Bahrain Grand Prix (Outer Loop) | December 4-6, 2020

Russell is making another pit stop; I guess we can kiss that win goodbye.

stormybadger8 said:Probably because even Schumacher's race car wasn't anywhere near as dominant as the Mercedes...
And talking about legality is just mindless noise. Who's to say this Mercedes isn't "illegal" anyway?🙂

A race car is legal until they find something wrong and disqualify the crew.☕
As far as I know, Schumacher's cars were never disqualified or ruled illegal, so they're just as legitimate as the Mercedes...

Regarding Lewis, yeah, he's sitting in the most dominant machine ever made, but you still need consistency and you have to stay at the top to win.
Every title he grabbed was absolutely earned. Anything else is just fairy tales...

Saying "anyone could do it" is just pure nonsense...
In that car, pretty much anyone on the grid would win a race or two during a season, sure. But winning a championship is a different beast entirely, and winning them back-to-back is on a whole other level...
There are way fewer drivers who could snag a title than there are who could grab a single win—honestly, I doubt half the grid could do it. And as for those who could win consecutive titles? I'm not even sure there are three or four of them on the entire grid.
One guy I'm certain wouldn't be in that group is Kimi, whom I personally love, but he definitely wouldn't be winning titles in a series... he'd be too busy getting hammered after his first win. There are plenty of drivers whose mental game would just crumble under that kind of fame...

But honestly, the "GOAT" talk is also a stretch. A true GOAT wouldn't have choked in a single race or qualifying session, let alone against the relatively mediocre competition of Nico Rosberg...
He also dropped a mountain of PP's (45!!! 🤦) and wins (31 🤦) against Valtteri Bottas and Rosberg... who are supposedly equals, except for the fact that the boss tells the media Bottas is the "perfect wingman," and James keeps telling him to move out of the way at Turn 12 so Lewis can pass, and then he actually does it at Turn 12 so Lewis doesn't ruin his tires overtaking... and we're supposed to believe they're equals? 😍

With Rosberg, things were somewhat obscured, but with Bottas, it's not hidden at all. It's obvious, loud, and public: he's the Number 2 driver.
At the end of the day, it's clear enough that his talent doesn't even come close to the level of that car; he was brought in as the Number 2, and that's his ceiling. Honestly, there are plenty of drivers out there significantly better than him.☕

It’s wild that even looking at the stats, Rosberg and Bottas have twice as many poles as multi-time champs like Alonso, yet they're basically mid-tier Formula 1 drivers... I mean, Rosberg is definitely better, but it's not even a huge gap...
Hamilton alone has 22 PP's over his long career, while Bottas & Rosberg have 45 PP's🤦 even though their win counts are identical...

So, we were looking back at those different championships from 2000 to 2004. Aside from 2003—where tires were basically the only thing making a difference—Ferrari had the best car on the grid, and they weren't just winning; sometimes they were a full second per lap faster than everyone else.
Even the Benetton back in '94 and '95 was an incredible machine. Looking back at '94, sure, maybe Williams had more raw pace, but their cars were way too twitchy and unpredictable to handle.

The race car stays legal until someone finds a loophole or a trick they didn't like, and then the whole team gets tossed out. It’s all fine until it isn't. ☕
As far as I can tell, Schumacher's race car wasn't disqualified or ruled illegal. So, if you ask me, it was just as legal as anything Mercedes is running today.

Maybe do a little more homework here. Benetton actually got disqualified a few times back when Schumi was driving because the race car just wasn't up to code with the regulations.

