Posts by graniteharbor502

Timothy Castillo6 said:Exactly.

If you have access to F1TV, you can actually watch the entire race from his onboard camera and listen to his direct team radio transmissions; after the opening lap, he simply remarked that someone had struck him from behind and inquired with the pit wall as to who the culprit was.

Timothy Castillo6 said:It would be quite fascinating to hear the entirety of the team radio from Valtteri Bottas...

But which specific portion are you referring to? Are you interested in what happened immediately following the opening lap?

Roger Wright94 said:Lewis is fighting exclusively and solely against Max.
His primary objective in these recent races seems to be staying ahead of Max rather than simply taking the win. While winning would certainly be a luxury, isn't it far more vital that Max doesn't beat you?

If Sergio Perez had overtaken him at the start, it would have been unpleasant, certainly, yet perhaps manageable—even solvable.
However, seeing Max take the victory is a much harder pill to swallow.
Hypothetically speaking, if the finishing order had resulted in P1 Perez P2 Lewis P3 Max, the points gap for Max would have been only 6, whereas today it sits at 19. Is that not a truly dramatic difference?
In terms of where the issues lay at the start, Perez represented perhaps 2% of the problem, while Max accounted for 98%.

Mercedes-AMG Petronas performed brilliantly in qualifying and secured an ideal starting position for the race.
Yet, I am left with the impression that a day or two later, their focus during the start shifted more toward Lewis and less toward managing Max.

Had he lost his position to Perez, the loss of points would have been even more devastating. 😉
Because if Max had managed to slice past Lewis, Perez would have subsequently fallen behind Max. In such a scenario, Red Bull Racing would have secured a 1-2 finish, leaving Lewis at an even greater deficit.

It is quite easy for those of us watching from the comfort of our armchairs to lecture them on how Mercedes-AMG Petronas should have handled things this way or that. If they had acted differently, perhaps the point deficit wouldn't be so significant. We must remember that agreements made between teammates regarding track positioning and cooperation can often fall apart; one need only recall Ferrari's attempts at towing during the Monza Massa-Alonso era. There are immense speeds at play here, along with countless other unpredictable factors.

Suppose, for instance, that Valtteri Bottas had started better than Lewis Hamilton, creating a situation similar to 2019 where he was being blocked in a manner reminiscent of how Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton interacted back then; in that case, Lewis would be forced to contend with Max. And what if Max refuses to yield? You end up with a collision. Such a thing would be disastrous for Lewis, given his current standing in the championship.

And what is most regrettable is that Max Verstappen's sheer brilliance in emerging victorious from a three-way battle is now relegated to the background. This start was arguably the most exhilarating opening of the entire season.

Jason Campbell70 said:Exactly.

If only Valtteri Bottas and the Mercedes team had simply executed the same strategy that those two Ferraris deployed for Lewis Hamilton during that final race in Mexico City back in 2019. Wouldn't that have changed everything? One can't help but wonder if a bit more tactical decisiveness from the Mercedes garage might have yielded a different result, much like the way Ferrari managed to set the stage for Hamilton during that intense showdown. It really makes you contemplate what might have been, doesn't it?

It is certainly an intriguing comparison to consider, though I find myself wondering if the actual situation isn't fundamentally different from what we are looking at here?


Lewis Hamilton nearly pulled alongside Valtteri Bottas, while Charles Leclerc—recalling his performance from 2019 when he held that top spot—managed an even more impressive start, successfully pulling away from Sebastian Vettel, who was subsequently forced to fall into his wake. I find myself wondering, quite often, if we truly grasp the sheer weight of the silence that follows a sudden departure, much like when one considers the quietude after a massive storm rolls through the Midwest. Is it possible that our modern discourse lacks the necessary gravity to address the profound shifts occurring within our institutions? I often sit by my window, watching the slow movement of traffic on the interstate, reflecting on whether we are merely drifting through these changes without a compass. One must ask oneself, does anyone else feel this lingering sense of uncertainty, or am I simply lost in my own contemplation of these vast, unfolding complexities?Even now, Lewis finds himself staring down two different Red Bull Racing cars in his rearview mirror, facing the constant threat of someone lunging down the inside to snatch a position. He actually admitted as much during his post-race remarks, noting how precarious the situation felt. "But obviously I was alongside him, which was good," he explained, "And then I was just covering my side of the track, trying to make sure no one could come up the inside so I was trying to keep whichever Red Bull in my mirror behind." It makes one wonder, doesn't it, how much mental energy is drained simply by defending those lines against such aggressive pressure?

