FORMULA 1 VTB RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX 2021 - Sochi...RACE...▄▀▄▀▄▀ SPOILERS▄▀▄▀▄▀

Actually, I think, Ferrari’s only choices were to keep him out until (if) the graining cleared up or pit him to save track position, which is what they did. I suspect he didn’t have the pace to really keep up with Lando and Lando was just biding his time so would not have fallen for the undercut threat.

 

I think and posted yesterday we are seeing his 'decline'. Its in front of us with pressure as well and mistakes not normally seen in such number. Yes George is important and the singular focus of that is I think short sighted. Who next after LH to be on the team with George? Equally as critical assuming the new car is competitive.

 

Max said post-race that had they pitted even one lap earlier they would have damaged the inters, so not an easy call. Basically, like Lando, they gambled that the rain worked subside. Wrong bet, that’s all.

 

I tend to say this more about luck or not ..

 

fred schooling LH in Hungary in a car over 2 seconds a lap slower showed me lots about both of them. LH had an easy time passing everyone but Fred.

 

True!!! But so sad that a lot of Ferrari fans do not recognize his talent; since he is not "Saviour" Leclerc......

 

IMHO the best achieved result given the starting conditions was for Max - yes he loses the championship lead, but finishing second in a race where the only reasonable expectation was damage limitation (following the penalty for engine change) was beyond all hopes...
Tough lesson for Norris, who did not really deserve such a punishment.

 

Gutted for Norris, Sainz continues to prove he is very worthy of his Ferrari seat, Verstappen and Red Bull do some excellent damage control, and Hamilton wakes up for an upset and a 100th win. It was a shockingly entertaining race in Russia.

 

People recognize he is a good driver, many just don't agree when you start claiming he is on Lec's level, he is not.

 

True.

And given the extreme luck (and race control favouritism) Ham has this season I'd say it's only fair Max get's some in return.

 

And I take that gamble as a positive: Lando and Charles bet on themselves. That’s the bet we went our best drivers to make. No shame in that.

 

And Fred twisted the knife in his post-race interview, saying to all that Lewis should have easily passed the Alpine, but kept making small mistakes over and over again.

 

+1

Going for the win, not a s——y 3rd or 4th.

 

I’ll caveat this: my reaction is based on the snippets of audio I’ve heard. There may be more to it than what I’ve heard - and so I could very well be wrong.

I don’t think they were sheepish, I think they were indecisive and damaging to Lando’s race. They have weather radar. They can see the entire track. Telling a driver who is wrestling the car around a slippery track while trying to maintain first place “it’s slippery out there, cars are going off” does absolutely nothing. This is at best information he already has, at worst a distraction. It is useless noise on the radio.

Ron Denis would have given the driver an instruction (“box now” or “box next lap”) and not engaged him with the sort of verbose update that works well mid-race with a comfortable lead.

When the driver is going 10/10ths they don’t really have time or space to process. The pit wall has to know this and act accordingly.

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Charles drove a great race today...i think it was his decidon to stay out, not sure, if so it was his mistake, but untill then he was superb as ever.
Carlos did kinda what i expected, at one point he was risking to finish behind Charles, so not that great! He was very far from Lando, maybe teh strategy wasn''t the best, but he was pretty good in qualy yesterday, he picked a lot of points but again, more thanks to circunstances than pure pace.

 

yap, kinda sucks, they should have pited them both, not sure if Charles wanted to enter or stay out)..Ferrari hasn't had the luck on his side this year, but still solid progress...Charles did a good revovery before the rain...

 

OHHH, i loved how Stroller ramed aseb...he's useless....

 

Fun race.......it rains on the just, and the unjust.....

 

I read where Binotto said that whereas in wet-to-dry situations the pitwall decided based on lap times, for dry-to-rain they leave to the driver. And since Charles was comfortable and had a decent pace they left it up to him but they should have brought him in knowing how hard it was raining on some parts of the track.

 

Gutted for Lando. Those are my only thoughts about that race.

 

The team should FINE Norris. Ignoring team orders cost them a race.