2018 Mexico Grand Prix - Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, 26-28 October

[Just_a_fan]

The only way they could do it "without the drivers knowing" would be to load a "turned down" engine map in to the cars. This would have to be done before qualifying. If the cars were "turned down" in qualifying, Hamilton would not have been ahead of Vettel on the grid. Hamilton's good but even he can't make up for a turned down engine on a circuit with two big straights and the fastest top speeds this side of Monza.

If they turned down the engines during the race, and that seems reasonable once they knew they were safely in the correct places for the title, they would have had to tell both drivers to make setting changes. The drivers would know that this was a lower power map.

[saviour stivala]

"I think they did (turn down the engines without the drivers knowing). Doing that or anything to the car from the pit-wall while the car is on track is not permitted.

[digitalrurouni]

Looks like a man who will retire at the end of this season...

It was reported that he was using Redbull team as a comfort blanket. It seems now the Mercedes team is his pacifier.
All in all his behavior is much better this year than last. Very sportsmanlike.
He doesn't seem like he wants to dwell on the defeat with his own team, and much rather the season end and move on to 2019. I think he will be a different driver next year if he stays.

As for the fangio hamilton comparison, Hamilton is ahead statistically so he deserves to be higher on the lists. Lists don't say much about how legendary or revered a driver is. Senna is still revered and has only 3 wdc like many other drivers. Nelshino Piquet should be considered great as well given his success, but people don't seem to respect the guy.

I saw the old hater Jackie Stewart in one scene with a glass of champagne in his hand. I could see bitter glare in his eyes as he looked on. Did Sky get to interview him? I would pretty much like to hear what he had to say on all this 5 time WDC stuff. its been entertaining seeing his comments from WDC #1 to 4 so far.

I noticed him too and I agree about that glare in his eyes. I wonder if he still thinks Lewis is a "little ballerina." Lewis has just left him and his 3 titles behind. Take that Jackie.

First of all congrats to Lewis on his 5th! Fully deserved!

Sir Jackie, would probably say something like:

"If Lewis drove like this back in the days, he wouldn't be a World Champion, he would be dead instead."

I died laughing at that last line. Well done sir.

I am looking forward to next year already. Congrats Lewis on a well deserved 5th WDC! I feel blessed I am witnessing records being broken/matched in F1. Quite amazing.

Back to the race - it seems Mercedes is back to its tire destroying self with the wheel holes closed up? Or do I remember them being allowed to race those wheels this year?

Still wonder what the situation would be with the aero rule changes for next year. I have a feeling Mercedes will be hurting more than Ferrari since they usually tend to run more wing that Ferrari do.

[Sieper]

So on soundcloud you can hear the entire communication of most drivers/race engineers (all the pit radio). Quite interesting and sometimes even a bit funny.

For example in USA Gianpiero Lambiase (Max Verstappens race engineer) told Max "you have mode 7 if you want". And then a round later "mode 7 if you want, it will give you more performance" . So I guess mode 7 was not selected and Lambiase decided Max needed a small reminder this was actually a good mode for him to use!

[Justthatek]

So on soundcloud you can hear the entire communication of most drivers/race engineers (all the pit radio). Quite interesting and sometimes even a bit funny.

For example in USA Gianpiero Lambiase (Max Verstappens race engineer) told Max "you have mode 7 if you want". And then a round later "mode 7 if you want, it will give you more performance" . So I guess mode 7 was not selected and Lambiase decided Max needed a small reminder this was actually a good mode for him to use!

Do you have a link?

[Sieper]

Here ya go:

https://soundcloud.com/matt-betros

Lewis Mexico:

https://soundcloud.com/ma...eam-radio-mexican-gp-2018

I now see not "most" (sorry) just a few, but interesting nonetheless.

[iotar__]

We're sick and tired of cars that are best with the tyres and not the quickest ones winning in F1 - signed Newey and Horner .

Ocon still doesn't understand corners.

Garbage season of designed by Ecclestone and top teams pseudo sport with record breaking team orders pureness. Top teams don't know what to do with nr 2 stooge drivers relagating them to moving chicane tasks and now they want three? Imagine strategy opportunitites .

[Dazed1]

Here ya go:

https://soundcloud.com/matt-betros

Lewis Mexico:

https://soundcloud.com/ma...eam-radio-mexican-gp-2018

I now see not "most" (sorry) just a few, but interesting nonetheless.

Lewis sounded as anguished this year as last year at this GP. I think sometimes he was being told to change settings just to distract him.

[Phil]

I really want to forget the Will Smith pre-recorded message from ever have happened, but thinking back - was it something that was played by the race promoters over the speakers to the entire race crowd and TV audience? I thought there was a lot of "echoing", so not something that was played over the team-radio (even if at that point, the team-radio for Hamilton icon was on).

None-the-less, very cringe worthy. Total fail.

[WaikeCU]

I really want to forget the Will Smith pre-recorded message from ever have happened, but thinking back - was it something that was played by the race promoters over the speakers to the entire race crowd and TV audience? I thought there was a lot of "echoing", so not something that was played over the team-radio (even if at that point, the team-radio for Hamilton icon was on).

None-the-less, very cringe worthy. Total fail.

Wasn't that a scene out of Bad Boys I?

[Phil]

You are right, now that you mention that. Pretty sure the scene was from the ending when/after Marcus (M. Lawrence) is/was driving his Porsche.

[zac510]

was there a VSC for every on track retirement yesterday, by the way?! That must be a new record...

I noticed this too, I think it was in Hungary they threw a lot of VSC for broken down cars. I'm not aware of any kind of policy announced by the FIA but surely the teams are trying to reverse engineer it so they can anticipate the FIA's decision making.

It is starting to seem to me like VSC is replacing double yellow flags, and this is used when a car has stopped with a mechanical problem (that is not a crash) and requires marshals on the track to recover the car.
There are still single yellow flags when a car has gone off track (but not stalled) and can recover back to the black stuff under its own power.

As we know if there is a crash and there is debris to be cleaned up, there will be a safety car because the field can be bunched and clear track time made for the marshals.

Overall it seems like double yellows are being replaced by VSC.

[WaikeCU]

You are right, now that you mention that. Pretty sure the scene was from the ending when/after Marcus (M. Lawrence) is/was driving his Porsche.

If that's what the Americans are trying to make F1 more exciting...

No thanks, it's cringy like you said...

My brother and I looked at each other: "That sounded like Bad Boys I!"

[Phil]

No idea... as I said, I thought it sounded like the audio was broadcast to the venue as well as to the TV viewers. There was just so much hall. And Lewis didn't comment or anything, so I was like... where did that come from? At first I thought it was like a message from Neymar, was it last year or something? :/

[search]

It is starting to seem to me like VSC is replacing double yellow flags, and this is used when a car has stopped with a mechanical problem (that is not a crash) and requires marshals on the track to recover the car.

it definitely looked like that yesterday, yes. I mean, Alonso parked the car on a side road next to the marshalls and it took something like 20 seconds to get it out of the way - and we still got a VSC for that. Would be interesting to know if this was due to the short track or if it's a general change of approach.