2021 AMG Mercedes F1 Team

[Tvetovnato]

Just praying for a clean Turn 1 tomorrow. If we can get that, it should be a good one. Even a win is possible.

And, no matter how it goes, it seems that Merc has found some more pace in the W12, which is encouraging.

[zibby43]

[PlatinumZealot]

I think Lewis can win if nothing else goes against him with weather or damage incidents. The nature of the DRS on the long back straight, with no slow corner section before it (plus MCS we’re setting that sector purple) should be ripe for helping an overtake. I’m no expert, but that’s what I see.

In theory it should be a good weekend for MCS and a damage limitation exercise for RB.

I agree, except that Merc seem to have been making some huge bloopers this season, so fingers crossed.

I also hope to see a several lap long dogfight between Max and Lewis with gentlemanly conduct all round

Lewis will progress where he can and MCS will try and maximise an aggressive strategy by looking for a gap of clean air where he can exploit the pace advantage and potentially jump some people from the pit stop.

I keep thinking Michael Schumacher (MSC) when you type MCS for Mercedes. Now that's an unusal way to abbreviate Mercedes.

[Juzh]

https://twitter.com/vetteleclerc/status ... 28291?s=21

He was sent out with fuel for 2 flyers, 5 laps in total. Normally it's 3 laps. So he had extra 2 laps of fuel.

[zibby43]

https://twitter.com/vetteleclerc/status ... 28291?s=21

He was sent out with fuel for 2 flyers, 5 laps in total. Normally it's 3 laps. So he had extra 2 laps of fuel.

I thought they meant 3 fliers, and I thought he attempted 3 fliers.

[Marty_Y]

https://twitter.com/vetteleclerc/status ... 28291?s=21

He was sent out with fuel for 2 flyers, 5 laps in total. Normally it's 3 laps. So he had extra 2 laps of fuel.

I thought they meant 3 fliers, and I thought he attempted 3 fliers.

I read that tweet as you interpreted as well mate, but I don't think he would have had enough time to do 3 flying laps.

He left earlier than everyone else and did his fastest lap then did a cool down lap then did another attempt but didn't improve and the flag was out.

But it's still a valid point that he set his fastest lap with extra fuel than he needed so he could have been theoretically even faster.

[ringo]

Bottas will br fighting for a win. So will Max. They may crash....

[zibby43]

He was sent out with fuel for 2 flyers, 5 laps in total. Normally it's 3 laps. So he had extra 2 laps of fuel.

I thought they meant 3 fliers, and I thought he attempted 3 fliers.

I read that tweet as you interpreted as well mate, but I don't think he would have had enough time to do 3 flying laps.

He left earlier than everyone else and did his fastest lap then did a cool down lap then did another attempt but didn't improve and the flag was out.

But it's still a valid point that he set his fastest lap with extra fuel than he needed so he could have been theoretically even faster.

Thank you for the confirmation! I had only seen highlights from quali, and some reports had said Hamilton attempted 3 flying laps in Q3, but the reports were kind of poorly written.

[Marty_Y]

I thought they meant 3 fliers, and I thought he attempted 3 fliers.

I read that tweet as you interpreted as well mate, but I don't think he would have had enough time to do 3 flying laps.

He left earlier than everyone else and did his fastest lap then did a cool down lap then did another attempt but didn't improve and the flag was out.

But it's still a valid point that he set his fastest lap with extra fuel than he needed so he could have been theoretically even faster.

Thank you for the confirmation! I had only seen highlights from quali, and some reports had said Hamilton attempted 3 flying laps in Q3, but the reports were kind of poorly written.

No problems mate, well that's how I remembered it, I may be wrong lol.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/ ... verstappen

Bottas was particularly strong through the first and third sectors and laid down a marker with a time of 1min 23.071sec, two-hundredths up on Hamilton.

On their second runs the pressure ramped up with the sun shining and conditions the best they had been all day. Hamilton went out early with the track to himself and immediately flew. He was quickest in all three sectors and set a time of 1:22.868.

He had provisional pole but cruised for a lap before making a second run on the same tyres. It was not needed as no one could match that first time, when he had it hooked up to perfection. Bottas was a tenth back with Verstappen three-tenths down. Hamilton had dominated – now he has it all to do again on Sunday.

[zibby43]

I read that tweet as you interpreted as well mate, but I don't think he would have had enough time to do 3 flying laps.

