Formula One

[Jimbuna]

[aedanthecelt]

The United States Grand Prix was a race that encapsulated the 2021 Formula 1 season so far - incredibly close, tense and gripping, decided by fine margins, and ending with Max Verstappen's Red Bull on top.

Completely agree. That's what I felt at the end, like this is what is was like at the beginning of the season before all the safety cars and wrecks/DNF's.

[Threadfin]

I think that quote is just copied and pasted from the beeb. Although it gets it right.

Max won that race on strategy, the undercut at the first stop was powerful, and gave Red Bull track position that they did not relinquish. Top drive out of Max, brilliant stuff. He out-Hamiltoned Hamilton, preserving enough tyre to keep Lewis out of DRS range over the last five laps.

Friday morning I was giving Merc the race and just hoped Red Bull could limit the damage to get to the next two high-altitude circuits. But the entire team, including Checo!, did a fantastic job in getting back on top, and turned what could have been a losing weekend in to one where they extended the drivers' and narrowed the contructors' races.

And top marks to the American promoters for a great event, a fantastic race and I hope COTA extends its contract. Great racing track. Such a variety of turns, similar to Paul Ricard in that sense, but with elevation and not dead-flat like Paul Ricard. Awesome to see such a massive turn out from the fans there.

[Threadfin]

Another brilliant drive from Max. Very brave in to the first turn, and it all worked out beautifully, especially after Red Bull's poor qualifying. Perez getting it squared away at the business end of the season is massive, and now just a single point's in it for the constructors.


Best F1 season in memory. And not just at the top of the table, but for third and for fifth too.


Gap for first place = 1 point
Gap for third = 10 points
Gap for fifth place = level


Four to go!

[Jimbuna]

Been a bit busy the last couple of days but all I will add is.....Max will be the next champion.

[Jimbuna]

Lewis Hamilton passed title rival Max Verstappen after an intense battle to take one of his greatest victories and win the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Hamilton took the lead with 12 laps to go after fighting up from 10th place on the grid and cut Verstappen's advantage in the championship to 14 points.

His move on Verstappen came 11 laps after the Dutchman forced him off track when Hamilton made another attempt.

His victory came after starting 20th and last for Saturday's 'sprint' event.

It was a gripping conclusion to a weekend of bitterness and rancour between the two teams contesting the championship, and controversy both on and off the track.

The 101st victory of Hamilton's career sent a powerful message of intent and is a potentially critical moment in the championship.

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

Formula 1 officials have rejected Mercedes' request for a review of Max Verstappen's driving during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Stewards in Brazil ruled that there was no investigation necessary after Verstappen appeared to force Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes wide.

Governing body the FIA said Mercedes' appeal failed the test of raising significant new evidence into the case.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/59348132

[Jimbuna]

Lewis Hamilton took a comfortable win in the Qatar Grand Prix to close the gap to Max Verstappen in their fight for the drivers' world championship.

Verstappen fought his way to second after a five-place grid penalty and took the point for fastest lap.

The win cuts the deficit to Verstappen to eight points with two races to go in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi next month.

Alpine's Fernando Alonso took a superb third, his first podium since the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix.

[Jimbuna]

[Buddahaid]

Sir Frank Williams passes away.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/59453378

[Jimbuna]

One of my favourite F1 individuals.

RIP Sir

[Buddahaid]

Well that was pretty crazy....

[Jimbuna]

Lewis Hamilton beat Max Verstappen in a chaotic and controversial Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to set up a winner-takes-all title finale in Abu Dhabi next weekend.

In one of the most dramatic grands prix in years, the race was stopped twice, featured three starts and had an extraordinary series of events between the title contenders.

Hamilton won despite crashing into the back of Verstappen at one point during a race in which the Dutchman twice had to cede a position to the Mercedes driver that he had gained illegally.

And it ended with the two drivers tied on points heading into the last race of the season.

So much happened in the course of the race that it was hard to keep up, as the advantage swung wildly back and forth between Hamilton and Verstappen.

But in the defining moment, Verstappen was ordered to hand the lead to Hamilton because he had held it by forcing the seven-time champion off the track at Turn One with 13 laps to go.

It did not happen immediately though. After Red Bull were told to hand the lead to Hamilton, Verstappen slowed to do so on the run to the last corner and the Briton ran into the back of him and damaged his front wing.

They continued with Verstappen in the lead until the Dutchman did finally hand over the lead six laps later.

The nature of Verstappen's conduct will revive debate about whether it is fair for him to drive the way he does, always refusing to back down in wheel-to-wheel incidents, even when other drivers would recognise their rival had won the corner.

[Jimbuna]