Formula One

[G-CPTN]

Grosjean withdraws.

"The risk of racing is too big for my recovery and my health,"

[tango15]

A wise move, probably, although I'm sure he never wanted his career to end like that. I can only imagine the flashbacks he will suffer after such an horrendous accident.

[G-CPTN]

It has been mentioned, but why didn't Grosjean run away from the barrier?
Was the fire more intense in that direction?

[tango15]

It has been mentioned, but why didn't Grosjean run away from the barrier?
Was the fire more intense in that direction?

Possibly confusion in the heat of the moment. (sorry for the pun!)

[TheGreenGoblin]

Will Mr Hamilton "take the knee" to Her Maj when he turns up to be converted into a 'Sir' as is allegedly proposed?

The sight of such a vociferous BAME literally taking the knee before a white supremacist monarch will not go down easy with the PC 'woke' brigade!

Alternatively, with Her Maj being elderly and unsteady on her pins, there might be an unfortunate accident with that heavy sword which might solve the problem...

It will be most enjoyable to hear you splutter and mutter when he is knighted bm... Remind me to gloa- tease you when it happens...

[TheGreenGoblin]

It has been mentioned, but why didn't Grosjean run away from the barrier?
Was the fire more intense in that direction?

Twenty eight seconds. That was how long it took from impact for Grosjean to escape the inferno. But the Frenchman said it felt more like 90 seconds.

In a harrowing tale, he said his first thought was to wait, but when he saw the fire, he knew he had to find a way to get out himself. But as he tried, he got stuck. “I try to go up a bit more on the right, it doesn’t work, go on the left, doesn’t work so I sit back down and thought about Niki Lauda, his accident, thought it couldn’t end like this, it couldn’t be my last race, it couldn’t finish like this, no way, so I try again,” he said. “Then there’s the less pleasant moment where my body start to relax, I’m in peace with myself and I’m going to die.

“Then I think about my kids, and I say 'no they cannot lose their Dad today'. So I don’t know why I did what I did but I decided to turn my helmet on the left hand side and to go up like this and try and twist my shoulder, that sort of works, but then I realise my foot is stuck in the car so I sit back down, pull as hard as I can on my left leg, the shoe stayed where my foot was but my foot came out of the shoe, and then I do it again and the shoulders are going through and the time the shoulder was through I know I’m going to jump out.”

But in doing that, he’s put both of his hands in fire and he can see the gloves starting to melt. “I feel the pain, my hands are in the fire but also I feel the relief that I am out of the car, and then I jump out, go on the barrier, feel [Dr] Ian [Roberts] pulling on my overall so I know I am not on my own anymore and there is someone with me, I land and they touch on my back so I’m like ‘I am a running fireball’.

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/arti ... 0BnvZ.html

The reason Grosjean has decided to give it up stands next to him and who can blame him (or her)?

[G-CPTN]

Buggar's muddle.

[TheGreenGoblin]

Bottas must cursing the fact that young Russell has shown his mettle so soon. Interesting situation for the future at Mercedes... Bottas is skillful but unlucky to an extent that is noticeable. Hamilton is both skillful, shows fine race craft and judgement and is lucky. Go figure!

Pity for Russell that he couldn't achieve a podium. He deserved it.

[OFSO]

Once again Mercedes snatch Failure out of the Jaws of Victory. Stupid decision to change tyres in the first place, and then they screwed that up double time.

[TheGreenGoblin]

Perez wins. Those who were last shall be first...

[G-CPTN]

Will they allow Perez (and his sponsorship money) to slip away?

[4mastacker]

It was reported that Russell was under investigation for running with the wrong tyres. How can a driver be responsible for that kind of screw-up? - perhaps Toto was getting his defence in early by stating that it was a radio failure in the garage.

[Pontius Navigator]

a radio failure in the garage.

The radio failure in the garage accounted for both cars to be called into the Pits at the same time when Wolff even said it wasn't necessary.

And a new tyre with a puncture?

[G-CPTN]

When you consider the performance of George Russell in the Mercedes W11 it highlights the difference to George's usual Williams mount.

[Pontius Navigator]

Did you hear what George said about the car? He said it was just so perfect. I bet Lewis was on tenterhooks lest he scratched it. I wonder if the two cars are both indistinguishable one from the other. George did say he was taller than Lewis and the fit was not quite right.

[1DC]

Rumours starting that Bottas will be paid off at the end of the season and George will be in his seat next year.

[TheGreenGoblin]

Bottas has been losing his mojo for a while but I would be surprised if they drop him this year. I suspect that the lineup will be the same next year but Bottas is now in that dim back office with the dull 60 Watt bulb (also known as the Aloha Lounge) and Hamilton will retire within a year, I guess. The world is now Russell's to screw up or savour, whatever his choice, and the Divine Manipulator decrees.

[Pontius Navigator]

F1 may become less interesting for some but more interesting for most when Lewis goes.

if Lewis is fit and complies with their regulations and then further for the Abu Dhabi authorities to determine their criteria. So it’s effectively two government entities that determine entry criteria.”

On arrival in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton will have to complete a 24-hour period of isolation after landing, before he can enter the paddock.

“If he meets the entry criterias of the respective governments and then further complies with the testing protocol from an FIA perspective – to test negative prior to entering the paddock – then there’s no problems from our perspective,”

To race he has to qualify being on track at 5pm Saturday but in isolation in country on Friday. I guess he can't move to Abu Dhabi until the test result latest on Friday morning. I guess with the money the test can be done as late as tomorrow night. Not the most relaxing start for a race and nerve racking for Russell

[G-CPTN]

That's interesting.

Doesn't pole usually win here?

[OFSO]

The Board of Daimler Benz have not agreed to Hamilton's demand for £40,000,000 for 2021. Given that firstly they have a good reliable driver in Bottas, and secondly George Russell's availability for signing, I would not even offer Hamilton a contract. Time for a change...