Austrian GP (Red Bull Ring) | July 8–10, 2022

I mean, if you've got a fast enough race car, what's the point in forcing it?
Just an unnecessary risk and a total brain fade from Sergio Perez.
It’s not like George Russell is some saint, but honestly, I'd call that a racing incident.

This isn't even close to what happened with Lewis Hamilton and Alexander Albon, regardless of what people are saying.
In those cases, Albon dives back inside to set up an attack on the next turn, while Hamilton closes the door way too late and carelessly.

Ferrari’s technical package is top-tier, but man, it’s unreliable. It didn't show up during those first couple of races, but now it's undeniably obvious.
We've got a break coming up soon, which gives them a chance to actually fix things. If they can sort out these issues, maybe they'll have a shot at the title. If not, they're out of the running.

Leclerc is incredibly fast, and Sainz is reliable and keeps things steady. The drivers can hold their own as long as the race car actually behaves.

Haas updated their ERS, so the hybrid power unit is more efficient now. That’s likely why they looked so good at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Mercedes had those rough qualifying sessions on Friday. In my opinion, Lewis really took the biggest hit, especially with that damaged suspension...
I can almost hear Lak saying, "Well, he certainly made up for it, hats off to him."

Now, I’m not entirely convinced they managed to get both cars back to their original, peak condition. It makes you wonder if they even had enough spare parts on hand. If you look at it that way, Mercedes didn't show their true colors or their actual potential here in Austria. At least, not with both cars running properly.

Just a hunch, and I could be wrong, but I feel like they fell way short of what I was expecting from them. 🤔

Lewis is keeping his distance from Max.

I honestly doubt things will ever get better.

Roger Wright94 said:The Haas cars have received an ERS update. As a result, the hybrid powertrain seems more efficient, which I guess might be why they performed so well at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

There have been rumors flying around about this, but I think several "Ferrari insiders" have already denied it. It seems the upgrade for all those components (MGU-K, ES, CE) isn't actually ready yet, and they'll likely wait until their final deadline to roll it out.
Since the deadline for the upgrade is 1.9, that would probably mean we won't see it until the race at Spa-Francorchamps after the summer break.

I suppose I expect something similar to happen with Red Bull.

Roger Wright94 said:Ferrari possesses a truly top-tier technical package, yet they struggle significantly with reliability. While we didn't see it during those initial opening races, the issue has now become undeniably apparent.
With the summer break approaching, they will finally have a window of opportunity to address this specific matter. If they can manage to engineer a solution or implement necessary repairs, perhaps they might find themselves in a legitimate title fight. If not, then their hopes are effectively over.

Was it not already blatantly obvious during the pre-season testing? And certainly, once the season opener took place, everything was confirmed beyond any doubt.

anyone know what actually happened with Leclerc's race car—like, did something get stuck under the pedal or was it something else?

and btw, regarding Sainz's car... honestly, they should just swap everything out at this point. It felt like the whole thing was about to blow apart whenever the bodywork started "breathing."

cosmicstag16 said:Why call a VSC when Sainz's engine blew? He parked way off the racing line and wasn't a threat to anyone. Feels like this season they’re just itching to throw a VSC or SC for every little thing.

It's weird they didn't go full SC instead of that pathetic VSC...
The race car was literally on fire and hadn't even come to a stop yet. Instead, some official barely managed to spot something under a wheel just in time for Sainz to jump out, before the car rolled right back into the barrier...

Not having a VSC on track when your car is burning up and sliding uncontrollably back onto the circuit would be beyond unprofessional.

graniteharbor502 said:Official FIA penalty document:


Pietro Fittipaldi's driver's perspective on the crash:

He says it’s always on the driver on the inside of the turn to make sure they don't drift out into the guy on the outside. George Russell can't just take that corner like he's the only one on the track.

https://www.racefans.net/2022/07/12/...sions/rusper2/

I'm not so sure about that...
Sergio Perez rams into George Russell way too hard and leaves him zero room to pass...

Look, okay, Russell is the one who actually blew his position and should have backed off, but Perez isn't innocent here either. Pushing like that is just plain stupid—if there's contact or a wheel touch, he's the one who's going to lose out way more than Russell will.

stormybadger8 said:https://www.racefans.net/2022/07/12/...sions/rusper2/

I find myself somewhat unconvinced by that argument...
Sergio Perez pushes into George Russell so aggressively that he leaves him absolutely no room to maneuver...

