[Jbrown7403]

Great race and a fitting end to an epic season! I thought that Simon Lazenby’s call of the last lap was fantastic and Martin Brundle was equally great (especially when he quickly pointed out that LH wouldn’t have DRS). So thankful we have the SKY F1 broadcast in the US vs. that caca NBC coverage we had for sooooo long. Can’t wait to see what the 2022 season brings!!!!

[Robin_NL]

Whatever anyway!
Gefeliciteerd Max en het Red Bull team.
A bit of a hangover … man I was so drunk. And I didn't see this one coming… the bar I was in , was overloaded with fans…
Whoa. Happily I m free on Mondays lol

Welterusten Max! Dankjewel voor dit extreme seizoen, ik heb vaak bijna tegen een hartaanval aangezeten…

Cheers
Robin

[gatorfast]

I guess it's a fitting end to a controversial season. Lewis got robbed, not really sure how else to view it. Safety car so late in the race is certainly bad luck but hey that's part of racing. But then to have the back markers go in front of the safety car to set up Max on Lewis' bumper on fresh tires with one lap to go? Come on.

[FormulaMMM]

Lap 54 after passing Latifi crash site and pit entry.

HAM: "(long bleep) should I have boxed?"

Bono: "Negative."

Positioned Merc pit crew return to garage with, if I'm not mistaken, a new set of mediums.

[Artemis]

The decisive overtaking:

[forza1976]

Originally Posted by Artemis

The decisive overtaking:

Winning post of this thread. Epic!

[Bubbles]

Toto unhinged - 2 minutes of uncut footage.

https://streamable.com/8s7ox1

[E90SLAM]

Originally Posted by Killed by Death

Harsh but FUN

Redbull was only dominant for PART of the year. VER has never enjoyed the advantage HAM did with MB being completely dominant for ENTIRE seasons and years!

Did VER get lucky? Sure did but hammy's alway say luck favors the prepared

BTW, I'll never pick on Canadians again!!! Thanks Latifi!!!

This reminds me the 2009 brawn season, where they only had the car dominant for first half of the season. And the second part of the season was RBR.

Where this year was like a seesaw. Where the momentum swings towards one or another every 4-5 races.

When many said Max was lucky today, but Hamilton had his luck a few times earlier this season as well.

But let me repeat, FIA is really F***ed up this season especially the last two races.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by dmatre

racing is part preparation, part skill, and part luck.

Did Verstappen (not) deserve the 2021 World Driver Championship title ?

A couple of 2021 facts:

• most championship points
• most victories
• most podiums
• most pole positions
• most laps in the lead
• most 'fastest lap of the race'
• either P1 or P2 in every 2021 race, except:
  • Hungary: P9 (crash caused by Bottas/Mercedes in lap 1/70)
  • Azerbaijan: DNF (blown tire | P1 in lap 46/51 | had fastest lap)
  • Silverstone: DNF (crash with Hamilton/Mercedes | P1 in lap 1/52)
  • Monza: DNF (crash with Hamilton/Mercedes | P8 in lap 26/53 | had fastest lap)

Verstappen is 24 years and 73 days. Hamilton is 36 years and got his first F1 title when he was 23 years 300 days (2008 - McLaren Mercedes) (but, true, almost got it in 2007 - McLaren Mercedes).

It's an impressive feat that Verstappen managed to get the upper hand with his Red Bull Honda against 7-time world champion Hamilton in full shape, who's 12 years his senior, driving the most advanced Mercedes AMG F1 car on the grid and who's supported by a strong Mercedes army machine hunting for yet another World Driver Championship. Epic titanic battles throughout the season. Verstappen's Honda engine may not have been as powerful as the Mercedes AMG engine, but proved to be fit for the job.

Verstappen's claim to fame for the future: "Earlier in my career I have raced against the F1 legend Sir Lewis Hamilton, who - as you know - retired years ago from F1. And I beat him."

From Max to Maximus. In some karting series in the past he became world champion with #1. He considers changing #33 to #1 for 2022.

2015:

early days (with his mother Sophie, who used to kart on a high level with the likes of Jenson Button, Nick Heidfeld, Jarno Trulli, Giancarlo Fisichella, Marc Gené, etc.):

[AlexFL]

pretty nice breakdown of the controversy and the two Mercedes protests…

[lens]

Originally Posted by kring

I suspect FIA dismissed Merc's protests so that they leave the entire bag of crap in Masi's hands even though it was wrong. He directly altered the outcome of the race that was entirely Hamilton's at that point. Hamilton won, full-stop. No way Max was catching him with 7 laps to go and 12.5 seconds behind unless Hamilton had bad luck with a crash all on his own, car had a major malfunction or the tires give out.

