FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE ESPAÑA PIRELLI 2017: RACE ***SPOILERS***

Wouldn't it be nice if people stopped trying to win the race on the first lap and all the top drivers got to finish the entire race?

 

+1

 

+1

I think "1st lap + turn 1 action" is more of a detriment to the sport than the early drama is worth. In the end, overtaking did happen in many places on the course.

 

+1 still many races to go. Close fight and interesting at that!!

 

Agreed that he didn't do anything wrong in turn one.
He did, however, cause the situation of three cars side by side with slowing down an awkward on the run up to turn one. That looked like he was fearful of messing with Hamilton's room to maneuver.

 

+1

 

No, I think Ferrari made a mistake pitting Vettel so damn early (look at my comment earlier in the thread)...Vettel saved that mistake by getting passed Ricciardo much quicker than I anticipated (and Ferrari shouldn't have thought it would be this easy!). Ferrari didn't need to pit Vettel so early at all, they had the pace and basically choked.

Then at the 2nd round of stops, Mercedes and quite a few other teams, timed it properly (and there was time to do this), to effectively get a free stop...Vettel lost 8 seconds on that! Yes you're right they didn't have any other option than pitting right then anyways, but they should've been smarter.

Merc used Bottas as expected, Vettel's pass was absolutely amazing.

Back in qualifying, Ferrari ordered Vettel to stop...over the last 2 years Vettel has used his brain a hell of a lot and questioned Ferrari's calls, from the top of my head I can't pin-point one where he was wrong. I think there was one. Anyways, Vettel questioning that judgement made sure that Ferrari was 2nd in quali, and 2nd in the race. My point is...why does a driver appear to be so much smarter than the Ferrari strategists? Something is way off, there.

 

+1 Absolutely. Ferrari had the race pace to win, contrary to those folk who thought Ferrari were hosed after Free Practice. But yet again, Ferrari's race strategy handed the victory to Merc. Incredibly frustrating, but Merc completely out played them today. Surely heads will role?

All credit to the Merc team management today. They executed a great strategy, outsmarted Ferrari, and managed to keep Lewis from imploding (because he clearly lacks the intelligence to comprehend this stuff).

 

My view on the race.

Vettel did a great job with questionable strategy (throughout the weekend as mentioned above). His pass on Bottas was epic. Raikkonen desperately unlucky, really a passenger in all of that, nothing he could've done. That said, my heart sank seeing Mercedes' upgrades on Thursday, so Ferrari being so damn close was a huge surprise.

Hamilton, well I'm incredibly surprised that he was so much out of breath throughout the race. Very odd. Won't go as far as saying he lucked into the win. Bottas played his role rather well holding up Vettel, don't really blame him for the 1st turn incident either...though it was ''his fault'', it really was a 1st corner incident nothing much.

Verstappen so unlucky, he was easily on course for 4th place there. Ricciardo a lonely race, far down the road. Happy to see him back on the podium but it was easy to see he wasn't that pleased with it.

The Force India boys...well what can you say? Lucky to benefit from Kimi, Max & Bottas, but solid finish where others couldn't. Perez and Ocon, great guys. Hopefully Bernie buys the team and gets rid of that hideous pink colour and brings back the black & blue livery....with Bernie at the helm of that team who knows, could well be a contender in coming years!

Williams...what is there to say. Massa not really at fault in T2 incident, had to avoid. Think he was a little too pre-occupied with Stroll in the latter laps and basically decided to let Vettel by too late which caught Vettel off-guard. Didn't matter much. Massa, despite a puncture the entire first lap and some damage, still managed to beat stroll, lol.

Happy to see Kvyat rescue his poor weekend with some points and just behind Sainz. Wehrlein great drive but also benefited from Kimi/Max/Bottas/Massa...otherwise just a 12th place or whatever. Good result but lucky in the points, otherwise no one would've actually mentioned it would they...

