2017 Brazilian Grand Prix - Interlagos, 10-12 November

[Vasconia]

You have to watch out that you look at the correct Interlagos. There seem to be several ones in Brasil. My forecast now says rain on Friday and Saturday with maximum temperatures around 25/26 degrees. Sunday dry with similar temperatures.

If this turns out to be correct we are in for an interesting race with no team having sufficient knowledge about tire wear etc….

I prefer a dry Friday with wet Saturday and Sunday.

Verstappen was mightly last year so this weekend with a better car...

[NathanOlder]

Does anyone remember Verstappen catching and passing Lewis last year ?
I seem to remember Max losing it and nearly smashing into the wall while trying to catch lewis, yet people always mention how good max was that day, also remembering that Lewis had everything to lose and Max had nothing to lose.

[AMG.Tzan]

Does anyone remember Verstappen catching and passing Lewis last year ?
I seem to remember Max losing it and nearly smashing into the wall while trying to catch lewis, yet people always mention how good max was that day, also remembering that Lewis had everything to lose and Max had nothing to lose.

Of course everyone will say "yeah he was in a Mercedes so it doesn't matter!" Same thing goes for his 2008 Silverstone GP drive...no one seems to remember it or mention it in the Formula 1 videos! They only refer to Schumacher's 1996 Spanish GP masterclass!

[Sieper]

Poor Lewis. He is only one of the very best drivers ever and in 2016 sat in the very best car of that year by a big margin, started from pole and thus his team did not need to make a tire gamble, yet nobody recognizes him. I will, Lewis is one of the very best (rain)drivers there ever were.

Oh yeah, stupid max almost crashed and only because he had nothing to loose he could show something. What exactly did seb (who lost his car as well) or Ricci or etc. etc. etc. have to loose.

Max was pushing because he wanted to win, Lewis did not have to push as he was already winning.

[George-Jung]

Huh? Whats up with the Max bashing all of a sudden?

It was a superb drive from Max last year and he did keep it out of the wall while others would have wrecked it.

The only thing that needs to be said is:
Hamilton does respect Max and his racecraft.. must say something.

[NathanOlder]

Lewis certainly has a high opinion of Max, probably sees a young Lewis in him.

As for the spin in Brazil, he just sat with his foot on the brakes until the car came around by itself, then released the brakes after realising his luck was in. Max has already done many many amazing things on track, but this wasn't one of them IMO. Every other driver would have done exactly what he did there, if he released the brakes early to get the car to turn back, then it could have been a great save, but the car came back by itself, Max was waiting for the wall.

[Sieper]

Even If that were true, that is how you remember the race? Indeed, Lewis is pure quality and he also recognizes Max as such.

[NathanOlder]

I remember the race for Red Bull making some wrong pit calls that led to Nico finishing 2nd.

[FrukostScones]

Sadly no rain for qualy and race.

[toraabe]

And rebuild the track to pre 1990

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKCCP5rpUFQ

[Just_a_fan]

The laid back attitude in that video is astonishing. The race started before all of the car were properly on the grid, marshals and their cars just sitting around the track, catch fencing, basically unprotected spectators etc. It was like watching a very junior Formula at a local race circuit!

Good to hear James Hunt though.

[drunkf1fan]

Lewis certainly has a high opinion of Max, probably sees a young Lewis in him.

As for the spin in Brazil, he just sat with his foot on the brakes until the car came around by itself, then released the brakes after realising his luck was in. Max has already done many many amazing things on track, but this wasn't one of them IMO. Every other driver would have done exactly what he did there, if he released the brakes early to get the car to turn back, then it could have been a great save, but the car came back by itself, Max was waiting for the wall.

Yeah, but not every other driver would have been far enough ahead of the second Mercedes(and the championship winner in the end) to be able to have that near spin, near miss and come out of it... still in second place and then immediately pull a gap on Rosberg again.

If it had been Ricciardo who had that spin and saved it, he would have lost a few extra places and he wasn't close to beating Rosberg at any stage of the race.

That is why the drive was so good. Also several other cars all lost it there and not all of them saved it, assuming everyone else would have is not based in any fact. Part of the reason his car didn't get completely out of control is he felt the car going and acted quickly but without any kind of massive overcorrection that sent the car completely out of control as many others did at that same part of the track. The thing that likely caused him to not hit the walls was not the waiting patiently to lift off the brakes at the right time, it was the initial reaction that prevented the car from having a major spin to try and save from in the first place.

[NathanOlder]

The drive was so good indeed, I've never questioned that, i was just saying he was remembered more for 1 thing that had a large slice of luck. Lewis' drive was probably a shade better as he didnt really put a foot wrong, in those conditions with a title on the line was pretty extraordinary.

[Schuttelberg]

Does anyone remember Verstappen catching and passing Lewis last year ?
I seem to remember Max losing it and nearly smashing into the wall while trying to catch lewis, yet people always mention how good max was that day, also remembering that Lewis had everything to lose and Max had nothing to lose.

Of course everyone will say "yeah he was in a Mercedes so it doesn't matter!" Same thing goes for his 2008 Silverstone GP drive...no one seems to remember it or mention it in the Formula 1 videos! They only refer to Schumacher's 1996 Spanish GP masterclass!

The thing is that there is always a glorification in our world about the past (Senna, Schumacher) and about the future (Verstappen). No one ever gives a toss or values what we have (Hamilton, Vettel, Alonso). I've been watching F1 since 1994 and nothing about this has changed. I have seen the title of 'rain master' tossed around a lot and there comes a point where you just accept it and put it down to media drivel and a bunch of loonies trying to promote the sport through a driver.

In my opinion, and it's just that, I don't think the three drivers of this generation are any less than the two greats I mentioned of the past. I'll reserve judgement on Verstappen till I see a few more but let me tell you, he looks the part.

I think if I truly had to pick the all time best drives I have seen in the rain, they would be as follows-

M Schumacher (Spain 96) - There are at least 5/6 more I know but I'd like to mention a few other drivers.
F Alonso (Hungary 06)
L Hamilton (UK 08)
S Vettel (Italy 08)

Just let these guys retire and you'll see these names tossed around then.

PS - I never saw Ayrton race in the wet. So no comment on him.

[Sieper]

Jos Verstappen Malaysia 01?