F1 2024

[HappytalkAgain]

As above, can't stand the man, but Verstappen was unstoppable today.
To start 17th and finish 18 seconds in front of runner up was immense.

Hamilton looks like he will be glad to get out of Mercedes asap.
Strange how Russell is able to get more from the car.
Differeent set ups or?

Lewis reminds me of his very last season at McLaren. Ready to move on.

 

[SpikyMikey]

Love him or loathe Max. That was awesome.

Amazing how wet weather makes a good car bad, and a bad car good. Happens time & time again.

Drivers championship done & dusted. Hope McLaren can get the constructors now.

I always found weather and traffic are great levellers in road driving. I guess it's much the same in racing.

 

[HappytalkAgain]

 

[Dryce]

As above, can't stand the man, but Verstappen was unstoppable today.
To start 17th and finish 18 seconds in front of runner up was immense.

There was one obvious world champion out there today.

 

[Dryce]

Lewis reminds me of his very last season at McLaren. Ready to move on.

I'm not so sure.

5 years ago Hamilton would have been a contender to win this race in almost any car.

I'm seriously hoping that he does show proper form when he gets to Ferrari next season. But as this season has progressed I have become less and less convinced.

 

[Dryce]

Today we saw confusion caused by the starting light sequence.

For years I have taken the view that starting the race by switching out the red lights - in effect a transition from a signal to no signal is utterly stupid. The race should be started by asserting a signal - not cancelling one.

Today we saw a number of drivers confused on the grid.

F1 needs to look at this ridiculous unsafe setup. Cancelling the reds to start a race should never have been instigated. The race needs to start by asserting a signal and switching lights on - not by switching them off.

 

[Darrell]

Today we saw confusion caused by the starting light sequence.

For years I have taken the view that starting the race by switching out the red lights - in effect a transition from a signal to no signal is utterly stupid. The race should be started by asserting a signal - not cancelling one.

Today we saw a number of drivers confused on the grid.

F1 needs to look at this ridiculous unsafe setup. Cancelling the reds to start a race should never have been instigated. The race needs to start by asserting a signal and switching lights on - not by switching them off.

Why the confusion?

 

[st13phil]

There was one obvious world champion out there today.

While the result was partly due to luck with strategy gifting him a free tyre change under a red flag, Verstappen demonstrated with his supreme car control that he absolutely doesn't have to put other drivers in danger by barging them off the track in order to win. A great pity that he seems to forget that truth rather too often.

 

[GeeJayW]

While the result was partly due to luck with strategy gifting him a free tyre change under a red flag, Verstappen demonstrated with his supreme car control that he absolutely doesn't have to put other drivers in danger by barging them off the track in order to win. A great pity that he seems to forget that truth rather too often.

Exactly. Max has always shown that he has outstanding driving ability and yet he still seems to drive like a d!ck when challenged.

It’s this willingness to put others and himself in danger by OTT manoeuvres, together with the inability (when unprompted) to recognise or acknowledge great performances from others, is what makes it difficult for me (and perhaps others) to confer the respect he perhaps/probably deserves.

 

[HappytalkAgain]

I think Lando is being a little petulant saying Max was just very lucky in the race. Sure the timing work out with the red flag and the free pit stop BUT, Max’s driving was awesome. He never once had an ‘off’. Lando however had a fair few throughout the race.

Maybe he’ll watch the re-run and see the Masterclass from Max.

 

[AMGeed]

I think Lando is being a little petulant saying Max was just very lucky in the race. Sure the timing work out with the red flag and the free pit stop BUT, Max’s driving was awesome. He never once had an ‘off’. Lando however had a fair few throughout the race.

Maybe he’ll watch the re-run and see the Masterclass from Max.

Lando's showing his disappointment at realising this years attempt to win the title has gone?
Sour grapes? Maybe. Immaturity? Probably.

Lando should look at the way Lewis and Fernando congratulated Max and just joined in.
Their friendship may not last

 

[HappytalkAgain]

Lando's showing his disappointment at realising this years attempt to win the title has gone?
Sour grapes? Maybe. Immaturity? Probably.

Lando should look at the way Lewis and Fernando congratulated Max and just joined in.
Their friendship may not last

Talking of Fernando did anyone else see him struggling to get out of the car after the race? Apparently his back was pounded by the bumps in the new track surface.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Talking of Fernando did anyone else see him struggling to get out of the car after the race? Apparently his back was pounded by the bumps in the new track surface.

