[Official] Austrian Grand Prix 2018: Grand Prix Weekend Thread

[TrapezeArtist]

I found it rather ironic (in a good way) that now team orders are legal, Ferrari declined to use them. When they were illegal, they used them at every opportunity, and usually got away with it. Different team principal now of course, so well done Mr Arrivabene.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Nikki Katz

That was a good race, but I'm still finding myself irritated by the lap that everyone had to drive through a CGI Budweiser star. I know it was about 20 seconds of screen time, but I really hate that sort of thing, the camera lying about things on the track. And Budweiser's horrible.

I completely missed that, which lap was it? As it was the Red Bull ring, why didn't they have a CGI Red Bull?

[TrapezeArtist]

Originally Posted by Nikki Katz

That was a good race, but I'm still finding myself irritated by the lap that everyone had to drive through a CGI Budweiser star. I know it was about 20 seconds of screen time, but I really hate that sort of thing, the camera lying about things on the track. And Budweiser's horrible.

Real Budweiser is supposed to be very good. It's just the American stuff that is semi-frozen gnat's psss.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by TrapezeArtist

I found it rather ironic (in a good way) that now team orders are legal, Ferrari declined to use them. When they were illegal, they used them at every opportunity, and usually got away with it. Different team principal now of course, so well done Mr Arrivabene.

I think if they had used it, Kimi would have had to slow down considerably, to let Vettel pass and there would have been howls of derision.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by E.B

Last time we had a Mercedes double mechanical DNF was Italy 1955!

Thought I should qualify this comment by adding that they also managed to take a 1-2 win. Fangio anf Taruffi took the top two places, but Mercedes had a 4 car entry... the two cars entered for Moss and Kling had engine and gearbox failures respectively.

So a 1-2 and a double mechanical DNF in the same race.

They also had a (3 car) front row lockout in this race. It was the last last race before Mercedes had their long break from F1.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by TrapezeArtist

Real Budweiser is supposed to be very good. It's just the American stuff that is semi-frozen gnat's psss.

I'm sure the marketing department at Heineken International are glad that their efforts in getting their famous red star superimposed onto an F1 race has resulted in debates over the merits of Anheuser-Busch Budweiser vs Budvar Budweiser!!!!!

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

I'm sure the marketing department at Heineken International are glad that their efforts in getting their famous red star superimposed onto an F1 race has resulted in debates over the merits of Anheuser-Busch Budweiser vs Budvar Budweiser!!!!!

Apparently the UK is the only country in the world where the Czech and US versions of Budweiser can legally call themselves Budweiser. Otherwise depending on which country, if it's Czech Budweiser then the US version is called Bud and if it's US Budweiser, then it's Czech Budwar.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Apparently the UK is the only country in the world where the Czech and US versions of Budweiser can legally call themselves Budweiser. Otherwise depending on which country, if it's Czech Budweiser then the US version is called Bud and if it's US Budweiser, then it's Czech Budwar.

I know which one I think would have looked better on the race track.

[Armco Bender]

Intersting only 3 cars on the lead lap.
Theres daylight between the top 3 teams and the rest of the teams.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by TrapezeArtist

That seems to be overstating it somewhat. They were all over the kerbs, as usual. They just seemed to have worked out which ones were damaging and which ones were meaningless.

You could hear Hamilton's car rapidly gaining and losing traction in the run off area, like when you run over sharks tooth kerbs, I think that it may be the reason for the Mercedes' ultimate failure.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by Armco Bender

Intersting only 3 cars on the lead lap.
Theres daylight between the top 3 teams and the rest of the teams.

There was another really interesting overtake between corners 3 and 4 on the first lap of the race, Bottas had been shuffled back to 4th, but then just drove round the outside of both Kimi and Max like they were looking for parking!

????!!!!

I don't know quite what to make of it.