No one in their right mind can't argue this wasn't a fair end to a competition. The first 57 laps were fair and well played. the last lap were criminal. If you ignore any past history, the names involved... just objectively look at two drivers, one ahead by 28 seconds and 5 cars... and the 2nd place driver is allowed to pass 5 cars and wipe out a 28 second time deficit, and permit him at the end of lap 57 to pull right up next to the Hamilton with fresh tires... No excuse.

No rule book required for this one... Max didn't win, Hamilton didn't loose.... there was a mistake, and that mistake (Masi & FIA together) cost Hamilton the win, and gave Max a race he didn't win, and in-turn the championship went to Max.

Max is phenomenal and will have many more wins, but this one was given, not earned. Deep down I know he feels wronged all year long, so he'll justify this "luck" as the scales coming back to even and that he deserved a free win, but in that justification he also admits to himself he flat-out lost this race, he was thrashed by Hamilton and Max had no answer.

This entire race was absolutely everything chaotic. From Lewis cutting the field, to Perez holding him up for 7 seconds for Max to catch up, it was nuts.

Anyone that knows racing, knows that anything can happen, we've seen it all season (Silverstone, Baku, Imola)

Mercedes had 3 chances to change tires, but they didn't want to lose track position (if they pit the first two chances, Hamilton would have clawed back his spot anyways within 5-10 laps)

By lap 52, I was sure Hamilton was just going to drive off to the sunset with Max 11 seconds behind, and then Latifi happened and safety car was out, and I expected Mercedes to box Hamilton to swap tires, but he stayed out, then I expected safety car to finish, but everything changed in favor of RB.

It was a dirty win, but a win nonetheless, RB did everything perfect in terms of strategy and high risk, while Mercedes just played it safe because they thought it was going to be a SC finish.

RB asked for a miracle, and they got it. I feel if Mercedes pit the first or second time, Hamilton would have defended much better and probably held his position.


But you know what was better than Max winning WDC?

Toto going nuts in the garage LOL, the 2 minute video of him just raging made me laugh so hard.

[Bubbles]

Not a fan of Hammy, but enjoy watching his driving skills (notwithstanding Silverstone). He didn’t put a foot wrong outside the first lap today (got away with a shortcut).

Team gave him a fast car and he drove it well.

His team let him down by inaction, a paralyzed risk adverse group hoping that all variables will fall in their favor. What’s confusing is their in race inaction was a stark contrast to the venom and fervor to file multiple protests.

Fight it on the race track with your champion not with the traveling barrister.

The man needed new tires and you told him no stay out causing hammy to be a sitting duck. Hammy didn’t stand a chance and it’s not his fault this time.

Track position is less important when you can pull over a second gap over a lap.

Analysis paralysis of the 1000x Merc team members shit the bed.



Gotta run your race and not let items outside of your control influence inaction.

Hammy on softs behind Max may have provided the best chance to win that WDC.

[lens]

Originally Posted by Bubbles

The man needed new tires and you told him no stay out causing hammy to be a sitting duck. Hammy didn’t stand a chance and it’s not his fault this time.

Track position is less important when you can pull over a second gap over a lap.

Analysis paralysis of the 1000x Merc team members shit the bed.

Gotta run your race and not let items outside of your control influence inaction.

Hammy on softs behind Max may have provided the best chance to win that WDC.

+1

Exactly it, if they would have pit him the first or even second time, he would've had plenty of laps to overtake Max, especially since that Mercedes had a rocket attached to the back.

[M Hybrid V8]

Originally Posted by chaungo

+1

Exactly it, if they would have pit him the first or even second time, he would've had plenty of laps to overtake Max, especially since that Mercedes had a rocket attached to the back.

There was no reason to pit HAM, HAM a built over a 11 second advantage and his tires were fine to maintain the advantage to the end of the race. Putting HAM behind Max would be foolish, regardless of HAM's superior pace, Max always attempts to cause contact when HAM passes. Max already did 1 dive bomb earlier in the race, he would've gladly done another.