Granted, George Russell is the one who truly lost his positioning and should have yielded, yet one cannot claim Perez is entirely blameless here either; such aggressive shoving is, if nothing else, sheer foolishness on his part, given that in the event of a collision or wheel-to-wheel contact, he is the one who would suffer far more consequences than George Russell...

These images are quite telling:

It is perfectly evident here that Perez is entering the corner ahead of George Russell, and the Briton is clearly aware of this presence—one simply cannot argue that he failed to see him.


Furthermore, this view demonstrates that George Russell did not adjust his line through the turn at all; instead, he takes a much wider arc than Carlos Sainz does, despite the fact that Sainz has no one crowding his outside lane. Even then, George Russell still had ample space on his right side. One simply cannot drive like that when there is a race car occupying the outside position.

And here is the perspective from Ocon's cockpit:


The penalty is as clear as day. Had Perez taken a wider line, George Russell would have likely clipped him regardless.

Now, just compare that to how George Russell looms on the outside of Mick Schumacher as they approach turn 4:

One can see that Mick is staying strictly on the racing line and being careful to ensure his race car doesn't collide with Lando Norris on the outside.

What Mick is doing right now is an extreme move that shouldn't be part of the equation.
When someone is breathing down your neck, you’re trying to balance giving them space while refusing to compromise your own line. That’s the razor-thin margin where racing incidents usually happen.
Once Mick matures a bit more, I’m sure he won't be taking lines like that.

Raymond Anderson4 said:What Mick is doing right now represents an absolute extreme, a level of behavior that I truly believe should be disregarded entirely when we consider the broader context of the situation. Is it not more prudent to look past such outliers?
When you find yourself being overtaken by another driver, there is this delicate, almost philosophical balancing act you have to perform, isn't there? You want to be a fair competitor and grant them the necessary space, yet at the very same moment, you are desperately trying to defend your own line without compromising your position. It leads one to wonder, where exactly does that boundary lie? It is precisely within that razor-thin margin—that subtle, tension-filled space between being sportsmanlike and being defensive—where those inevitable racing incidents tend to manifest, wouldn't you agree?
Once Mick reaches a certain level of maturity, I find myself wondering if he will finally abandon these erratic racing lines? It seems almost inevitable that as he gains more experience and settles into his role, he won't be opting for such questionable paths through the corners anymore.

😵
What exactly do people mean when they talk about "fine lines"? Your line is effectively compromised the very moment you dive into the inside of a corner while there is another car sitting right there on the outside. You simply cannot drive as if you are out there solo; one must adjust both the trajectory and the velocity accordingly. Mick made those necessary adjustments. Both he and Lando Norris successfully navigated through the turn. However, George Russell managed to clip the rear of Perez's car with his own front end. In recent years, every single collision of this nature at Turn 4 has resulted in a penalty being handed to the driver who initiated the contact against the car positioned on the outside of the bend.

And here we have a look at the McLaren cars navigating that same corner during the very first lap:


I’ve finally managed to get myself settled inside Ricciardo's car:


Should one perhaps direct a critique toward Ricciardo regarding his need to act with a bit more maturity, or would it be more appropriate to aim such a grievance at that rather bland George Russell?

Turn 4 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is brilliant—it’s one of those rare spots where you can actually pull an overtake on the outside.
Whether it works out or ends in disaster... well, that's racing.
Personally, I view any contact in that corner as a pure racing incident—if I were the steward, I wouldn't dream of penalizing drivers just for defending their position.
As for everyone else who took the risk to go for the pass, hats off to them; massive respect.

ilder hochladen

The bigger issue is social media and the tribalism of fans rooting for just one driver—but even worse are the corporations that have taken over Formula 1. Drivers have become mere puppets now; they don't have any real agency anymore, they just have to play the "good boy" role
or face some disciplinary action.
The only ones who actually dare to swim against the current (the FIA) are Kimi Räikkönen, Sebastian Vettel, and Fernando Alonso.
Once those two are gone, we won't have any drivers left willing to raise their voice or push back.
It'll just be a field of pushovers instead of actual characters...

Here is just more proof that Alonso is easily the smartest driver on the grid today.
When Sainz burned through his tires, the crew gave Alonso a weak excuse about a worn front left during his first pit stop—so instead of holding onto those six positions, he was forced back into the pits for another set of rubber.
Check out this breakdown video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch=3132z2N13Xs

And honestly, the people over at Alpine are a total joke.
They’re either completely incompetent or actively sabotaging Alonso—especially since he hasn't been giving them any breathing room lately after their terrible tactics cost him a massive amount of points.
I told you guys—once Alonso and Sebastian Vettel finally hang up their helmets, the grid is going to be left with nothing but softies instead of drivers with actual backbone.