Lewis complained about the bumps too, and perhaps suffered most with the porpoising a while back. Maybe coincidence that Lewis and Fernando are now at the older end of the spectrum. or maybe just the result of natural aging of the spine

 

[Mactech]

Niels Wittich quits as F1 race director with replacement named

Niels Wittich has left his role as F1 race director with immediate effect.

www.crash.net

Almost a footnote in F1 news, but this could be more of a seismic shift in F1 racing than meets the eye. We all remember the Race Directors role in the championship outcome this time 3 years ago.
It's not a role for the faint hearted, and it seems odd that Niels has left the position 'to pursue other opportunities' at this point in the season.
The in-coming Race Director has looked after both F3 and F2 races in recent years. I certainly hope they have got the right man.
Is it just a coincidence that very recently the drivers have asked not to be treated like children?
Who is actually running the races? We all knew that when the totally respected Charlie Whiting was in that role.

 

[Mactech]

Today we saw confusion caused by the starting light sequence.

For years I have taken the view that starting the race by switching out the red lights - in effect a transition from a signal to no signal is utterly stupid. The race should be started by asserting a signal - not cancelling one.

Today we saw a number of drivers confused on the grid.

F1 needs to look at this ridiculous unsafe setup. Cancelling the reds to start a race should never have been instigated. The race needs to start by asserting a signal and switching lights on - not by switching them off.

We've been there, done that....

Green lights did make their way into the F1 race start procedure in the early 90s. However, the gamble ended up backfiring horribly as it led to an unusually high number of jump-starts. Here’s what caused the flop.

Most parts of the procedure that we see today were present back in the 90s as well but with a minor change. Instead of going racing right after the five red lights disappear, the drivers had to wait for the green lights to show up.
But, unfortunately, there was a time lag of a few tenths of a second between the disappearance of red lights and the appearance of green lights. Hence, most of the drivers never waited for the green lights to show up, causing false starts.
And so, more often than not, the stewards had to restart the race. The FIA then reviewed it and decided against the usage of green lights at the start of a race.

Although F1 decided to scrap off green lights from the start procedure, it does play a pivotal role during the formation lap. With five minutes to go for the formation lap, one of the red lights disappears.
And each of the remaining red lights disappears at the 3-minute mark, 1-minute mark, and 15-second mark. As the countdown ends, the final red light disappears and subsequently, all five green lights will be flashed. 30 seconds into the formation lap, the green lights will be extinguished.
Meanwhile, at the pit lane exit, green lights will show up the moment cars cross the pit lane exit point at the start of the race. This mostly is meant for the cars starting the race from the pit lane.

 

[Dryce]

We've been there, done that....

Green lights did make their way into the F1 race start procedure in the early 90s. However, the gamble ended up backfiring horribly as it led to an unusually high number of jump-starts. Here’s what caused the flop.

I can remember when we used to get jump starts. I don't remember this being such a major problem - I recall more first corner crashes with red flags and drivers running back to get the spare car.

But, unfortunately, there was a time lag of a few tenths of a second between the disappearance of red lights and the appearance of green lights. Hence, most of the drivers never waited for the green lights to show up, causing false starts.

So logically one might have thought they would switch off the red signal.

And then after a random delay as is currently used - initiate start the race with the green signal.

Moreover these days a jump start can be determined more easily - and the race doesn't need to be restarted - a penalty can be applied (which if jump starting was a problem could be a lot harsher than it is now).

 

[HappytalkAgain]

 

[SpikyMikey]

View attachment 164021

Harsh, but fair

 

[Nat]

I'm guessing this is the weekend that MV needs to crash out and LN needs more points to win? I'd love LN to win the WDC but Macca left that unexpectedly points won loss parked a while back purely as they didn't see where the team were awesomely going on some circuits where they went so well. Not going to happen IMO. So another Max WDC win.

Max to win this weekend? No, he'll see a barrier. I can see both Ferraris doing the podiums this weekend.

Mercedes have left Lewis's head earlier this year thinking why he didn't leave earlier and it wouldn't surprise me it was done to pump up George as a " I've beaten LH 8th time Champ so I'm awesome" - lets see how he gets on with his younger team mate next year.

I still wonder why FIA are gunning for new rules and can't relax them for a year or 2 when this season has been quite possible the best with different winners rather than total domination. Equally at the same time, who can trust the FIA? Recent events showed the drivers and TPs don't. FIA President has demonstrated he's a proper chump. Check out his accusations case about Toto's wife.

Oh and yes Massi is still in my thoughts for wrecking and for depriving Lewis been the 8th WDC meaning my thoughts and predictions are just that.

All good'ish fun and this weekend is the what? Third last race? I wish they'd delete these shit farce races in Countries that truly don't deserve them. I said I ramble one didn't I?

Enjoy ....