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

graniteharbor502 said:If I may quote my own previous thoughts: Mercedes truly seems to exist in a league of its own. Meanwhile, Max managed once again to secure P2—nearly even touching P1. He is quite simply a phenomenal driver. 👍

It’s truly remarkable how much he was able to keep them at bay before; once you get onto a track like this, there’s nowhere left to hide.

Drew Bennett68 said:That’s just what happens when you’ve got two heavy hitters running on Red Bull's tracks.

I find myself agreeing with that sentiment quite often, actually. It seems people tend to forget just how impressive the Mercedes-Benz car truly is, simply because they are so preoccupied by Verstappen's incredible performances.

Max says he struggled because he was stuck on a harder compound—total nightmare.

Lik wrapped himself up in the Brazilian flag.....

It’s crucial for Red Bull that Perez doesn't mess up the sprint tomorrow and manages to stay ahead of Lewis heading into the main race. They might not be able to hold him up for an entire stint, but even just five or six laps could make a massive difference in the final standings.

Drew Bennett68 said:If there wasn't a penalty hanging over his head, Lewis Hamilton would have cruised through this with his eyes closed. That car is an absolute rocket on the straights—his straight-line speed advantage is just unreal.

Max Verstappen really lucked out starting 10th tomorrow, because let's be honest, he wouldn't have stood a prayer of winning here otherwise.

On the straights? I mean, he's basically glued to the bumper of the guy in front without even having to touch the steering wheel much... but I suppose Red Bull Racing is just on another level right now, I guess.

Drew Bennett68 said:It’s truly remarkable how much he was able to keep them at bay before; once you get onto a track like this, there’s nowhere left to hide.

And that is precisely why I maintain my stance: he is a phenomenal driver. He most certainly earned that championship title.

Perez almost took out Bottas there.

Everyone seems to be conveniently forgetting that Max Verstappen started out on mediums. He didn't even begin closing the gap to Valtteri Bottas until lap 20. At the end of the day, Bottas admitted his tires were absolutely spent and they lasted just about as long as they could.

It’s honestly a joke that Max couldn't just cruise to an easy win while sitting on those mediums.🙄

Damn. That thing was flying. Honestly, that’s likely the absolute ceiling for a Mercedes-Benz engine in a single race—after this, it’s probably headed straight for the scrap heap (unless they somehow stumble into the championship).

Still, Max Verstappen didn't manage to pull away with a safe cushion before these last three races. Since there won't be any stupid sprints at Austin, maybe they can actually dial in the car and fight back. They really need to push Honda to take some actual risks with the engine, otherwise Lewis Hamilton is just going to sweep everything up—at this rate, he might as well swap out engines every single weekend.

It looks like Bottas has already checked out for the season; his mind is stuck firmly in 2022.

Carlos top-tier 🙏 🙏 🙏

Absolute masterclass on that start, and honestly, the way he held off Sergio Perez was just pure class 🙏 🙏 🙏

We’re looking at a massive day tomorrow. I'm just praying the pit crew doesn't completely blow it again like they did last time.

graniteharbor502 said:And that is precisely why I maintain my stance: he is a phenomenal driver. He most certainly earned that championship title.

Maybe he'll manage one single title in his entire career, if we're lucky.

Raymond Anderson4 said:It’s crucial for Red Bull that Perez doesn't mess up the sprint tomorrow and manages to stay ahead of Lewis heading into the main race. They might not be able to hold him up for an entire stint, but even just five or six laps could make a massive difference in the final standings.

That penalty is going to impact tomorrow's results.

Logan Sargeant is nearly 6 seconds behind his teammate 🤣

fadedwalker18 said:Way to go, Max.
You truly gave it everything you had out there.

He absolutely did everything he could. First, he squeezed Valtteri Bottas out of the way, then he dealt with Lewis Hamilton, and then there was that little pinball action on the straightaway. It’s quite a mystery how he didn't walk away with a five-second penalty. 🙂

But that is just racing; let's leave it at that. I suspect that shoving Lewis Hamilton won't simply vanish without notice. There will be plenty of chatter about it once the race concludes, and most likely, it will end up being discussed in a boardroom as well.😁

Drew Bennett68 said:That penalty is going to impact tomorrow's results.

Exactly. If he doesn't drop back, then even after Lewis's penalty, he'll still be ahead.

Lawrence Garcia5 said:Perez is basically a mediocre driver who just happens to be in good hands. If he weren't driving for Red Bull Racing instead of the Haas F1 Team, he’d be spending the entire season praying for a single point.

Hamilton drove like a god; he did absolutely everything perfectly.

Honestly, this engine is the only thing keeping them in the game. They should be able to cruise into the podium tomorrow—assuming Valtteri doesn't mess it all up.

In over 200 races, Perez has managed exactly one front-row start.
Need me to elaborate?

stormybadger8 said:What kind of magic trick does he need to pull in the pits to catch Max before the final laps? 🤔

Let's be real: with a beast of a car like that, Luxury Max is going to be miles ahead before the first pit stops even happen. Honestly, I wouldn't be shocked if he's already lapping people by lap 10...
Fernando Alonso had the best top speed, he had DRS, and he loves to act tough in these duels, but he couldn't do a damn thing. Rick wasn't any better either...
If we're being realistic, the only actual threat to Max is Sergio Perez—and that's assuming he doesn't get stuck behind Carlos Sainz and trash his tires...

On the flip side, Max has a shot at jumping Bottas at the start. If he misses that, he’s unlikely to catch him through the pit cycles... and by then, Luxury will already be on his radar.

Based on the pace we've seen, I'd say Mercedes will be up by 1-2 seconds right around the pit window, then Bottas will get the signal to clear out, and that'll be that...

I forgot to mention—he'll probably get the order to move out of the way in Turn 1.🤣
Toto knows exactly what he's doing and exactly where Bottas needs to get out of the way.
It's pretty interesting how he still follows orders without question, no matter what happens.

It looks like Lewis thinks he’s going to be picking up a penalty tomorrow, or at least that’s what the folks watching Sky are saying.