ever. For sure, apart from Abu Dhabi 2021 for obvious reasons (ultimate battle for 2021 WDC), the 2022 Miami F1 race features in his top 5.



Quite striking were the images of the F1 drivers after the 'Miami heat': they were all knackered.

Verstappen back then:
"It was a physically tough race; I think I must have lost around 3 kgs."

Martin Brundle:
"It's a long time since I've seen these super-fit and perfectly prepared F1 drivers look so battered after a 94-minute race.
I know that horrible post-race feeling well, where your core is so hot and continues to well up, you're missing a lot of fluid, and every organ, muscle, and tendon is complaining heavily in its demand for essential ingredients.
You just can't get away from your own body as the pain builds and the adrenaline fades. I felt for Max Verstappen sitting on the buggy post-race with the camera zoomed in, I'm sure he just wanted to lie down, roll around, and groan a bit.
Occasionally after two hours in the humidity of Singapore they look pretty wrecked, but the grip level of the track and low degradation tyres, and therefore the relentless pace, was tough. There's always an airless nature racing against the walls of a street circuit, and inside the cockpit can be 50+ degrees [Celsius] as the aerodynamicists never want to waste much air and drag on the driver, who are then wrapped in multiple layers of clothing, gloves, helmets, boots, balaclava.
The FIA has insisted recently drivers wear no jewellery or watches, and do wear fireproof underpants, or no underpants just fireproof leggings, which presumably they consider 'low hanging fruit' in the search for incremental safety. Frankly, if your underpants are on fire you've got much bigger issues, and when you step over the side of these cars you've mentally already done a great deal of management as to how much risk you're prepared to take.
I believe a lot of the clumsy contact we saw towards the end of the race was due to overheating drivers, which can make you feel light-headed and your judgement fades a little."
(source: https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/24...stery-persists)

Easy for us to witness from our armchairs the entertainment of cars lapping tracks, shouting some commands to our screens, but without the faintest idea what the forces, circumstances and data are that those F1 drivers are processing at that time as regards focus and physicality.

2022 Miami F1 post-race:

[GuidoK]

Hammy gets a €25k fine (+extra €25k probational) for him crossing the track on foot.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by guidok

hammy gets a €25k fine (+extra €25k probational) for him crossing the track on foot.

Hamilton - Russell crash in Lap 1: no further action ("the incident is considered as a typical “Lap 1, Turn 1” incident and no driver is wholly at fault"):



Hamilton crossing the track after the Lap 1 crash: reprimand + a fine (and a firm warning: "receiving a certain number of reprimands during a season will draw a significant driving penalty"):

[M3WC]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

Max wins!
McLaren is coming close, but I think on race pace and overall control, they still have some way to go to match him.

Next year might be interesting.

Merc is getting stronger too. Actually think Russell had something for McLaren today.

Now that Merc has abandoned the zero sidepods. Lets see what they can do with a full offseason not chasing an incorrect design.

Originally Posted by GuidoK

Judging on how fast RUS was, if both the merc's didn't crash into eachother, Hammy getting 2nd place would have been a real option.

Nah, Lewis starting on reds was a bad call. He wouldn't have lasted 5-6 laps on those tires.

Russ clearly had the correct tires and strategy. He just has an aggressive teammate. Just ask Nico what happens when you are quicker in the same car.

[M3WC]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

I wonder how much confidence Horner/Marko have in giving Checo a seat next year, knowing how fast the McLarens now have become, with 2 drivers that are equally fast and both consistent...
I'm sure Horner/Marko also want a WDC 1-2 and WCC next year....does Checo fit that profile?

Post race

Christian Horner warns Perez: "He desperately needs to find form"

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by M3WC

Post race

Christian Horner warns Perez: "He desperately needs to find form"

Perez knows that he is expected to secure P2 in the WDC. But can he handle the pressure ?

5 races scheduled to getting back his mojo.

[M3WC]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Perez knows that he is expected to secure P2 in the WDC. But can he handle the pressure ?