He left earlier than everyone else and did his fastest lap then did a cool down lap then did another attempt but didn't improve and the flag was out.

But it's still a valid point that he set his fastest lap with extra fuel than he needed so he could have been theoretically even faster.

Thank you for the confirmation! I had only seen highlights from quali, and some reports had said Hamilton attempted 3 flying laps in Q3, but the reports were kind of poorly written.

No problems mate, well that's how I remembered it, I may be wrong lol.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/ ... verstappen

Bottas was particularly strong through the first and third sectors and laid down a marker with a time of 1min 23.071sec, two-hundredths up on Hamilton.

On their second runs the pressure ramped up with the sun shining and conditions the best they had been all day. Hamilton went out early with the track to himself and immediately flew. He was quickest in all three sectors and set a time of 1:22.868.

He had provisional pole but cruised for a lap before making a second run on the same tyres. It was not needed as no one could match that first time, when he had it hooked up to perfection. Bottas was a tenth back with Verstappen three-tenths down. Hamilton had dominated – now he has it all to do again on Sunday.

Many thanks Marty! Appreciate that.

[NathanOlder]

I thought they meant 3 fliers, and I thought he attempted 3 fliers.

I read that tweet as you interpreted as well mate, but I don't think he would have had enough time to do 3 flying laps.

He left earlier than everyone else and did his fastest lap then did a cool down lap then did another attempt but didn't improve and the flag was out.

But it's still a valid point that he set his fastest lap with extra fuel than he needed so he could have been theoretically even faster.

Thank you for the confirmation! I had only seen highlights from quali, and some reports had said Hamilton attempted 3 flying laps in Q3, but the reports were kind of poorly written.

Well he did have 3 fliers in Q3. Thats a fact. the first run was 1 flying lap. the 2nd run had 2 flying laps. So when he set his fastest time, he had 2 extra laps of fuel onboard compared to his rivals.

[Jambier]

HAM will win this race, Mercedes dominating as before.

I think VES already told that beating Mercedes is not possible I think they will just try to finish ahead of BOT

[atanatizante]

I

After watching these top speeds it seems that both drivers have set up their cars for a medium to high downforce setup which will have at least 2 advantages: 1. managing better the tyres in order to cope with a one-stop strategy and 2. a good exit at turn 9 which is pivotal here to get a good tow and top speed down to turn 12, the preferred spot for overtaking at this race, coz down to turn 1 it`ll be hard to do both for being a short straight and for not having a bigger speed at the start-finish line ... by the way, at this track delta speed should be at least 25km/h faster for the car to overtake another car before turn 12, or 9 tenths faster over a lap ...

It`ll be harder to pass GAS, TSU and PER both for their top speed and the RB orders but I think HAM will go long in the first stint, mirroring the Sochi race, in order to at least holding off VER and assuring BOT for the win ... the 3rd place for him and a 2nd for VET it`ll not be so bad after all ...

The key to winning the race is to manage the tyres just to do only a one-stop strategy in the race as VER said in the interview post qualy it would be tough to do ... And judging by their setup and bearing in mind how kind with tyres W12 car is, especially in HAM case, I think it`s doable ...

[rickybobbyf1]

What a blunder in the end. They had this in the bag for damage limitation. Now behind by more points and with those insane rumors about another power unit. I hope they’re not true. Man, I just want a dry race.

[ringo]

What a blunder in the end. They had this in the bag for damage limitation. Now behind by more points and with those insane rumors about another power unit. I hope they’re not true. Man, I just want a dry race.

They did their best. P-5 and up as someone mentioned before, would have been a stalemate.

Bottas - Very fast. Did what he needed to do.
Max - Faster than Perez.
Leclerc - Equally fast as max, staying within 2 seconds and catching at some points.
Perez- Fast, was able to save tyres to brake late and defend.

So the biggest enemy Mercedes had today was the wet track. If changed to dry; Lewis would have had a better shot at fighting for podium.

Today even if they pit Lewis behind Perez, Leclerc would have pitted right after Lewis. They would all go through that graining phase, and Lewis would still have to overtake both to get to P-3 which would have been more difficult on a much dryer track than the start of the race.
It was a decent race for Mercedes in my Book. 6 points is nothing. Mercedes just need to make sure Bottas stays this competitive to ensure he can put some daylight between Lewis and Max in the upcoming races.