2021 Bahrain Grand Prix Race Thread

Upgraded my sig

analogpilot16 said:Max doesn't realize the level of competition he's facing... Lewis is truly a once-in-a-generation talent, so we should all just appreciate his driving while he's still at the top. Just look at what happened to guys like Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso... though, to be fair, credit where it's due to Max, because I am genuinely looking forward to their head-to-head battles and seeing if Lewis can snag that 8th title...

It really is comparable...

If you put anyone in that car, they’d likely be winning races, so wouldn't you agree that George Russell has at least proven that point...

Max Verstappen would honestly tear him apart if he just had a car that was even remotely competitive.

It’s pretty clear at this point—Max is the new king of Formula 1, and last season proved exactly that.

Alex Barnes93 said:Driver of the race? It's Sergio Perez. No question about it. A total disaster in qualifying, dropping to the back, and finishing exactly how he usually does lately.

Excuse me!?

Good fight, that's what we're looking for.

I'm not so sure they should have given the position back. He went off, sure, but he was already ahead and they didn't give him any room to breathe.
Max Verstappen was fast, but that tire delta just wasn't enough—if he'd had a few more laps, he could have made it work on the softs...

This was one of those races where you could honestly say the driver in the slower car took it; Lewis Hamilton just used his sheer experience and racing IQ to outclass Max Verstappen, and you have to give him credit for that.

It’s honestly pure stupidity to constantly downplay Lewis Hamilton's wins just by pointing out he had a great car. It's like you all have collective amnesia regarding 2014, 2015, and 2016—you clearly forgot what was actually happening with Mercedes back then and how they were constantly pitting him against Nico Rosberg.

Now, finally, after two or three years of waiting, he’s got some real competition again. He drove like a master today, and this season is going to be absolutely legendary if Max Verstappen and him keep trading blows like this until the end.

shadowcobra89 said:It really is comparable...

Sure, anyone could win in that car—but hasn't George Russell proven you wrong on that point?

Exactly. If we go by that logic, every driver is just as good as you are. You need race awareness, composure, tire management, tactical thinking, zero mistakes, and years of consistency... George Russell had a brilliant run once, sure, but then he went and spun out during a safety car period. And as for overtaking... did you see today? Do you honestly think everyone else could pull off those moves against Max Verstappen?

shadowcobra89 said:It’s definitely a fair comparison...

I mean, if you put anyone in that car, they'd be winning—didn't Russell prove that enough for you?

🤦

So why don't you just go ahead and shred those tires all over again 😁
...

Retire Max and just put Yuki in Red Bull Racing instead. 👋

And Seb can head for retirement too. 😬
Ionak, I don’t even know who to root for anymore since STR was always my favorite squad. 🙏🙏 🙏
I've always had a soft spot for the Japanezer crew, especially back when Honda was behind them and Gasly was in the other car. 👍

The mere fact that Hamilton is clearly itching for a chance to go toe-to-toe with Max says everything you need to know about how much he lives for racing. Honestly, I bet the last two years have been a total drag for him. At least back in the day, he actually had some battles with Vettel before the guy retired from the sport.

God forbid we actually expect the highest-paid drivers on the planet to stay within the lines

I’m talking specifically about these race stewards, who apparently get all satisfied after 35 laps of just handing out warnings🤣

Either commit to enforcing the rules until the checkered flag, or just be upfront from lap one and tell everyone you're going to start handing out penalties

It’s a bummer for Verstappen, but hey, at least the rulebook is clear on this one

shadowcobra89 said:I suppose you could argue they're comparable...

I mean, if anyone were placed in that car, they'd probably find a way to win, right? At least I feel like Russell has somewhat proven that to you,

Honestly, all Russell showed was that he could manage to pull in a ninth-place finish with that machine. Even Bottas managed to grab eighth, which, if we're being real, is arguably the worst result Mercedes has ever seen. It seems like as soon as Hamilton isn't there to steady the ship, everything just turns into total chaos, complete instability, and pure confusion.

Drew Bennett68 said:Max is gonna eat him alive—assuming he actually has a decent car.

Max is the new king of Formula 1, plain and simple—last season proved that.

Are you kidding me!?

Did you even watch the last two hours of that race!?

Even with a better car and better tires, Max couldn't pull off the win.

He isn't eating anyone alive. Not a chance.

Max only becomes the king once Lewis is gone.

And don't expect races like this all season—Mercedes will claw back two or three tenths in the next month.

That was one of those rare, unforgettable races.

Next time? It might just be a total snooze fest.

A snooze fest that probably ends with the exact same winner.

Good grief, you're even more annoying than Tibija when he was stuck in that total Vettel fanboy phase back during his days at Ferrari.

Drew Bennett68 said:Max will eat him alive, provided he actually has a decent car.

We just watched it happen over the last two hours. He's getting eaten alive. 😁

Now we’ll finally get to see what Max is really made of when he's sitting in a championship-caliber car. It remains to be seen if he can actually handle the pressure—or if he'll crack under it.

wiredseal7 said:That was a solid fight, which is exactly what you want to see.

I’m honestly not quite sure if he really needed to give up that position. I mean, sure, he did pull off, but he was already ahead and it felt like they just didn't leave him any room to maneuver.
Max was looking pretty quick, though I suppose the tire delta wasn't quite enough. If he'd managed to hang on for just one more lap, maybe he could have jumped onto those softs...

You might want to pick a side there—either he was leading, or he wasn't given the space to stay ahead, because I don't think you can really have it both ways!

I guess you're making some big claims there, but I suspect Mercedes and Hamilton might actually tear this season apart.
Maybe Imola will be the turning point—or maybe that's just it.