FORMULA 1 VTB RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX 2019: RACE ▄▀▄▀ SPOILERS ▀▄▀▄

My guess is LeClerc would have been faster than Vettel after the swap, following Vettel didn't help his speed. We saw that later following Bottas.

 

he was around 4 seconds back and didn't get any closer...

 

This is just stupid, teams are alowed to talk, drivers can express their views, remenber, some years ago we could not listen to radio talks, so everything was fine and no was was crying...simply because we couldn't listen to them!
SEb was right because regardless of what he agreed, the best thing for the team was to get away from the mercs, and then, sort it out amongst them selves. Charles was right because he kept to the plan and Se was changing the plan, so he wanted to clarify things. Ferrari was also right, they realized they could not force seb, and that was not a good idea to make him lose time since Elton was so close, so they let them go and made verything right again at the stops. This is it, drivers did ok, Ferrari did ok, the only thing they did wrong was the ****ing part that failed on sebs car! There was no genious from mercedes, no amazing drive from elton, no super strategy by Toto, just random luck and a more reliable car, that was it, please stop making what happened into a drama! We already have the stupid press to do it.

 

Later in the race, and I guess he was told to slow down. He wasn't going to get past. I don't understand how the slipstream on the opening lap worked (as it does on the really fast circuits) and why following another car in dirty air makes overtaking difficult if not impossible.

 

I think it really was simply a case of Vettel getting a fantastic start.

Vettel was just mega yesterday, right till his car failed. I remain of the opinion that I find it bizarre that Ferrari had (according to Leclerc) an agreement that Leclerc would be given the lead that early in the race no matter what. Doesn't make any sense.

 

+1 agree

 

And yes, Vettel made a fantastic start. But radio conversation between LeClerc and the pits said Vettel would give the place back, and Vettel said its better to wait until a bigger lead is built up, and we saw at the tyre change, LeClerc was given the lead. I believe LeClerc based on what I saw.

 

I'm not understanding all the drama.

The possible agreement (which is ridiculous per se) seemed to be honored. LEC gave the tow, didn't defended, lost the position, and the swap was done in the pits.
I feel like Vettel outdrove the car a bit, and his MGU-K, although not related, was bad luck.
But definitively LEC didn't had the pace to beat VET or catch HAM.
SF timing on the stops was terrible.

"Bad" race for Lec, but hey, it's F1.

 

+1 spot on. Mercedes lucked out with the safety car period and it gifted them the win. Ferrari gave up Leclerc's 2nd place with a futile pit stop.

 

There is an argument to say that the more durable medium tyres would have been better for Leclerc than bringing him in for softs that not only gave away second place but also went off more easily in pursuit of Bottas. Overall not ferrari strategists and managements best day. In fact, a complete shambles.

 

It's in the past.....

NEXT.........

 

Unless F woke up and he's the nr. 1 driver, which makes sense.
CL didn't defend because most likely SV wasn't supposed to pass him.
F enforced the orders anyway by holding SV out to ensure CL passed him.

I'd prefer they let them race, but if they're going to have team orders
they should def benefit the faster guy.

 

Yes and I do take better one's than Ferrari's current 'management' LOL

 

https://www.planetf1.com/features/italian-press-reaction-high-tension-building-at-ferrari/

 

H-Mut take Vettel back. Then he and Max can add to your carbon-fibre bill lol

'Vettel has no Ferrari future'
Sebastian Vettel has "no future at Ferrari anymore" after they "sacrificed" him at the Russian GP, according to Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko.

Vettel was leading the race after passing Charles Leclerc at the start and refusing to swap back positions, but was then kept out on his first stint to allow his team-mate to undercut him. Vettel then retired with an engine issue.

"Ferrari has managed to not win with the fastest car," Marko told Auto Bild.

"And although he was the fastest man, they sacrificed Sebastian. He has no future at Ferrari anymore."

 

Agree or disagree with the strategy, it has nothing to do with why Ferrari did not win yesterday.

Without the motor failure, Ferrari finishes 1-2.

I find it amusing that the Sky sports commentators made such a huge deal about the switching strategy, including trying to create controversy by questioning the drivers about it after the race. I truly feel that their constant attention to this is why most people are thinking this is such a big deal.

The last race, Bottas was actually told over his radio to slow down his driving so that Hamilton would come out of the pits ahead of him. This was mentioned in passing. Was not constantly hammered on, and the drivers were not questioned after the race about it.

Very interesting how people's ideas of levels of importance are swayed by the commentators. Sound familiar???

