2021 Bahrain Grand Prix Race Thread

analogpilot16 said:If I saw that right, Hamilton went wide at turn 4, while Verstappen went wide at turn 1.
In case you didn't know, drivers meet with the stewards before every race to agree on which turns will result in penalties if they go off track—and which ones won't. The rules aren't the same for every single corner on a track... it depends entirely on the circuit.

Today, Hamilton actually told us that turn 4 doesn't carry a penalty. And he played it smart by using that to his advantage. Max's issue is just that he wasn't paying enough attention during that pre-race briefing, so he didn't take advantage of it. That's why Hamilton is the smarter driver here.
As for Max, he went wide at turn 1 while trying to overtake. It reminds me of when Raikkonen cut that chicane on the final lap a few years back—can't remember which track it was. He cruised into the podium finish thinking he was safe, but then the stewards stepped in and stripped him of it.

Man, what are you talking about? That "turn 4" thing was actually about turn 1.

That Raikkonen situation was cutting a corner, which definitely warrants a penalty. But this is just widening the line... that's totally different and should be allowed. Besides, legends like Senna, Prost, and Pike used to drive like that all the time, before some idiot at the FIA decided to change the rules and start making life difficult for everyone.😠

Bottas was pretty quiet today. He stayed ahead of Norris, but he just didn't have enough pace to catch the leaders, even with the team constantly barking at him over the radio to push harder. I honestly think that once Perez isn't dealing with issues like we saw this weekend, he’s going to walk away with the win whenever there's a scrap for third place.

I think I got a little mixed up—was actually talking about Turn 4

Check this out
https://twitter.com/SmilexTech/statu...54652669386757

A-B-S-U-R-D

neonfox65 said:I think I got a bit turned around there—was actually talking about Turn 4.

Check this out: https://twitter.com/SmilexTech/statu
pogledati ovaj https://twitter.com/SmilexTech/statu

Absolute joke.

Yeah, especially considering he pulled that move during such a critical out-lap right after leaving the pits. If you don't call that "gaining an advantage," then what exactly do you call it?

cosmicridge5 said:It isn't a measure of intelligence, but a reflection of character.

To prevent us from once again conflating being an asshole with having high IQ, how can we not 🤣

By that logic, a Jeep engine is just pure artificial intelligence. 🙂

wiredseal7 said:Yeah, it’s especially huge since he pulled that off during that critical out-lap right after leaving the pits. If that doesn't count as gaining an advantage, then I don't know what does...

Well, look at the data—it shows he gained a full 6 seconds over those 29 exits.

6 seconds? That's basically a win for Max Verstappen...

neonfox65 said:I think I got a little mixed up—I was actually talking about Turn 4.

Check this out
https://twitter.com/SmilexTech/statu...54652669386757

S-H-A-M-E-F-U-L

If you take another look at my post from the previous page, the stewards decided they weren't going to hand out penalties during the race for that specific corner. That’s why Lewis kept doing it—once they finally gave him a warning, he stopped.
And honestly? Other drivers were doing the exact same thing; they just filmed Lewis because it makes for better content.

He was doing it solo, whereas Max used it while overtaking—look, it's pretty straightforward: you simply can't overtake someone by using the run-off area outside the track limits.

analogpilot16 said:Go back and read my last post—the stewards specifically said they wouldn't penalize that corner during the race. That’s why Lewis was doing it. Once they gave him the warning, he stopped.
And honestly? Other drivers were doing the exact same thing, they just caught Lewis on camera because it makes for better TV.

Look, he might not be overtaking like that, but Max can't use the runoff to pass someone... man, it's pretty straightforward. You can't overtake using track limits outside the circuit.

Sure, you can't overtake, but you can sure grab an extra 6 seconds by cutting corners 29 times...

Give me a break. The officials say there won't be a penalty and then immediately hand out a warning? Make up your mind. Who's actually messing with people here? Even Lewis Hamilton said he wasn't even aware of the track limits situation...

neonfox65 said:Sure, you might not overtake him, but you can certainly snatch 6 seconds by clipping the limit 29 times.

The stewards claimed they weren't going to hand out penalties, then turned around and gave him a warning. Give me a break. Who are they trying to fool? Even Lewis Hamilton said he wasn't even aware of where the track limits were.

Typical FIA. They didn't bother updating the rules while Lewis was busy hitting the limits 29 times—only when Red Bull finally noticed what was happening. Honestly, the fact that it took them 29 laps to notice, combined with how this whole race is being managed, is enough reason for Christian Horner to be looking for a new job.

neonfox65 said:Yeah, sure, because Lewis Hamilton obviously spent the entire race just driving off the track at that exact same spot. Totally believable, right? Nothing to see here!

Even Lewis Hamilton mentioned he wasn't even aware they were being so strict about those track limits

29 times

Just playing the victim at this point

wiredfalcon2 said:Look, this whole mess with Turn 4 actually makes total sense if you think about it for more than two seconds. Even the drivers were saying it after the race. It’s pretty straightforward—you’re supposed to learn where the limit is during qualifying, and in qualifying, there’s zero margin for error because every single millisecond counts. But in the actual race? They give you a bit more breathing room because let's face it, fans absolutely loathe those five-second penalties that just wreck the entire spectacle; people want to see a real fight on the track, not a courtroom drama. They're only going to call you out if you pull off an obvious, unfair advantage. Everyone’s cutting corners a little bit during the race, and honestly, that’s fine since nobody was gaining a massive lead from it—but Max had to give that position back after that overtake. It was fair, logical, and totally fine.

