search wrote: ↑02 Aug 2019, 22:43
Bill_Kar wrote: ↑02 Aug 2019, 22:30
I am unsure if Bottas will manage to be ahead of Verstappen though.
usually Bottas is pretty strong in Hungary. No idea how much of a setback the engine issue will be, but also two years ago he beat Hamilton in qualifying, and over this season he usually was at his best on circuits that tend to be front-limited.
I'm not sure if that is a joke or not? Last year he was once again he was dropping back and pitted after 15 laps while Hamilton didn't pit to lap 25. This on ultra softs, when Ham pitted he was the same gap to Bottas, so he made zero ground on fresh tires, then Vettel pitted and came out behind Bottas. By lap 50 Bottas had dropped back an extra almost 5 seconds, and by lap 64 he was another 10 seconds behind. Hamilton's tires were only 10 laps older on a track without that much wear. Vettel did 31 laps on the ultra soft while Bottas murdered them in 15. It was only after that point on lap 64 that his race went to pieces, hitting Vettel, dropping 13 seconds back in 3 laps to Ricciardo, who he also hit, then finishing 50 seconds down.
Qualifying doesn't mean much if you can't make your tires last, at all. Admittedly he did one of the longest stints on softs, but also one of the most pathetically short on ultras as well and his pace dropping off 25-30 laps into his stint while Hamilton did 45 laps without an issue.
Don't forget 2 years ago again while he beat Hamilton, Hamilton ate him alive in tire wear, caught him and when allowed to pass pulled away at over a second a lap but was unable to pass Kimi who was able to use DRS on a stricken Vettel to keep Hamilton at bay and Hamilton dropped 12 seconds back to hand Bottas the position back.
Honestly even if Merc should be dominant here, even if Hamilton has a DNF I wouldn't bet on Bottas to lose, his tire issues will drop him back into the slower cars.
Bottas and his horrible tire wear will almost certainly rear it's ugly head here again. Even if he outqualifies Hamilton, which is unlikely, he'll either be on dead tires and an easy pass for Hamilton or he'll pit early, Ham won't and it will be game over just like Silverstone.
His best circuits are those with little to no deg, Russia, etc, not front limited ones. As with Rosberg if he can qualify ahead or be ahead in the first corner at a track with hard passing like Singapore/Monaco, otherwise he'll be overcut or be a sitting duck late in the race as he was last year here, Brazil, USA and anywhere similar.