Just a bunch of soulless corporate drones who know nothing except fighting over political correctness and empty buzzwords while looking perpetually offended.

To hell with political correctness.

swiftmaker12 said:Here’s just one more reason why Alonso is easily the smartest and most brilliant driver on the grid today.

When Sainz completely burned through his tires, the crew at Alpine botched Alonso's first pit stop by claiming he had a bad left front. Instead of letting him hold onto those six positions, they forced him back into the pits for another set of rubber.

Check out this video breakdown:

And honestly, the people running Alpine are absolute bottom-of-the-barrel crooks.

They’re either totally incompetent or they’re actively sabotaging Alonso. He hasn't been pulling any punches lately because their trash tactics have cost him a massive amount of points.

I’m telling you, once Alonso and Sebastian Vettel hang up their helmets for good, the grid is going to be nothing but soft little pushovers instead of real men with actual backbone.

Just a bunch of soulless corporate morons who spend all day fighting over political correctness and empty buzzwords while looking miserable.

To hell with political correctness.

The sooner Formula 1 gets cleaned up, the better. Though, I do feel a little bad seeing these two champions struggling like this.

graniteharbor502 said:😵
What kind of "fine lines" are we even talking about? Your line is compromised the second you dive into the inside of a corner while someone else is holding the outside. You can't just drive like you're out on a solo practice lap; you have to adjust your trajectory and your speed. Mick did exactly that. Both he and Lando Norris made it through the turn. Instead, George Russell clipped the rear of Perez's car with his front end. In recent years, every single one of these Turn 4 collisions would have resulted in a penalty for the driver who caused it, leaving the person on the outside to deal with the fallout.

Here’s a look at both McLaren cars hitting the exact same corner during the opening lap:


I’m getting an onboard view of Ricciardo's car:


Should I take it out on Ricciardo and tell him to act more maturely, or should this criticism be aimed at George Russell, that "boring" driver?

Sure, you have to adjust your line, but it shouldn't be to the point where you're scrubbing speed in that corner. If a driver is really squeezing you, that's a different story, but in most cases, those on the inside take a slightly wider entry just so they don't completely ruin their exit through the turn.
There were quite a few moments during the race where drivers were forced to take the wider line just to defend their position through that corner.

I don't find much to say about the situation with Mick. To me, it’s pretty obvious he could have taken a wider line and avoided that contact with McLaren altogether. If he chose to steer clear just to stay out of trouble, well, that's his call.

Here’s the telemetry data from Leclerc's car:



Near the end of the race, Leclerc dealt with a technical glitch involving his throttle pedal. It wouldn't snap back to neutral; instead, it stayed stuck at about 20-30% throttle.
He had to completely adjust his driving style on the fly just to manage the damage. It wasn't some easy fix, but he handled it like a pro—pulling off the win in the end, despite everything. 👍

Article

I totally blanked on a few details from the last race:

- Charles Leclerc actually pulled off a win without starting on the pole for once.
- Ford managed to string two wins together this season—first time all year.
- Lewis Hamilton grabbed another podium, but he also extended his longest winless streak. I think it’s been about 11 or 12 races now?

Roger Wright94 said:I seem to have overlooked a few minor details regarding the most recent race:

- Charles Leclerc secured a victory for the first time without starting from the Democratic Party pole position.
- For the first time this season, Ford has managed to string two consecutive wins together.
- Lewis Hamilton has once again landed on the podium, yet he simultaneously extended his longest winless streak—I believe it’s somewhere around eleven or twelve races now—since he began racing.

Furthermore, Max Verstappen finished in second place at the end of the race for the very first time this season. 😉

graniteharbor502 said:Max Verstappen actually managed to take second place at the end of the race for the first time this season. 😉

He would likely see more podium finishes if Ford didn't spend half the race scoring own goals. It’s been a bit of an awakening for Max while things have gone downhill for Charles over the last few races. That is simply the nature of racing.

It remains a fact that Charles is essentially on par with Max Verstappen regarding raw driving talent; I’ve maintained that view since their days in karting.

Max is an absurdly fast driver, and Charles is the only one currently operating at that specific level. I am leaving Lewis Hamilton out of this comparison because he belongs to a different era and has moved past his absolute peak, whereas these two are just beginning to hit theirs.