F1 2022: French GP - Le Castellet (July 24)

[JustinHEMI]

Congrats to Max on the win! I agree with Charles' self critique, he'll be a champion one day but not while he's making such mistakes.

Way to go to GR on that move on Checo to take podium!

Merc also got lucky by Ferrari effing themselves otherwise they would be 5th and 6th. They need to find the pace.

[NYG]

Originally Posted by EdM5

Agreed
Interestingly, Max is at the moment almost driving like 'the professor' Alain Prost in his heyday. Fast, clean, no mistakes and a very cool head.
This is what gets you (lots of) championships!

He's an absolute champion. From his interviews, to his post-race analysis, to his driving. He's more than a generational driver. I think Charles is a generational driver.

I'm a Senna fan so I don't appreciate the Prost comparison!!! lol

[NYG]

Oh and I forgot to add,

Alpine is kicking some serious ass right now and I love to see it, especially with Fernando on the team. The fact that they're beating McLaren is wild - I actually think if Alpine was a better run organization, they could be in the fight with Merc. That car has wild potential.

[HeelToeShift]

Originally Posted by JustinHEMI

Congrats to Max on the win! I agree with Charles' self critique, he'll be a champion one day but not while he's making such mistakes.

Way to go to GR on that move on Checo to take podium!

Merc also got lucky by Ferrari effing themselves otherwise they would be 5th and 6th. They need to find the pace.

Mercedes just doesnt have the pace or IMO the drivers. Ham cannot win unless he is in the absolute fastest car and George looks like he's feeling the pressure - first he causes the Zhou crash, then he runs Perez off in two consecutive races...other than the DNFs and some luck situations, I agree, that MB just not nearly as fast as RB and Fer but just a bit faster than the mid field.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

Marko has said that Max and Checo's 18 could go even faster though Ferrari are doing that and look what's happening to the reliability, so RB are playing it safe with ''just'' enough.

Yeah . BINO just wants to keep the power and speed from the Superfast Ferrari PU , but they have to push it beyond the limits if they want to beat MAX !
BINO is already thinking about the PU (engine) freeze , and OC he wants to keep the Ferrari power ponies also in 2023 !
But meanwhile BINO's planning looks like a self-destruction mission ...

OC. The 2022 Ferrari looks wonderful and it is actually a WDC car at every track .
Too bad for the Ferrari drivers...

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by EdM5

Agreed
Interestingly, Max is at the moment almost driving like 'the professor' Alain Prost in his heyday. Fast, clean, no mistakes and a very cool head.
This is what gets you (lots of) championships!

Ed , Let me help you ...

[NYG]

Russel's performance isn't worth the praise. Aside from his first stupid overtake here's some new information from race control as to why Russel was able to jump him so easily:

14:26:48 VIRTUAL SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED

14:27:46 VIRTUAL SAFETY CAR ENDING

14:28:30 VIRTUAL SAFETY CAR ENDING

14:28:45 TRACK CLEAR

From regulations:

56.7 When the clerk of the course decides it is safe to end the VSC procedure the message “VSC ENDING” will be sent to all Competitors via the official messaging system and, at any time between 10 and 15 seconds later, “VSC” on the FIA light panels will change to green and drivers may continue the session or continue racing immediately. After 30 seconds the green lights will be extinguished

Race control gifted P3 to Russel.

[JustinHEMI]

Originally Posted by HeelToeShift

Mercedes just doesnt have the pace or IMO the drivers. Ham cannot win unless he is in the absolute fastest car and George looks like he's feeling the pressure - first he causes the Zhou crash, then he runs Perez off in two consecutive races...other than the DNFs and some luck situations, I agree, that MB just not nearly as fast as RB and Fer but just a bit faster than the mid field.

Yeah good points. As a GR fan, I was pretty upset with him and the dive bomb, and his follow on comments. He has maturing to do both as a driver and as an adult. Time will tell if he can rise to the occasion.

[NYG]

Originally Posted by JustinHEMI

Yeah good points. As a GR fan, I was pretty upset with him and the dive bomb, and his follow on comments. He has maturing to do both as a driver and as an adult.

He has wild potential but definitely needs more maturing to do - agreed.

[HeelToeShift]

Originally Posted by JustinHEMI

Yeah good points. As a GR fan, I was pretty upset with him and the dive bomb, and his follow on comments. He has maturing to do both as a driver and as an adult. Time will tell if he can rise to the occasion.

I used to be rather ambiguous, but his antics this year have turned me into a non-fan. Sorry, but that type of dirty racing I do not agree with. And then to have the audacity to think Per should have given back the spot was unfathomable along with his 2 year-old rant. He was doing well until Ham started outperforming him and now he's pressing, making mistakes and acting like an entitled ass since he thought he was going to go to MB and just mail in wins. Sorry, but he's a long ways off the skill of Max and Lec. He likely will never win a WDC given those two being around and way ahead of him. And don't forget, that's Ham's team and will be as long as he is around.

[NYG]

Originally Posted by HeelToeShift

I used to be rather ambiguous, but his antics this year have turned me into a non-fan. Sorry, but that type of dirty racing I do not agree with. And then to have the audacity to think Per should have given back the spot was unfathomable along with his 2 year-old rant. He was doing well until Ham started outperforming him and now he's pressing, making mistakes and acting like an entitled ass since he thought he was going to go to MB and just mail in wins. Sorry, but he's a long ways off the skill of Max and Lec. He likely will never win a WDC given those two being around and way ahead of him. And don't forget, that's Ham's team and will be as long as he is around.