Raymond Anderson4 said:Well, Max actually managed to brake late yesterday simply because he was positioned right on the racing line!

He mentioned it during the press conference, and he reiterated it after the race concluded, noting that a racing line had opened up for him—one that possessed all the rubber and necessary grip.

In that case, why don't they just leave the inside lane open for him next time? He’ll likely breeze right past them again anyway.😁
It is quite evident that at certain tracks, there is an overwhelming advantage to starting in the slipstream. It was exactly the same situation back in the US. You simply cannot block him; he will find a way through because the track width is just too generous.

Roger Wright94 said:What do you mean by aggressive lunging or forcing someone off?
My commentary was focused solely and exclusively on my own racing line. Nothing else at all.
Naturally, one cannot simply allow a car on the outside to squeeze back into alignment with oneself; one ought to maintain a lead of at least a quarter or perhaps a third of a car length.
Given that the first corner is a right-hander followed immediately by a left-hander, the ideal trajectory involves drifting wide in that first turn to better position oneself against the inner edge of the second curve.

But to achieve that, one would need to be comfortably ahead of Max Verstappen. According to the telemetry data, Verstappen was braking fifteen meters later than both Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton. It hardly matters how perfectly Bottas maintains his line if Max Verstappen is already established ahead of him before they even reach the apex:


Furthermore, one can observe that Lewis Hamilton held a slight advantage over Bottas, so why then did he not concede the space on the right to push Max Verstappen wider? 🤷
And what I find most essential to emphasize is that we are discussing the very first corner following the start of the race; the tires and brakes haven't even reached their optimal operating temperatures yet, and the drivers themselves are still gauging exactly how early or late they can brake or enter a turn. They are essentially driving purely on instinct. And in those moments, Max Verstappen is truly peerless.

Richard Walker38 said:Therein lies the perfect illustration of how Max conducts himself when he finds himself squeezed in the middle of that second grouping. Have you noticed how much harder he was braking than Valtteri Bottas yesterday, or how he widened his line just enough to shield himself from the Mercedes before eventually sweeping around the outside to overtake the Ferrari?

Indeed, but that is simply who Max is; he possesses both the knowledge and the sheer skill to pull it off.😁
If you look closely, you will see that absolutely no one could best him as he charged into that first turn in Mexico City.

Some individual has put together an absolutely stellar video demonstrating how Max Verstappen is picking up every single two-tone shade whether he's looking at the inside, the middle, or the outside during the Mexico City race, which really makes any further debates about whether they could have stopped him—fairly speaking, of course—seem quite redundant, don't you think?
https://streamable.com/af4ijs

Richard Walker38 said:Valtteri Bottas was braking incredibly early—far earlier than he really needed to. That’s why he brings up Max; if Max had been in the exact same spot Bottas was, he would have braked much later and defended his line by squeezing the other car from the outside, effectively maintaining the advantage of being on the outer edge of the corner.

Perhaps Bottas simply lost his nerve during the collision, or perhaps he has grown indifferent toward Lewis and Mercedes, choosing to undermine them as the season draws to a close—who can truly say? Personally, I find myself leaning toward that second possibility.
It has happened several times already this season; ever since the announcement that he is leaving the team, he seems to have yielded positions to Max Verstappen without any real fight, even when he was being urged over the radio.