Honestly, all this talk about him being the G.O.A.T. is just pure fairy tale nonsense. A real G.O.A.T. wouldn't have blown it in a single race or qualifying session, let alone struggled against the kind of "competition" he had in Nico Rosberg.
It’s all just a facade. If things had gone differently, we wouldn't even be talking about PP's wins over Bottas and Rosberg. They claim those two are equals, right? Total parity. But then you look at the media coverage—the team principal keeps spinning stories about how Bottas is just the "perfect wingman." Meanwhile, James is constantly chirping in his ear, telling him to back off at Turn 12 so the Luxury driver can sweep past without losing time or shredding his tires. It's a setup. And yet, they still have the nerve to call them equals. 😍

With Nico Rosberg, there was still enough smoke and mirrors to hide what was actually happening. With Valtteri Bottas, there’s no mystery at all—he’s been very loud and very public about being the No. 2 driver. At the end of the day, it’s pretty obvious he doesn't have the talent to be in that race car on his own merits; he was brought in specifically to play the supporting role. ☕

It’s honestly kind of ridiculous. You look at the stats and see that Rosberg and Bottas have twice as many poles as multi-time champions like Fernando Alonso, yet those two are pretty much just mid-tier talents in the Formula 1 league. Sure, Rosberg is clearly the better driver of the two, but he isn't exactly operating on a different planet.
Look at the numbers. Fernando Alonso has only managed 22 wins in his long career, while Bottas & Rosberg have racked up 45. It just puts things in perspective. 🤦 And their win count is exactly the same...

Look, Rosberg is a hell of a driver. Why does Hamilton need to have some perfect, 100% win record against every single person on the grid just for us to call him the G.O.A.T.? That’s just not realistic. It's impossible.
In this modern era of Formula 1, none of the world champions have ever had teammates as solid as Lewis Hamilton. The guy’s been winning since his karting days, and he hasn't stopped since.

Regarding Hamilton's GOAT status, Russell is essentially driving a Mercedes-Benz in shoes that are two sizes too small; he can barely fit into the cockpit, looks uncomfortable, and seems to be drifting off the track.
Imagine the chaos if he actually got acquainted with the car and found it comfortable.

It is as we all suspected, though now the rest of the world finally sees who actually secured those titles instead of Hamilton.

In this particular car, anyone could be a champion—even those guys from F2 without any specialized training.

I am glad the veil has finally been lifted.

Toto is directing this whole thing like some amateur director in a community theater production.

Since we’re already talking about legality...

As a team, Mercedes has been dancing right on the edge—and sometimes stepping over it—since day one.
Now, look, they haven't officially been disqualified, nor has their race car been ruled illegal during a current season. But they've definitely had parts declared illegal for the following season more than a few times.

But because they haven't actually been disqualified or hit with an illegality ruling mid-season, you can't just blindly label their car "illegal."
Still, they’ve certainly racked up more "technical irregularities" than, say, Ferrari did back during the 2000-2004 era.

Here’s why:
That Brawn GP blown diffuser? Later ruled illegal.
The FRIC system? Later ruled illegal.
The double diffuser? Later ruled illegal.
Using the current race car for testing—plus all that other stuff—was technically illegal too, yet Mercedes and the drivers walked away without any penalties.
Then there's DAS—ruled illegal for the next season.

And that’s just the stuff out in the open that the FIA caught. Who knows what else is happening behind the scenes? Given how organized and sneaky these Formula 1 teams are, it's highly likely there's more.
So, honestly, it's pretty ridiculous to call Schumacher's cars "illegal" while treating Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton like they're holier than the Pope. 🙄

Yeah, we all know how much prep work goes into this kind of thing, blah blah bla☕

George Russell is showing he’s got massive potential—we're talking on par with Max Verstappen or Charles Leclerc. If he can just get a competitive car under him, he’s a future champion, no doubt about it.
There is absolutely nothing shameful about what Lewis Hamilton is dealing with here. The man has won everything there is to win, so calling this a disgrace is just ridiculous.🤷 This actually just proves Russell's raw talent. It's exactly what we saw back in his junior days when he swept up every single trophy available—showing total dominance even while stuck in a hopeless car during head-to-head battles. He's just built different.

Man, I honestly feel for the guy. Maybe the only way to make it up to dear Russell is if they actually pick him up as a driver next season.

stormybadger8 said:Since we’re already talking about legality...

As a team, Mercedes has been dancing right on the edge—and sometimes stepping over it—since day one.
Now, look, they haven't officially been disqualified, nor has their race car been ruled illegal during a current season. But they've definitely had parts declared illegal for the following season more than a few times.

