2019 Mexican Grand Prix - Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, 25-27 October

[Wass85]

Anyone noticed these last few races Bottas has finally caught up with Hamilton race pace wise, too little too late but bodes well for next season should it continue.

I'm not sure how many races Hamilton will have a badly damaged car for the whole race and be on a significantly slower strategy. But, if it's all of them then, yeah, Bottas won't finish more than ten-seconds behind him in most races.

I think Hamilton was poor at the start of the medium stint and worried they won't make it because he pushed like mad on his outlap as they anticipated Vettel would box the next lap, these tyres need breaking in carefully.

Agree on the second part, but why do you think he was 'poor'? He won in a slower car, on a slower strategy. Seems like he did...'average'?

The real question is what happened to Vettel? He seemed very comfortable in this race and should've won with little effort, even if his usual L1 T3 tyre-slice didn't quite work.

I suppose you haven't been watching F1 since Monza and this is your first race....

[TAG]

Max has all the subtlety of a neanderthal. It really seemed as if he'd turned the corner this year with the pressure of Riccardo off of him. He was carrying the team on his shoulders. Today a bull in a china shop was on order.

[Bill_Kar]

If someone told me last winter that Mercedes would win Monaco, Hungary and Mexico on merit I would be laughing my head off.

[RZS10]

Verstappen just goes wide into Hamilton, first contact is against his front
Verstappen then loses his rear hits Hamilton, pushes him even wider and damages his floor
Hamilton is then busy trying not to hit Vettel whilst sliding
There's another contact Max' front left/Lewis' rear right.
They both leave the track as a result of Max hitting Lewis between those corners.

[Wynters]

I suppose you haven't been watching F1 since Monza and this is your first race....

Mexico: Hamilton wins with a badly damaged car and a slower strategy.
Japan: Bottas wins. Hamilton is put on a slower strategy.
Russia: Hamilton wins.
Singapore: Hamilton beats Bottas.
Monza: Hamilton burns up his tyres repeatedly attacking Leclerc who has to break the rules to keep him behind. Bottas takes over. Does nothing.

Yeah, it's clear that Bottas is all over Hamilton. Let me just check the title odds for next season...Oh. I guess all the Bookies must be new to F1 too.

Anyway, you were explaining why Hamilton was 'poor' today?

[ringo]

Max is looking like a flawed genius. How many points has Albon scored over Max since they have been teammates?

[RZS10]

Also ... how is this not a crystal clear breach of Appendix L International Sporting Code Chapter IV Article 2 b)
"manoeuvres liable to hinder other drivers, such as deliberate crowding of a car beyond the edge of the track [...] are strictly prohibited."


Is Lewis alongside? Yes.
Did Seb leave one car's width? Nope.

Since Charles wasn't going to move over in front of him in order to give him the tow after Russia he desperately wanted to get into Charles' slipstream and ran Lewis off track.

[214270]

https://i.imgur.com/akUWpZ5.gif

Verstappen just goes wide into Hamilton, first contact is against his front
Verstappen then loses his rear hits Hamilton, pushes him even wider and damages his floor
Hamilton is then busy trying not to hit Vettel whilst sliding
There's another contact Max' front left/Lewis' rear right.
They both leave the track as a result of Max hitting Lewis between those corners.

VER is a liability; he just can’t seem to get out of his own way

Meanwhile, ALB has been very good on racedays. VER could learn a thing or two

[bill shoe]

Max just gave all the other drivers a master-class in how to take the fastest car with perfect reliability and perfect team support, and apply those advantages in a way that avoids being a contender for the win or even a podium. Stunning. Truly in a league of his own.

[Wynters]

Max is looking like a flawed genius. How many points has Albon scored over Max since they have been teammates?

58 to 39, I think.

I'm not sure how many 'Driver of the Day' polls they've each won though.

[zibby43]

I suppose you haven't been watching F1 since Monza and this is your first race....

Mexico: Hamilton wins with a badly damaged car and a slower strategy.
Japan: Bottas wins. Hamilton is put on a slower strategy.
Russia: Hamilton wins.
Singapore: Hamilton beats Bottas.
Monza: Hamilton burns up his tyres repeatedly attacking Leclerc who has to break the rules to keep him behind. Bottas takes over. Does nothing.

Yeah, it's clear that Bottas is all over Hamilton. Let me just check the title odds for next season...Oh. I guess all the Bookies must be new to F1 too.

Anyway, you were explaining why Hamilton was 'poor' today?

Game. Set. Match.

[Just_a_fan]

https://i.imgur.com/akUWpZ5.gif

Verstappen just goes wide into Hamilton, first contact is against his front
Verstappen then loses his rear hits Hamilton, pushes him even wider and damages his floor
Hamilton is then busy trying not to hit Vettel whilst sliding
There's another contact Max' front left/Lewis' rear right.
They both leave the track as a result of Max hitting Lewis between those corners.

Looks to me like Verstappen steered to the left in an attempt to squeeze Hamilton. He didn't actually turn towards Hamilton, of course, but he definitely opened the steering as you can see his trajectory change noticeably after the apex as he "slides" wide - but isn't sliding wide at all, he's allowing the car to go that way.

Max's problem is that Hamilton is the best wheel to wheel racer in the field so Max's crash-attack approach to racing doesn't work against him.

[dans79]

Also ... how is this not a crystal clear breach of Appendix L International Sporting Code Chapter IV Article 2 b)
"manoeuvres liable to hinder other drivers, such as deliberate crowding of a car beyond the edge of the track [...] are strictly prohibited."
https://i.imgur.com/2uuWq6n.gif

Is Lewis alongside? Yes.
Did Seb leave one car's width? Nope.

Since Charles wasn't going to move over in front of him in order to give him the tow after Russia he desperately wanted to get into Charles' slipstream and ran Lewis off track.

yeah, can you imagine what the carnage would have been like if Lewis had spun out at that speed on the strait in front of 17 other cars.

The new "Let them race" stupidity is going to cause a serious accident, it's only a matter of time.

[iotar__]

Max just gave all the other drivers a master-class in how to take the fastest car with perfect reliability and perfect team support, and apply those advantages in a way that avoids being a contender for the win or even a podium. Stunning. Truly in a league of his own.

- Don't forget overcoming tough opposition from team's second driver. Judging by the way Albon hung behind Ferraris early on RB had the pace.
- to be fair Hamilton did very well to take the quick outside line and survive the bump, should be more common at this level (top teams) but rarely is these days (cough, cough, Leclerc).
- You cannot easily get rid of the habit of sliding into the other car (milder version this time) as the only way of winning wheel to wheel duel. Overall ratio of oportunity to success from M.V. is rather poor.

I understand it's part of their job but commentators (Brundle and co.) overhyping things that will happen but never do and you know it beforehand is nauseating. E.i. edge of the seat four way battle for the win, the more likely scenario on the long stints and with few stops is: nothing will happen.

Oh yeah, after reading some posts, Vettel vs Hamilton is a non story.

[Scorpaguy]

Ham translator:

"There is no way these tires are going to last until the end of the race...we pitted too early!"

...actually means...

"our delta to Vet will be easily manageable...we have this guys."

Master strategy play by Merc today. Ham is a terrible actor, but Ferrari bought it.