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

[Restomaniac]

What race are you talking about? Yes Hamilton won yesterday but Bottas was obviously quicker towards the end but was stuck in dirty air. It is clear that Bottas has massively improved his race pace at the back end of the season.

Just a shame he hasn’t got the quality to do it for a full season though. You see that’s what drivers who earn WDCs manage to do. Like Hamilton who has 6.

Yes it is a shame but next year is a new season.

He's already just about as fast as Hamilton in qualifying and now has improved his race pace and tyre management, he still lacks behind Hamilton in overtaking and aggression but he's ticking all the boxes slowly and surely.

I think we could be in for an epic season next year and if form continues Mercedes will do well to win either titles.

Wasn't it supposed to be this year last year? I’ll tell ya what will actually happen in the real world.
Bottas will be able to score more points than Hamilton once Hamilton retires. Because I hate to break it to you but Bottas isn’t as good a driver as Hamilton no matter how much you try and delude yourself.

Also wasn’t it supposed to be Ferrari’s year in 2017, 2018 and this year? How did that work out?

[Wass85]

Just a shame he hasn’t got the quality to do it for a full season though. You see that’s what drivers who earn WDCs manage to do. Like Hamilton who has 6.

Yes it is a shame but next year is a new season.

He's already just about as fast as Hamilton in qualifying and now has improved his race pace and tyre management, he still lacks behind Hamilton in overtaking and aggression but he's ticking all the boxes slowly and surely.

I think we could be in for an epic season next year and if form continues Mercedes will do well to win either titles.

Wasn't it supposed to be this year last year? I’ll tell ya what will actually happen in the real world.
Bottas will be able to score more points than Hamilton once Hamilton retires. Because I hate to break it to you but Bottas isn’t as good a driver as Hamilton no matter how much you try and delude yourself.

Also wasn’t it supposed to be Ferrari’s year in 2017, 2018 and this year? How did that work out?

You are denying that Bottas has improved in qualifying this season and that is race pace and tyre management have vastly improved towards the back end of the season, interesting.

Hamilton was a better driver than Rosberg but in 2016 he was defeated.

[zeph]

Watching Maxico Verstappen make a mess was amusing today. When he is on he is really on, but when he’s not it’s comedy gold, even if it’s not funny for those he plows through.

Also amusing is hearing the talking heads blah about Ferrari’s superior speed and watch Mercedes routinely bag another win. They got the game sown up.

[GPR-A]

Yes it is a shame but next year is a new season.

He's already just about as fast as Hamilton in qualifying and now has improved his race pace and tyre management, he still lacks behind Hamilton in overtaking and aggression but he's ticking all the boxes slowly and surely.

I think we could be in for an epic season next year and if form continues Mercedes will do well to win either titles.

Wasn't it supposed to be this year last year? I’ll tell ya what will actually happen in the real world.
Bottas will be able to score more points than Hamilton once Hamilton retires. Because I hate to break it to you but Bottas isn’t as good a driver as Hamilton no matter how much you try and delude yourself.

Also wasn’t it supposed to be Ferrari’s year in 2017, 2018 and this year? How did that work out?

You are denying that Bottas has improved in qualifying this season and that is race pace and tyre management have vastly improved towards the back end of the season, interesting.

Hamilton was a better driver than Rosberg but in 2016 he was defeated.

Statistically correct, but if that is where you want to stop and enjoy. If you want to go beyond and look at the all reliability issues through the season and a massive engine failure in Malaysia while leading the GP, then that belies the statistical reality of the season. But hey, why care if that suits a narrative.

When was the last time Bottas hunted down a driver ahead, other than chance good starts? Bottas has improved, but he still can't put together a championship season like Lewis has been doing. He is being made to look good more than he is, just like Rosberg was due to Mercedes' extra ordinary race and driver management skills. If he lands in either a Ferrari or Red Bull who display so much of inefficiency in managing races, he would be nowhere.

[Wass85]

Wasn't it supposed to be this year last year? I’ll tell ya what will actually happen in the real world.
Bottas will be able to score more points than Hamilton once Hamilton retires. Because I hate to break it to you but Bottas isn’t as good a driver as Hamilton no matter how much you try and delude yourself.

