[Official] Tuscan Grand Prix 2020: Grand Prix Weekend Thread - Round 9

[chillibowl]

Ham got lucky on the timing there.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Red flag, again.

[chillibowl]

Wow!

Will bottas stay in his car again lol

[Akrapovic]

I take it they're using the same marshals as Monza? Because dear god they're terrible. You never see this sort of mess at Silverstone.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Stroll's car is now a bonfire.

[rustyfan]

I'm guessing it's the first time we've had a red flag twice in one race? I'm also guessing it's the first time we've seen a wrecked car hanging from a crane being on fire.

Formula 1 should race at Mugello more often, this is great

Edit - Whelp, the broadcast just corrected me. Had completely forgotten about 2016 Brazil GP being red-flagged twice.

[tux]

Mugello can stay, replace Barcelona-Catalunya with it.

[Richard C]

The upcoming sprint race will be interesting!

Richard

[chillibowl]

Another start...can the mercs keep it clean?

Hate accidents but would love to see another surprise winner.

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

The upcoming sprint race will be interesting!

Richard

Was just thinking that.

[bjohnsonsmith]

A rolling start would be good, just for variety. Otherwise a clean start and Danny Ric gets Bottas for second.

Edit: Bottas back in second.

[chillibowl]

Albon immediately in Bottas' DRS while Bottas quickly falls further back out of LH's zone.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Congrats to Lewis on his 90th GP win and congrats to Albon, on a well deserved first podium.

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

Bottas was fine. What he did was completely fine and legal.

The issue was a car back in the pack decided the race was green, so everyone went with them. It appears that it may have been Russell who went too early. Magnussen had (correctly) not gone. Gio, Sainz and co had gone. Russell pulls out into plenty of space, and then Gio, Sainz and co are at full tilt and fine Magnussen at SC speed.

Wholly with this view. Bottas did nothing wrong here, and has no reason to manage the restarts of those sitting in 14th place. Giovinazzi and Latifi made some questionable moves, and with another major infraction by Giovinazzi, I wonder how his license is looking. But it's likely to be one for the stewards...

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by Biscuits In A Red Bull

Wholly with this view. Bottas did nothing wrong here, and has no reason to manage the restarts of those sitting in 14th place. Giovinazzi and Latifi made some questionable moves, and with another major infraction by Giovinazzi, I wonder how his license is looking. But it's likely to be one for the stewards...

Totally agree.

Looking back, Ocon and Russell are guilty too. They speed up and slow down, but are far enough ahead that it isn't an issue. Russell has to move off line through. Gio, Latiffi and Sainz are going far too quickly. Grosjean wasn't any better. Kimi and Vettel were stupidly far off the back of the pack too.

Half the grid is guilty.

[ascarracinguk]

Bottas “we need a safety car to win this now”

Stroll “hold my beer”

Hamilton “permission denied”

Don’t know how many chances Bottas needed today, but he couldn’t match Lewis.

Feel sorry for Danny but great for Albon, let’s hope it gives him the confidence going forward

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Originally Posted by ascarracinguk

Bottas “we need a safety car to win this now”

Stroll “hold my beer”

Hamilton “permission denied”

Don’t know how many chances Bottas needed today, but he couldn’t match Lewis.

Feel sorry for Danny but great for Albon, let’s hope it gives him the confidence going forward

Hmm. Bottas had the fortune with the safety car coming out but it all amounted to nothing as Hamilton was handed a free stop by Bottas, not Hamilton, being the first car caught behind the safety car, and then the standing start nullified it all. Hamilton only took the lead following a standing start, so I'd argue Bottas' one chance came from that final restart - and he bottled it. Still, the tyre politics was an odd episode. Also, without the Verstappen roadblock, I wonder how far Hamilton would have fallen down after the first start. 4th maybe.