I definitely understand that point of view and I wasn't a big fan of his after the Bottas incident but, in my opinion, he has a ridiculous ceiling and will be important for entertaining competition in the future.

Charles, Norris, Russel are all young drivers that have the potential to challenge Max in the right car.

I'm less confident about guys like Gasly/Tsunoda but would like to see them fighting too. I think Tsunoda has wild potential, just needs a swift kick in his ass.

[G30M]

serious question

Merc have magically stopped porpoising?

one race they were shaking like a vibrator the next race calm as a cucumber in the fridge

but how?

[NYG]

Originally Posted by G80M4

serious question

Merc have magically stopped porpoising?

one race they were shaking like a vibrator the next race calm as a cucumber in the fridge

but how?

I think the fact that the tracks have been a bit smoother has helped but there's definitely been some shady stuff going on behind the scenes with this new directive.

[EdM5]

Originally Posted by NYG

Charles, Norris, Russel are all young drivers that have the potential to challenge Max in the right car.

I don't think so.

Charly might be in the same league as Max but he needs to deliver the next few years. Btw remember that Max was in the same situation as Charly just a few years before.
Norris and Russel and Sainz are very good racers but IMO in the same category as Berger, Patrese, Barrichello, Coulthard, Massa etc.

[M5Rick]

One things for sure is they've all got an almost mission impossible matching Max when his car set up is perfect which for most of the time it has been.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by G80M4

serious question

Merc have magically stopped porpoising?

one race they were shaking like a vibrator the next race calm as a cucumber in the fridge

but how?

Your question is quite simple ..

Wolff bought it from Shaila-Ann Rao at the FIA=> https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/...sm,173445.html

In other words : Money can buy anything...

But actually It's a shame for motorsports !

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by EdM5

I don't think so.

Charly might be in the same league as Max but he needs to deliver the next few years. Btw remember that Max was in the same situation as Charly just a few years before.
Norris and Russel and Sainz are very good racers but IMO in the same category as Berger, Patrese, Barrichello, Coulthard, Massa etc.

Ed , just listen to this :
I saw MAX over here in Belgium (Genk) driving with his kart ,
Here in Belgium at the Karting Genk – The Home of Champions => https://www.eupoliticalreport.eu/kar...-of-champions/

I cannot describe it with words only from what I saw !
And more than once ..

I think It was in the year 2013/2014 .MAX pulled there laps in the wet and these laps were faster than the laps from the other drivers in the dry !
It was mind blowing ! This little guy was already a beast behind the steering wheel ...

Thanks to JOS who punished MAX to drive countless laps in the heavy rainfall with 'slicks !
Yes I said : "Countless laps with slick tyres in the rain" !

Even M.Schumacher witnessed in person the driver skills from the young MAX ..
M.Schumacher said there : The day will come , that MAX is the F1 World Champion !

M.Schumacher was right , but I knew it already from day 1 what was going on and what would come with the presence from MAX in the F1 !

[G30M]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Your question is quite simple ..

Wolff bought it from Shaila-Ann Rao at the FIA=> https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/...sm,173445.html

In other words : Money can buy anything...

But actually It's a shame for motorsports !

i'm keen to hear more. one woman can remove porpoising like at a flick of a switch?

what rule did FIA introduce to allow merc to switch it off?

[G30M]

Originally Posted by NYG

I think the fact that the tracks have been a bit smoother has helped but there's definitely been some shady stuff going on behind the scenes with this new directive.

porpoising has nothing to do with smooth or bumpy track, it's an underbody aero ground effect

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by G80M4

i'm keen to hear more. one woman can remove porpoising like at a flick of a switch?

what rule did FIA introduce to allow merc to switch it off?

In other words : The FIA knows how it looks like under the Red Bull and Ferrari floors .

Shaila-Ann Rao had a job at Mercedes but now at the FIA, and suddenly HAM's back was broken and in the next race the Mercedes bouncing was gone .
Coincidence ?
Give me a break ...

Mate . Mercedes is tipped how a anti-porpoising floor-system and the Venturi air tunnels must look like .
I heard ...It wasn't cheap but for sale !
#BlitzKrieg !

[Killed by Death]

Lando scares my girlfriend

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by NickyC

I tell you what. In a world of constant lies and a lack of holding people in power accountable for anything, it was incredibly refreshing to hear Charles admitting his mistake and the humility in his voice. It’s so rare to get that type of honesty these days, especially when the stakes are so high. He’s a good guy and I hope he has a lot of success going forward.

The problem with being a good guy though is the killers are going to walk all over you. Max and Hamilton will never hold back where I think Charles might not have what it takes to win at this level.

Decent race, I just wish Ferrari would stop being Ferrari so we could have a close championship!

You could also approach it differently: Leclerc is driving the car truly on the limit, with the whole world of F1 enthusiasts watching and hearing everything he does. If it works out, it's "great driving" and "big balls". If it doesn't work, kudos for having tried. The Leclerc crash in France does not result from reckless driving - it was just flirting with the tire limits. "Conservative" drivers don't become F1 world champion.

We are all just armchair F1 pilots. Leclerc is one of the greatest F1 pilots of his generation.