Hamilton back to Mercedes?

It is the norm. Hope for the best and then hit with harsh realities of another uncompetitive season. 2022 started nice since the car was overseen by Rory Byrne. Seems like without him, they can't do better than a red trash can.

 

I can only pray that it is true.

 

You know what would be hilarious? Is if LH focusing on the 26 car is true and it turns out to be a contender, what would the haters say then?

 

I'd say good! Charles will still be faster

But we'll never know for sure because the chances of that happening are slim to none.

 

I believe he extended until 2027, or did that change?

 

I don't think that I could withstand the hilarity? The slapstick 2025 season has me in stitches.

 

The ultra safe rear biased cars works perfectly fine. If you have a car that's significantly quicker than the competition.

 

I think the comments from Albon were during a pod cast, and he referenced that the car became so sharp that he became un settled = nervous in the car, where as Verstappen is not. I get what he's talking about. I dont know that he wants the Williams to be just as sharp, but they all want a responsive turn/rotational car so they can brake as late as possible and accelerate ASAP.... that is game. I think I understand what Hamilton means, his style is different and he needs a car that he can feel comfortable with. Ask any World Champion from any year, and the best car is one that they fit into like a glove and that they fully have confidence in.... anything else and you are slower. I don't know who all has driven a formula car - or a Shifter Kart - but if you have you know what I mean when you talk about Rotation, and sharp turn in... its mind bending, and at current F-1 levels even crazier. You are talking about G's on the body fore and aft, side to side, on top of neck etc.. all while being as smooth as possible ( which we would say is violent )... its a lot, and if you are fighting the car the whole lap, you are slow.

 

3:58 is when he talks about Verstappen and goes on to talk about the need for a less stable car to be fast.

He is saying that the edgier cars are faster than the stable ones. Lewis has said it quite a few times now that he wants a car with more and more rear end. He has proven that he can't adapt to a car that is unstable and his performance is underwhelming to say the least. Most drivers prefer the stable car as you touched on and that makes sense. The ones that can handle the edgier cars are the ones that tend to go faster. Then there is Max and he openly wants more and more front end. His preference is a car that very front biased. A car that is perfect to him is likely a car that is very edgy and unstable for the typical driver. But his way is faster.

I do believe Max has a talent that makes him faster than pretty much every other F1 driver, especially over a race distance. But I also think the way he sets up the cars to be nose heavy and can manage it (even prefers it) better than every other driver is why he is 4 or 5+ tenths faster than all of his teammates in the last 7 years. Maybe Yuki and Perez and whoever else can be within 2 or 3 tenths of Max on a good day with the same safe setup, but we know Max often runs a different setup. Even aerodynamically, we see him run a heavier loaded front winger, or a reduced downforce rear wing. His teammates can't handle it and that might account for the other 2 or 3 tenths.

 

Great drivers adjust, they are fast in any car--notably Max and Alonso.