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

Alex Barnes93 said:Lewis's era is definitely over—he proved that by totally cracking under pressure without any hesitation. We’re going to see more of that this season, just like when he got outplayed and completely dismantled by Rosberg. It's easy to stay cool when you don't have anyone breathing down your neck...
Honestly, yesterday's total meltdown said it all: https://streamable.com/p4a9as

Leclerc hasn't even been in a scrap for the last two races, so you can clearly see the progress happening there.

But hey, if haters were actually celebrating—and look at him go, despite being a lap down, driving a broken car, and heading straight for a beach day:

GOAT 44
Max 43

James Harris34 said:Shouldn't Hamilton have been penalized for driving backward on the track?

Honestly, I was expecting Vettel to pick up another stop-and-go penalty plus 5 points since he got in the way during the reentry...
It’s actually kind of shocking he didn't, considering how fast he came flying in...

William Gomez5 said:Wait, is it even legal to go in reverse on the track? I don't mean like when they're digging themselves out of the gravel trap, but like, actually driving backward on the circuit itself?

It's totally allowed. Back in the day, it wasn't an option because those old-school cars didn't even have a reverse gear.

Raymond Anderson4 said:Norris defended like a pro, but once Lewis hit the start-finish line with about a 0.650 deficit, it was game over.
Just a few laps earlier, he held an 0.8s lead—that tiny one-and-a-half tenth difference was ultimately what decided if Lewis could make the pass or not.

In his previous attempts, Lewis played it pretty cool. No wild, aggressive lunges in the braking zones.
He knew there were still five or six more shots coming, and that Norris's tires would inevitably give out as the race went on.
Calm. Calculated.

Alex Barnes93 said:It's perfectly legal. Back when it wasn't allowed, those cars didn't even have reverse gears.

👍

Richard Walker38 said:Vettel was basically just cruising today. He only moved up because everyone else was crashing or spinning out right in front of him. Without that chaos, he’d still be stuck behind Haas Vettel 🤣

Honestly, Vettel managed to overtake Alonso three times on track today, which is pretty wild 😁
He absolutely played iznazazebavati Perez for fools 🙏
And let's be real—he wouldn't have stood a chance against him if his gearbox hadn't died...

Watching his race from the onboard cam was actually pretty great...

Alex Barnes93 said:It’s allowed. Back when it wasn't permitted, cars didn't even have reverse gear.

F1 cars have had reverse gear since day one.
And using it in the pit lane? That's strictly forbidden.

stormybadger8 said:Vettel absolutely crushed Alonso three times on track today. 😁
He totally played iznazazebavati Perez for fools until he was exhausted. 🙏
Honestly, nobody would have caught him even if they tried—if it weren't for that gearbox failing on him.

Watching his race from the onboard camera was seriously awesome...

Man, you are an absolute optimist. You're way too hopeful for your own good.

dustyridge3 said:That’s exactly where he belongs ☕

Classy move right there. He totally could have blown past Max when that guy pulled that crazy spin during the comeback lap, but he played it smart and held back for ☕

Jason Campbell70 said:Man, these cars have had reverse gears since day one.

Nope, they don't.

Jason Campbell70 said:And you aren't allowed to drive in reverse in the pit lane anyway.

Exactly.

Every single time Tony hops on the radio, he sounds just like Schwarzenegger 🤣

Look at this kid Russell, man. Just shut your mouth and dance, kid.

William Gomez5 said:Look at this kid Russel, just shut up and keep dancing.

I honestly don't get this. He's claiming that if it were anyone else besides Bottas, they wouldn't have pulled that off. What is he even talking about? 🤦

Jacob Castillo70 said:I don't get this at all. They're seriously claiming that if it were anyone else besides Bottas, they wouldn't have pulled that off? Like, what? 🤦

I’ve seriously got this gut feeling that he saw the footage, and now he's just scrambling to spin the narrative and minimize the damage because he knows damn well he messed up.

Thank god he’s actually on British TV talking to the local reporters for once. 😁

Amazing Perez blew it at the end. At least Russel saved Mercedes 😂

Hamilton’s recovery drive was solid—definitely the fastest car out there on those mediums. Not sure if Max even bothered with a flyer at the end, or if he just wasn't feeling the risk today.

stormybadger8 said:Vettel managed to overtake Alonso three times on track today 😁
He absolutely wrecked Amazing Perez🙏
Honestly, he probably wouldn't have stood a chance against him if his gearbox hadn't given up...

Watching his race from the onboard camera was actually pretty great...

hahha, you're clearly head over heels, man🤣 😍 😁

That's basically how I was watching Alonso during the last one😳 😁 😁

William Gomez5 said:I honestly have this nagging feeling that he saw the footage and is now just scrambling to mitigate the damage because it’s become painfully obvious that he was in the wrong.

It’s honestly a relief to see him on British television, actually sitting down and holding his own in conversations with the local journalists there. 😁

In the end, things aren't actually looking all that bad for Valtteri. Honestly, he would have had a much harder time if he were driving for a top-tier outfit like Mercedes-Benz, especially with some young kid breathing down his neck and trying to snatch his seat away.

Once again, we have to face the reality that they’ve had an absolutely disastrous start to the season. If Amazing Perez manages to maintain his consistency throughout the year, Mercedes-Benz could find themselves in serious trouble when it comes to fighting for the Constructors' Championship.

wiredseal7 said:I honestly can't tell if Max even attempted a flyer at the end there or if he just straight up refused to risk anything.

Look, Lewis had the FL set with DRS (on Lando), so realistically Max didn't have a prayer of being that much faster without someone out in front to hunt down. There was zero reason to play hero and risk blowing the whole thing just to scrape an extra point.

I bet Sky and the British media are going to milk this whole Bottas situation for all it's worth, turning Russel into some kind of martyr.

Something else that’s getting totally swept under the rug right now is the fact that the Williams car was actively hunting down Bottas, who was driving like an absolute disaster. It was a brutal weekend for Valtteri, and honestly, it's plenty of food for thought for Tot and the rest of the crew. I wouldn't be shocked at all if we see a mid-season driver swap if Bottas keeps performing at this level.

Richard Walker38 said:Now Sky and all those British media outlets are obviously gonna milk this whole Bottas thing and turn Russel into some kind of martyr.

I find it super interesting how Russel just won't let go of the idea that Bottas is the one at fault—like he’s acting like he’s just some innocent bystander caught in the crossfire of unnecessary aggression.