[NYG]

"So classy! So much grace! Wow!" - Meanwhile we forget the 2016 season and how his entire career it's been everyone's fault except Lewis. Finally when he feels like this season won't be quite as easily won in the most dominant F1 car of all time, he switches from being cocky/arrogant to a gentle sportsman.

^ Quite the sportsman.

[Artemis]

Christian Horner (Red Bul Racing) - Final lap:

[Artemis]

Hamilton onboard radio - safety car stage:

[lens]

Originally Posted by M2CS

There was no reason to pit HAM, HAM a built over a 11 second advantage and his tires were fine to maintain the advantage to the end of the race. Putting HAM behind Max would be foolish, regardless of HAM's superior pace, Max always attempts to cause contact when HAM passes. Max already did 1 dive bomb earlier in the race, he would've gladly done another.

That seems like a problem for Mercedes then, FIA specifically stated before the race that any contact whether intentional or not will get a severe penalty, just let Max divebomb and take Lewis out, then Max get DSQ for it

Mercedes dropped the ball on strategy, even during the safety car, they had tons of chances after Max pitted, for them to do the same.

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by Killed by Death

Harsh but FUN

Redbull was only dominant for PART of the year. VER has never enjoyed the advantage HAM did with MB being completely dominant for ENTIRE seasons and years!

Did VER get lucky? Sure did but hammy's alway say luck favors the prepared

BTW, I'll never pick on Canadians again!!! Thanks Latifi!!!

Ooh Ahh Latifi Ooh Ahh Latifi .

[Artemis]

Alonso: "Well done for Formula 1 - Magic."

[Humdizzle]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Did Verstappen (not) deserve the 2021 World Driver Championship title ?

A couple of 2021 facts:

• most championship points
• most victories
• most podiums
• most pole positions
• most laps in the lead
• most 'fastest lap of the race'
• either P1 or P2 in every 2021 race, except:
  • Hungary: P9 (crash caused by Bottas/Mercedes in lap 1/70)
  • Azerbaijan: DNF (blown tire | P1 in lap 46/51 | had fastest lap)
  • Silverstone: DNF (crash with Hamilton/Mercedes | P1 in lap 1/52)
  • Monza: DNF (crash with Hamilton/Mercedes | P8 in lap 26/53 | had fastest lap)

lets also not forget Belgium where there was heavy rain. Max finished first and Lewis 3rd. However because points were halved due the short duration.... VER only scored 5 more points than HAM instead of the usual 10.

[dmatre]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Did Verstappen (not) deserve the 2021 World Driver Championship title ?

A couple of 2021 facts:

• most championship points
• most victories
• most podiums
• most pole positions
• most laps in the lead
• most 'fastest lap of the race'
• either P1 or P2 in every 2021 race, except:
  • Hungary: P9 (crash caused by Bottas/Mercedes in lap 1/70)
  • Azerbaijan: DNF (blown tire | P1 in lap 46/51 | had fastest lap)
  • Silverstone: DNF (crash with Hamilton/Mercedes | P1 in lap 1/52)
  • Monza: DNF (crash with Hamilton/Mercedes | P8 in lap 26/53 | had fastest lap)

Verstappen is 24 years and 73 days. Hamilton is 36 years and got his first F1 title when he was 23 years 300 days (2008 - McLaren Mercedes) (but, true, almost got it in 2007 - McLaren Mercedes).

It's an impressive feat that Verstappen managed to get the upper hand with his Red Bull Honda against 7-time world champion Hamilton in full shape, who's 12 years his senior, driving the most advanced Mercedes AMG F1 car on the grid and who's supported by a strong Mercedes army machine hunting for yet another World Driver Championship. Epic titanic battles throughout the season. Verstappen's Honda engine may not have been as powerful as the Mercedes AMG engine, but proved to be fit for the job.

Verstappen's claim to fame for the future: "Earlier in my career I have raced against the F1 legend Sir Lewis Hamilton, who - as you know - retired years ago from F1. And I beat him."

From Max to Maximus. In some karting series in the past he became world champion with #1. He considers changing #33 to #1 for 2022.

2015:

early days (with his mother Sophie, who used to kart on a high level with the likes of Jenson Button, Nick Heidfeld, Jarno Trulli, Giancarlo Fisichella, Marc Gené, etc.):
Attachment 2764147

I never said that Max wasn't a worthy champion - if it wasn't for luck (bad), the championship would have been wrapped up in Brazil.

Only pointing out that the racing gods are fickle. Some days they curse you, others they smile on you.