2021 Emilia Romagna GP (Imola) | April 16-18

ruggedhawk20 said:Max is quite fortunate that both Christian Horner and Helmut Marko favor him so heavily, ensuring the entire team's operations revolve around his needs; furthermore, he benefits from having Adrian Newey designing his car while enjoying the power of what is arguably the strongest engine on the grid from Honda.

And you seem to have overlooked the most vital element of all: he is incredibly lucky to be the greatest talent we have seen in the last thirty years.👍

Gary Palmer8 said:Look, we all know the real reason most people are salty... and it's none of that stuff you just listed...

If what you're hinting at is actually true, then things are looking pretty grim—people like that don't belong on this forum, let alone in the F1 fanbase.

Besides, you gotta respect all twenty drivers—they’re literally risking their lives just for our entertainment. Grosjean was inches away from disaster.

And honestly, if you were the parent of Bottas or Russell, you wouldn't be feeling this indifferent either.

So just show some respect for the drivers and enjoy the talent.

graniteharbor502 said:And you forgot the most obvious part—he’s lucky he's easily the biggest talent we've seen in the last thirty years. 👍

Max is pure talent—no question about it. He’s easily in the same league as Lewis and Alonso.

Look, I’ve officially decided to be a Lewis fan this season. Totally biased and subjective—I'm watching everything through that lens, and honestly? That's my right, and nobody can tell me otherwise.

The W12 is such a fantastic car. Throughout the whole weekend, they looked just a hair quicker than the Red Bull, until Q3 when the Red Bull leveled the playing field and Max missed out on pole. Lewis was great, though not quite the best out there. Charles Leclerc in that car is easily about three or four tenths ahead of Sergio Perez—no contest.

During the race, Max was just dominant. Lewis really should have let him through at the first turn; he lost that battle because he was trying to avoid losing part of his wing too. All things considered, he had a solid run. Both of their paces were exceptional—Max was slightly faster, but even with a damaged car, Lewis is still the master of tire management, so he managed to close the gap significantly.

Trailing them, Leclerc is leaving Sergio Perez in the Red Bull 17 seconds behind. After the pit stops, he’s got a 28-second cushion over Lando Norris and a massive 35-second lead over his teammate, who, despite having decent speed, keeps spinning off whenever the track gets soaked.

As for the rest, Daniel Ricciardo is getting absolutely hammered. He really needs to step it up, otherwise Lando is going to build a gap that'll be impossible to close.

The same goes for Fernando Alonso, because honestly, he looks like a guy who's ready to call it a career...

Regarding Vettel, he was actually good and fast even during the race. I think once he finds his rhythm, Lance Stroll won't be an issue, but I'm worried there might not be much left in the Aston Martin.

I have to circle back to the "incredible" Lewis Hamilton, who manages to hit the barriers at the most critical moments of the race, barely rolling back with a broken nose only for the Safety Car to pull in five seconds later. Unbelievable. He swaps the nose in the pits without a penalty, starts from 9th, and with 30 laps to go, he slices through a bunched-up grid to finish second. All this praise for that kind of driving honestly surprises me, considering this isn't some highlight reel channel, but an F1 forum.

Roger Wright94 said:Max overtook absolutely everyone in his way.
He dominated the whole race despite those messy, damp track conditions.
He earned that win himself; it didn't just fall into his lap.

It wasn't easy for Lewis either...
Honestly, after a crash like that, 99% of drivers would’ve just sat at the back of the pack, slamming their steering wheels and cursing their lives away, or jumping out of the car to kick a tire... that's the standard reaction.
Hardly anyone would actually think to ease off the throttle and pop it into reverse...
Anything else people argue about in the end isn't worth mentioning—it all boils down to the car, the DRS, the red flag situation, the rolling starts, blah blah blah...

