I can see him doing 3 more, one last year with the current cars, and then 2 in the next generation (win one then defend it to prove himself) but it is one of those big unknowns
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Formula 1
- Thread starter sk688
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I can see him doing 3 more, one last year with the current cars, and then 2 in the next generation (win one then defend it to prove himself) but it is one of those big unknowns
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RailUK Forums
LOL The Irony
On Moderation
But Bottas has been usurped by Russell and Hamilton has retired, who gets the second seat? I wonder if poaching Gasly into the Merc family is an option and sticking him at Williams until Lewis goes? I think Mercedes really missed a beat by not buying Manor at the end of 2016 as they had to get rid of Ocon & Wehrlein and George is stuck at Williams for now. Another option could be Vandoorne.
I think he does, it's just whether Mercedes can still stay strong going into 2022.
Unless he retires at the end of this season, that's what I see happening.
It's more likely that he would stick around next year since the regulations change has been postponed. It's unlikely that anyone will have a faster car than Mercedes next year so why not go for one more title?
Absolutely no way does he just want to equal Schumacher on 7 titles and leave it at that.
Exactly! If the 2021 regulations changes were going ahead he might have retired, but he knows that he'll most likely have the best car in the field next year and an eighth title up for grabs...
That's assuming Wolff stays with Mercedes. After a lot of deliberation he's decided he'll stay for next year (role not yet decided either), there's no guarantee that he'll stick around beyond that
All on cars towards the back thinking they could go and then realising that in fact the car hadn't. Until Bottas put his foot down he was functionally that red Mercedes safety car - poor discipline from drivers at the rear seeing the green flag and thinking it was go time.
Indeed, all the blame lies there. But it also shows that the current safety car restart rule isn't a 'one size fits all' solution, especially on a track such as Mugello.
Tetchytyke
Veteran Member
Hamilton will only retire when he stops being near the front. He's only 35, there's plenty of life in him yet, and F1 drivers can go for longer than in other sports. Mansell was 39 when he won the WDC, Prost was 38 when he won his 4th, Schumacher was 37 when he retired for the first time and then regretted it.
If the 2022 Mercedes is rubbish he might lose interest, but not before.
As for binning off Bottas for Russell, I don't see it. Yes it gets Russell experienced to replace Hamilton, but having him in the Williams mostly does that without having the issue of destabilising the team by bringing in two new drivers in quick succession. If/when Hamilton retires simply plug Russell in his seat, but keep Bottas for solid consistency.
I can see Wolff winding down next year, taking more of a back seat ahead of 2022. But with as many talented people as there are at Mercedes, I wouldn't see much changing if someone like James Vowles moved into the big chair. Mercedes will eventually be caught, of course they will.
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Eh, all they really need to do it follow the rules properly - keep the correct distance to the car in front, only go when the car in front goes.
"In order to avoid the likelihood of accidents before the safety car returns to the pits, from the point at which the lights on the car are turned out drivers must proceed at a pace which involves no erratic acceleration or braking nor any other manoeuvre which is likely to endanger other drivers or impede the restart." - a driver (although nobody seemed to have identified which one) accelerated out of turn and then braked.
They could always abandon safety car restarts altogether and go for (even more) standing restarts :P
So both Italian Grand Prix we’ve had this year have been crackers. What chance the third one at Imola in November will be too?
Indeed! I'm also hoping that the other 'new' venues (Portimao, Nurburgring - at least in the turbohybrid era, Imola and Bahrain 2) are as entertaining as todays!
If only it were as simple as that in the heat of the moment at a new track that's never seen a safety car restart. Several ex-drivers were suggesting the same thing as well with regards to the layout.
Tetchytyke
Veteran Member
Eugh. Red Bull. Albon. Eugh. Just eugh.
Have I ever mentioned that I can't stand Red Bull and I can't stand Albon?
*does a Honda engine blow up dance*
Have I ever mentioned that I can't stand Red Bull and I can't stand Albon?