5 races scheduled to getting back his mojo.

Perez better at least perform at his home race or he might be donzo.

[Killed by Death]

#FerrariThings

[G30M]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

No start due to fuel delivery problems.
An unfortunate mechanical defect.

i see. i thought they got caught using rocket fuel.

[G30M]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

I wonder how much confidence Horner/Marko have in giving Checo a seat next year, knowing how fast the McLarens now have become, with 2 drivers that are equally fast and both consistent...
I'm sure Horner/Marko also want a WDC 1-2 and WCC next year....does Checo fit that profile?

i think we all know the answer.

i have an idea. let Danny Ric drive along Max. you can't get any worse. surely.

then you free up a AT seat.

it's only a matter of how much you want to pay Perez to release him from his contract.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by g21

i think we all know the answer.
i have an idea. let Danny Ric drive along Max. you can't get any worse. surely.
then you free up a AT seat.
it's only a matter of how much you want to pay Perez to release him from his contract.

A Perez-Ricciardo / Red Bull-AlphaTauri swap is an interesting idea.

But Perez brings big money to the Red Bull table. He's a protégé of Carlos Slim, one of the wealthiest men on the planet. F1 is very expensive - sponsors matter - money talks.

Normally he should be capable to secure P2 in the WDC.

So 99.9999% chance that also in 2024 Perez will be driving for Red Bull.

Up to him to demonstrate during the 5 remaining race weekends that he's worth his salt and can overcome a difficult period.

[OG Shark]

Nah RIC is in the 2nd RBR seat and LAW in the 2nd AT seat. No reason to keep PER around money is not much of an issue there. Even though PER is bumbling towards P2 (thanks HAM for being an idiot today ) they could very well need a better performer in there to hold off McLaren if they continue to improve. I think they hope with RIC he we at least not go full stupid long enough for LAW to move up.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by Killed by Death

#FerrariThings

Killed by Death

#MercedesThings !

[G30M]

Originally Posted by Artemis

A Perez-Ricciardo / Red Bull-AlphaTauri swap is an interesting idea.

But Perez brings big money to the Red Bull table. He's a protégé of Carlos Slim, one of the wealthiest men on the planet. F1 is very expensive - sponsors matter - money talks.

Normally he should be capable to secure P2 in the WDC.

So 99.9999% chance that also in 2024 Perez will be driving for Red Bull.

Up to him to demonstrate during the 5 remaining race weekends that he's worth his salt and can overcome a difficult period.

So Perez is a Yuki. In the sense that not occupying a seat purely on merit.

[G30M]

Originally Posted by Killed by Death

#FerrariThings

I have to say after today Ferrari things is quickly forgotten. The new era of Mercedes things has begun.

One of them needs to go. Recall Ham vs Fernando at Maclaren.

[G30M]

Originally Posted by Artemis

A Perez-Ricciardo / Red Bull-AlphaTauri swap is an interesting idea.

errr i'm not suggesting they swap ...

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by g21

errr i'm not suggesting they swap ...

With the mistakes Checo makes, he'd be absolutely nowhere in an AT

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by g21

One of them needs to go. Recall Ham vs Fernando at Maclaren.

I don't think today's crash between HAM and RUS was a dominance thing, I really think it was a race incident, but I do think that RUS is not the guy that's gonna back down for HAM when push comes to shove.
Many experts also predict this moment is gonna come.

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by Artemis

F1 is very expensive - sponsors matter - money talks.

But does RBR need that extra money?
Before the budgetcap and before Checo drove there, they had annual budgets of 400 million+
Now they have to do with 145 million. Surely RB can pay that
They have Max, one of the most popular drivers to sponsor.

[OG Shark]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

But does RBR need that extra money?
Before the budgetcap and before Checo drove there, they had annual budgets of 400 million+
Now they have to do with 145 million. Surely RB can pay that
They have Max, one of the most popular drivers to sponsor.

Exactly - I don't think the money is an issue anymore. And RIC will bring in enough with is level of popularity to offset that quite a bit if it is.