2019 [R09] Austrian Grand Prix, Spielberg, 28-30 June

[Shrieker]

Look-where-his-head-is-ponting-in-each-lap. Full focus on the track on lap 68, full focus on Leclerc on lap 69. He clearly learns fast.

https://streamable.com/p1bt2

Wow, good catch. I completely missed that one. Definitely even more damning this.

[Jolle]

We've seen lots of times Max make desperate attempts to overtake. This time it was Leclerc making a desperate attempt to defend a position he knew was lost.

Yep, Honestly his defense would have been better if he had braked early, and tried to come back up the inside.

In hindsight yes, but he had no idea Max was going to force him off the track.

If you leave a gap that wide, with a faster driver behind you, not expecting that he would take that line is naive. Leclec almost ran off track at the corner entry.

[Shrieker]

Yep, Honestly his defense would have been better if he had braked early, and tried to come back up the inside.

In hindsight yes, but he had no idea Max was going to force him off the track.

If you leave a gap that wide, with a faster driver behind you, not expecting that he would take that line is naive. Leclec almost ran off track at the corner entry.

But he did the first time round, didn't he Although expecting that from Verstappen of all people a 2nd time is in fact naive.

[LM10]

https://streamable.com/p1bt2

On another note, what's interesting is that in lap 68 on the second straight the RBR was not able to outaccelerate the Ferrari without slipstream, even though the DRS was open.

[sosic2121]

Leclercs mistake was that when he saw max going inside he didn't went in and blocked him totally

[dans79]

We've seen lots of times Max make desperate attempts to overtake. This time it was Leclerc making a desperate attempt to defend a position he knew was lost.

Yep, Honestly his defense would have been better if he had braked early, and tried to come back up the inside.

In hindsight yes, but he had no idea Max was going to force him off the track.

That should be a given. The guy that takes the inside line is always going to go wide, as they have a compromised line.

[dans79]

Leclercs mistake was that when he saw max going inside he didn't went in and blocked him totally

That wasn't his only option, or in my opinion even the best one. Imo his best option was to squeeze max in towards the apex, and then swing out at the last possible moment. Then he can take more speed into the turn than max on the inside and out drag him to the next turn, as he had more speed through the turn and would also be able to get the power down sooner.

[rogazilla]

...
That wasn't his only option, or in my opinion even the best one. Imo his best option was to squeeze max in towards the apex, and then swing out at the last possible moment. Then he can take more speed into the turn than max on the inside and out drag him to the next turn, as he had more speed through the turn and would also be able to get the power down sooner.

Lec has been taking the outside line through that corner (in fact many does to carry more speed and straighten the car early to accelerate towards T4). It does look to me he left the door open more on L69 than he did on L68. I wouldn't think it is to his advantage to come to the inside for blocking prior to the corner because giving up the high line means Max can carry more speed and out drag him into T4 as Nathan also alluded to on passing Vet and Gas to Rai. Hindsight 2020, Lec could have take a slightly tighter line than he did on 68 which would force Max to brake earlier if he is to take the inside again and that will make Max to have to make the corner with less speed. No saying if Max will eventually pass anyway but I would agree with Nathan that Lec's highline is how he carry more speed and outdrag Max into T4 but it worked on L68 because Lec's line was tighter (closer to apex compare to L69) and that forced Max to brake earlier. By giving more room to take even further outside line allowed Max brake that little bit deeper into the corner and carry a little more speed also.

[NathanOlder]

Yep, Honestly his defense would have been better if he had braked early, and tried to come back up the inside.

In hindsight yes, but he had no idea Max was going to force him off the track.

That should be a given. The guy that takes the inside line is always going to go wide, as they have a compromised line.

The guy that takes the inside has to adjust his speed to allow room for the car level with his side. When you are compromised like you say, you have to adjust accordingly. There are 2 pedals in these cars, and the one on the right doesn't just have an on and off.

[NathanOlder]

Leclercs mistake was that when he saw max going inside he didn't went in and blocked him totally

That wasn't his only option, or in my opinion even the best one. Imo his best option was to squeeze max in towards the apex, and then swing out at the last possible moment. Then he can take more speed into the turn than max on the inside and out drag him to the next turn, as he had more speed through the turn and would also be able to get the power down sooner.

Isn't squeezing someone to the apex that late (as Max was only alongside very late) moving around in the braking zone. I thought that wasn't allowed.

Scrap that. Max has been doing/getting away with that for years.

[sosic2121]

Leclercs mistake was that when he saw max going inside he didn't went in and blocked him totally

That wasn't his only option, or in my opinion even the best one. Imo his best option was to squeeze max in towards the apex, and then swing out at the last possible moment. Then he can take more speed into the turn than max on the inside and out drag him to the next turn, as he had more speed through the turn and would also be able to get the power down sooner.

Isn't squeezing someone to the apex that late (as Max was only alongside very late) moving around in the braking zone. I thought that wasn't allowed.

Scrap that. Max has been doing/getting away with that for years.

Yes it is, but that seems to be legal move now

[santos]

Leclercs mistake was that when he saw max going inside he didn't went in and blocked him totally

Leclerc was about to do the same as the lap before. And that was a line he was using all the weekend. Max learned the lap before, that he had to do something different.
If this is fine for the stweards probably we will see some dive bombs from now on.

[rogazilla]

...
Leclerc was about to do the same as the lap before. And that was a line he was using all the weekend. Max learned the lap before, that he had to do something different.
If this is fine for the stweards probably we will see some dive bombs from now on.

based on the video, Lec was wider (left more room to Max) on L69 than he did on L68. Would like to have more aerial shots.

[dans79]

Isn't squeezing someone to the apex that late (as Max was only alongside very late) moving around in the braking zone. I thought that wasn't allowed.

Scrap that. Max has been doing/getting away with that for years.

It's been an unspoken allowed move for a long time. In other words the drivers and stewards have always allowed a driver overtaking on the inside to squeeze the defending driver out. Caveats beings it has to be done in a way that doesn't endanger the defending driver, or cause an accident. You can literally see this almost every season.

[dans79]

For example Charles did the same squeeze move on Hulk last year in Japan (3:45). The Difference was Hulk knew he needed to yield as the wedge he was in was going to vanish.