Those Instagram jabs directed at Mercedes, involving all that engine debris, along with the way he reacted while watching the crash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton on the screen behind him, seem to speak volumes about his current mindset.

While we might be able to question what was driving Bottas in that moment, the undeniable fact remains that Lewis Hamilton also braked early.
I will show this image once more, illustrating the situation on the track immediately before the braking zone:


The most crucial element of this entire scenario is that since Hamilton secured pole position, he should have been the one dictating the pace and the strategy entirely.

Roger Wright94 said:Bottas had the perfect setup to block him. Absolutely perfect!

When Max's tire is overlapping his rear wheel or pressing right up against his front—especially when he holds that inside line—you simply cannot lift off the throttle. You maintain your line as aggressively as necessary, even if it means drifting wide, because you refuse to let Max through; he shouldn't be able to pass unless he goes completely off-track. And what is this talk about "black braking"!?😵

Let us consider a hypothetical scenario for a moment, shall we? If Max had been placed in a Bottas-like position, who could have possibly overtaken him there? Truly, nobody. Not even theoretically. Not even Lewis Hamilton could have managed it.

From a positional standpoint, Mercedes held the ideal advantage heading into that first corner. With Lewis positioned on the inside, Bottas acting as a buffer, and Max following behind, they had everything under control until the braking phase. And then, quite suddenly, everything just fell apart.

To my mind, this represents a brutal driving error. It is simply unacceptable, especially considering the delicate situation the team and his own teammate are currently navigating.
No matter how much Toto Wolff might have spoken to or prepared his drivers before the race, it is painfully obvious that it wasn't nearly enough.

How exactly do you think the FIA or the wider racing community would react if Bottas had intentionally lunged at Max just to force him out of the race?
Does it really serve any logical purpose for Bottas to make such an unsportsmanlike move, particularly when it carries the risk of knocking himself out of the race in that very first corner? 🤷
Everything falls into ruin if we begin to expect that drivers in Formula 1 will stop racing and instead start deliberately crashing into one another...

One cannot reasonably expect Bottas to go out and win a championship on behalf of Lewis. Let Lewis show us what he is truly capable of on his own merit.

Sam Clark75 said:This really feels like a recurring theme throughout this season whenever Lujo finds himself stuck behind Norris, leaving him with absolutely no way to make a move. Or perhaps one must wonder if Lujo and Bottas are simply being far too timid to deal with a young kid or perhaps even dealing with the unpredictable nature of Ricco’s setup—though both theories remain equally plausible. If we consider the alternative scenario, where a driver is forced to squeeze the gap to stay close, they might find themselves too compromised by dirty air to actually execute an overtake. In such a case, Sergio Perez would likely have spent the final laps trailing Lujo all the way to the outskirts of town without ever managing to pass him.

As we approach the end of the season, I find myself wondering how fascinating it would be to conduct a formal analysis regarding how many overtakes actually occurred during the closing stages of these races. Without having the hard data in front of me, my personal impression of the season has been that track position is largely decided right at the starting lights; after that, the ultimate result seems to hinge primarily on strategy, weather conditions, and pit stop execution, along with any inevitable errors that occur in those moments. Even in those high-stakes thrillers where everyone is chasing until the checkered flag, there often isn't much passing left to do. The one exception that comes to mind is Bahrain, where Max Verstappen managed to overtake Lujo toward the end, though he subsequently had to relinquish that position, and a second attempt simply wouldn't materialize.

It was Lewis Hamilton who overtook Max Verstappen on the track itself during the race in Spain, whereas Max Verstappen was the one to overtake Lewis Hamilton in France.

Raymond Anderson4 said:Bottas went straight through to the first corner, so he could have easily veered to the left before Max arrived on his tail; instead, Bottas just let Max slip past without a fight. He could have at least closed the door, forcing Max to try the right side or something else entirely. Anything would have been preferable to what actually transpired here.
Even Max himself noted that he found the optimal racing line, which allowed him to brake much later. Had Max been positioned further to the right, he wouldn't have had that braking advantage, and given the angle of attack, Lewis Hamilton likely would have emerged in the lead after the first three corners.