But because they haven't actually been disqualified or hit with an illegality ruling mid-season, you can't just blindly label their car "illegal."
Still, they’ve certainly racked up more "technical irregularities" than, say, Ferrari did back during the 2000-2004 era.

Here’s why:
That Brawn GP blown diffuser? Later ruled illegal.
The FRIC system? Later ruled illegal.
The double diffuser? Later ruled illegal.
Using the current race car for testing—plus all that other stuff—was technically illegal too, yet Mercedes and the drivers walked away without any penalties.
Then there's DAS—ruled illegal for the next season.

And that’s just the stuff out in the open that the FIA caught. Who knows what else is happening behind the scenes? Given how organized and sneaky these Formula 1 teams are, it's highly likely there's more.
So, honestly, it's pretty ridiculous to call Schumacher's cars "illegal" while treating Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton like they're holier than the Pope. 🙄

I honestly feel like all those technical systems were perfectly legal when they were originally developed in full compliance with the regulations, and since the FIA eventually decided to ban them later on, wouldn't that effectively strip Mercedes of their top spot? I suppose it’s a bit of a stretch to try and compare those kinds of clever engineering feats to something as blatant as outright lying, cheating, or stealing, don't you think? 🤦

Casey Hill57 said:Does anyone feel like going over to Bottas and telling him this is just a practice session rather than an actual race?
Poor guy is really stressing himself out over nothing, but he just won't listen.

He almost had him—if they hadn't gone and scrubbed that lap from the records. 😁 So, you've got a guy jumping into that car for the first time, and he’s already out there shaving tenths off the lap time during Free Practice 2—it's almost ridiculous.

Maybe it’s just that Williams Racing effect—you struggle with a total junker for long enough, then you finally hop into a decent car and everything feels effortless. It’s like finally getting your cast off and realizing your arm actually works again. 🙂

Come on Stroll, just try to get past Ocon already. What is it going to take?

bluepuma9 said:So, we were looking back at those different championships from 2000 to 2004. Aside from 2003—where tires were basically the only thing making a difference—Ferrari had the best car on the grid, and they weren't just winning; sometimes they were a full second per lap faster than everyone else.
Even the Benetton back in '94 and '95 was an incredible machine. Looking back at '94, sure, maybe Williams had more raw pace, but their cars were way too twitchy and unpredictable to handle.

The race car stays legal until someone finds a loophole or a trick they didn't like, and then the whole team gets tossed out. It’s all fine until it isn't. ☕
As far as I can tell, Schumacher's race car wasn't disqualified or ruled illegal. So, if you ask me, it was just as legal as anything Mercedes is running today.

Maybe do a little more homework here. Benetton actually got disqualified a few times back when Schumi was driving because the race car just wasn't up to code with the regulations.

Honestly, all this talk about him being the G.O.A.T. is just pure fairy tale nonsense. A real G.O.A.T. wouldn't have blown it in a single race or qualifying session, let alone struggled against the kind of "competition" he had in Nico Rosberg.
It’s all just a facade. If things had gone differently, we wouldn't even be talking about PP's wins over Bottas and Rosberg. They claim those two are equals, right? Total parity. But then you look at the media coverage—the team principal keeps spinning stories about how Bottas is just the "perfect wingman." Meanwhile, James is constantly chirping in his ear, telling him to back off at Turn 12 so the Luxury driver can sweep past without losing time or shredding his tires. It's a setup. And yet, they still have the nerve to call them equals. 😍

With Nico Rosberg, there was still enough smoke and mirrors to hide what was actually happening. With Valtteri Bottas, there’s no mystery at all—he’s been very loud and very public about being the No. 2 driver. At the end of the day, it’s pretty obvious he doesn't have the talent to be in that race car on his own merits; he was brought in specifically to play the supporting role. ☕

It’s honestly kind of ridiculous. You look at the stats and see that Rosberg and Bottas have twice as many poles as multi-time champions like Fernando Alonso, yet those two are pretty much just mid-tier talents in the Formula 1 league. Sure, Rosberg is clearly the better driver of the two, but he isn't exactly operating on a different planet.
Look at the numbers. Fernando Alonso has only managed 22 wins in his long career, while Bottas & Rosberg have racked up 45. It just puts things in perspective. 🤦 And their win count is exactly the same...