Also wasn’t it supposed to be Ferrari’s year in 2017, 2018 and this year? How did that work out?

You are denying that Bottas has improved in qualifying this season and that is race pace and tyre management have vastly improved towards the back end of the season, interesting.

Hamilton was a better driver than Rosberg but in 2016 he was defeated.

Statistically correct, but if that is where you want to stop and enjoy. If you want to go beyond and look at the all reliability issues through the season and a massive engine failure in Malaysia while leading the GP, then that belies the statistical reality of the season. But hey, why care if that suits a narrative.

When was the last time Bottas hunted down a driver ahead, other than chance good starts? Bottas has improved, but he still can't put together a championship season like Lewis has been doing. He is being made to look good more than he is, just like Rosberg was due to Mercedes' extra ordinary race and driver management skills. If he lands in either a Ferrari or Red Bull who display so much of inefficiency in managing races, he would be nowhere.

You also are failing to mention the countless poor starts Hamilton had in 2016, those errors were on him. You can't just single out one incident in Malaysia and blame the loss for that.

It remains to be seen if Bottas can make a title challenge next season but like I said he is ticking all the boxes slowly and surely, Hamilton is a machine though no doubt and is the favourite to beat the Finn again.

[GPR-A]

You also are failing to mention the countless poor starts Hamilton had in 2016, those errors were on him. You can't just single out one incident in Malaysia and blame the loss for that.

It remains to be seen if Bottas can make a title challenge next season but like I said he is ticking all the boxes slowly and surely, Hamilton is a machine though no doubt and is the favourite to beat the Finn again.

You are helping the argument with a point that I didn't thought would be ideal. If Lewis would have got those starts right, he would have murdered Nico in 2016! Despite that, the big shot he got in the arm was that PU failure which pushed him back again in his championship challenge! That means, there was so much Lewis left on the table and Nico had to get everything inch perfect to beat a driver that left so much on the table. You know what that means?

How many times that Lewis came back from trailing in championship battle to then win and I would not be surprised if the next season starts with so called "Bottas 3.0" and then once again Lewis takes over after the initial rounds of the season. If Lewis gets it right from the race 1 next season, the championship challenge would be over for Bottas sooner than most seasons, regardless of how much he improves.

[ispano6]

Hamilton forced Verstappen off. He was lucky to get a win. We all know Max would have won.

Would have won? I assume you meant to say "We all know Max would have won...if he hadn't damaged himself blundering into Hamilton, then blundering into Bottas, then blundering into K-Mag, then risked another puncture by deciding to overtake K-Mag off track".

Even if he had avoided doing all of that, the Ferrari's would've split strategies and at least one would've beaten him. His race was lost the minute he decided to risk Bottas' life, after everyone else had already lifted.

Several posters commented that he would be out for revenge today and, to be fair to him, he absolutely screwed the person solely responsible for his penalty (a penalty the Stewards did their absolute best not to give him...just like on his illegal overtake).

Well we have Michael Masi calling the race and taking away from the fans what we want to see most- The fastest driver who earned pole get a shot at the win. Instead, the team whose driver binned it and caused the stupid yellow in the first place benefited the most not to mention have him podium even. Not to forget to mention have him compromised by both of MBs drivers when they've already sealed the championship. We all know that Max and Red Bull Honda were the superior package here. Hamilton was lucky to not be taken out by Max. Bottas was slow and left a gap. Bottas' life being in danger is a position he put himself in. What if Max lifted and that caused the car to unsettle mid corner? At the end of the day Max got pretty screwed over by Bottas' mistake.

[Wass85]

You also are failing to mention the countless poor starts Hamilton had in 2016, those errors were on him. You can't just single out one incident in Malaysia and blame the loss for that.

It remains to be seen if Bottas can make a title challenge next season but like I said he is ticking all the boxes slowly and surely, Hamilton is a machine though no doubt and is the favourite to beat the Finn again.

You are helping the argument with a point that I didn't thought would be ideal. If Lewis would have got those starts right, he would have murdered Nico in 2016! Despite that, the big shot he got in the arm was that PU failure which pushed him back again in his championship challenge! That means, there was so much Lewis left on the table and Nico had to get everything inch perfect to beat a driver that left so much on the table. You know what that means?

