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

Kenneth Cruz67 said:I wonder what all you forum experts are actually expecting when it comes to Lewis's replacement?

Is everything else besides taking first place just considered a total failure in your eyes?

Not at all. It won't be a failure.

Anyone stepping into that Mercedes seat this weekend at Saarland will essentially be flying blind. It’s like being asked to pilot a jet mid-flight without a briefing.

Except maybe Hulkenberg. He’s actually dialed in and ready to go this weekend.

Mercedes needs to make a smart, nuanced decision, and they need to do it fast.

☕

Alex Barnes93 said:From season to season? Man, give me a break! This is only his second year in the seat and he’s actually driving way better than last time around. Plus, if you look at the stats, he’s outperforming his teammate in pretty much every major category.

Well, yeah, but let's not forget his teammate is literally the unluckiest driver on the grid this year. They're actually neck-and-neck in the standings.

If you put Max in the same car, he’d absolutely smoke Lewis. Like, total demolition. I don't care what anyone says—if you can't see that after today's race, you're just not paying attention. As for George, it's a little early to tell, but honestly? He'd probably pull off the same results. But Leclerc? Nah, man. He’s way too busy making reckless moves and playing bumper cars with everyone else on the track for the last two seasons.

wiredfalcon2 said:Look, if you aren't one of those people who lives for conspiracy theories, you can check out what actually went down during that infamous Mercedes pit stop right here;

The tire meant for George just rolled away by accident, so the mechanic ended up slapping Bottas's tire onto Russell instead. Rear left. Everything after that was just pure chaos... Honestly, such a brutal stroke of bad luck for a talented young Englishman.

👍

Thanks.

This is going to be incredibly interesting to watch. I'm curious to see if that theory holds water—whether whoever steps into the Mercedes seat ends up grabbing first or second place.

I don't think it's quite that simple, though.

Props to Mercedes. They’ve basically proven they’re the top dogs with the best car—seven seasons straight now. Honestly, the greatest feat in Formula 1 history is building a machine so dominant that even a total amateur could hop in and cruise to a win without any prep work at all.

I feel for Lewis. This whole situation just casts a massive shadow over his entire legacy.

Aside from that one back in 2008—which he basically stumbled into because his only competition was a mediocre Felipe Massa driving a subpar Ferrari.

He’ll forever be remembered as the guy whose car did all the heavy lifting for his career achievements.

graniteharbor502 said:And it isn't just his reputation either; he'll likely see that final zero wiped right off his paycheck.

Hamilton has more followers and fans than all the other drivers combined. A zero is only fitting for the GOAT.

stormybadger8 said:Except, there aren't even many people left who actually built this Mercedes machine...
We're talking about Brawn, Rosberg, and Schumacher...

Lewis and Toto stepped into an already well-oiled machine with a pretty advanced car...
Sure, they pushed it one step further and kept it at that level for years, which creates this illusion of a "struggle"—if not against anyone else, then certainly against Bottas, who is clearly struggling hard...

Because let's be real, Russell isn't some alien living several levels above Hamilton. He didn't just jump into a car he can barely fit in and slap Bottas around without any prep...

God knows how good Lujo really is, but it's certain that Bottas is basically a walking coma.
In fact, Lewis could probably lap him by a full circuit every race, or two laps ahead of the competition if Toto actually let him...
But he never will, because Toto knows perfectly well that if they show that kind of dominance, the FIA will just rewrite the rules to nerf their wings...

If I recall correctly, those guys were the ones who actually mastered that strange little thing—what was it, a platypus or some kind of weird bird?—with that ridiculously short wheelbase. It felt more like a caricature of a car than an actual racing machine, if you ask me. 🤔

So, I guess that's what RB, MSC, and NR essentially handed down to Lewis as his legacy.

A total caricature of a car.

I don't think Russell stands a chance here, especially since he's driving for a different team. Even if he has ties to Mercedes through other people, it just isn't the same.

It’ll probably be Stoffel or Esteban.

I guess I wonder what they're actually doing over at Ferrari, because I'm not sure if this is even realistic

ruggedhawk20 said:Well then—go invite the President over for a BBQ.

That'd be about right.

The President can have all the brisket he wants, it’s my favorite anyway 😁
hit me up in the DMs 😁

shadowmarlin22 said:Honestly, screw it all—Brawn Rosberg and Schumacher built everything 🤦
Let’s just look at the facts for a second...