*does a Honda engine blow up dance*
It did seem like the safety car lights went out exceptionally late, meaning the field was pretty spread out before the restart, but it certainly does require some attention. Possibly some better enforcement of the rule, or at least clarification
Not a big fan here either. Gutted for Ricciardo, and Russell too (and to some extent Bottas a bit). After all that excitement, it's still a bloody hamilton win, at least the feeder and other racing series provide a little excitement for wins. Well perhaps apart from Le Mans next weekend where it'll be Toyota again!
LOL The Irony
On Moderation
The unless he retires at the end of the season part was a never say never thing, as there's no way of predicting what he'll do and he still hasn't signed a contract yet iirc. Just look at what Rosberg did, won the championship and then retired almost immediately afterwards.
The difference there was that Rosberg gave the impression that he didn't believe he could do it again, whereas Hamilton has done it six times (and likely seven soon).
Indeed. Basic rule: don't drive faster than the car directly in front of you.
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Rosberg knew he couldn't get the better of Hamilton in a straight fight and was unlikely to win it again, he knew at that point Hamilton was there for at least another season and likely to sign an extension.
Peregrine 4903
Established Member
Honestly I think Bottas now is showing just how good of a driver Rosberg was. Obviously Rosberg wasn't as good as Hamilton but I think only Verstappen and Vettel in the Mercedes could have taken a championship away from Hamilton.
I don't think that Vettel has been capable of beating Hamilton over a spread of races since he last won the title in 2013. With Ferrari's resources and undoubted influence in the running of the championship, he still couldn't cut it which was obvious when the red mist descended.
I don't know about that - if Hamilton's engine hadn't blown up in Malaysia I'm pretty sure he would've won that year. Comparing Rosberg's 2015 season results to Botta's 2019 season results it's hard to see daylight between the two, but I'd say that Botta's on-track results are better:
| Nico Rosberg - 2015 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 17† | 4 | 2 | Ret | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Valtteri Bottas - 2019 | 1F | 2 | 2P | 1P | 2P | 3 | 4F | 2 | 3 | 2P | Ret | 8 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1P | Ret F | 4 |
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I think Hamilton will do 3 years with maybe a get out clause after 2 years, I don't think he will go beyond that I thinking he going to have his own extreme E team, so he is clearly looking at other directions.
The wacky race format (Reverse Grid) looks as though it may get tried for some races next year which I think it may be ok for a couple of circuits where overtaking is OK but I don't think it should universal adopted.
The wacky race format (Reverse Grid) looks as though it may get tried for some races next year which I think it may be ok for a couple of circuits where overtaking is OK but I don't think it should universal adopted.
Tetchytyke
Veteran Member
The problem is that, the closer to the restart you get, the more likely it is that a driver will mistake the natural concertina effect as the driver in front accelerating. And the recent tendency to turn the safety car lights off later and later, to keep it exciting (as Hamilton said), makes it all the more risky.
If a driver misses that split second where the driver in front goes, then chances are they'll be a sitting duck all the way down to turn one. So they'll be jumpy.
Remember just how bad visibility is from an F1 cockpit, there's no way of seeing past the car in front.
greatvoyager
Established Member
I hope so, Imola was always one of my favourite tracks and I’m glad to see it return.So both Italian Grand Prix we’ve had this year have been crackers. What chance the third one at Imola in November will be too?
I only really got into F1 from 2005 onwards so it doesn't hold any special attraction for me. That said, I've heard lots of good things about it - along with, obviously, one particularly bad weekend.
greatvoyager
Established Member
One of the more memorable races was 2005, where Michael Schumacher duelled with Fernando Alonso.
Yeah, IIRC that was one of the first race weekends that I followed throughout.
greatvoyager
Established Member
Certainly a good one to start off with.
Peregrine 4903
Established Member
As someone who is only just getting into Formula 1, I have been reading about past world champions in Formula 1 and looking at it it seems like the late 80's and 90's were the most exciting time to be a formula 1 fan. You got to watch the greatest drivers ever being Prost, Senna and Schumacher battle it out plust some unexcted wins such as Villeneuve and Damon Hill. Seems so much more entertaining that it is at the minute.