#161 ·
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.