Look, Rosberg is a hell of a driver. Why does Hamilton need to have some perfect, 100% win record against every single person on the grid just for us to call him the G.O.A.T.? That’s just not realistic. It's impossible.
In this modern era of Formula 1, none of the world champions have ever had teammates as solid as Lewis Hamilton. The guy’s been winning since his karting days, and he hasn't stopped since.

Schumacher was disqualified at the 1994 British Grand Prix because he overtook during the formation lap. So, nothing to do with the race car.

After that, he was disqualified at the Belgian Grand Prix because of a plank on the floor that was thinner than allowed. That's a car issue. But, he was disqualified. He walked away with exactly zero points with that car.

At the Italian Grand Prix and the Portuguese Grand Prix, he was banned from racing due to his behavior at the British Grand Prix where he ignored the black flag. So, again, absolutely nothing to do with the car.

I'm telling you, he drove an illegal race car only once. At the Belgian Grand Prix. And he got disqualified for it. So, he scored exactly zero points with that car.

Everything else is just nonsense and straight-up unproven slander.

Look, I’m definitely no F1 expert or anything, so I was just wondering what you guys think... is it actually possible that Lujin's car is just straight-up faster than Bottas's?
Post 1. Because if it isn't, then man, Bottas is just incredibly slow.
Post 2. And if he really is outrunning the competition like that, it definitely makes Hamilton's results look pretty bad.

stormytiger4 said:How’s little Russell looking out there today? Honestly, one solid race was all he needed to prove that the Mercedes-Benz is a beast and Bottas is just dragging them down.
And if Red Bull Racing doesn't snap up Perez, they're losing their minds.

I told you the other day—Perez is headed to Mercedes.

I find this logic absolutely fascinating:

In 2008, Ferrari took the Constructors' Championship
- While Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) barely managed to clinch his title in an utterly dominant machine

Then in 2009, Brawn GP secured the Constructors' Championship
- Yet Jenson Button became the champion through sheer, superhuman willpower while driving what was essentially a glorified bucket on wheels

🙏🤣

Maybe after this performance against Russell, they'll finally decide to cut him loose from Mercedes. I mean, the influencer hasn't even signed his contract for next year yet.
It’s basically like they're seeing, "Hey, this kid can actually hold his own against you, and he'll probably be wayyy better than you in the long run."

Is this all intentional—or just pure chaos?

ruggedhawk20 said:Schumacher was disqualified at the 1994 British Grand Prix because he overtook during the formation lap. So, nothing to do with the race car.

After that, he was disqualified at the Belgian Grand Prix because of a plank on the floor that was thinner than allowed. That's a car issue. But, he was disqualified. He walked away with exactly zero points with that car.

At the Italian Grand Prix and the Portuguese Grand Prix, he was banned from racing due to his behavior at the British Grand Prix where he ignored the black flag. So, again, absolutely nothing to do with the car.

I'm telling you, he drove an illegal race car only once. At the Belgian Grand Prix. And he got disqualified for it. So, he scored exactly zero points with that car.

Everything else is just nonsense and straight-up unproven slander.

Unproven slander?
Those Benetton cars sat in various collectors' hands for years, and they eventually found hidden traction control software that could be triggered through a secret menu. And let's not forget, back in '94, Ayrton Senna was saying he could clearly hear them using TC coming out of the corners.

Casey Hill57 said:Maybe after this performance against Russell, they'll finally decide to cut him loose from Mercedes. I mean, the influencer hasn't even signed his contract for next year yet.
It’s basically like they're seeing, "Hey, this kid can actually hold his own against you, and he'll probably be wayyy better than you in the long run."

And it would be a lot cheaper, too.

