Dutch GP (Santa Monica) - September 3-5, 2021

Max didn't have DRS at the detection point at the end of the lap. If he had, that gap wouldn't have been nearly as tight.

Which side of the starting grid is covered in that oily mess—the even lanes or the odd ones? It’s going to be a bloodbath at Turn 1 if they aren't careful.

wiredseal7 said:These delusions just pop up before every single race. 👎What if Pierre Gasly ends up taking out Hamilton?

I’d say 2:1 odds on Mercedes-Benz

👋

Raymond Anderson4 said:Max didn't have DRS at the detection point at the end of the lap. If he had, that gap wouldn't have been nearly as tight.

Looks like he botched the shift from 4th to 6th coming out of turn three—classic Max choke—and his DRS still hadn't kicked in. We’re looking at a lost 0.25 to 0.3 seconds there, which means Hamilton's actual deficit to the Mercedes-Benz is sitting right around three tenths. Maybe they could've squeezed out more if their driver had been running FP2 instead, though who knows. Valtteri Bottas definitely wasn't 🙄

Solid qualifying session. Honestly, they really need to bring back those gravel traps for every single track out there.

Back in the 70s, two drivers lost their lives there... now I think they've cleared out that section and built some houses and maybe even some golf courses over it

The track layout makes a procession likely, but this is a driver's circuit; it demands absolute precision and total control over the car.

WTF 😵

No penalties for the Haas drivers
No penalty for Max

What happened to the refs? Since when did they actually act normal? 🤔
Did they hire someone new or is it just some kid playing judge?
Seriously, I don’t get why they’ve suddenly started using their brains instead of just burying their heads in the rulebook and handing out stupid penalties for nonsense things that drivers have zero control over...

And this whole Vettel vs Haas thing is interesting...
Vettel clearly wasn't looking for those kids to be penalized; if anything, he was probably asking for a little common sense so they wouldn't get hit 👍
The penalty doesn't even make much sense anyway, because Vettel was going to smash into that pack regardless...
If anyone messed up here, it was the Aston Martin strategist who sent him right into the middle of the chaos, leaving him stuck in the wrong place at the worst possible time...

wanderingbison9 said:I can't help but feel like the safety protocols at the track aren't quite up to par if there's actually a risk of racing fuel igniting. Is it just me, or does it seem like that was why Vettel shut everything down, only to find he couldn't get the fire extinguisher bottle to trigger? It makes you wonder if that guy stepped in just to "show him how it's done."

In all honesty, Vettel basically saved his life.

There’s talk about a two-stop strategy if tire degradation hits harder than expected, but I honestly find that hard to believe. My gut feeling is that most teams will play it safe and opt for a more conservative approach, sticking to a slower delta just to see how long those tires actually hold up. Overtaking is such a nightmare on this circuit; every pit stop feels like a setback, leaving you stuck in a grind trying to move up through the field where even a fresh set of rubber might not give you the edge you need.
That's my take for anyone driving outside the Top 3.

I’m calling it now: we’re going to see at least three Safety Cars during today's Dutch Grand Prix.

EDIT: Do you think Robert Kubica might actually get a seat for the Italian Grand Prix?

Raymond Anderson4 said:There’s talk about a two-stop strategy if tire degradation hits harder than expected, but I honestly find that hard to believe. My gut feeling is that most teams will play it safe and opt for a more conservative approach, sticking to a slower delta just to see how long those tires actually hold up. Overtaking is such a nightmare on this circuit; every pit stop feels like a setback, leaving you stuck in a grind trying to move up through the field where even a fresh set of rubber might not give you the edge you need.
That's my take for anyone driving outside the Top 3.

Keep in mind, Mercedes-Benz has two drivers sitting in the Top 3, giving them the luxury of running split strategies.
On a track like this, pulling off a block should be pretty straightforward. Even for Valtteri Bottas.

I’m bracing myself for some total unpredictability in today’s race.

Hopefully, we don't see any driver pulling a stunt that feels more like a cheat than a win.

Raymond Anderson4 said:The track layout makes a procession likely, but this is a driver's circuit; it demands absolute precision and total control over the car.

Honestly, anything can happen this season. People were quick to write off Monaco and France as boring affairs, yet they ended up delivering some incredibly compelling races.

I’m watching the coverage on Sky, and honestly, Nico Rosberg is driving me crazy... I have no idea how someone can be so utterly clueless about what they should actually be saying... I used to think Martin Brundle was bad, but this is just a complete joke...
Give us Will Buxton, please...

Come on, he actually went into detail about why he didn't just hit the restroom before the race started. 😁

Linda Peterson43 said:I’m watching the coverage on Sky, and honestly, Nico Rosberg is driving me crazy... I have no idea how someone can be so utterly clueless about what they should actually be saying... I used to think Martin Brundle was bad, but this is just a complete joke...
Give us Will Buxton, please...

We need more professionals like Neven Novak and Ante Vetma 😁

Where’s Martin Brundle?

Honestly, that pre-race show in the background is just straight-up noise to me. It’s been such an absolute cringe fest to watch over the last few years.

A pretty lackluster take on the anthem, but at least the Dutchwoman is the genuine blue-eyed original.

The wait is finally over—we're back for racing after the summer break! 🤣