Kevin

 

Except Ferrari has struggled on the MED this year. ALL year. I think it was a toss-up that Leclerc on MED could hold off Bottas on SOFT or Leclerc on new SOFT could get past Bottas on SOFT and possibly make a run on Hamilton.

 

Has it been verified that Vettel was running 'quali' modes and therefore possibly had an impact in the MGU-K failure?

 

The slow guy? Last I checked, he got off to such a terrific start, he was getting by whether LeClerc wanted him to or not. After that, he was back in Red Bull form putting in fast lap after fast lap, building a lead on LeClerc.

Meanwhile, Charles couldn't even get past Bottas....

Tears? He's finished 3rd, 4th, 2nd, 2nd from 2015-2018 in Standings. He had the most wins last year at 5 behind Lewis.

What point does placing SF over driver remind you Ferrari's team strategy is just as much to blame as Seb's? Or that Mercedes have manged to create a perfect situation of strategy and driver chemistry to gift Lewis' victories?

Seb. has definitely under-performed for a multi-champion this year, that much highlighted by Charles, but the 2 races he's back on track, he's still scrutinized all because "I have 2 wins in my career" Charles is upset.

 

Yes, tears. Without going into sociological debates, I think it's a fact most folks don't remember 2nd place. Enzo himself would agree with me 2nd place is not okay. If you admire Vettel, don't let my *opinion* stop your love for him. I have no such loyalties to him. He has not generated a championship for Ferrari, what do I owe him as a fan? All I know is he is getting 300 million for being worse then Verstappen this year.

My disdain for him also grew in time; I approached his tenure with great enthusiasm. That turned sharply when he purposely bumped into Hamilton at Baku. Then his repeated unforced errors and shenanigans were ultimately made even more egregious with Leclerc's arrival.

Vettel is broken. Do I hope I am wrong? You bet. Do I want him to win a championship? YES PLEASE! So strangely enough, I'm rooting for me to be wrong.

 

Since 2008 Ferrari as a team has consistently worked at ruining its driver's chances to win.
Certainly this has been difficult to stand for Vettel, with adverse results on his mental strength.
Charles is arriving with nothing to lose (yet) so it does not have the same impact on him, but if things remain the same at Ferrari I do not have great hopes for him.

 

No, but why let the truth get in the way of a good story?
I'm no expert but judging by radio messages between teams and drivers you cannot just dial it up to 11 from the cockpit.

Why not just admit that , like him or not and whatever his "wheel to wheel " limitations Sebastian is ****ing quick running in clean air at the front of a Grand Prix?
See world championships 1 through to 4.

The division of the Tifosi into two driver camps is tiresome. SF will have to work on BOTH drivers, that is called man management.
The drivers will then have to lump it, that is called being an employee under contract.

We lost the race on Sunday not through our supposedly unmanageable two drivers, not through Machiavellian scheming by Vettel on where he parked his car but through a mechanical **** up, same as lost us the win in Bahrain. Given Mercedes AMG reliability being peerless THAT is where we should be concentrating our efforts and, if you like, directing our armchair fan ire.

So, to summarise, despite some rather immature bitching from the higher paid help ( as Enzo would have viewed VET and LEC) we were on for a 1-2 Victory (again) when the ****ing MGU-K in our second placed car broke.
We need to address reliability and move on.

Forza !

 

I don't think anyone would have gotten past Bottas on that track.

We all have our favs but, who'd you put your money on?

CL can become as bad a** as Alonso.

 

I will not hide that I am an "Armchair" racer. My thoughts are worth nothing when paired to my motorsports accomplishments (nothing.) That said, The brother (and F1 driver) of one of Ferrari's most significant drivers of all time agrees with me, I think my views have a bit more credibility.

"If this continues, I would not be so sure that Ferrari keeps him. He now has to dominate his team-mate Charles Leclerc for the remainder of the season. If he cannot do that, I believe he will be gone."

-Ralf Schumacher

I'm sure, many still disagree with us, that's fine. I respect it, this is all fun. As I said, it would bring me nothing but joy to see Vettel "dominate."

The only words you will see me utter here is "It's about time!"

 

+1

+2

Like you Paul and Sid, I've owned multiple Ferrari's and have skin in the game so to speak. Does nothign to temper my disdain for the mentally fragile Vettel. His best years at Red Bull were in the fastest car where he qualified at the front, got out in clean air to maintain/take the lead by Turn 1/2 and then stay out of DRS until the finish line. Charles is the better driver and should be favored as such. Were there no pre-race team orders, I doubt Charles would have given Vettel enough slipstream to take the lead.

Mercedes and Hamilton were the fortunate beneficiares of opportunistic tire strategy starting with the mediums and being gifted the Safety Car.