2020 Austrian Grand Prix - Spielberg, 3-5 July

[sosic2121]

Just to add on Hamilton's penalty.
Rosberg also received penalty in Germany for pushing Verstappen wide.
And Rosberg was on full lock, in a hairpin, with his approach compromised by Verstappen agresive movement under breaking.

[NathanOlder]

[*] From the apex to the point of impact Lewis has full lock on, hence the reason you see him throw up his left hand in frustration afterwards.

- Lewis is indeed full lock...

Hamilton is never at even close to full lock. Compare his angle with Norris' when he's punting Perez.

You cant use full lock unless your going slow enough. Turn 4 isn't a full lock corner. Lewis was using the maximum amount of lock he could use. Its all about the amount of usable grip that determines what your maximum lock is.

[NathanOlder]

A driving coach reacts to the incident between Hamilton and Albon:



It's pretty borderline racing incident IMO. He does bring a good point that while Hamilton did not open up his steering, he did let the car drift outwards through acceleration.

He is no ordinary driving coach...

He's actually my driving coach

[e30ernest]

- Lewis is indeed full lock...

Hamilton is never at even close to full lock. Compare his angle with Norris' when he's punting Perez.

You cant use full lock unless your going slow enough. Turn 4 isn't a full lock corner. Lewis was using the maximum amount of lock he could use. Its all about the amount of usable grip that determines what your maximum lock is.

Yeah I think the people who are citing him not going full lock has never driven a car at the limit before.

IMO the incident was so borderline racing incident. Hamilton probably shouldn't have accelerated as hard out of the corner, but I understand he does not want to compromise his exit too much. Albon still had room on the outside, but then again he probably thought the pass was done and dusted (at Hamilton's position, he might have been at Albon's blind spot).

I think Hamilton got the penalty mostly because of how it impacted Albon's race. But also, he probably deserved a penalty of sorts because this was something that could have been avoided (mostly by him). The minimum penalty they could have given was the 5 second penalty so I guess that's fair. I do not think the 2 points on his license was fair though.

[mkay]

Albon had pitted twice already? Sure? How was he so close then if he had pitted twice?

ALB/NOR/LEC were catching up to BOT/HAM due to the latter being stuck being the SC for 3/4 of a lap.

All I am saying is that even if they missed the chance to pit on L51 (like ALB/NOR/LEC), they could have done so a lap later - they would have lost minimal track position. I think they should have fancied their chances against ALB on fresh rubber.

Only with going flat out, which Merc did not want to do from lap 2...
Plus a car which showed up to be problematic in traffic over the last seasons...

No idea where you can come to the conclusion that it would have been a discussable solution for Merc to pit the cars behind three other cars.

When push came to shove, Merc was able to lap as fast as NOR/LEC who were on 25-lap fresher and softer tyres, so I don't buy the argument that they didn't pit because of mechanical concerns.

They didn't drivers because it would probably affect HAM more than BOT (i.e., the fairness argument).

Merc has good top end speed this year relative to the field so is in a much better position to work its way through traffic. And by traffic, in the context of the past GP, it would have been ALB and a sitting duck in PER with his worn mediums - hardly challenging.

[Wynters]

- Lewis is indeed full lock...

Hamilton is never at even close to full lock. Compare his angle with Norris' when he's punting Perez.

You cant use full lock unless your going slow enough. Turn 4 isn't a full lock corner. Lewis was using the maximum amount of lock he could use. Its all about the amount of usable grip that determines what your maximum lock is.

Agreed, 'maximum lock' would be a much better choice (not only more accurate but it also inherently references the relevance of speed).

On a more general note, I'd expect everyone to be at maximum lock. Why wouldn't you be going as fast as the grip allows? Using 'Hamilton was at maximum lock' as a defense, as I think was the original intention, doesn't really work. It's neither damning nor exculpatory. I think (and I might well be wrong) the key action specific to steering would be whether he eased the steering to deliberately drift wide. But, as this doesn't mention the line the acceleration dictates (something the driver also controls), it doesn't convey the full story.

[ab_f1]

A bit of a stupid question, why is everyone calling this weekend's Austrian gp as Styrian gp since it will be held in the same place.

So that when you look at the report you know which is which.

