Formula 1 2023

[2e1var]

At least Max has some excuse. He is his Father's son. Jos Verstappen was not someone you would want to have an argument with. Police record for violence etc.,

Agreed, nasty piece of work

[Pune]

At least Max has some excuse. He is his Father's son. Jos Verstappen was not someone you would want to have an argument with. Police record for violence etc.,

Agreed, nasty piece of work

Wife beater apparently, not a nice person.

[James Cutting]

Max couldn't be any more different to his father, if you actually listen to his interviews, post race ones too, he is nowhere near as bad he is made out to be (Sky's British Bias make him sound like a villain) but he isn't. Sure, I don't like him winning every race but he is undoubtedly the best driver the past 18 months if not longer, and that's the way it goes. The same happened with Vettel, now everyone loves him again. MV is a fantastic driver to watch, the way he throws the car round is impressive. It's very reminiscent of when Hamilton was dominating F1, too. Streets ahead of everyone. The cycle has just refreshed round to Max, and it was always going to happen.

They've designed the best car, and put the best driver in it = Wins. I think it is just more people dislike Red Bull as a team because of the cut-throat nature (I can't stand them). But with 104 wins out of 359 starts, and 5 Constructors, they know what to do, whereas Ferrari...

When a driver is on top, and is constantly winning, and is arrogant, cocky, nothing-can-stop-me attitude they're always hated. Yet, EVERY champion is like it. The mentality you have to have to stay on top - Act like you're massively confident, nobody can catch you, and you're the best, and you'll keep winning. (See Vettel, Hamilton, Schumacher etc etc).

[raptor9]

In sport, it is always each to his own. I have never liked football, been to two matches in my 81 years, but millions of people love it!. I find it boring, although I have to confess to watching England matches, only being patriotic though. Boxing you can keep. Last night I watched the English Netball team beating Tonga in the Netball World Cup in Cape Town [lovely place]. What a fast sport that is!!. Our youngest daughter places in a Senior Netball league in Bristol. What a great game to watch!!. Each to his own, thank heaven we are not all the same.

[C24]

Football? I’m guessing that you mean soccer!

Fernando Alonso: Foundations and Charity
Fernando Alonso supports the Sightsavers International foundation. It works to combat blindness in developing countries, restoring sight through specialist treatment and eye care. They also support people who are irreversibly blind by providing education, counseling, and training. He is also the goodwill ambassador for UNICEF.
In 2007, Fernando founded the Fundación Fernando Alonso, which is a foundation that aims to promote road safety.

Edited. Friday 4th
Deleted the non F1 related comment from the original post. Makes one feel like a Mod rather than a Rocker.
Thanks James

[2e1var]

Sky bias comments always make me smile, do you have any examples?
My problem with Max is the hypocrisy. He is aggressive, that's fine it's won him races but you get anywhere near him he screams like a baby. Looks at Monza '21, Max was literally cutting everyone up at the chicane apex's, we all know how that ended and of course Lewis was in the wrong. Happens all the time, or it did when he wasn't always first. I can respect his talent but his attitude stinks.

[tommc]

Max's attitude this year has mellowed immensely compared to the frantic 2021 season.

[2e1var]

Max's attitude this year has mellowed immensely compared to the frantic 2021 season.

It has but only cos nobody is challenging him. I'd say wait and see until somebody does but that could be a while.

[James Cutting]

Sky bias comments always make me smile, do you have any examples?

Sure.

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfs9hZgJ83E

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPdpi99AZxQ

Ted especially is one of the worst ones for it.

My problem with Max is the hypocrisy. He is aggressive, that's fine it's won him races but you get anywhere near him he screams like a baby. Looks at Monza '21, Max was literally cutting everyone up at the chicane apex's, we all know how that ended and of course Lewis was in the wrong. Happens all the time, or it did when he wasn't always first. I can respect his talent but his attitude stinks.

And Hamilton has never had the same attitude, always been a saint, has he?

