Lots of interesting things next year : Checo Vettel Ricciardo. At least we will have topics of discussion because the trio Mercedes Hamilton Bottas will undoubtedly replay us the same score.
I respect your opinion, but I just dont get why you try to compare drivers of different eras with completely different cars of different eras. If you look at Bottas entry in F! then he was equal to his team mate in 2013 and much the same in the Williams 2014- 16 cars with Massa. The important thing is, they were in the same car so a better comparison can be made - in my humble opinion he is a great support driver for the No 1. If LH had a stronger teammate he would not have won so much. Best Regards Tony
........AND the MB/LIBERTY/FIA consortium will continue to make sure that LH44 gets handed another "Championship".
It's unfair on Massa comparing him with Bottas following his skull fracture - Felipe was never quite the same afterwards but soldiered on regardless. Kudos to him
Comparing records across different eras is not without problems, granted. But it is the only thing we have. Agreed on that and I said as much. Bottas is the perfect #2 for Merc: He doesn't create drama in the team (remember Prost vs Senna and Williams won?) but is fast and consistent enough to secure their WCC. Yes, if he was stronger Lewis would have been challenged more, see the Rosberg WDC. My point is that Bottas is still a very fast driver and not the useless guy some on here claim him to be.
Indeed. Bottas and Massa on Williams were pretty much even, but Massa got impaired for life after that crash.
Actually I did not mention Massa in my comparison with Bottas simply because he was actually more successful than Bottas (so far). So given all the team mates MS had, Massa might have been the best. That said, my comparison only looks at absolute results and thus is flawed. A better approach would be a results based comparison for each year: Massa's record looks so good in part because when he drove with/against MS he sat in the mighty Ferrari whereas guys like Lehto sat in inferior material and for a shorter period of time, so no wonder they were not able to gather much accolades.
Yes, that occured to me later on. Then again I'm too lazy to dig out the individual records and make a thorough analysis. I bet if somebody did, Bottas would still look very good.
Ah yes, the prince of destruction. Spectacular and much loved but in the end less successful than his son. Results matter. To arrive first, first you have to arrive.
Very possible. This is from my leaking memory, so forgive me. Has been a while since I watched those races. The point remains the same: You don't really want two top drivers in the same team if you don't need to. It's great for the fans and the races but it could end in tears. Merc are more calculating and hedging their bets.
Bottas is a quick enough test driver / qualifier. Wheel to wheel racing he's rubbish. Toto was his manager and perfect fit for Lewis. VB is no Rosberg or Button
I would say it all depends on the level of competition. The Hamilton-Bottas combination is valid from the moment the car has a sufficient margin. In case of tighter competition the second driver risks losing many points to the team because he will no longer finish second but fourth or fifth. In addition he will be systematically excluded from the victory because unable to participate in a global strategy of the team.
You are right, there are like chalk and cheese. Gilles Villeneuve was a showman looking for instant gratification, often regardless of the outcome. He used to thrill the crowd by his antics, and trashed cars even if it meant breaking them needlessly. Collecting points for a championship was anathema to Villeneuve who never looked further than the next corner Bottas on the other hand is a good driver who looks after his car and races reasonably well. He is also a team player who sees the big picture and waits for his opportunity. Bottas understand tactics and team strategy, and what it takes to build a successful career.
Fully agreed. In a sense that's what's happening to RB: Albon was never close enough to carry the points for the team. Perez will do a better job while maintaining the peace in the team.
You might want to put on your fire retardant suit. What you are saying is the truth though. Gilles was a complex and to a degree flawed man. I read a quasi biography about him, he had several issues. I wouldn't call him a showman (if anything, he was a bit the opposite, being shy and all) but he was what the French call a cascadeur, a stunt man if you like. I remember his helicopter duel with Pironi over the roofs of Monaco: Who would be the chicken to land first vs who has the nerves of steel watching the fuel gauge approach zero. And that says it all about his driving style.
Fixed it for you. Damon Hill was the same. Doesn't mean you can't be successful that way. Bottas won many races. Agreed. Never said such a thing. He is a solid #2 who knows his place. As he should.
Gilles was humanly a special person. A special case among pilots. A caricature of someone without any malice. Completely outside of our current criteria. The fact is that in twenty years F1 enthusiasts will still remember him and that Bottas will have been forgotten for a long time.
The Ferrari dealership in Paris told me that in 1981 Gilles and Pironi had come to pick up their 308gtb. Immediately they made the race to Saint Tropez. On arrival both engines were rinsed and Enzo decided to sent from Maranello two new engines and a mechanic team to change them on the spot. He was rather proud of it! Other times, other manners.
Vettel is a 4 x WDC who raced wheel-to-wheel regularly with Webber. Yet to see such performances from Bottas