 

Problem is Vettel is racing alone against a Bottas, Ham, Massa 3drivers team

Bet Mercedes also pay Williams Massa's salary in exchange for Bottas

 

Special mentions of course also have to go out to Ferrari & Kimi inviting the young kid and his family over to their hospitality, I think that has made the kids year! For sure he'll tell that story till the end of his days. True gentleman Kimi is.

 

Ferrari should have followed Mercedes strategy. Obviously Vettel had a better pace than Elton when both had the same tyre. In that way, when Elton pitted with the VC, Vettel could have done the same. But being on a different tyre strategy, it didn't make any difference

 

Vettel's race was screwed by Bottas. He lost 4 seconds chasing him. Put those 4 seconds back and its a completely different race in the second half. Also they let Hamilton take the advantage going off track but it wasn't the main reason.

I don't blame Kimi for the accident. To me Verstapen was being too aggressive on the outside but it was a racing incident.

NOW, if Kimi was there to slow Bottas down, maybe Vettel would not have had to pass him and lose more time. But we will never know.

MAGNUSON - stupid move at the end costed the team points. Just dumb after a really brilliant race.

 

Bottas was ahead at the time so wasn't obliged to let him by. Vettel's race was screwed by Ferrari's ''strategy'' and not reacting to the VSC....on the VSC alone they lost 8 seconds!

Eh? Verstappen? How was it in any way his fault? Bottas hit Kimi, that's it. Racing incident regardless, but even trying to factor in Verstappen I just don't understand.

 

I agree Bottas was doing what he was supposed to be doing. But, if Kimi was there during the race Bottas might not have been as fast and may have been behind Vettel. C'est la vie. That's racing.

Bottas hit Kimi but Kimi had no where to go with Vestappen doing what looked like a pretty suicidal move on the outside. The guy least at fault was Kimi for sure aside from that he probably should have qualified better in the first place.

Actually this was a pretty good race. We asked for more passing and in this case, we got it.

I still think Ferrari will win 7 races his year. Will it be enough to take the championships? Hard to tell Bottas blowing up was BIG help today.

 

Verstappen's move was fine, not suicidal at all. Had Bottas not Hit Kimi they'd all have gone round perfectly fine.

Agreed was a great race, thoroughly enjoyed it, many battles throughout the field. Just a shame Ferrari messed up the strategy.

 

Great race. Sucky results. In to the next one

 

The race was great, but this was my favourite part of the race. Can you imagine this happening in the Bernie era? (no) Major kudos to the new F1 administration for seizing an incredible opportunity to promote the sport with familes and young fans.

Also props to Kimi for sticking around and being willing to meet the little guy, and (as said above) make this kid a lifelong F1 and Ferrari fan. So many drivers just storm off and leave the track after an early exit.

 

He's done more than just meet Kimi, Grosjean and several others got involved, interview by Sky (he's french), tour at Renault at least, French Tv interview.. Great kid, overwhelming experience.
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[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN_Ckdk-mbA[/ame]

 

Agreed. GREAT race, very close in pace between Hamilton and Vettel, it came down to strategy. Ferrari blinked first in bringing Vettel in early, Mercedes adjusted their strategy perfectly, and took maximum advantage of the VSC for Hamilton's second stop.

For those saying Hamilton can't manage tire wear and is too hard on tires, consider that he got 30 laps on the final set of softs without significant degradation - that's pretty good. After the last pit stops, that was Ferrari's only hope, that Hamilton's soft tires would degrade more than Vettel's medium tires, and it didn't happen.

I think Bottas deserves the blame for the T1 incident - Kimi was ahead, Bottas could see him, and Bottas should have stayed tighter in the corner exit.

This point should be in the Massa sucks thread... not only did Massa punt off Alonso and Vandoorne on two separate incidents, he also cost Vettel several seconds near the end as Vettel tried to chase down Hamilton. Didn't Massa hit someone else, too? A genuinely useless drive from him, being in the way and on the wrong part of the track for the entire race.

 

Inevitably, it is the meat in the three-car sandwich that gets it.

 

+1

It was a fair and square fight, and Hamilton came on top.

For me the performance of the race was Force India, completely destroying their rival team Williams.