But pulling that car out after spinning like that? You actually need a cool head to pull that off. 😉
The Lujo from the 2007-2013 era definitely would've been stuck at the back of the pack. But the Lujo from 2021? He didn't stay stuck; he fought his way to second.
That's exactly why Lujo didn't rack up a mountain of titles between 2007 and 2013, even though he usually had the best car.
And it's the same reason he'll take the 2021 title—he's got the best car again, but unlike back then, he's actually got a much calmer head on his shoulders.

ruggedhawk20 said:Max is lucky that Christian Horner and Helmut Marko favor him and that the entire team revolves around him. Plus, he gets a car designed by Adrian Newey and the strongest engine on the grid from Honda.

You’re out here trying to praise Newey, but this is really the first time since the Vettel era that he’s actually managed to put together a winning car from the start of a season.
He only pulled it off because the regulations played right into his hands, meaning he didn't have to overhaul the high rake concept.

Mercedes has the best brain trust in F1—the engine, the chassis, the aero tunnel, the simulator, you name it. They are unrivaled, and honestly, even five Neweys couldn't change that.

copperdrifter26 said:The W12 is actually a great car. They looked just a tiny bit quicker than the Red Bull all weekend—until Q3 RB ended up level and Max missed out on pole. Lewis was great, though maybe not at his absolute peak. Charles Leclerc in that car is easily 3-4 tenths ahead of Sergio Perez.

Max was totally dominant in the race. Lewis really should have let him through in the first corner—he lost that battle because he was trying too hard and almost ended up with a broken wing! All things considered, he did okay. Both their paces were incredible; Max was slightly faster, but Hamilton is still the master of tire management even with a damaged car, so he closed the gap quite a bit.

Behind them, Leclerc is leaving Sergio Perez in the Red Bull 17 seconds in the dust. After the pit stops, he’s got a 28s lead over Lando Norris and is a massive 35s ahead of his teammate—who has decent speed but keeps spinning out whenever the track gets soaked.

As for the rest, Daniel Ricciardo is getting absolutely crushed. He really needs to step it up, otherwise Lando Norris is going to build a gap that’ll be impossible to close.

Same goes for Fernando Alonso... looks like he’s definitely ready for retirement.

Regarding Vettel, he was actually good and fast during the race. I think once he finds his rhythm, Lance Stroll won't be an issue, but I'm worried there's nothing left for him at Aston Martin.

I have to mention the "incredible" Lewis Hamilton, who manages to hit the barriers at the most critical moments of the race, barely rolls the car back up with a shattered nose, and then sees a Red Flag five seconds later. Unbelievable. He swaps the nose in the pits without a penalty, starts from 9th, and with 30 laps left, manages to fight through a bunched-up grid to finish second. All this praise for that kind of driving is wild, considering this isn't a highlight reel—it's an F1 forum.

Honestly, people are just being ignorant here. When you saw how every little mistake sent drivers off because of the wet patches off the racing line... so yeah, giving Lewis credit for P2 after starting P10 is totally deserved.

graniteharbor502 said:You forgot the most important part: he's lucky he's arguably the biggest talent we've seen in the last thirty years.👍

There will never be a bigger talent than Lewis... and nobody is even coming close to touching his records.

graniteharbor502 said:And you missed the most vital point—he’s lucky enough to be the biggest talent we've seen in thirty years👍

Hardly—not when you consider that spoiled attitude... and the clock is ticking. Zero titles☕ to show for it. ☕

Gary Palmer8 said:"Masterful save" lol—Ferrari's guy finishing P2 wasn't just coasting because he felt like it... Max was off track, end of story.

He was off track for such a split second that the Ferrari driver didn't even have time to react and overtake him—that’s why it was a great save.

As for Lewis, he handled that like a pro—he saw how much of a mess things were, backed off, and still managed to climb from P10 to P2...

It's wild seeing these alternate-reality explanations where Lewis always has everything perfectly under control. I guess hitting the barrier was part of the master plan too.

If he also had to spend a few laps stuck behind a pretty quick Yuki Tsunoda—not to mention Sergio Perez "drifting" off course—would he even have had the time to catch Lando Norris?

