2018 Hungarian Grand Prix - Hungaroring, 27-29 July

[PinkFloydPulse]

Did anyone hear what Horner said at the exact moment Botas ran into Ricciardo? He was live from the pitwall but crofty just appologized for Horner's language... I did not manage to hear what he said...

[NYGIANTS]

Just watched the highlights and it looked like Vettel just thought he was further ahead of Bottas than he was. Perhaps he forgot that Bottas was on the dirty line with very worn tyres. Bottas certainly locked up trying to avoid him. Racing incident but with a "be more careful Seb" added to the notes.

The tangle with Danny looked purely racing incident too. Danny turned in before Bottas had got slowed down - Bottas was again trying not to hit him but had nowhere to go. Perhaps Bottas should have braked earlier but then he was racing for the place so defending is ok.

Look at it again. Look at how Bottas understeered straight out of the track. If Seb would have not turned like he did and instead waited and gave Bottas the space he needed, Vettel would have been pushed even more out of the track onto the grass.

What about “use your brain and be more careful Bottas”? Use the brain in terms of knowing that the tyres were gone, so not trying some heroic and completely unnecessary defending moves. Eventually it cost Bottas 2 places in one corner.

really, understeered out of the track? look up the definition of understeer, and bottas was understeering under braking causing him to lock up because he was expecting vettel to give him room into turn 2.

look at examples below how a pass is executed with another car side by side going into turn 2.

https://youtu.be/swnvZggX0uo?t=147

https://youtu.be/swnvZggX0uo?t=19

[apexcontrol]

Verstappen's RTL interview:

Reporter: Max, what a catastrophe. Very annoying of course, goes without saying. What was the reason, what happened?

Max: I think something with the engine. But I haven't asked anything yet. Of course it's s*** that this happens.

So you haven't talked with any of your team so far?

No.

Why not?

I don't care in the end.

Something has to happen over the summer break, you are very dissatisfied, we've seen that over the last few races. What has to change now?

Our engine is way too slow. No power there. Reliability is also s***. That's not how it should be.

Personally you probably can't draw any big consequences now, it wasn't your fault, but what have to be the consequences after such a race?

Well, we pay many millions to Renault for a good engine, normally. But it's complete s***.

Waiting for Honda now is quite the long time, isn't it?

Yes, anyway we don't compete for the championship, so it's a bit different, but it's not good.

RedBull is THE last team I would do business with. Honda will be buying a team and going alone after next year since RedBull will keep blaming them too. Very toxic language.

If you pay millions you can expect something in return

Maybe not best engine or the most reliable. But what renault is doing is just awfull. There letting redbull pay for the worst PU on all fronts

Thats not fair they should pay redbull for using there PU

[NYGIANTS]

What Vettel did was just stupid.

Why risk throwing away the entire race with a DNF, especially when Bottas is no where near being a championship rival? Its hard to fathom his decision making. He is fast, but has zero race craft.
How many prangs has he had this year now? I'd love to see Leclerc at Ferrari replacing not Kimi, but Vettel.

The 4 time world champion does have zero race craft?
Vettel should have not raced Bottas because Bottas is not a championship contender? What are you even talking about?!
Do you know that you get more points with a higher finish?

Some negative comments towards Vettel get really ridiculous already. It’s like people search for things to blame Vettel for.

not zero race craft but he can get clumsy when he doesn't need to. he's lucky that the contact with bottas didn't have bigger damage. the point is, he was going to pass him regardless so why close the door that much knowing what could happen if they got into contact at that speed.

the blame comes with territory, all drivers particularly the top drivers get their fair share of blame of what they did wrong.

[Unc1eM0nty]

So much for the Mercedes chewing up their Ultrasofts, did anyone go longer than Hamilton in that first stint ?

Pity we didn't get to see Vettel chasing down Hamilton in that last stint, it would have been very close, Vettel has a 10+ second gap to close, I'm not sue he would have had the tires left to pass come the end.

Vettel's chop on Bottas was VERY risky, more often that not contacts like those end in a puncture.

[NYGIANTS]

bottas in a mercedes a disgrace, and i would say the same about kimi, 2 second drivers who are destroying nice battles.

come on put a normal driver beside vettel and especially hamilton this is just ridiculous.

I think Bottas is doing his job at Mercedes very well. What more could they want. He is a team player who 'wings' and tailguns for his lead, and the team. Well done I say.

Set him 'loose' and you will have Ferrari Red Bull and Mercedes to fight. Do Mercedes have only one strategy guy?
Why is that I wonder

But if there where 4 good drivers then its fun....
Anyway its seems there no schumachers/sennas on the grind in a decent car

Cant wait till vettel hami raik will stop
And we see ocon verstappen lecler fighting it out.

Vettel makes to much mistake and hamilton has to many weekends off

Those 2 are not even coming close 2 mika vs schumi senna vs prost and so on

having watched F1 since 92 senna and prost i saw briefly but they had off and bad days on saturday and sunday, same goes for schumacher and mika.

i just hope the next generation can be as exciting cause F1 wouldn't be F1 without the drama.

[Zynerji]

I think Seb just believed Valt would yield the corner after he was passed.

That thinking was definitely Sebs fault.

