Meanwhile uk arrivals going into quarantine hotels/home ....everything basically shut but the circus rolls on ...any bets on next driver to get Covid?
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/36306/12289277/lando-norris-assessing-the-growing-momentum-behind-a-rising-f1-star-after-a-storming-start-to-2021 Would take Lando over Russell. Russell has impulse/ego and anger issues that need help.
Any driver as good as Russell happens to be AND riding in the slowest car/team since nearly forever has a reason to develop anger and ego issues.
Not in the way he addressed Bottas. His apology said it all. He seems to have learned little. His frustration is an issue he should bring to Toto. Sorry but he was a complete idiot and public about it with his 'conspiracy' theory etc. Not at all impressive for a gent tied to Mercedes and NO longer a rookie. He has speed and has tossed points in 2 races for a team that only now has any security. He caused an expensive accident trying a pass in the wet at the wrong time. He has not matured much but has come across as entitled and a loud mouth who speaks before thinking. Norris all day over Russell at the moment.
I think the Imola Bottas-Russell incident is over-dramatised. Russell is not the first driver who has been over optimistic, caused a crash and blamed the other party I remember James Hunt doing it, and Nelson Piquet too, with the same violent outburst. No way of knowing for sure, but probably Russell has more raw speed in him than Norris, but it's only my opinion.
Norris signs multi-year F1 contract extension with McLaren By: Luke Smith May 19, 2021, 4:20 AM Lando Norris has committed his future to McLaren by signing a new multi-year contract extension with the Formula 1 team. Image Unavailable, Please Login Norris, 21, made his F1 debut with McLaren in 2019, and has since scored two podium finishes for the team, the most recent coming at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in April. The British youngster’s McLaren contract was due to expire at the end of the year, but the team announced on Wednesday ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix that a new multi-year deal had been secured. The deal will see Norris remain with McLaren for “2022 and beyond”, firming up the team’s line-up for the next two seasons. Norris was joined by seven-time grand prix winner Daniel Ricciardo for the 2021 season, with the Australian’s contract running to the end of the 2023 campaign. “I’m really pleased to have extended my relationship with McLaren from 2022,” said Norris. “Having been with the team for almost five years, I feel very much part of the family here and I couldn’t imagine starting the next phase of my career anywhere else. McLaren has been a huge support since my days in junior series and I’ve really enjoyed learning and developing as a driver since. https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/norris-signs-multi-year-f1-contract-extension-with-mclaren/6511221/
Lando and Chuck on long term contracts. Mac V Ferrari, always my favourite battle. Let’s hope the 2022 cars from both are strong.
McLaren's "special" F1 driving style is what's hurting Ricciardo By: Jonathan Noble Co-author: Adam Cooper May 26, 2021, 4:41 AM Daniel Ricciardo’s adaption to McLaren is not being helped by its 2021 Formula 1 car needing a "special" driving style, says team boss Andreas Seidl. https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/mclarens-special-driving-style-is-whats-hurting-ricciardo/6515806/ Ricciardo has had a difficult start to his McLaren career, as he has found himself struggling to match the pace of teammate Lando Norris. He has lacked confidence in the car, especially under braking, and has had trouble extracting maximum performance in qualifying. Last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix was especially difficult as he was knocked out in Q2, and then found himself lapped by Norris in the race. Seidl says McLaren is doing everything it can to try to help Ricciardo, but suggests the root of the problem is that the 2021 MCL35M does not require a normal style of driving. Image Unavailable, Please Login Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images “I think if you look back since the beginning of the season, we have made good steps forward with him,” said Seidl. “But in order to drive our car fast at the moment, you need a special driving style which is not natural for Daniel. That's why it's not so easy for him to get the laps in and extract the performance. “We simply have to keep working together now as one team: stay calm, keep analysing, and keep learning. “And then there are two things, which is him further adapting to our car. Because obviously, he sees that the potential is there, which is I think the positive thing for him to see that, and then we can pull it off. “Then, at the same time, we will look at the team side as well and what we can do in order to help him on the car side, to give him back his natural feeling which you need to go fast.” Ricciardo suggested after the Monaco Grand Prix that he could see where Norris was being quicker than him, but was struggling to be able to match what his teammate could do. “There's differences on the data and this is why Lando's quicker in that corner and I see that, but I'm not convinced I'm able to do that,” he said. “But we'll see. Maybe it's still a bit of me trying to get used to the car, but I'm sure they'll check everything as well. As you say, when it's that far off, it's a bit tough.” But Ricciardo was also mindful about the dangers of trying to overanalyse the situation – and suggested it could be better to switch off for a while. “I'm obviously going to keep working at it but I feel this weekend has been so far off and so much on the back foot, part of me also wants to just switch off for a few days, otherwise it's like paralysis over analysis,” he said. “I've been there before and don't want to go back to that.”
Ricciardo is in trouble, that's the least one can say. Persisting problems of adaptation, and being lapped by a younger team mate won't help his confidence. I was hopeful that he would thrive at McLaren, but it hasn't happened ... yet. Lando Norris gets the limelight instead.
I have more faith with Ricci improving over Vettel in time as the season moves. Of course I could be very wrong lol
Yes, McLaren was a better choice for Ricciardo than Ferrari—not that it was his choice necessarily—as the pressure at McLaren is much less. Lando is performing very well this season.
Not sure I buy the excuses. Ricci isn’t the only old generation driver who is struggling in a new car. Alonso and Vettel are in the same situation. It seems that the new generation drivers are just more adaptable. No idea why, but it seems fairly clear that that is the case. Look at Sainz. He has moved from TR to McLaren to Ferrari and been able to adapt and perform in all of them. Perhaps Ricci just isn’t all that great? Who knows, too early to tell, but if this situation hasn’t improved by September then I don’t see how he can keep blaming the car. Either way, if I were McLaren, I would want to consider making any driver changes for 2022. Next years cars will be completely different to anything currently on the grid and it’s basically a reset for the entire grid.
Ricci is not the driver he was even 3 years ago. Vettel is not the driver he was 2 years ago. Alonso is not the driver he was 3 years ago. It is sad watching father time tick-tock the years into history.
Size comparison between MCL35M (2021) - MP4-23 (2008) Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