Raymond Anderson4 said:You’re out here praising Newey—as if this is the first time he’s built a winner since the Sebastian Vettel era.
He only pulled it off because the regs played right into his hands—he didn't even have to ditch that high rake concept.

Mercedes-Benz has the best brains in F1, the engine, the chassis, the aero tunnel, the simulator—whatever you want—they've got the undisputed best setup, and honestly, even five Neweys couldn't fix that.

Total nonsense. You’re forgetting that besides Mercedes-Benz, Red Bull was the only team to actually grab a win during that first hybrid season back in 2014—all while dealing with a complete garbage Renault engine that kept overheating and lacked any real power.

In the hybrid era, it was obvious: Mercedes-Benz had the best engine (I mean, one Williams was basically top three just because of the power unit) and everyone knew Red Bull had the superior chassis. People used to post on forums like, "Yeah, but Red Bull has a Mercedes-Benz engine, so what?" Well, look at them now—they've got an even better engine than Mercedes-Benz, and we're seeing the result. A totally dominant car. It's like we're back in 2011 or 2013.

And Newey is definitely the GOAT designer. Mercedes-Benz is designed by computers, robots, or some artificial idiot—not a real person.

Newey is the last true designer left. This guy was designing cars that won the Indy 500 and took championships when he was only 26.

At 26! Most people are still wetting themselves at 26, and this guy is out here designing winning cars.

Raymond Anderson4 said:You’re out here trying to glorify Newey, even though this is basically the first time since the Vettel era that he's actually managed to put together a winning car from the jump this season.
He only pulled it off because the regulations played right into his hands—he didn't even have to mess with that high rake concept.

Honestly, Mercedes-Benz has the best collective brain trust in Formula 1. Between the engine, the chassis, the aero tunnels, the simulators—you name it, they own it. They’re just on another level, and honestly, even five Neweys couldn't fix that gap.

I have to say, friend, I don't quite see it that way.

Back in 2014, the RB10 had the best chassis on the grid.
In 2016, the RB12 was easily the best chassis out there.
And by 2018, the RB14 was definitely the class of the field.

It feels to me like Newey and his crew basically course-correct every couple of years. Before 2020, the real headache was always the horsepower situation. I mean, the Renault 2016 and 2018 engines were lagging by nearly a full second. No matter how incredible your chassis is, you just can't make up a gap like that on pure power alone.

Gary Palmer8 said:It honestly surprises me how little some people on here seem to get. Once you saw how even the tiniest mistake sent drivers flying off because of those wet patches sitting just off the racing line... well, all that praise for Lewis moving from P10 up to P2 is totally justified. It was a hell of a drive.

At the end of the day, Max didn't actually make a mistake; he just completely outclassed him through Turn 1 and cruised straight to the win. If it hadn't been for that 5-second penalty after he rejoined the track following that wreck, he might have finished 5 or 6 places higher, and in this kind of racing, that’s a massive gap.

stormybadger8 said:It’s not even about Hamilton...
Let’s be real—after a spin-out like that, 99% of these guys would’ve just sat there in the gravel, smashing their steering wheels and cursing at the top of their lungs, maybe even jumping out of the car to kick a tire or something...
And hardly anyone would’ve had the presence of mind to stop hitting the gas and actually throw it into reverse...
Anything else people try to argue is just noise—blaming the car, the DRS, or some nonsense about the red flag and rolling starts... blah blah blah...

But man, pulling that car out of the gravel after a mistake like that? You actually need a level head to pull that off. 😉
The Lewis Hamilton from the 2007-2013 era definitely would’ve just stayed stuck in the dirt. But the Lewis Hamilton from 2021? He didn't stay in the gravel—he rolled right back up into second place...
That’s exactly why Lewis Hamilton didn't snag a massive mountain of titles between 2007 and 2013, even though he was mostly driving the best cars on the grid.
And it's the same reason he’s going to take the title in 2021—he’s got the best car again, but unlike back in the day, he’s got a hell of a lot more chill in his head...