[S griffin]

Don’t forget this is a short lap, so more cars are bound to be lapped

[steve_r]

Originally Posted by wnut

There was another really interesting overtake between corners 3 and 4 on the first lap of the race, Bottas had been shuffled back to 4th, but then just drove round the outside of both Kimi and Max like they were looking for parking!

????!!!!

I don't know quite what to make of it.

It is unusual to see a double overtake, but they did show the replay later in the coverage which showed how it happened.

Kimi ran wide on the corner exit, lost momentum and then crossed in front of Max, slowing him down as well, allowing Bottas to drive around the outside of both.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by steve_r

It is unusual to see a double overtake, but they did show the replay later in the coverage which showed how it happened.

Kimi ran wide on the corner exit, lost momentum and then crossed in front of Max, slowing him down as well, allowing Bottas to drive around the outside of both.

Thanks Steve, much appreciated.

[steve_r]

Hopefully I was not mansplaining! I was equally confused at first.

On another topic, I'm enjoying Charles LeClerc and Sauber's recent performances. Its refreshing to see them battling with the midfield. Double points this time - yes of course helped by mechanical breakdowns to others.

I wonder how much assistance they are getting from Ferrari? I also wonder whether the Sauber name will continue, or will they be renamed Alfa at some point?

[EffectiveSprinkles]

Raikkonen was actually investigated for going off and gaining time, twice. But since both Verstappen and Bottas overtook him anyway they dropped it. Bit crap, in my opinion.

[TrapezeArtist]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I think if they had used it, Kimi would have had to slow down considerably, to let Vettel pass and there would have been howls of derision.

Yes indeed, but it didn't stop them before. Think Barrichello and Schumacher at this very same track.

Personally I hate team orders; to me a driver can only be credited with what he has achieved himself (along with his engineers and mechanics of course), not what he has been gifted by another competitor. But having said that, if I were a team principal I'm sure there would be times when I would feel obliged to put the good of the team above other considerations. That's why we need water-tight rules, firmly enforced.

[S griffin]

Well Ferrari obviously realise that got a bit too arrogant in Austria 02 and obviously don’t want to repeat that mistake. If Vettel was faster, I’m sure Kimi wouldn’t have made it too hard to pass

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by TrapezeArtist

Yes indeed, but it didn't stop them before. Think Barrichello and Schumacher at this very same track.

Personally I hate team orders; to me a driver can only be credited with what he has achieved himself (along with his engineers and mechanics of course), not what he has been gifted by another competitor. But having said that, if I were a team principal I'm sure there would be times when I would feel obliged to put the good of the team above other considerations. That's why we need water-tight rules, firmly enforced.

I remember Barrichello and Schumacher all too well, as I'm sure Maurizio Arrivabene does. Apart from Ferrari and Schumi's domination of F1, that was one reason I stopped actively following F1 for a couple of years, so I'm glad it didn't happen again.

[TrapezeArtist]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I remember Barrichello and Schumacher all too well, as I'm sure Maurizio Arrivabene does. Apart from Ferrari and Schumi's domination of F1, that was one reason I stopped actively following F1 for a couple of years, so I'm glad it didn't happen again.

[Taxi645]

So did a quick count of the points scored for the three top teams in the last three and five races.


VET: 50 80
HAM: 35 75
RAI: 41 53
RIC: 24 59
VER: 58 75
BOT: 22 50

[Kempi]

The point being?

[Taxi645]

Originally Posted by Kempi

The point being?

If the trend continuous it could become an unexpected three way fight for the championship.

AMS did an article on this beginning of June: https://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/...tappen-fehler/

If we add the points of the last three races to the table at the bottom of the article the standing would look like this:

VET: 157
VER: 148
HAM: 130

Now I'm not really interested in what if scenarios, the point being that the rest of the season might look quite different than many expect.

[S griffin]

I hope so, we could do with more drivers fighting for the title

[steve_r]

Red Bull will need for Hamilton and Vettel to have a lot more breakdowns or crashes before either of their drivers are in with a chance in the WDC.