[seven]

That's some terrible examples to use, especially as both of them are edited by people cleared biased against sky. Sky have praised reb dull many a time for what they have achieved(bought/stolen, pick the appropriate...). Ted especially deserves respect for saying it exactly how it is.
Boy wonder is also praised consistently by all the SkyF1 team, but he is also fairly criticised in the same way Hamilton was when he had his on track affair with Massa in the early 2010's. Difference is Hamilton (and Vettel as mentioned before) have matured, whereas gods gift to f1 still throws the toys out of the pram on a regular basis-qually this weekend being a lessor but fine example. Perez hasn't been publicly blaming the team for his recent qualifying results, despite their part in where it went wrong.

[James Cutting]

His qualifying "tantrum", if you will, was at the time understandable. In the heat of the moment, the adrenaline and the fact you almost lost out on Q3 of course you're going to be pee'd off, you're not going to sit there and be like "oh well, never mind". He rightly then apologised after claiming pole, but of course people in the media love to blow it up at any opportunity. Hamilton has been very similar with his engineer in the past, yet don't see that being covered do you...Or if you do call it out, it gets justified...

It's just boring the fact "he's a baby" yet the comments weren't the same when previous champions were doing exactly what Max does. I don't like him as much as the next person, but you can't tarnish him with one brush and ignore the others in the past, he just is simply the best driver and even the second car can't match what a talent he is.

[XWP29]

An important part of motor sport and F-1 (E-1) in particular is the engineering developments that translate eventually to our every day cars. Mass flow meters, Traction control, ABS, ECU, Tyre pressure management, active suspension, direct fuel injection the list go's on and on. Drivers come and go but the engineering goes on.

[C24]

An important part of motor sport and F-1 (E-1) in particular is the engineering developments that translate eventually to our every day cars. Mass flow meters, Traction control, ABS, ECU, Tyre pressure management, active suspension, direct fuel injection the list go's on and on. Drivers come and go but the engineering goes on.

. it makes me smile. There are some very beneficial engineering advantages. However, adding items that cost the purchaser money without particular benefit seem daft. Tyre pressure management? What a waste of resources.

Edited following James’ comment

The TPM on my vehicle only indicates a variation in pressure it does nothing to alter the pressure. The vehicle has to be stationary for the tyre to be inflated or deflated by hand, so to say.
The pressure of air in the tyre isn’t measured directly but estimated based on the circumference and wheel revolution. Anyway, something along those lines.
Such a system might be useful for F1 but wasted on vehicles for private use.

[James Cutting]

Really not sure your point makes any sense there...??

[Nnthusiast]

can i ask, as i truly dont know but value your opinions....

With the Red Bull overspending a couple of years ago, RB got fined including tunnel time. However did they create this car design by using the tunnel time and development monies to get a jump on all others?

I get that Max is a damn good driver, and that he has the better car....... but....... how much better is the car than in Hamiltons 'era'? Max going past people like they are standing still, then tearing off into the distance seems a little strange to me, as it happens almost every week now.
Do we think that the RB is just that much better, if so how?
I cannot get my head round just how much better the RB is, and that no team has used the opportunity to examine the RB in detail and copy its features, and under trat when it was lifted the other week.
I look forward to your answers.
Best
Dave

[James Cutting]

There were many times during Hamilton's era where he'd lap half the field, and win by huge margins like Verstappen does. The gap has closed in some races, but some of the tracks just suit the RB down to a T, and Verstappen is just driving that well. Perez is not, after binning his car several times and having poor qualifying runs, his confidence is far off of Verstappen's. 2016 was a different example where he had a team mate who matched AND bettered him. Since then, it's been "support" roles.

You've also got to think that yes, though the floor has been exposed etc, it is a major part change on any car - they would have to do simulations on it and possibly other bodywork changes to accommodate it, during an already very tight schedule with a budget cap. It's why most commonly the changes this year so far have been sidepod changes. More adapting to a similar variation of Red Bull's winning concept.

[seven]

His qualifying "tantrum", if you will, was at the time understandable. In the heat of the moment, the adrenaline and the fact you almost lost out on Q3 of course you're going to be pee'd off, you're not going to sit there and be like "oh well, never mind". He rightly then apologised after claiming pole, but of course people in the media love to blow it up at any opportunity. Hamilton has been very similar with his engineer in the past, yet don't see that being covered do you...Or if you do call it out, it gets justified...