Back when those three were running the Mercedes, there wasn't any real progress—they were sitting 4th, 4th, 5th in the standings, basically sliding backward every single year. The first year they brought in Wolff and Lewis, they jumped straight to second place, and then eventually became champions—though, let's be real, they didn't turn it all around in just one season.
Obviously, they probably hit their peak dominance this year because I'm guessing Brawn developed the foundation seven years ago and they finally cracked the code now. 🤣🤣🤣
Tibi, seriously, go get some help.

Aha, so winning the first PP and a race counts as zero progress...
I guess that's just a tiny little detail that any random team on the grid could pull off easily.
🙂
Double DRS and FRIC, which have been in development since 2012, aren't important either... totally irrelevant.
And I suppose Lewis developed the motor himself during the break between the last race of 2013 and the first race of 2014, since his Twitter wasn't working so he had nothing better to do than mess around with the motor...🙂

vividwalker13 said:This is going to be incredibly interesting to watch. I'm curious to see if that theory holds water—whether whoever steps into the Mercedes seat ends up grabbing first or second place.

I don't think it's quite that simple, though.

In my experience, it's rarely an instant success story. No matter who gets behind the wheel, they aren't going to be at the top of the podium immediately. It takes real time to get used to a car like that.

shadowmarlin22 said:Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc are pretty much cut from the same cloth. Honestly, they're both probably just heading toward a future as George Russell's wingmen. ☕

George Russell is fast, and with fifteen years of career ahead of him, he’s bound to be a champion.
Max Verstappen is incredibly quick, yet he's only six months older than George and possesses an immeasurable amount of experience. He is certainly going to be a multi-time champion.

Carlos Sainz would’ve totally grabbed that podium if things hadn't gone sideways with those unpredictable circumstances, but hey, just another notch on his belt this season. I really hope he's finally gotten all that frustration out of his system this year.

Take a look at what happens when someone tries to play rough.

Whoever ends up facing Bottas in qualifying or during the race is going to learn a whole lot about both of them.

ruggedhawk20 said:Props to Mercedes. They’ve basically proven they’re the top dogs with the best car—seven seasons straight now. Honestly, the greatest feat in Formula 1 history is building a machine so dominant that even a total amateur could hop in and cruise to a win without any prep work at all.

I feel for Lewis. This whole situation just casts a massive shadow over his entire legacy.

Aside from that one back in 2008—which he basically stumbled into because his only competition was a mediocre Felipe Massa driving a subpar Ferrari.

He’ll forever be remembered as the guy whose car did all the heavy lifting for his career achievements.

It’s funny, because unlike those other champions who actually earned their titles through grit and hard work—you know, things like driving tractors, riding school buses, or even hauling septic tanks—this guy apparently just had a fast machine. 🤦

Honestly, I feel like we’re going to see all sorts of wild takes on this forum lately. Someone claiming a driver only won because of his car? Goodness gracious, give me strength!

Alex Barnes93 said:If you put Max in the same car, he’d absolutely smoke Lewis. Like, total demolition. I don't care what anyone says—if you can't see that after today's race, you're just not paying attention. As for George, it's a little early to tell, but honestly? He'd probably pull off the same results. But Leclerc? Nah, man. He’s way too busy making reckless moves and playing bumper cars with everyone else on the track for the last two seasons.

And it’s almost like Max is somehow superior 🤣

He isn't exactly playing it safe just because he's realized that no matter how wild he drives, he can't outrun a Mercedes. If he actually caught a break to go for it, I suspect he’d still be charging headfirst into a wall. I don't think he's learned his lesson at all, 👍

Nicholas Newman2 said:I think it’d be fair, regardless of how Russell's Sunday turns out, if we all collectively pile on Mercedes-Benz, the FIA, and Lujo. We shouldn't hold back on Bottas either.

The guys are dealing with double trouble, but who’s really looking at the small stuff?
Just when there was a little bit of reason to celebrate, it wouldn't be right for us to go and ruin the fun.🙂

slybison11 said:I’m genuinely thrilled for Perez; he truly earned this after everything he’s dealt with this season. Such a shame for Russell, but hey, when one door closes, another opens... his future looks bright.

By the way, I caught some of the posts being made during the race. I'm still getting used to the crowd here, but is everyone mostly just trolls? Seriously, about 70% of people seem to have zero clue about F1—they’d be better off working at a local diner. I actually feel bad for a few of them; they're clearly struggling.

They finally responded to that appeal above.☕