FORMULA 1 JOHNNIE WALKER BELGIAN GRAND PRIX 2019: RACE *** SPOILERS ***

Charles has only 34 gps under his belts and looks what he has achieved this year so far with the third car in race pace !
And against a four time world champions.

Vettel is not over, fact is this car doesn't suit his driving style but we all know with more experience Leclerc will be untouchable ( even for verstappen)

 

Also interesting to note at the start Hamilton actually forced Seb off the track, if Seb had not moved into the run off area they would have hit

 

Well deserved first victory for Leclerc. He raced flawlessly and didnt collapse under pressure when Hamilton was gaining on him towards the end. Hamilton and Bottas got by Vettel which itself is a small victory. Seb did good as a #2 driver slowing down Hamilton just enough. Ive said from the beginning Ferrari should let its two drivers compete without favoritism. Going forward Id like Leclerc to get the benefit of 50-50 decisions, hes proven he can capitalize. Which makes Seb a very expensive #2 driver for Ferrari. Albon or Norris would be just as good as Ferrari's #2 at a far cheaper price. Albon looked great in the 2nd half of the race and Norris was money until his power unit failed at the bitter end. Max was being Max, he knew he was in Kimi's blindspot. Rookie move not befitting a driver of Max's caliber and the astounding recent success hes enjoyed.

 

Max lives up to his nickname, Vercrashen.

 

Meh, in free practice the race pace was bad, terrible, even worse than Red Bull's. I think we were quite lucky; Leclerc even needed the first 3 or 4 safety car laps to keep the tyres barely alive till the final lap.

So I'd say that 3rd and 4th was the natural result of the car and the win came just because of the good single lap performance.

 

The safety car helped for sure but the Ferrari seemed to be able to keep the softs alive (certainly in Chucks case).

 

VCR

 

As always, elbows out, whining set ready for max attack IF the stewards dared to notice and pick him up on it..... no need, they shut their eyes as usual

 

not sure that's warranted these days. Mistakes happen. Even Schumacher, hakkinen, Senna, Prost and Lauda made them occasionally.

 

Mistakes happen or shall we say lack of good judgment. It was clearly an ill thought out milli second decision at LaSource which does seem to be a repeatable in MV's portfolio.

His eagerness, blind faith or just plain arrogance will not make him world champion in the current crop of F1 cars. For this you have play the game and be in the right car. I'd say RB are 2 years away from a WDC challenger and his best bet is to hone his undoubted skill, but driving like that is not the mark of a F! WDC, pretty much every race he is in a skirmish with someone.

Vettel is a victim of crap tyres and bolted onto a car that cannot make them work or last the distance. The SF cars were quick but so is a cheetah over a short distance.

Sf were lucky to win and thought they would take this one many weeks ago, good chance at Monza too. I bet LH would have got CL had he needed the extra points to win the WD title, he couldn't risk it, so points in the bag was the best and smartest decision.

CL is definitely the future and great to see a polite, confident and rising star take his first win.

 

True, but Max's driving style seemed to have improved, he seemed to have matured, but his drive yesterday was clearly a rookie screw up. Pity he destroyed Kimi's race, which was disappointing.

 

I don't think max was very arrogant at all...he for sure didn't put the blame in Kimi's shoes when he was interviewed. He braked a bit too late and it didn't work out. Hardly worth bringing back the ''vercrashen'' moniker.

It was a shame Kimi's race was destroyed as he was mighty yesterday...

 

All that said...looks like Red Bull made the right choice dumping Gasly in favour of Albon!

 

Everyone can make a mistake, no matter how well they have developed I guess. I’m just glad it wasn’t a ferrari he took out!


Forza Ferrari..... the only racing team and car marque that matters. Italia forever It’s easier to apologise than it is to ask permission

 

Max's bigger mistake was carrying on with steering that was clearly broken and then almost taking out Raikonnen who was at racing speed.

 

I had been slowly overcoming my distaste for Max. Yes, Kimi had a potentially very good day in store.

 

I'm not quite sure what he was meant to be doing...I don't think he had the chance of moving off track without risking a big shunt with cars overtaking him left and right. He had some steering but at the bottom of eau rouge the track rod snapped. I think he was in avoiding mode but not much he could've done really. Move left/right and risk a shunt or carry on at low speed and avoid collecting anyone else. Seems the latter worked for him did it not?

 

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/mercedes-engine-deficit-red-bull/4527938/

Piss off toto, you utter wanker

 

Me too (he's done a good job in the past at that), but I hoped Kimi would have a top 6 finish, and coming last was a disappointment.

 

I was watching the race on RTL, and on the radio broadcast after the accident, Max yelled "what is he doing" or something to that effect, ie it was Kimi's fault and back to the old Max.

 

Tends to be the reaction of every driver in such a situation.

Once he was out of the car the interview he gave he didn't blame Kimi at all.

 

As you say, shame he destroyed KR race and someone else who clipped his front wheel in Eau Rouge! Not sure who that was? What was he doing in the middle of Eau rouge with cars entering at colossal speeds, one guy lost his life there for being in the wrong place at the wrong time! It could have been a repeat, thankfully for all it wasn't.

Seem to recall he immediately blamed KR on the radio, that's arrogance in my book when he knew very well he cocked up. In isolation he can be forgiven, repeatedly then he is arrogant to blame others all the time.

Just my point of view
Cheers
Tony

 

My only point from the post above is, in Max's first few years, coming on the inside was his classic trick and blamed the other driver for not giving him space. My guess is Vettel would have been world champion in at least one of those years had Max not pulled his stunt. He seems to have matured but lost it yesterday.

 

Blaming Max for Ferrari's loss of a title is quite far fetched. Look at Ferrari's and Vettel's own short comings during those seasons before blaming others.

 

OK, but when Vettel was taken out in an accident, it was not Ferrari's fault. Perhaps the car would have failed along the way, but he may have also scored points, depriving Hamilton of points and possibly winning the championship. And have we also forgotten Kvyat (the torpedo).