Yea, the thinking was definitely Seb’s fault.
Go tell all the drivers to take all the corners much wider than normal next time because there could always be the danger of any other driver hitting you.

This makes zero sense. Explain more please?

I said Seb made the mistake in thinking Bottas wouldn't dive into the corner, having already been passed. He should have been more cautious, and given a bit more space.

[NathanOlder]

So bottas gets 10 second penalty for pushing Ric off the track. What was vettels penalty for taking Bottas out in france?

[NathanOlder]

I think Seb just believed Valt would yield the corner after he was passed.

That thinking was definitely Sebs fault.

Yea, the thinking was definitely Seb’s fault.
Go tell all the drivers to take all the corners much wider than normal next time because there could always be the danger of any other driver hitting you.

This makes zero sense. Explain more please?

I said Seb made the mistake in thinking Bottas wouldn't dive into the corner, having already been passed. He should have been more cautious, and given a bit more space.

But Vettels spacial awareness is pretty bad at times.

[Zynerji]

Yea, the thinking was definitely Seb’s fault.
Go tell all the drivers to take all the corners much wider than normal next time because there could always be the danger of any other driver hitting you.

This makes zero sense. Explain more please?

I said Seb made the mistake in thinking Bottas wouldn't dive into the corner, having already been passed. He should have been more cautious, and given a bit more space.

But Vettels spacial awareness is pretty bad at times.

I think Sebs mindset was already "on to the next". He expected Bottas to lift when squeezed at the apex. But he didn't, he locked up instead.

[GrandAxe]

After all the vitriol rained on Renault by Red Bull boy's today, Honda will be wise to snap up Force India. That's a great team at discount price instead of an irate customer.
I guess the Red Bull drivers have learnt how to launch a hairy word or two without decorum from long traditions at the team. The words today were really nasty.

[Just_a_fan]

This makes zero sense. Explain more please?

I said Seb made the mistake in thinking Bottas wouldn't dive into the corner, having already been passed. He should have been more cautious, and given a bit more space.

But Vettels spacial awareness is pretty bad at times.

I think Sebs mindset was already "on to the next". He expected Bottas to lift when squeezed at the apex. But he didn't, he locked up instead.

Bottas also had one wheel going on to the grass trying to avoid Vettel. That tells us how much Vettel squeezed him. Both were lucky - it could easily have ended both of their races.

[Zynerji]

After all the vitriol rained on Renault by Red Bull boy's today, Honda will be wise to snap up Force India. That's a great team at discount price instead of an irate customer.
I guess the Red Bull drivers have learnt how to launch a hairy word or two without decorum from long traditions at the team. The words today were really nasty.

So, what was Cyril's excuse after the race?

[Zynerji]

But Vettels spacial awareness is pretty bad at times.

I think Sebs mindset was already "on to the next". He expected Bottas to lift when squeezed at the apex. But he didn't, he locked up instead.

Bottas also had one wheel going on to the grass trying to avoid Vettel. That tells us how much Vettel squeezed him. Both were lucky - it could easily have ended both of their races.

Agreed.

The heat of the moment.

[Schuttelberg]

Have any of you ever heard such harsh criticism in F1 by a team towards their engine supplier, or any other similar sort of relationship? Or even in other pro sports? Wow, the way they ripped into Renault today.

Bottas lost his mind today, not only showing an awful ability to judge his grip in two incidents but also in post-race he half-blamed Danny for the T1 incident

RE Vettel: It's standard tactic when overtaking, when you clear an opponent before corner entry that you hold as close of an inside line as possible to prevent them from getting alongside you. F1 drivers do that all the time on corners where the normal racing line isn't hugging the inside curbs. Vettel was 0% at fault imo.

Vettel could have been more cautious and entered the corner taking the normal racing line (far right side of the track before turning into the corner) and given a couple car-widths of space on the inside through the apex . That would have increased the risk of being passed but I think he still 95% chance would have come out of 2 ahead. Would have been better to take that 5% risk of being overtaken , because it would drastically reduce the risk of being hit.

The fact that Kimi was right behind is a factor too. Vettel should have considered that Bottas is not only trying to fight him but also stay ahead of Kimi, so of course Bottas isn't going to just back off comfortably entering 2, accepting losing the position to Vettel, because that would risk him losing another position to Kimi. Vettel put too much faith in Bottas not bottling it.

Reminds me of Singapore... too negative of a mindset, too defensive and pessimistic. Too concerned that he couldn't beat his opponent(s) by taking a normal racing line so he tries to force the opponent into backing off. This could have been another DNF, a total disaster!

Ferrari and Vettel would have a comfortable WDC and WCC lead by now in my opinion if not for a combination of a lot of bad luck (losing wins due to VSC/SC lottery), bad strategies, really bad wet weather performance, and Vettel's mistakes at Baku, France, and Germany. Vettel continues to show great driving in both qualy and race pace, but those few 1 second lapses of judgment are so costly.

Sets up a great 2nd half to the season. Vettel is the fastest right now yet so far he's only finished on the podium 58% of the time! (7/12) If he averages finishing 3 points ahead of Hamilton the rest of the season he'll win the WDC by 3 points.

Absolutely fantastic post!