IT'S race Week !!! United States Grand Prix Indianapolis Motor Speedway 03.20.2022

gentlecobra23 said:My prediction through lap 10: George, Lewis is faster than you. Please confirm...

And honestly, if George manages to pull away from him, isn't his entire career basically hanging by a thread?

Linda Peterson43 said:So, what are everyone's predictions regarding the Hamilton - Russell dynamic in this opening race?
I mean, I wonder if the young gun will actually have the discipline to stay out of trouble and avoid flying off at turn three during the first lap just because he's desperate to make a statement.
Or are we looking at a chaotic start with broken wings and the inevitable "George, this is James..." radio call?

If you go strictly by whatever color they paint the camera lens, Russell is definitely the number one driver.

Vettel tested positive—go get 'em, Hulk!
Unlucky for one guy, but I guess it's a silver lining for the other since he’s basically already eyeing that Haas seat anyway.

And honestly, I’m just sitting here hoping Max flies off into the gravel on turn two, just to shake things up right from the jump.

graniteharbor502 said:And honestly, if George manages to pull away from him, isn't his entire career basically hanging by a thread?

It’s been obvious for ages that he’s just going to be a yes-man. The real question is whether he’ll actually be as useful in that role as Bottas was.

The second he started posting that pathetic, tear-jerking sob story after the last race of the season—even though nobody asked him anything and it wasn't even his business—it became crystal clear. He’s clearly just there to serve his fellow countrymen.

The guy is dense. He probably thinks that through some mix of cheap diplomacy and sucking up to Tot, he can coast his way into a better spot once Hamilton retires in a year or two.

wiredseal7 said:Vettel tested positive—go get 'em, Hulk!
Unlucky for one guy, but I guess it's a silver lining for the other since he’s basically already eyeing that Haas seat anyway.

And he'll probably miss just one day of the action. Look at Ricciardo—he tested positive on March 11th and was clear by March 16th.

Lawrence Garcia5 said:And honestly, I’m just sitting here hoping Max flies off into the gravel on turn two, just to shake things up right from the jump.

He won't just spin out alone. Usually, Max takes someone else down with him. 😁

Elizabeth Mendoza said:It’s been obvious for ages that he’s just going to be a yes-man. The real question is whether he’ll actually be as useful in that role as Bottas was.

The second he started posting that pathetic, tear-jerking sob story after the last race of the season—even though nobody asked him anything and it wasn't even his business—it became crystal clear. He’s clearly just there to serve his fellow countrymen.

The guy is dense. He probably thinks that through some mix of cheap diplomacy and sucking up to Tot, he can coast his way into a better spot once Hamilton retires in a year or two.

I mean, when you actually crunch the numbers, it’s honestly not a bad strategy at all. 😁

Sam Clark75 said:I mean, when you actually crunch the numbers, it’s honestly not a bad strategy at all. 😁

Not really, if your whole goal is just playing second fiddle like Rubens or Walter...
😁

gentlecobra23 said:Not really, if your whole goal is just playing second fiddle like Rubens or Walter...
😁

I think if Mercedes stays serious—meaning the top brass at Daimler continues to invest in the team and remains willing to pay for top-tier talent even after Lewis leaves—then Russell has made the smartest move for his career. It might seem risky right now, but that's just because we're looking at it through a current lens. Besides, Russell has a massive opportunity to learn directly from Lewis.

Sam Clark75 said:I mean, when you actually crunch the numbers, it’s honestly not a bad strategy at all. 😁

There are just way too many "ifs" and "buts" involved here.

Elizabeth Mendoza said:It’s been obvious for ages that he’s just going to be a yes-man. The real question is whether he’ll actually be as useful in that role as Bottas was.

The second he started posting that pathetic, tear-jerking sob story after the last race of the season—even though nobody asked him anything and it wasn't even his business—it became crystal clear. He’s clearly just there to serve his fellow countrymen.

The guy is dense. He probably thinks that through some mix of cheap diplomacy and sucking up to Tot, he can coast his way into a better spot once Hamilton retires in a year or two.

I'm pretty damn sure Hamilton is yesterday's news. Expect them to dump him from Mercedes just like that and use his exit to hype Russell up into some massive superstar.
Right now, everything—and I mean absolutely everything—points to that exact scenario...☕

Feels like the Germans have had enough of Hamilton, and they're done with Tot too. Honestly, I'm expecting a total shake-up for both of them by the end of this season or next.
Meanwhile, they'll obviously spend that time artificially pumping up Russell as the big star who finally pushed Hamilton aside. 🙂
The Germans and their shareholders definitely didn't appreciate Hamilton moping around after losing the title—which was mostly Tot's fault—and then blaming everyone else to cover up their own massive screw-up with that garbage strategy in the last race. Add in the constant whining into the race director's ear all race long, plus Hamilton's weak defenses and those brainless moves at the very end of 9.3 miles/h, and that unsportsmanlike mess at Silverstone...
And then, lo and behold, no more kneeling before the race. The car is silver again, and somehow, miraculously, it lost its black paint job...
It's blindingly obvious why. Acting like a martyr and playing the victim isn't great for PR...

graniteharbor502 said:And honestly, if George manages to pull away from him, isn't his entire career basically hanging by a thread?

Not necessarily toast. He can play the wingman role early on... I mean, Lewis isn't going to be driving forever.
But sure, he could take a different path and try to fight for that number one spot.
If he actually stays consistently faster than Lewis, I don't think James is going to have much to say about it.
We already saw that arrogance from Russell once when he nearly killed himself and Bottas, and then he had to go sucking up to Mercedes just to keep his seat.
Bottas was only the second driver because he wasn't as good as Lewis and didn't have championship material... he was basically just there to do the dirty work for the team.

In my personal opinion, I think Russell is going to hit the ground running right from the start. He clearly has the talent, and while he might be lacking some experience, there is absolutely no doubt that he won't be turning out like Bottas.

Linda Peterson43 said:In my personal opinion, I think Russell is going to hit the ground running right from the start. He clearly has the talent, and while he might be lacking some experience, there is absolutely no doubt that he won't be turning out like Bottas.

And Bottas was just Walter 2.0, 3.0... we never actually saw a 4.0 version... 😁

Come on, people. Do you honestly think Russell has Hamilton's skillset or his mindset? This hyped-up British person... he's half the driver Max and Lewis are. I wouldn't even dare say he's better than Leclerc... honestly, he isn't even a better driver than Bottas... he's basically the third-best Briton out there.

He'll stay at the top only because he's driving a Mercedes-Benz, but I feel like after a hundred years, Mercedes-Benz might actually blow their constructors' title because of George...

I'm just really skeptical about Russell...

Ferrari is still basically just running through their test protocols 🤣

Alfa's already broken down 😂

Ocon's car is basically falling apart while he's driving 😬. It's going to be a wild weekend

Off to a good start 😬