It's just boring the fact "he's a baby" yet the comments weren't the same when previous champions were doing exactly what Max does. I don't like him as much as the next person, but you can't tarnish him with one brush and ignore the others in the past, he just is simply the best driver and even the second car can't match what a talent he is.

I did say Belgium was a lessor example, and also said other Champions mentioned have matured considerably. I don't recall Ham, MSC, Vet or Alo threatening to headbutt anyone? Or boycotting journalists (scum they maybe) that said something they didn't like (especially when it's trurle).
It's difficult to say he's the best driver, when none of the drivers who could challenge/beat him are in comparable machinery. There's a number of drivers on the grid who could do just that.

[seven]

With the Red Bull overspending a couple of years ago, RB got fined including tunnel time. However did they create this car design by using the tunnel time and development monies to get a jump on all others?

The wind tunnel penalty only came into effect at the end of June. So only applies to this year and next years cars.

I get that Max is a damn good driver, and that he has the better car....... but....... how much better is the car than in Hamiltons 'era'? Max going past people like they are standing still, then tearing off into the distance seems a little strange to me, as it happens almost every week now.
Do we think that the RB is just that much better, if so how?

It depends which Mercedes you are comparing it too. As despite what a lot of the 'haters' remember, Merc actually only dominated in 2014 and 2020, and in both years there were times when they were beatable. However there is little to no evidence that this reb dull is. Also comparing gaps at the end of races is a waste of time, as for various reasons the leaders are known to slow down to save tyre/engine life. In an age where PU settings can be dialled down to fractions of a percentage, its difficult to tell exactly how fast this reb dull is, but the best comparison would be against the MP4/4. I have no doubt this is the most dominant car since at least the F2004. Plus of course they have the advantage of having Adrian Newey on their books, who has considerable previous success with these ground effect concepts. And of course, we are working on the assumption the car is legal, and within the regulations which we have to wait till next year to find out!

[seven]

There were many times during Hamilton's era where he'd lap half the field, and win by huge margins like Verstappen does. The gap has closed in some races, but some of the tracks just suit the RB down to a T, and Verstappen is just driving that well. Perez is not, after binning his car several times and having poor qualifying runs, his confidence is far off of Verstappen's. 2016 was a different example where he had a team mate who matched AND bettered him. Since then, it's been "support" roles.

There were times Bottas finished well ahead of Hamilton too. Often forgotten that.
Some tracks so suit reb dull more than others yes, but they are also known for turning down performance once at a reasonable lead, not that thats a new thing.
Perez however isn't the entirety of his own problem. Poor timing from the team have affected the outcome as much as his performance. Then there was Austria..
2016, he shouldn't even been in the car, but thats another story. Perhaps things would be different had they treated Ricciardo better the first time around.

[2e1var]

There were many times during Hamilton's era where he'd lap half the field, and win by huge margins like Verstappen does. The gap has closed in some races, but some of the tracks just suit the RB down to a T, and Verstappen is just driving that well. Perez is not, after binning his car several times and having poor qualifying runs, his confidence is far off of Verstappen's. 2016 was a different example where he had a team mate who matched AND bettered him. Since then, it's been "support" roles.

You've also got to think that yes, though the floor has been exposed etc, it is a major part change on any car - they would have to do simulations on it and possibly other bodywork changes to accommodate it, during an already very tight schedule with a budget cap. It's why most commonly the changes this year so far have been sidepod changes. More adapting to a similar variation of Red Bull's winning concept.

I think seven responded well enough to those ridiculous videos you posted so I won't go into it further but to your point above. Lewis has won by over a minute once. Between 30s and 1 minute 3 times, 20s to 30s 7 times, 10 to 20s 21 times. That's over 16 years and 103 wins. Never quite as dominant as it felt from a margin perspective.
If you look at Max's margins this season (rounded) Bahrain 12s, Saudi 2nd, Aus 0.2s, Baku 2nd, Miami 5s, Mon, 28s, Spain 24s, Can 9s, Austria 5s, British 3.7, Hungary 33s, Spa 22s. That's only 4 races where he's literally driven off from the pack although it feels like it's been happening all season.
Regardless that RB with Max at the wheel is something special even if it is winding me right up.