2023 Miami Grand Prix - Miami Intl. Autodrome, May 05 - 07

[mendis]

Now let's end Miami.

[Francis Bacon]

For me, and perhaps others, the race for the win isn't always what's most interesting. So I am going to introduce a topic that did interest me: Lewis/George/Mercedes. Here's my take:

For most of the race Lewis was running with the likes of Haas, Alfa Romeo, Alpine and not doing much. While he did make it up to P6 by lap 16, it wasn't due to overtakes. The runners ahead him had boxed for hards. Then, starting at ~lap 37, we saw the charge up the field that everyone is talking about: P12 to P6. But was it really impressive? I say no. Cooling track, medium tires, light fuel load...of course he's going to overtake rear-mid-pack cars struggling with old hards. Something would be really wrong if he hadn't.

On the other hand, GR, from race start through lap 18, was holding his own at P5 with the front-runners. After pitting for hards on lap 16, he rejoined at P12 and ran up the field to P4, finsihing ~8 seconds ahead of Sainz. Much more impressive.

When are we going to start giving GR more credit?

[mendis]

For me, and perhaps others, the race for the win isn't always what's most interesting. So I am going to introduce a topic that did interest me: Lewis/George/Mercedes. Here's my take:

For most of the race Lewis was running with the likes of Haas, Alfa Romeo, Alpine and not doing much. While he did make it up to P6 by lap 16, it wasn't due to overtakes. The runners ahead him had boxed for hards. Then, starting at ~lap 37, we saw the charge up the field that everyone is talking about: P12 to P6. But was it really impressive? I say no. Cooling track, medium tires, light fuel load...of course he's going to overtake rear-mid-pack cars struggling with old hards. Something would be really wrong if he hadn't.

On the other hand, GR, from race start through lap 18, was holding his own at P5 with the front-runners. After pitting for hards on lap 16, he rejoined at P12 and ran up the field to P4, finsihing ~8 seconds ahead of Sainz. Much more impressive.

When are we going to start giving GR more credit?

Couldn't have summed it better! George did a great weekend overall, while a strategic gamble bailed Lewis' miserable weekend.

[DGP123]

For me, and perhaps others, the race for the win isn't always what's most interesting. So I am going to introduce a topic that did interest me: Lewis/George/Mercedes. Here's my take:

For most of the race Lewis was running with the likes of Haas, Alfa Romeo, Alpine and not doing much. While he did make it up to P6 by lap 16, it wasn't due to overtakes. The runners ahead him had boxed for hards. Then, starting at ~lap 37, we saw the charge up the field that everyone is talking about: P12 to P6. But was it really impressive? I say no. Cooling track, medium tires, light fuel load...of course he's going to overtake rear-mid-pack cars struggling with old hards. Something would be really wrong if he hadn't.

On the other hand, GR, from race start through lap 18, was holding his own at P5 with the front-runners. After pitting for hards on lap 16, he rejoined at P12 and ran up the field to P4, finsihing ~8 seconds ahead of Sainz. Much more impressive.

When are we going to start giving GR more credit?

Couldn't have summed it better! George did a great weekend overall, while a strategic gamble bailed Lewis' miserable weekend.

Another boring GR/Ham debate.

GR did well this weekend. Lewis paid for a bad Saturday. Having said that, GR was poor in Baku, where Lewis out-qualified him, overtook him, and then drove off.

It’s nip and tuck between the two. Seems to change every week, with neither being able to get a stranglehold. 14-13 I believe to GR since the start of 2022 season. GR has the upper hand in Q, but Lewis, when issue free, still holds the upper hand on race pace on a Sunday. That’s the picture. End of.

[aMessageToCharlie]

Agree, Russell is doing a great job. Just like he did in the Williams and on his stand-in Merc debut. Can't wait to see the kid challenge for the title.

[Francis Bacon]

For me, and perhaps others, the race for the win isn't always what's most interesting. So I am going to introduce a topic that did interest me: Lewis/George/Mercedes. Here's my take:

For most of the race Lewis was running with the likes of Haas, Alfa Romeo, Alpine and not doing much. While he did make it up to P6 by lap 16, it wasn't due to overtakes. The runners ahead him had boxed for hards. Then, starting at ~lap 37, we saw the charge up the field that everyone is talking about: P12 to P6. But was it really impressive? I say no. Cooling track, medium tires, light fuel load...of course he's going to overtake rear-mid-pack cars struggling with old hards. Something would be really wrong if he hadn't.

On the other hand, GR, from race start through lap 18, was holding his own at P5 with the front-runners. After pitting for hards on lap 16, he rejoined at P12 and ran up the field to P4, finishing ~8 seconds ahead of Sainz. Much more impressive.

When are we going to start giving GR more credit?

Couldn't have summed it better! George did a great weekend overall, while a strategic gamble bailed Lewis' miserable weekend.