How many times that Lewis came back from trailing in championship battle to then win and I would not be surprised if the next season starts with so called "Bottas 3.0" and then once again Lewis takes over after the initial rounds of the season. If Lewis gets it right from the race 1 next season, the championship challenge would be over for Bottas sooner than most seasons, regardless of how much he improves.

No I'm really not, you can't go on what if's in this game. Facts are Lewis messed plenty of starts up and didn't have the pace to overcome them.

Yes you are right, competing with Hamilton is one thing and beating him is another thing but slowly, slowly catchy monkey.

[Mamba]

Also amusing is hearing the talking heads blah about Ferrari’s superior speed and watch Mercedes routinely bag another win. They got the game sown up.

I've been saying it for a while. Mercedes are kings when it comes to PR. And for some reason the media keep on gobbling it up like the truth. Every GP another team is the favourite and they will start on the back foot. It is getting irritating by now. And they have been doing so since 2015 when they were all dominant! That should put some value to their words, but somehow it does not...

They need to stop complaining about quali. The points are given out in the race and they keep on having the superior car on Sundays and thus taking the win.

[Restomaniac]

You also are failing to mention the countless poor starts Hamilton had in 2016, those errors were on him. You can't just single out one incident in Malaysia and blame the loss for that.

It remains to be seen if Bottas can make a title challenge next season but like I said he is ticking all the boxes slowly and surely, Hamilton is a machine though no doubt and is the favourite to beat the Finn again.

You are helping the argument with a point that I didn't thought would be ideal. If Lewis would have got those starts right, he would have murdered Nico in 2016! Despite that, the big shot he got in the arm was that PU failure which pushed him back again in his championship challenge! That means, there was so much Lewis left on the table and Nico had to get everything inch perfect to beat a driver that left so much on the table. You know what that means?

How many times that Lewis came back from trailing in championship battle to then win and I would not be surprised if the next season starts with so called "Bottas 3.0" and then once again Lewis takes over after the initial rounds of the season. If Lewis gets it right from the race 1 next season, the championship challenge would be over for Bottas sooner than most seasons, regardless of how much he improves.

No I'm really not, you can't go on what if's in this game. Facts are Lewis messed plenty of starts up and didn't have the pace to overcome them.

Yes you are right, competing with Hamilton is one thing and beating him is another thing but slowly, slowly catchy monkey.

Or as I pointed out slowly, slowly cat.......Oh Hamilton has retired!!!!!!! Followed by ‘I would of beaten him this time honest!’.

[search]

I've been saying it for a while. Mercedes are kings when it comes to PR. And for some reason the media keep on gobbling it up like the truth. Every GP another team is the favourite and they will start on the back foot. It is getting irritating by now.

well, they really were 3rd best team this weekend, both in Qualifying, as well as in the race - close enough to still win it by having the better strategy, but it's not like they were quicker in any regard.

[Wass85]

I've been saying it for a while. Mercedes are kings when it comes to PR. And for some reason the media keep on gobbling it up like the truth. Every GP another team is the favourite and they will start on the back foot. It is getting irritating by now.

well, they really were 3rd best team this weekend, both in Qualifying, as well as in the race - close enough to still win it by having the better strategy, but it's not like they were quicker in any regard.

They were both quicker than the Ferrari pair, Max would have ran away with it though had he not got in to trouble.

[search]

I wouldn't really say they were quicker than Ferrari - but it makes no real difference anyway. One way or the other, this time they were right about not expecting a particularly strong weekend in advance

[Midi]

The Hamilton army is out in full force here

It was a class drive from him but saying he was on the slower strategy is a bit of bull. If he didn't have track position that he gained from boxing early he would not have won the race. The effect of dirty air is really big in Mexico or to put it in other words, the track layout is quite dull . Only if the tires go off completely ( or graining like in 2018) overtaking is possible.

But my favourite of all: saying Hamilton whining about the wrong strategy is a masterplay mind game Haha, that always cracks me up.

[zeph]

The teams, Liberty, and the media all have one common goal:

Grow the number of viewers, attract new people to the sport. When one team is utterly dominant, you need to find or create other ways to add some excitement and tension. That’s why they change the narrative. It’s in everybody’s best interest to portray Ferrari and RBR as up there with Mercedes.