Formula 1

[TitanTim]

Bit of a thread revival

Nothing has changed since 2017

Tim.

[Mr Tidy]

Another F1 race, another win for Max.

Well that's hardly a surprise!

Lando did well to get 2nd though, he made Perez look a bit 2nd rate.

Things have changed since 2017 though - just ask LH!

[Big Bad Boris]

I think the sport is in danger personally, it is full of just full of hype and razzmatazz, with less focus on the racing itself.

Plus when you do get to the race, Max wins…we go to the next venue, we get the hype… Max takes pole drives off into the distance & wins, we go to the next venue, Max… well you know the rest.

Any sport is dull when you pretty much know the outcome before you start, there have been slightly similar times in the past, when Schumacher was at his peak for example, but nothing like this. I channel hopped onto yesterdays GP for a couple of minutes, the excitement was around the battle for 16th and 17th… is that was it’s come to? Hardly Senna v Prost is it….. oh and they sound terrible, there are better sounding road cars.

OK rant over.

[Nanu]

Lewis off the Ferrari.

What are the chances of Max to Mercedes and Alonso to Red Bull?

Would shake things up a bit and decide if it is machine or driver that wins races.

[Pondrew]

As a huge F1 fan (and particularly Lewis), it is becoming a bore-fest. It is unfortunate, and not surprising, that the best drivers drive the best cars so the competition is gone.
If Lewis and Max both drove for Red Bull this year, it would be great. But that kind of scenario will never happen; there is no advantage for the team (and potentially lots of disadvantages), and the drivers wouldn't put up with it.
I am 100% sure the only reason Checo is still with Red Bull is because Max wants him there, as he is no competition.

They need to do some kind of reverse grid type thing, or reduce engine power in 5bhp increments up the grid. It won't happen but something is needed to shake things up, cos the current efforts ain't working.

[john-e89]

As a huge F1 fan (and particularly Lewis), it is becoming a bore-fest. It is unfortunate, and not surprising, that the best drivers drive the best cars so the competition is gone.
If Lewis and Max both drove for Red Bull this year, it would be great. But that kind of scenario will never happen; there is no advantage for the team (and potentially lots of disadvantages), and the drivers wouldn't put up with it.
I am 100% sure the only reason Checo is still with Red Bull is because Max wants him there, as he is no competition.

They need to do some kind of reverse grid type thing, or reduce engine power in 5bhp increments up the grid. It won't happen but something is needed to shake things up, cos the current efforts ain't working.

2026 sees a big raft of changes Pondy, that will hopefully level things up a little more.

Cry baby hamster couldn’t deal with Verstappen, Max doesn’t care who his team mate is as like him or not he’s the fastest and most complete driver currently in F1. Ham should maybe concentrate more on getting on top of his car, Russell is outperforming him quite easily, and less on his self obsession and hypocritical ill thought out bleatings….

[Pondrew]

2026 sees a big raft of changes Pondy, that will hopefully level things up a little more.

They said that in 2023. Didn't work, did it?

[Pondrew]

Cry baby hamster couldn’t deal with Verstappen,

Sorry John but I disagree. Hammy and Verstappen are the best two talents in F1 still, and Max is 15 years younger than Lewis so should be way better. Alonso is no fool, but has always been a bit too aggressive in winning at all costs IMO (like Schumacher was).

F1 is a matter of tiny percentages. All of them should be the best 20 drivers in the world, but there are always a very rare few who are that 0.01% better than the rest.

I really like Alex Albon, but he couldn't cut it with RB for whatever reason.

[john-e89]

2026 sees a big raft of changes Pondy, that will hopefully level things up a little more.

They said that in 2023. Didn't work, did it?

2023 wasn’t a huge overhaul though Pondy, just a relatively small transition, and it’s easy to forget how much difference they’ve made to cars being able to be up close to the one in front now, that’s been a success. But the real shake up is 2026, by which time Verstappen will be a 5 time world champion, but that could well end in ‘26. F1 is the pinnacle of 4 wheel motorsport so handing out hp deficit’s to the winners isn’t really the ethos of the sport. What I think is wrong is the distribution of prize money, the skint teams can’t get any further up the grid because they don’t get a fair allocation of money so don’t attract the top engineers and drivers, it’s a bit of a vicious circle. All big sponsors want to be up front so it’s an understandable problem too, I’m hoping 2026 will level it up somewhat, and it’s easy to dismiss it before it’s happened so I’m staying optimistic.

Driver wise, imho, Verstappen top, then pretty much nothing between Leclerc, Alonso, Norris, then Russell, Hammy, Sainz etc etc, in that order. I think Leclerc will mince Hammy at Ferrari, Russell is outperforming ham on a regular basis, too regular, it’s not pure driving, Russell is able to get the Merc into a set up which suits him more than ham can, and i reckon that will continue at Ferrari where Leclerc will be faster anyway regardless of set up, I have no idea why Fezz are paying a slowing driver what they are when Sainz is doing a superb job, is younger, now probably as quick, makes no sense to me, but I’m just an observer obvs so what do I know…? Just seems a crazy thing to do, which Ferrari have form for so….

Anyway just how I see it, it’ll be very interesting to see how the next few years play out in F1, I know it’s a turn off for lots but I love it, was out walking at 3am to go watch the Australian race, that’s how stupid I am….

Edit: Have you watched a guy called RPM, Rocketpoweredmohawk on YouTube…? If not, so so, he’s so close to the bone and daft it’s hilarious.

[Pondrew]

Edit: Have you watched a guy called RPM, Rocketpoweredmohawk on YouTube…

Nope. I don't watch you tube videos. OK occasionally music videos but that's it. The constant advertising gets on my tits.

Fred Vasseur and Lewis are good mates, as Fred played a part in Hammy getting into driving. Ferrari will want Lewis to help develop the car further, same reason Alonso still gets good money and a drive.
Last gasp for Hammy to get 8th Championship, which he won't at Merc any time soon, and he will be paid mega bucks and become even more famous. What's not to like from his POV?