Another boring GR/Ham debate.

GR did well this weekend. Lewis paid for a bad Saturday. Having said that, GR was poor in Baku, where Lewis out-qualified him, overtook him, and then drove off.

It’s nip and tuck between the two. Seems to change every week, with neither being able to get a stranglehold. 14-13 I believe to GR since the start of 2022 season. GR has the upper hand in Q, but Lewis, when issue free, still holds the upper hand on race pace on a Sunday. That’s the picture. End of.

I disagree on this one. A seven-time WDC struggling against a youngster, much more often than one would expect, is very interesting. So if the GM/Ham debate is boring to you, then every such debate/rivalry must be?

[Sieper]

Let’s not have this debate in the Miami 2023 GP thread.

[Francis Bacon]

Let’s not have this debate in the Miami 2023 GP thread.

Sorry. I think discussing how two drivers from the same team performed against one another, in the race that is the subject of the thread, is very much on-topic. On the other hand, if the debate is about who is the better driver generally speaking, (looking back at history, etc), then I agree.

[hollus]

Sorry. I think discussing how two drivers from the same team performed against one another, in the race that is the subject of the thread, is very much on-topic.

Agreed.

On the other hand, if the debate is about who is the better driver generally speaking, (looking back at history, etc), then I agree.

Agreed.

But don't make it repetitive. Don't try to claim the last word (goes for everyone) and don't let it spill to other places .

[Sieper]

It’s already done so as Baku was being talked about, as well as references like , nip and tuck every week, etc.

But let’s talk about just this race, imho George was more on it, and ultimately finished in quite a good position. Catching Sainz was quite good. Leclerc was having a horror weekend and was imho “out of contention”. Lewis was unable to make much progress, or unwilling in early race. Something he had received high praise for in other years (spilling over) as “letting the race come to him”. But, in the end he was able to progress with some good overtakes. Not sure how to appraise that. It seems to me he is not totally motivated at the moment. George (ofc) always is.

[Hammerfist]

People on this forum still dont understand drs trains and how it affects overtaking i guess eh?
Also russell catching sainz was no
biggie: the ferrari just cant keep the tires alive in a race and it will most often fall prey to even the merc. Russell had a solid race. It wasnt extraordinary.

[Sieper]

People on this forum still dont understand drs trains and how it affects overtaking i guess eh?
Also russell catching sainz was no
biggie: the ferrari just cant keep the tires alive in a race and it will most often fall prey to even the merc. Russell had a solid race. It wasnt extraordinary.

Quite good <> unequal to extraordinary. People on this forum still don’t understand that. Actually, quite good seems very close to solid if I’d had to compare terms. Merc isn’t as poor as their fans would make you believe.

Russell even thought he saw Perez in the distance, that’s how poor their own drivers think they are.

[Just_a_fan]

People on this forum still dont understand drs trains and how it affects overtaking i guess eh?
Also russell catching sainz was no
biggie: the ferrari just cant keep the tires alive in a race and it will most often fall prey to even the merc. Russell had a solid race. It wasnt extraordinary.

Quite good <> unequal to extraordinary. People on this forum still don’t understand that. Actually, quite good seems very close to solid if I’d had to compare terms. Merc isn’t as poor as their fans would make you believe.

Russell even thought he saw Perez in the distance, that’s how poor their own drivers think they are.

One Merc driver made up 7 places on their start position, the other made up 2. Neither had a hope of catching the leading 3 cars.

Russell was confused which is why he asked the question. He thought something unusual must have happened as he didn't expect to see a Red Bull. That's because he knows they're nowhere near Red Bull in pace.

[Sieper]

People on this forum still dont understand drs trains and how it affects overtaking i guess eh?
Also russell catching sainz was no
biggie: the ferrari just cant keep the tires alive in a race and it will most often fall prey to even the merc. Russell had a solid race. It wasnt extraordinary.

Quite good <> unequal to extraordinary. People on this forum still don’t understand that. Actually, quite good seems very close to solid if I’d had to compare terms. Merc isn’t as poor as their fans would make you believe.

Russell even thought he saw Perez in the distance, that’s how poor their own drivers think they are.

One Merc driver made up 7 places on their start position, the other made up 2. Neither had a hope of catching the leading 3 cars.

Russell was confused which is why he asked the question. He thought something unusual must have happened as he didn't expect to see a Red Bull. That's because he knows they're nowhere near Red Bull in pace.

He sounded very happy, not confused. In fact, he unknowingly dished out a little burn when his engineer corrected him. “Was about to say” in a try to save face.

[Hammerfist]

I saw Russell s reaction as wishful thinking. To him it would be amazing to be this close to a Redbull. I also think there was a bit of theatricals involved. They know how far back they are. Hamilton at one point in the first stint was asking for soft tires. Seriously? Do you want to ruin your race more than it already is.? These guys can’t be taken seriously on the radio.