Honestly Albon's podium has a very awkward and gifted feel to it. He had to fight past Ricciardo but it took him too many awful starts to recover from in a car that was clearly superior those around him to make it feel like he has been rewarded for his struggles. It feels gifted through a red flag that I still don't really see the justification for (although given that Stroll's car turned into a bonfire, it may well have been needed). It doesn't "feel good" at all, and is incomparable with the emotions of last weekend.

A race far too odd and full of strange moments for me to really enjoy.

[ascarracinguk]

Originally Posted by Biscuits In A Red Bull

Hmm. Bottas had the fortune with the safety car coming out but it all amounted to nothing as Hamilton was handed a free stop by Bottas, not Hamilton, being the first car caught behind the safety car, and then the standing start nullified it all. Hamilton only took the lead following a standing start, so I'd argue Bottas' one chance came from that final restart - and he bottled it. Still, the tyre politics was an odd episode.

Swings and roundabouts, Hamilton lost out due to the red flag last week, benefitted this week.

By Bottas handing Hamilton a free stop, you mean Hamilton looked after his tyres better than Bottas again so Bottas couldn’t use tyre strategy against him and go on the alternative tyre.

Not the first time this year Hamilton has proven to be kinder on his tyres

I agree the whole tyre thing under red flag is ridiculous

Albon was lucky, but then again so was gasly last week. He’s had his fair share of bad luck so happy for him

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Originally Posted by ascarracinguk

By Bottas handing Hamilton a free stop, you mean Hamilton looked after his tyres better than Bottas again so Bottas couldn’t use tyre strategy against him and go on the alternative tyre.

You've misunderstood. The safety car holding up Bottas handed Hamilton a free stop. Since it was called after Hamilton passed pit in, it collected Bottas from pit exit, thus allowing Hamilton to build a gap to get a free stop. But ultimately, yes, Hamilton managed his second stint better than Bottas. This would, of course, been a saving grace for Valtteri anyway, but it was still a weird thing to happen.

As for Hamilton losing to a red flag at Monza - not really. He'd earned his penalty before under the safety car, not red flag. The red flag only really put Stroll into contention, which is why without it Sainz could legitimately argue he would have won the race.

As a side note, I thought some more and wondered if the second red flag was there to avoid any further safety car restart shenanigans.

[Knowlesy]

Best bit of the race was Bottas demanding the opposite tyres to Lewis at his stop and then having to pit first anyways because he ruined his first set. I mean, God...

[ascarracinguk]

Oh absolutely no doubt deserved his penalty in Monza, just unfortunate with the red flag etc exacerbating the penalty

[ascarracinguk]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

Best bit of the race was Bottas demanding the opposite tyres to Lewis at his stop and then having to pit first anyways because he ruined his first set. I mean, God...

That part made me chuckle a bit....and also die inside a bit too. If you’ve got to rely on an alternative tyre....and then run out of tyre faster than your teammate you know Bottas isn’t up to it.

The comment from him about the safety car was also a bit amusing

[Anyopenroad]

Bottas looked a slightly broken man in the interviews. He was asked what he thinks he has to do better/differently and he clearly knows there's no answer to that because he's doing everything he can. It must be a brutal experience to be the teammate of Hamilton (or Verstappen), arguably more so when in theory you're hired as an equal - at least if he was officially the #2 there wouldn't be the same constant scrutiny and sense of disappointment.

I have always thought highly of Rosberg for walking away rather than face another season of that intensity. A very self-aware and balanced thing to do. I wouldn't be surprised if Bottas makes a similar call, if indeed Mercedes don't make it for him.

Hamilton knew that Bottas would not fight him round the first corner on the restart. Frankly Bottas should just have punted Hamilton off, better that than have everyone know you're just going to cave.

[Knowlesy]

The sad thing is he had everything in his hands. He looked more comfortable than Hamilton all weekend and that first start was a beauty.

But he got progressively worse with each restart. Unforgiveable.

Still, Russia next. He will win there and have a chance to feel good again for a couple of weeks.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by ascarracinguk

Bottas “we need a safety car to win this now”

The irony.