Sent from my iPhone 13 using Reddit

People spotted Toto hovering near Russell's tires with what looked like a scalpel.

bluepuma9 said:So, we were looking back at those different championships from 2000 to 2004. Aside from 2003—where tires were basically the only thing making a difference—Ferrari had the best car on the grid, and they weren't just winning; sometimes they were a full second per lap faster than everyone else.
Even the Benetton back in '94 and '95 was an incredible machine. Looking back at '94, sure, maybe Williams had more raw pace, but their cars were way too twitchy and unpredictable to handle.

The race car stays legal until someone finds a loophole or a trick they didn't like, and then the whole team gets tossed out. It’s all fine until it isn't. ☕
As far as I can tell, Schumacher's race car wasn't disqualified or ruled illegal. So, if you ask me, it was just as legal as anything Mercedes is running today.

Maybe do a little more homework here. Benetton actually got disqualified a few times back when Schumi was driving because the race car just wasn't up to code with the regulations.

Honestly, all this talk about him being the G.O.A.T. is just pure fairy tale nonsense. A real G.O.A.T. wouldn't have blown it in a single race or qualifying session, let alone struggled against the kind of "competition" he had in Nico Rosberg.
It’s all just a facade. If things had gone differently, we wouldn't even be talking about PP's wins over Bottas and Rosberg. They claim those two are equals, right? Total parity. But then you look at the media coverage—the team principal keeps spinning stories about how Bottas is just the "perfect wingman." Meanwhile, James is constantly chirping in his ear, telling him to back off at Turn 12 so the Luxury driver can sweep past without losing time or shredding his tires. It's a setup. And yet, they still have the nerve to call them equals. 😍

With Nico Rosberg, there was still enough smoke and mirrors to hide what was actually happening. With Valtteri Bottas, there’s no mystery at all—he’s been very loud and very public about being the No. 2 driver. At the end of the day, it’s pretty obvious he doesn't have the talent to be in that race car on his own merits; he was brought in specifically to play the supporting role. ☕

It’s honestly kind of ridiculous. You look at the stats and see that Rosberg and Bottas have twice as many poles as multi-time champions like Fernando Alonso, yet those two are pretty much just mid-tier talents in the Formula 1 league. Sure, Rosberg is clearly the better driver of the two, but he isn't exactly operating on a different planet.
Look at the numbers. Fernando Alonso has only managed 22 wins in his long career, while Bottas & Rosberg have racked up 45. It just puts things in perspective. 🤦 And their win count is exactly the same...

Look, Rosberg is a hell of a driver. Why does Hamilton need to have some perfect, 100% win record against every single person on the grid just for us to call him the G.O.A.T.? That’s just not realistic. It's impossible.
In this modern era of Formula 1, none of the world champions have ever had teammates as solid as Lewis Hamilton. The guy’s been winning since his karting days, and he hasn't stopped since.

2000 Season: 10 wins for Ferrari, 7 for McLaren
2001 Season: 9 wins for Ferrari, 4 for BMW, 4 for McLaren
2002 Season: 15 wins for Ferrari, 1 for BMW, 1 for McLaren
2003 Season: 8 wins for Ferrari, 4 for BMW, 2 for McLaren, 1 for Jordan, 1 for Renault
2004 Season: 15 wins for Ferrari out of 18 races.

So, summing it all up, 2002 and 2004 definitely crushed the competition, but they weren't even close to what Mercedes has been doing over the last few years.

So let's go Mercedes!

2014: they have 16 wins, 3 for Red Bull
2015: they have 16 wins, 3 for Red Bull
2016: they actually have 19 wins, 2 for Red Bull
2017: they have 12 wins, 5 for Ferrari, 3 for Red Bull
2018: they have 11 wins, 6 for Ferrari, 4 for Red Bull
2019: they have 15 wins, 3 for Ferrari (though there’s some suspicion
that they might have played a little dirty), 3 for Red Bull
2020: they have 13 wins, 1 for Red Bull, 1 for RP, 1 for AT—though this season, others were winning mostly because of mistakes made within Mercedes.

Looking at all of this, Ferkan with Schumi, if we're talking about pure dominance, is just a kitten compared to Mercedes. And it was all proven yesterday when a master who hadn't even scored a point sits in a Mercedes and would surely win if his guys at Mercedes hadn't messed things up for him.