crimsonstag84 said:Perhaps he was being overly cautious with his tire preservation, which might have cost him some pace on those softer compounds? In my estimation, if he had started on the super softs and then switched back to them later, he should have been able to burn through them for about 10 or 11 laps, build up a gap of more than 10 seconds, and pull right up to the back of Sebastian Vettel's gearbox. I truly doubt he wouldn't have secured the win if it weren't for that spin... 😢
Exactly, that’s precisely what I was thinking, though I find it hard to believe he could have built such a massive lead. Aside from those first 15 laps—which is just classic Jenson Button, always taking a little while to find his rhythm at the start—he was consistently a bit quicker than everyone else. Honestly, I think it would have been a struggle for even him to manage to stretch those yellows out for 20 laps.
Actually, I think I’ve figured out where the catch lies. Following his second pit stop, the team radio mentioned he needed to manage 25 laps on that specific set of tires. He was already starting to struggle after about 17 or 18 laps, so since they knew he’d have to pit twice more anyway, they decided to take advantage of those red compounds—assuming they were even faster at all.
In my opinion, he really should have used up two sets of mediums to make up for that extra pit stop. He was driving so fast; who knows how that could have ended up...
redheron12 said:Regardless of whether the decision regarding the intermediate tires was controversial, strange, or even costly...the race was already lost well before that point.
True, but a second or third-place finish was actually within reach. He ended up in 4th, trailing by a full minute.
If he had opted for the hard compound instead of the reds, he likely would have been battling Sebastian Vettel for second place. I find it hard to believe he could have managed 30 laps on the hards (given that Vettel did 28 and Jenson Button did 27), and even if he had, those final seven or eight laps would have been painfully slow, much like how he struggled just before the first pit stop.
What’s actually going on with them lately? I know the addict left the band, but is there some new singer in the mix? I have to admit, I thought Contraband was a fantastic album. It was honestly way more compelling than anything Guns N' Roses has put out recently. That fallen grunge frontman’s voice sounds pretty solid on the record, even if he's an absolute disaster when they play live.
Michael Lee4 said:Lewis seems to be going through a bit of a humbling phase right now; it feels like someone finally put him in his place, because his entire demeanor has shifted—from how he handles interviews to how he discusses various situations. Even Jordan mentioned it on Reddit yesterday, praising him to Whitemarsh and noting how much the kid has matured. I suspect he might have gone a bit overboard with that "I am black" comment, and perhaps people behind the scenes warned him to watch his mouth to avoid unnecessary drama. (At least, that’s my take, because his recent statements feel incredibly uncharacteristic.)
Regarding yesterday's situation, he is 100% at fault, though there is certainly some truth to what you are saying. His behavior toward me has felt quite off lately. He even went as far as using the team radio to praise and congratulate Button on a job well done, barely acknowledging his own tactical errors. It wasn't long ago that he would have been screaming and crying about how the pit wall completely ruined his race.
It’s true that Lewis has been unfairly penalized in the past for certain incidents, but in this specific case, he is 100% at fault. Since he’s actually stepping up and admitting to it himself, I don't see what the issue is.
I find myself wondering why the chemistry department insisted on everyone returning to the ring for another round when it seems highly probable that Gumbek won't have to step up at all.😕
Douglas Parker61 said:The crew in the pit lane was performing a thorough check to ensure that every single nut and bolt had been properly tightened, so there was a bit of a delay in their turnaround time.😂
What on earth was the logic behind Gumbek being just 3.5 seconds away from Hem before his pit stop, only to end up at 9 seconds after the service?😕😠😠😠😠😠
Michael Lee4 said:If he can just hold it together until the checkered flag 🙂
Just imagine the sheer magnitude of that moment—taking the win at his home race, especially after finally breaking through for his very first victory 🙏
Such beautiful symbolism
It’s true that this race effectively decides the championship, but more importantly, Button has proven exactly what kind of driver he is. In my honest opinion, he has truly been the standout performer this season, even while battling that massive 100-point deficit against the leader.
Let's just hope he can power through these last five laps.
Sebastian Vettel looks quite sharp, though I can't help but feel a bit melancholy seeing how much he has struggled over the last two seasons, especially when you consider that Red Bull managed to snag two world championships in that same timeframe.
If they hadn't screwed him over, he probably would have finished somewhere in the top three; honestly, I highly doubt he could have managed thirty laps on those yellow tires