2021 Russian Grand Prix - Sochi, Sep 24 - 26

[etusch]

Russia is awesome.

I think Lewis will be DNF first lap

honey flows from your mouth

[aMessageToCharlie]

Interesting! This is truely one of the all time greatest seasons in f1 history.

Will the holier than thou Mercedes crowd eat their hats now, after years of moaning about Ferrari's tactics?

[PlatinumZealot]

Interesting Tactics, Toto. Interesting Tactics. I don't think it is to frustrate Max though, it's to have more engines in the pool and the elbow room to turn them up more as needed. BTW has anyone heard of any Mercedes PU upgrades? Perhaps this PU has some ES upgrades?

[matt_b]

Great to see all the emotional responses terrified of Bottas taking a grid penalty yet were applauding Ferrari back when they made Massa take a 5 place grid penalty in Austin Texas

[El Scorchio]

One of those things where if RBR do it, everyone is purring about a tactical master stroke and if Mercedes do it everyone whinges about it.

It’s smart thinking in a team game. Bottas can’t do anything to impact the race from where he qualified. He can starting in the bottom few cars. He also has more engine power now for the race when Hamilton starts from the back, which he will need to try and limit Verstappen’s points. It’s racing as a team for one driver’s benefit which is what red bull have done all season and for the last 3 at least. Nothing to see here at all.

[LM10]

Apparently it is just a tactical move:
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2021/09/ ... on-grid/

Seems they are loosening up in parc ferme then. If they just allow engine changes, we could see a move to separate qualifying and race engines again (note that they allowed a different spec on leclerc's car in Monza!). Then it is fishy after all.

Leclerc has not changed PU in Monza. He’s changed to the newer spec PU yesterday.

[Mezger]

Russia is awesome.

I think Lewis will be DNF first lap

honey flows from your mouth

Thank you.

The mods sometimes think otherwise.

[El Scorchio]

Russia is awesome.

I think Lewis will be DNF first lap

honey flows from your mouth

Thank you.

The mods sometimes think otherwise.

Because it’s generally a bit of a s******** move to wish DNFs on drivers. Especially on a supposed technical forum.

[TimW]

Apparently it is just a tactical move:
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2021/09/ ... on-grid/

Seems they are loosening up in parc ferme then. If they just allow engine changes, we could see a move to separate qualifying and race engines again (note that they allowed a different spec on leclerc's car in Monza!). Then it is fishy after all.

Leclerc has not changed PU in Monza. He’s changed to the newer spec PU yesterday.

Yes apparently he did change between sprint qualifying and race:


https://www.msn.com/en-za/news/other/f ... r-AAOlMR4

[Michelangelo]

A cheeky move from Merc to send Bottas to the back and make it a harder sunday for Max. I don't know if he will be reserving the P1 for Lewis in the remaining races though. He is running his last races with a chance of victory and with him having no further relations with Merc, I don't know why he will favour Lewis for no reason.
It is evolving into a really memorable season though, great to see after a long time.

[LM10]

Apparently it is just a tactical move:
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2021/09/ ... on-grid/

Seems they are loosening up in parc ferme then. If they just allow engine changes, we could see a move to separate qualifying and race engines again (note that they allowed a different spec on leclerc's car in Monza!). Then it is fishy after all.

Leclerc has not changed PU in Monza. He’s changed to the newer spec PU yesterday.

Yes apparently he did change between sprint qualifying and race:


https://www.msn.com/en-za/news/other/f ... r-AAOlMR4

Yes, but it was not a new spec.

[TimW]

It was back and forth between specs from qualifying - sprint - race, so a bit of a weird one

Edit: I guess it was the same spec, the msn article mentioning 'more power' put me off

[Starkblood80]

Russia is awesome.

I think Lewis will be DNF first lap

honey flows from your mouth

Thank you.

The mods sometimes think otherwise.

Hardly surprising

[Mezger]

Would be nice if the Mods sent you an email to explain their actions.

I just don't get them and their ideas.

Maybe more posts like this will make them wake up and answer.

[search]

Yes, but it was not a new spec.

you're right, not newer specification, "just" a newer engine - I misremembered that. Still comparable to Bottas today, though, as it also was a change with no technical necessity