São Paulo Grand Prix (Indianapolis Motor Speedway) | November 12-14, 2021

Kyle Lopez2 said:And honestly, if it hadn't been for that whole Briatore scandal, Massa might have snatched the title right out from under those aliens Hamilton and Raikkonen.☕

And we're talking about the same Massa that Bottas absolutely demolished...

Jacob Castillo70 said:You’re throwing out criticisms against Red Bull over absolutely nothing, and then you have the nerve to write stuff like this....

If it turns out to be true that Mercedes-Benz was simply trying to claw their way back through this little maneuvering by Max, what else could one possibly call it if not the desperate move of someone who has run out of options? 🙄>

Max is driving like an absolute beast. He’s staying right on it, keeping that gap steady at around 3.8.

James Harris34 said:And we're talking about the same Massa that Bottas absolutely demolished...

But we aren't talking about the same Massa here, are we? Perhaps if one took a moment to truly examine the history behind the subject being debated, the distinction would be clearer. You see, the Massa we are discussing is the one who suffered that devastating mechanical failure back in 2009.🙄div>

Jack Kelly5 said:Honestly, that feels like a total cop-out. Like, oh, they just "accidentally" messed up the aero? And then they actually tried to claim Max just broke the wing with his finger or something—that whole column was pure fiction, believe it or not.
I mean, what do you think would happen if they caught an Alfa or a Haas doing something similar? They'd be dragging it out forever and listening to those endless excuses. Think about it.

That’s exactly my point. It’s just ridiculous. You throw the whole grid into chaos and then act like, "Oops, our bad, just a little mistake." It's a joke.

Look at it this way. Who would actually cheat in a way that they’d fail a standard physical test conducted every few races at high-speed tracks? 🤔

It’s like building a car that’s 10cm too wide and then acting surprised when you get a DQ the second a steward pulls out a measuring tape. 🤣

If you’re going to cheat, you do it where it’s hard to see—the stuff that requires specialized testing to uncover. Not like this. This is why Red Bull needs to insist on a full inspection of the wing mechanism to see if this happened at other tracks too. Because if they find a genuine irregularity there, Mercedes could end up facing a DQ for multiple past races due to an illegal wing.

Hmm, what now? Ham just headed into the pits.

Kyle Lopez2 said:It isn't really about who he was; it’s more about your comment suggesting you're docking Senna points just because he died.🤔
Look, if you're saying seven titles are better than three, fine, but you didn't frame it that way—you phrased it like a sarcastic jab or like someone who doesn't get it, implying this other guy is superior simply because he never hit a wall. 😵 And then you claim Hamilton wouldn't have crashed if he were driving back in the old days.

Younger Hamilton was a total daredevil, honestly; he used to throw cars around with people like it was nothing, not to mention those times he went off track. I won't even bring up the tire failures or when his brakes gave out at Hockenheim. Just look at that crash with Max in Silverstone where they both could have been killed because Hamilton's tire blew, the car started fishtailing, and then—boom—he went into a violent spin over the curb.

There’s that one quote from the old champions—I think it was Hill—when he was asked how a kid in a slower car could be faster than him in qualifying. He basically replied that he didn't think the kid would last long, and sure enough, the kid ended up losing his life in the following races. He wasn't talking about aggressive racing styles; he was just describing the raw speed he saw during qualifying. Back then, having a ten-year career meant driving with extreme caution, yet they still had several massive wrecks where they took heavy hits.

Man, imagine trying to drive a car with tires as thin as a bicycle's—like an old Yugo—doing 186 miles high speeds and needing to brake. Imagine chasing a Yugo at 100 mph and having to slow down for a corner; if you lock up just a little, the damn thing starts sliding and you're just a passenger. You'd have to drive on foot to survive ten years like that. 😵 You guys are being unrealistic.☕

Mmmmmm... you definitely sound like someone who remembers the sixties.

Where were you in the sixties?

graniteharbor502 said:If it turns out to be true that Mercedes-Benz was simply trying to claw their way back through this little maneuvering by Max, what else could one possibly call it if not the desperate move of someone who has run out of options? 🙄>

I disagree; Mercedes isn't making any excuses here. In fact, they didn't even file an appeal against the FIA's decision.

Raymond Anderson4 said:Hmm, what now? Ham just headed into the pits.

Even Max was already there.

graniteharbor502 said:But we aren't talking about the same Massa here, are we? Perhaps if one took a moment to truly examine the history behind the subject being debated, the distinction would be clearer. You see, the Massa we are discussing is the one who suffered that devastating mechanical failure back in 2009.🙄div>

That's just not true. Between 2010 and 2012, Massa was just as talented as he always was. The issue was that he was essentially playing wingman to Alonso during those years, which definitely took its toll on his motivation, but his raw driving skill never wavered.
And when he finally got a shot at Williams, he was consistently beating Bottas, which really speaks volumes about how good he actually was.