I mean, come on, this is F1, not IndyCar where they just cruise around the circuit like they're out for a Sunday drive.

analogpilot16 said:If my eyes aren't playing tricks on me, Lewis Hamilton was wide at Turn 4, while Max Verstappen was wide at Turn 1.

Look, if you didn't know this, drivers actually sit down with the stewards before every single race to hammer out the specifics—like which corners they'll get dinged for cutting the line and which ones they can get away with. The rules aren't some universal constant applied to every corner on every track; it totally depends on the circuit itself.

Today, Lewis Hamilton basically told everyone that Turn 4 was fair game, and he played it perfectly. The issue with Max Verstappen is that he probably wasn't paying enough attention during that pre-race briefing, and since he didn't use that info, he got burned. That’s why Lewis Hamilton is just playing the smarter game here.

And as for Max Verstappen, he went wide at Turn 1 while trying to make a move. It’s honestly giving me major flashbacks to when Kimi Raikkonen cut through a chicane on the final lap a couple of years back—I can't even remember which track it was, honestly. He cruised into the top three like nothing happened, only for the stewards to swoop in and strip him of the result.

Mexico

darkmarlin16 said:Mexico

COTA

Well, at least we know when the next race is—once Mercedes gets their act together... Honestly, hats off to Red Bull Racing and Honda; they've built a phenomenal car that’s currently outclassing the Mercedes. Max Verstappen has a massive shot at it this season, though I suspect a reality check might be coming his way soon. And I'm positive Lewis Hamilton is looking forward to the scrap, too. Some people seem to think he's just interested in cruising around and collecting trophies, but that's just a misconception. These guys live for the thrill of racing—they want that cutthroat, door-to-door competition.

It’s honestly a bit disheartening when there’s so much post-race drama—it feels like we've been seeing it more often lately. Every tiny detail is being scrutinized, and those questionable penalties... it just shouldn't be this way.
And frankly, we didn't see this level of scrutiny back in the day, even a few years ago.

A solid race, featuring a compelling battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Honestly, Max ran wide, but he tidied up and handed back the position to finish 5th. Both drivers delivered strong performances today.

This subforum is basically a breeding ground for extremists who believe someone is either the GOAT or the biggest piece of trash to ever sit in a Formula 1 car. It seems being objective is a lost art here today. Calm down with the sweeping conclusions; we’ve only just finished the first race of 23.

We finally got to see a showdown between McLaren Racing and Ferrari, and thankfully not just for 13th place. Little Lando Norris is really growing into a seriously impressive driver.
Yuki Tsunoda scoring points—honestly, it makes me happy (the first Japanese person on the board who isn't driving like a total maniac).

No other driver on the grid would have stood a chance today if they were in Lewis Hamilton's shoes. And as for Valtteri Bottas—to use that old American saying: "If he didn't have bad luck, he wouldn't have any luck at all!" Though, let’s be real, the guy probably wouldn't have been much of a factor anyway, even if they hadn't completely screwed him over in the pits.

Wolff: F1 track limit rules must be clear and not ‘a Shakespeare novel’

Mercedes chief Wolff urging FIA to be clearer and more consistent in the future following the drama at the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix—he basically thinks the rules should be "sacred," not some confusing "Shakespeare novel."

Track limits really shook things up during the opening race of this wild 2021 season. With just four laps left, Max Verstappen managed to overtake Lewis Hamilton at the Turn 4 incident, but ended up having to give the spot right back to the defending champ after going off-track...

It was weird because during qualifying, cutting those Turn 4 kerbs meant your lap time was toast, but for Sunday's race, it seemed like everyone had a free pass to wander off initially.

It wasn't until Lewis Hamilton had a few close calls that his team gave him the race control warning to stick inside the white lines—a sudden mid-race crackdown that, funnily enough, ended up helping the Briton hold off Verstappen.

That move from race control just threw everything into chaos, leading to Mercedes chief Wolff urging FIA to tighten things up and be way more consistent moving forward.

"I'm just as lost as anyone else," Wolff said. "At the race start track limits in Turn 4 weren't supposed to be an issue, but then out of nowhere, the word comes down that running wide is an unfair advantage and could land you a penalty."

"Then, at the very end, that race winning decision happened. Max ran wide according to the race director's call, gained an edge, and had to give the position back—which basically handed us the win."

"We just need consistency in the messaging. It needs to be straightforward and set in stone, not some Shakespeare novel where you have to guess what's allowed."

Wolff also mentioned that he and Ron Meadows were in contact with FIA during the heat of it all to try and get some answers.

"The driver message we got was that track limits in Turn 4 wouldn't be a problem during the race," Wolff added.

"Ron and Michael conversation was happening while we were racing. Michael pointed to a note saying, 'Yes, but only if you're not gaining an advantage'—apparently, it was in the notes, though I haven't seen them myself."

"The big takeaway here is that it has to be simple. Everyone needs to get it instantly—they shouldn't need to carry a manual in the cockpit just to figure out where the track ends."
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/wo...novel/5961234/

The FIA and Mercedes teamed up to rob Max of that win. Honestly, it makes me sick...

F1 Paddock report
@InsideF1Paddock
Word is the FIA is running an internal review on their stewarding standards following this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix.

Everyone's fired...

I see that people who clearly don't understand the rules are still cluttering up this thread with all sorts of whining, acting like they just walked into some random football fan forum