2021 Qatar Grand Prix - Losail, Nov 19-21

[InsaneX_Badger]

Is Hamilton sacrificing the first sector slightly to keep his tyres going for the next two?

[langedweil]

Perez deserves better.

What? Dude simply wasnt fast enough, that's all there's to it. He had soft tyres and should at the very least do what alpines did, but wasn't able to.

Perez can go faster they just don’t know how to make someone other than max as comfortable

Mate .. he's the one holding the steering wheel

[dans79]

Is Hamilton sacrificing the first sector slightly to keep his tyres going for the next two?

I believe so!

[djones]

Bottas going late so he can back off and keep P3 if needed?

[InsaneX_Badger]

Think Bottas missed a chance there

[El Scorchio]

Such a shame Bottas and Verstappen’s second runs were ruined by poor old Gasly’s puncture.

[politburo]

It just seems the Merc F1 Team has figured it out, and now we are seeing the reality of the performance difference in all it's glory, even in race pace, the Merc with both drivers is just so good especially on harder compounds.

maybe someone can attempt to break down the performance, but from what I see, the Mercedes has found a way to sort of equalise their car philosophy under these floor regs, to compensate against the RB High rake advantage. They had a low rake that only worked well with a larger floor and floor slots. Both were banned, and less floor is basically castrating that low-rake philosophy. but now they run a car that goes from 'low-rake' to no-rake on the straights, its an equaliser of sorts. now they can do no-rake they have all that high speed on the straights–and crucially–they can run high downforce levels like they would in Monaco, which eliminates the advantage RB/MV had with their rake /DF around corners. Now the MCS can corner much more competitively around corners with all that DF they can keep on, without killing their straight line pace.

Its great to show everyone that the RB is why drivers sing around corners, its not all skill like some low-resolution thinking fans thought it is. It's DF as much has the driver. When MV gets his championship(s) In a RB it will be fun to watch him fight people without the best aero package / car for corners at the front of the grid.

'
Whatever it is we just know that it is not even close out on track. It's going to be a bloodbath yet again in the race. 4 tenths again. 4 tenths Brazil, 4 tenths Qatar.

[Javert]

Crap Pirelli blowing out again?

[djones]

Think Bottas missed a chance there

P3 is better.

He can also go for a “let them race” into turn one hopefully.

That aside Max is going to get spanked hard in the race by the Hamilton. This will all be about can Max keep P2 at the end.

[Starkblood80]

Think Bottas missed a chance there

Depends how you look at it, clean side if the track and possible double slipstream down to turn one.

[AeroDynamic]

I’m confused, did they lift off cause or gasly?

[Poleman]

Call him what you like,like him or hate him but when he gets in sync he is an absolute machine,what a lap.

[dans79]

Crap Pirelli blowing out again?

No, front wing failure that took out the tire.

[Starkblood80]

Crap Pirelli blowing out again?

You missed Gasleys front wing coming off and going under the front tyre then.

[politburo]

Such a shame Bottas and Verstappen’s second runs were ruined by poor old Gasly’s puncture.

4 and a half tenths is a lot of time man, no way that is all because of the puncture situation in S3. We just have to accept, Verstappen and RedBull are being flummoxed by a superior team+driver combination at this point and onwards to the next races.