How exactly is one supposed to close the door on a track that wide? 🤷


If Bottas had moved to the right, Max would have simply squeezed into the gap between them, creating a situation where Mercedes would be risking a collision between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton—a risk that arguably favors Max, considering his standing in the championship.

Raymond Anderson4 said:Toto Wolff claims that the situation involving Max Verstappen, where he was granted access to the outside line, simply should never have unfolded like that.

And honestly, I find myself agreeing with him; wasn't Max actually the most dangerous element in that specific moment, given that if they had successfully shut him out, they would have essentially secured a 1-2 finish for themselves?
Ideally, Bottas should have been guarding the outside line while Lewis Hamilton maintained his position on the inside, leaving Max with absolutely nowhere to maneuver.
Instead, what we saw was Bottas being left hanging out to dry—though, if we are being perfectly honest, he bears some responsibility himself for allowing himself to be caught in such a squeeze.

It strikes me, almost as an afterthought, that perhaps they had coordinated this entire formation prior to the race, with Bottas holding the flank and Hamilton positioned on the inside, intended to let Lewis slip through to take the lead; did they perhaps fear Max Verstappen would dive down the inside, leading them to leave that outer space open as a precaution? It seems they never anticipated that someone would simply bypass them so decisively during the turn entry, especially when Lewis Hamilton was already providing commentary after the first lap about the urgent need to address their braking issues.

I find myself sitting here, rewatching these recent interviews, and I am honestly struck by a sense of disbelief at how Lewis Hamilton chooses to disparage Perez. He even had the audacity to laugh it off, remarking, "when you realize someone like Sergio is actually putting pressure on you, that's when you know the car is truly elite." It feels entirely unnecessary, doesn't it? To me, it strikes a rather low note. One would hope for more grace—to rise above the fray even in the face of defeat 👎

Richard Walker38 said:I wouldn't exactly characterize that as a blatant collision, would I? There was a bit of a lock-up, and it seems like Valtteri Bottas cut him off slightly in his line. The contact was incredibly minimal, and honestly, it appears Bottas was still pushing at full throttle during that exact moment, which likely caused him to lose traction and experience some wheel spin.

He got tossed out from the rear. Historically, instances like this have resulted in shared penalties, haven't they?

Max Verstappen continues to be absolutely flawless, performing with the same impeccable consistency we have witnessed throughout this entire season.
Kimi once again demonstrated truly phenomenal race pace; it really is such a shame that he isn't currently behind the wheel of a more competitive car.

I find myself wondering, why on earth was Daniel Ricciardo not penalized for that collision with Valtteri Bottas?

ruggedhawk20 said:Is it really such an immense struggle for our beloved President to include the race schedule right there in the opening post? Must the dear President truly force us to hunt through an entire Iliad of posts just to find it?

Perhaps we should issue Alan a gentle warning before he faces being banned—remind him not to draft these introductions without including the fundamental details, such as the schedule itself.

Well, if you look at the very last image in the first post, the schedule is actually tucked away down there at the end. Still, I do hope that Alan might consider honoring the community's desire to have the schedule placed in a much more prominent location—and perhaps in a much more readable format—moving forward.

Let us move along quickly now; what kind of absolute wreckage should we anticipate seeing at Turn 1, and who are the primary actors involved?

A four-car collision at Turn 1 involving: Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas, Max Verstappen, and Lewis Hamilton.

ruggedhawk20 said:The schedule!!!

Have you lost your mind? You were already given the schedule yesterday.

The race starts at 8 PM.

I find myself predicting a bit of chaos at Turn 1, where I suspect the primary protagonists in the ensuing scramble will be the drivers from Mercedes-Benz and Red Bull Racing.

As for the notion that the track belongs entirely to Red Bull Racing 🤣