Topic: Push Square Formula 1 thread - F1

Back to reality. Incredibly boring at the front as usual. Was hilarious seeing Perez six laps down for one lap though.

Double McLaren podium. Great result.

@KAIRU same as the season. Very boring at the front, Max in a race with himself, Perez getting himself into trouble and failing, exciting racing behind.

@BearsEatBeets Also got up at stupid o clock but thought it was an Ok race behind P1. I thought George’s one stop might have worked at one point, but he faded, and Merc were stuck between decisions and left him exposed. If they genuinely thought Lewis could have caught Charles they needed to do the switch immediately, but waited a few laps and then made the wrong call. Impressed that George instinctively knew the right strategy from the cockpit in the last laps. Big brain thinking.

@KAIRU @themightyant yeah not a particularly exciting race, especially after the last one.
It's strange I felt like it seemed quite quickly George's one stop wasn't going to workout and maybe they could switched back to a 2 and really push hard with fresher tyres. I think he would have easily got the same finish he had but possibly a place or two higher and maybe the fastest lap. Maybe he didn't have any other good tyres to put on?
One thing I thought was odd but not touched on during the race, I'm pretty sure Lando was about 4 seconds behind Max when the VSC came out but when it ended the gap had jumped just under 10? I know they vary their speeds more under the VSC and just have to keep to certain deltas, and maybe he just got lucky with it going green as he was accelerating whilst Lando was possibly braking. Or maybe I was still sleepy and got the times wrong.
Happy for the McLaren double podium though.

EDIT: Just seen Lando's post race interview, a damaged, plodding Perez held up Lando under the VSC as he was unsure with the regs if he had a problem and was allowed to pass him. Clearly lost him a lot of time, I think they should give the whole RB team a time penalty. Lets say 20 seconds and give the win to Lando 😁

So, Verstappen winning the championship during the Sprint in Qatar next weekend then? 😅

I really hope there's more of a fight at the front next season. If you take Red Bull out of the equation it's actually really great and quite close, but the dominance out front is just incredibly boring.

Another season like 2010 where you have four drivers all in contention in the last race of the season would be absolutely epic.

@KAIRU it’s true the Red Bull car is phenomenal, but I think we also have to hand it to Max who is driving on another level. The shame is we don’t really get to see much of him other than qualifying and the first few laps, because he’s off in a race of his own.

I’ve said at length how much I think Perez is failing, in large part because he can’t handle the pressure of being Max’s teammate, but regardless look at the gap between Max and Sergio, who’s no mug.

I think Max is so in tune with his car, which seems built for his strengths, that even if the other teams were closer he would still win the championship right now, just not so easily.

@themightyant Hopefully there's more competition at the front next season. I fear it'll be more of the same though.

@KAIRU I'm not very confident. I think they will close the gap a little, but not enough.

Then we will have another rule change the following year and it will disrupt the field again, someone will get it 'right' and be way out in front again and then other teams will close the gap a little, but not enough.

Then we will have another rule change...

@themightyant Yeah, wishful thinking on my part there, for sure. I guess time will tell!

Andretti have had their F1 bid approved! Will we be seeing an 11th team on the grid again soon?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/66988391

Really got to feel for Checo. Poor guy’s just had no luck this season. I detest that Red Bull team with a passion but it’s been an absolutely horrid season for him individually.

@KAIRU Kinda agree but you also make your own luck. He did not need to push so hard into turn 1, especially in that car, needed to play the long game. But he’s at that point where the disasters keep coming and it’s likely on his mind to do something BIG especially at his home race. He needed a more calm, rational mind.

On the flip side I look at Max who has become a better driver since he became world champion. Yes he’s in by far the best car, and one that suits his driving style, but he’s willing to be patient. Something that car allows. But it means he almost never drops points.

I get it that is much easier when you are on top, are world champion and have little to prove, but Checo has to do better and in pushing too hard he’s doing the opposite. Not for the first time

Was amused by Lewis’ comment to Max in the cool down room. “****! He did a me in Qatar” lol

@themightyant Yeah, I can understand where you're coming from. On quite a few occasions it has been his own fault.

Mega drive from Lando yesterday though. Really hope we'll see McLaren much closer to the front for a lot longer next season.

@KAIRU Yes! I'd watch a full replay or highlights reel of Lando in Mexico. Beast mode on.

@themightyant Honestly, probably one of the best individual drives of anyone this season. I reckon if they had waited another lap before pitting before that red flag and if he hadn't got bogged down at the restart I reckon he could've potentially been on for a podium!

@KAIRU I don't think it's could, I think it's WOULD have been on the podium.

@themightyant The pace was there, for sure. Wonder if he'd have had the pace to match Hamilton though. I know Lewis got the fastest lap at the end but I'd love to see if the pace between him and Lando was that different.

@KAIRU Lewis was clearly worried about tyre deg (I know he always says it but the fact he got fastest lap on his last suggests he had been nursing them and then had some left. So I suspect Lando would have been P3 had his race run better. But then they have the second fastest car right now imho.

@themightyant It's a shame McLaren and Mercedes haven't really had this pace since the start of the season — especially McLaren.

I really hope next season is a lot closer at the front. People complained about Hamilton's dominance but at least he had some genuine competition. Max is just cruising most weeks.

@KAIRU I hope too. And I think it will be a BIT closer. But sadly I think it will be exactly as several of us predicted at the start of the year... or was it last year. i.e. new rule change, someone will get it 'right' everyone else will spend a few years catching up, the field will close and just as it is getting competitive they will move the goalposts when the rules change again. Back to step 1 just hoping it is someone different who gets it 'right' for a little variety. Model seems broken imho. And as much as I understand the reason for it, and cost cap, it is making things worse.

@themightyant We can only hope, I suppose! Time will tell though.