F1 Thread

F1 is back tomorrow and really looking forward to it this season. Hoping things are going to be tighter at the top this time with the changes at Red Bull and potential with Aston Martin. I'm a McLaren fan so hoping for a good season for Lando and Daniel. Also hope Ferrari are more competitive!

Appreciate it isn't everyone's cup of tea, so for those people there's no need to waste 30 seconds of your life telling me

 

I’m also looking forward to it, I’ve been watching “drive to survive” on Netflix this week as a sort of preparation.

I fear the usual “sandbagging” by Mercedes has occurred and I’d expect them to win both championships again. Although, like you’ve said, hopefully it’ll be a bit tighter.

I used to like Force India, a real underdog getting results they perhaps shouldn’t but I can’t get along with the Strolls. Although, I do like the green of Aston this year.

Ricciardo is probably my favourite on the grid. I’ll support Hamilton because he’s English but I’ve always liked Ricciardo, his smile and general happiness is infectious and he’s a very good racer too. I’m hoping he can do a lot in that McLaren, particularly with the engine that is in it now.

 

Pretty much share a lot of your views, especially about Stroll in particular as I don't think he comes across well in Drive to Survive. I like Seb though and hope he has a better season.

I think McLaren will finish 4th but hoping for some surprises like last year, when we had likes of Gasly and Perez winning races, to mix it up a bit.

 

Same here, looking forward to it. Hope Lewis wins but think tighter this year, also hope McLaren are on the up. Couldn't care less about Ferrari but think red bull might be closing the gap.

 

Looking forward to it. My 32nd year watching it, same as football. Don't ask me what I was doing before the age of six-years-old, but from that age I became obsessed with sport and competition.

Used to go to my grandparents every Sunday for dinner and grandad always had the F1 on. It grew from there. I thought Senna was amazing but used to root for Nigel Mansell of course, then Damon Hill, Jenson Button etc, the Brits. And since 2007, I've backed Lewis Hamilton and it's been one hell of a journey.

Senna and Hamilton are the two best drivers I've seen, but I used to love Ricardo Patrese too, similarly Giancarlo Fisichella. I thought both would have fared better if favoured more in their careers. Big fan of Rubens Barichello too during the years where he often was told to move over for Michael Schumacher.

We've been lucky enough (my generation) to watch the sport as it becomes ever more safe, compared to the decades before it. Of course, we lost Senna and Ratzenberger on that awful weekend in '94 and Jules Bianchi in recent times, but it's come a long way from what it once was. I've watched everything there is to watch on F1, and the accidents, the carnage, the injuries and deaths were staggering in the 60's and 70's. I think the horrific crash that Romain Grosjean suffered at the end of last season though proved two things - the accidents still happen, but the impacts of them are nowhere near as tragic thanks to the superb work put in from a safety perspective. I felt like a 12-year-old again when I saw his car explode, fully convinced I'd just seen a man die on TV.

It's not a sport for everyone. I don't think many of my pals watch it. It's boring so I'm often told. But I love it. Everything about it. And I say that as someone at nearly 39-year-old who still hasn't got a driver's license. Albeit I should have last year but for Boris and his lockdowns.

I've been to Silverstone, been to Monaco and to Spa. I'd like to go to Imola for obvious reasons.

As for this season, it's basically last year's cars with a few slight alterations. No way are Mercedes as bad as they showed in brief testing. But I hope the others are a lot closer because I'd like Lewis to break the record as eight-time champion in dramatic style. And then move to Ferrari. That's the dream.

Alonso back on the grid, Kimi still there, Vettel too. Some modern legends still racing. Not that I expect them to be on the podium often.

Verstappen and Perez looks a formidable duo for Red Bull to me. And will Bottas finally push Lewis like Rosberg did at the end?

Also intriguing to see how Mick Schumacher gets on. It was quite a thing when Bruno Senna raced some years ago, as Ayrton's nephew. But to have the great Michael Schumacher's son on the grid just adds to the thrill of what I hope is a cracker of a season.

Can't wait.

 

As always I'm looking forward to it you never truly know what you will get until the cars drive in anger under race conditions. Hopefully as you say things will be a bit tighter we really need it. Great to see Alonso back on the grid, he is one of my favourites to watch along with Danny Ricciardo.
Think we would all like to see Verstappen and Hamilton in a proper dual for the championship.

 

I can't see this season being any different than the last. Mercedes sanbagged the recent test in Bahrain and then went to to claim Red Bull are ahead of them, yeah right!!!
It will be another bore fest and season of Hamilton domination, I expect him to wrap up his 8th driver's WC well before the final race...Bottas will win an early race and then go back to putting in **** performances. He's a a loser. Unfortunately Toto Wolff is unwilling to put someone in the second Mercedes who may actually give Hamilton a run for his money.

Roll on 2022 and the major rule changes which may hopefully close the field up!

 

I had very similar experiences to you growing up with it, especially the memories of Senna etc as Im a similar age (hit 40 in about 6 weeks).

Can't see Bottas challenging Lewis any closer if im honest. I think he'll finish third this season but can't decide who comes second. Hope Checo outperforms Max though, not a big fan of him.

 

Very harsh to call Bottas a loser. He's clearly a very talented driver, yes he falls just short in F1 terms and can't see him ever challenging Hamilton consistently. I think he's probably suffered massively on the mental front at work so hard and driving so well and still being beaten. It easy to dismiss him by pointing out Mercedes performance advantage and how Hamilton has beaten him. Personally I don't think this does justice to just how talented Lewis Hamilton is.

 

I'm not a Max fan either. Perez could get under his skin. I see shades of Vettel and Webber there, in terms of relations. But as a duo, it's a bloody strong lineup if the car's as good or better than last year.

Bottas should be more punchy, I think he's got the pace. He just looks too safe to me during the long runs. Whereas Lewis always drives like he's trying to prove something. Despite being the most decorated driver of all time.

 

Know what you mean about Bottas. Would like to see Russell alongside Lewis next year and see how that develops. I wonder if longer term it will be a Max/ Russell partnership at Mercedes.

 

I don't think it's too who darent put anyone in to challenge Hamilton, it's Hamilton who won't allow anyone in to challenge him

 

VARROOOOM..!!

 

There's no VAR in F1 silly

 

Of course there is. It’s the ultimate VAR sport.

 

Is there any point to F1? With petrol engines being phased out, what's the point spunkin £ millions developing them further?

 

There already is an electric championship, and I am sure electric will replace it eventually when technology improves.

 

You're probably right fella.

 

"Keyboard Missing, Press F1 to Continue".

 

Sorry but I stand by what i said, Bottas is a loser and complete failure. He should be embarrassed at his efforts given the equipment at his disposal. The young lad Russell should be given a chance alongside Hamilton. He showed what he can do when he filled in for Hamilton at the Sakhir grand prix.