Jacob Castillo70 said:I disagree; Mercedes isn't making any excuses here. In fact, they didn't even file an appeal against the FIA's decision.

We are really discussing what transpired behind the scenes here, aren't we? If the rumors are actually true—those whispers suggesting they intended to blame Max's interference with Lewis's rear wing—then I can only describe such a move as the desperate act of a cornered soul.

Red Bull is looking seriously competitive on medium tires, while Mercedes has decided it's time for Lewis to move on from the team.

Elizabeth Mendoza said:Not even close. If he screws up, I’m calling it a screw up. Period.

Red Bull fans start looking for a gallows the second Max trips up, whether he's actually at fault or not. But when their golden boy messes up? They suddenly act like they didn't see a thing.

In this specific mess, your guy is the one who screwed up, not mine.

Jacob Castillo70 said:I disagree; Mercedes isn't making any excuses here. In fact, they didn't even file an appeal against the FIA's decision.

The chatter over on Sky was that Merc might try to claim Max contaminated the evidence.🤣🤣

But honestly, what else is there to complain about? The specs say 85mm, and when you put a ruler up against the Mercedes, it’s clearly over 85.🤔 There's really no point in arguing when the facts are right there in front of you.☕

Not again, a VSC

Amanda Kelly said:In this specific mess, your guy is the one who screwed up, not mine.

Regarding the duel itself, Max’s explanation is even more nonsensical:
"The tyres were already a bit worn, so I was really on the edge of grip. That's why I think I was already not fully on the apex, so then it's a safer way of just running a bit wide there.

How is running wide considered a "safer method"? If Lewis had been alongside him and forced off the track, they would have collided three meters past the exit. We've never seen a precedent like that before.🙏

His whole strategy in a duel seems designed to completely prevent anyone from overtaking. He brakes late, pushes the other driver toward the edge of the track, and then drifts wide just so you can't pass him even off-line. It's madness.🤣
I honestly think he's lying. He didn't go wide because he lacked grip; he went wide because he decided to block Lewis by any means necessary. I've rewatched that clip several times, and Max wasn't driving nearly fast enough to justify losing his line like that.

https://www.fia.com/sites/default/fi...%20-%20DRS.pdf

Once DRS kicks in and flattens that upper wing element, the gap needs to stay strictly between 10mm and 85mm. Per TD/011-19, they check that max gap using an 85mm gauge under a 10N load. If that gauge slips through? The car fails. Here, the gauge held firm on the inner part of the wing, but it slipped right through the outer section. They ran the test four times using two separate gauges, all while the Stewards and representatives of The Competitor were watching.

IT was clear to The Stewards that The additional deflection was duo to additional Play either in The DRS actuator or the pivots, or maybe just a faulty mechanism or poor assembly.

Both the team and the FIA maintained that Fio that The same design Has been tested many Times during The season and uniformly passed. On top of that, Fio Has examined The design of The are of The Car in question and ara satisfied that The design meets the intent of the regulation. Consequently, there is no doubt for The Stewards that this failure wasn't a deliberate attempt to cheat the dimensions through design or action.

At this rate, the technical glitch on Hamilton's car might just decide the championship.
Just like back in 2016.

What a joke. A virtual safety car just because two cars went off track into the wall? 🤣

They’re really just handing everything to Lewis Hamilton on a silver platter.

Raymond Anderson4 said:Regarding the duel itself, Max’s explanation is even more nonsensical:
"The tyres were already a bit worn, so I was really on the edge of grip. That's why I think I was already not fully on the apex, so then it's a safer way of just running a bit wide there.

How is running wide considered a "safer method"? If Lewis had been alongside him and forced off the track, they would have collided three meters past the exit. We've never seen a precedent like that before.🙏

His whole strategy in a duel seems designed to completely prevent anyone from overtaking. He brakes late, pushes the other driver toward the edge of the track, and then drifts wide just so you can't pass him even off-line. It's madness.🤣
I honestly think he's lying. He didn't go wide because he lacked grip; he went wide because he decided to block Lewis by any means necessary. I've rewatched that clip several times, and Max wasn't driving nearly fast enough to justify losing his line like that.

He isn't crazy; he's just a dirty driver. It’s easy to defend and attack like that when you aren't thinking about the safety of yourself or anyone else. Honestly, it's sad to me that Lewis's haters even try to put him and Max in the same conversation.🤦

Now Bottas just has to step up, play his part, and absolutely nail Verstappen