Who do you think was behind the wheel when Lewis Hamilton pulled up right against the barrier, and instead of hitting reverse, he floored it and smashed the wing?

If that red flag hadn't come out, he would’ve barely limped back to the pits, lost another 30 seconds, then another 5-10 during the wing change, and everyone would’ve been talking about how Lewis Hamilton spun out and completely trashed his race.

Instead, he looks like some kind of wizard, digging himself out of the same mess he created.

Exactly my point. He spins out into the gravel and suddenly everyone is acting like he’s a hero just for managing to get the car back on track.

copperdrifter26 said:I have to disagree with you there.

2014 - RB10, best chassis on the grid
2016 - RB12, best chassis on the grid
2018 - RB14, definitely the best chassis on the grid

It feels to me like Newey and his crew basically fix their mistakes every two years. Before 2020, the real issue was clearly a lack of horsepower. The Renault 2016 and 2018 engines were lagging by nearly a full second. No matter how good a chassis you have, you just can't make up a gap like that.

This probably belongs in a different thread, but I don't buy the whole chassis argument. That reputation has stuck around since the Vettel era.

People claim the chassis is superior because Red Bull Racing always performed well in Monaco and Singapore, but a good chassis needs to work on every single track.

stormybadger8 said:...Honestly, after a crash like that, 99% of them would just be sitting there in the gravel, pounding the steering wheel and cursing everything under the sun. They'd probably hop out of the car just to kick a tire or something...
And it wouldn't even occur to most of them to stop hitting the gas and just throw it into reverse...

Then you have to actually pull the car out of the dirt after a wreck like that. You basically need nerves of steel to even attempt it. 😉 ...

Isn't that a massive understatement!?

We're talking about professional racing drivers. This is their entire lives; they don't do anything else (well, except for the ones who act like wannabe influencers). And now you're trying to tell me most of them wouldn't think to keep the engine running and just shift into reverse!? 🤔
Come on. Seriously???

stormybadger8 said:...
Honestly, after getting absolutely smoked like that, 99% of them would still be stuck in the gravel trap—just pummeling their steering wheels, swearing their heads off, jumping out of the car to kick at the tires, and all that nonsense...

Does that remind you of when Sebastian Vettel did the exact same thing back in Germany a few years ago? It was raining, he was losing it—hitting the wheel and cursing—and if I recall correctly, he only ended up damaging the wing (or maybe the suspension too🤔)

Robert Cox46 said:Does that remind you of when Vettel was racing in Germany a few years back? He was out there in the rain doing something similar—pounding on the steering wheel and swearing his head off... and if I recall correctly, I think he only ended up damaging a wing (or maybe it was the suspension 🤔)

It wasn't the suspension, but even then, the area by the barrier wasn't paved gravel—it was pure loose gravel.

Though, I don't specifically remember him trying to drive in reverse.

Actually, this situation in Germany brings my mind right back to 2019. It feels as though we are witnessing a pattern emerging, doesn't it? This marks the third consecutive rainy race where Hamilton makes those critical errors and slides right off the track—first in Germany back in 2019, then in Turkey in 2020, and now this current mess.

copperdrifter26 said:The W12 is a great car. They looked slightly faster than the Red Bull Racing all weekend, until Q3 when the Red Bull caught up and Max lost pole position.

With a W12 that good, Mercedes' second driver finished near the back in Q3, dropped two spots at the start, and then spent nearly 30 laps unable to overtake a single soul on track. It wasn't even just about overtaking; he couldn't even pull away from George Russell in that damn Williams. A Williams, mind you—a car that didn't manage to score a single point the entire last season.

No matter how much Mercedes pays Hamilton—rumored to be around 40 million pounds this season—it’s an absolute bargain. There isn't a single development area for the car that could yield as much performance gain as Lewis Hamilton himself.

What Hamilton is doing here is only comparable to what Michael Schumacher did at Ferrari during the latter half of the 90s.
This is exactly why we love Formula 1.