There will be the British GP at Silverstone, then the following week the Celebration 70th GP erm, also at Silverstone

Ah aight, just name tricks.

There are some contractual issues as well. There are obligations on both sides for the original GP names.With new names they are able to circumvent those obligations.

[Unc1eM0nty]

Lewis is only Lewis when he's way ahead into the distance, preferably 30 wdc points ahead, in car that is .5 of a second faster than any other car on the track.
The more things tighten up, the more the frustration levels rise, the more prone to error he becomes. Impossible to check, but would he have taken P2 in Lec's car ? I doubt it ...

I have to disagree.

Lewis has driven some cars that were dogs as well, he's won races in every season he's competed in. It's usually when the
car is poor that he has the biggest gap to his teammates.

[6 of 12]

Albon made a risky move going round the outside, late. The risk was that his “gap” could disappear before he completed the move, because the inside car is committed to a certain minimal radius when you pick your apex point. Part of a risky move that it can backfire, as it did. Now the stewards made this a non risky move next time, you just have to be just ahead around the apex, which isn’t that hard to do with the extra speed going the long way round.

Although I don't fully agree with your analysis, I have to say that I am usually the first person to demand that Hamilton be penalised, however, in this case, I thought it was a racing incident. (Obviously my heart was still very happy with the decision, but my brain knows... yeah.)

Bit like a dive bomb but then from the outside. The late overtake around the outside compromised Hamilton’s ability to react on Albon being in his path out the corner.

Oh, yes, that part of the analysis I agree with. I just don't think that this: "Now the stewards made this a non risky move next time" is necessarily correct because Albon took a risk and got the shorter end. Hamilton's penalty was a yoke compared to Albon's, so... you'd still think twice about pulling that move, wouldn't you?

[Wynters]

A driving coach reacts to the incident between Hamilton and Albon:



It's pretty borderline racing incident IMO. He does bring a good point that while Hamilton did not open up his steering, he did let the car drift outwards through acceleration.

Good vid. I found it pretty convincing and its explanation of the physics involved was clear and well delivered.

[damager21]

Lewis is only Lewis when he's way ahead into the distance, preferably 30 wdc points ahead, in car that is .5 of a second faster than any other car on the track.
The more things tighten up, the more the frustration levels rise, the more prone to error he becomes. Impossible to check, but would he have taken P2 in Lec's car ? I doubt it ...

Nopes. You dont win 6 WDC out of sheer luck. 2018 season was close with Lewis trailing Vettel in first half of the season, yet he won.

Consistency is the key - he holds the record for most consecutive points finishes in F1 history, bringing his total up to 34 races. And this has nothing to do with car with 0.5secs advantage

In the last race, he managed to close the 6sec gap between himself and Bottas in matter of few laps. Without gearbix sensor issues / team order, Lewis would have definitely overtaken Bottas.

[Sieper]

It has nothing to do with this race but making statements about sheer uck etc. are wildly out of place. Sorry if that statement too sounds a bit condescending (which it does, I realize) but to me Hamilton is one (of a very select list) of the greatest drivers ever, if not simply the best. Always hard to say as comparing is never fair but sweeping statements he is only good in a good car or is lucky etc. I am opposed against, or at least they go against my every grain on how I see his skills (and yes, that was a sweeping statement too.

What rubs me off also is every time I put a question mark at an analysis some individuals here immediately start using the roll eyes smily, start saying I must be naïve, blind, not watch race. ec. etc. Why oh why. Just put your statement forward. I would like to ask here how the moderators feel about that. Is that allowed, condoned, Is it okay to do? I really, really hate to be belittled and it happens every time.

[RonMexico]

Lewis is only Lewis when he's way ahead into the distance, preferably 30 wdc points ahead, in car that is .5 of a second faster than any other car on the track.
The more things tighten up, the more the frustration levels rise, the more prone to error he becomes. Impossible to check, but would he have taken P2 in Lec's car ? I doubt it ...

I have to disagree.

Lewis has driven some cars that were dogs as well, he's won races in every season he's competed in. It's usually when the
car is poor that he has the biggest gap to his teammates.

The MP4-24 until the major update was the only dog he drove, that car is also the only one his teammate didn't win a race in despite it being one of the fastest cars on track to close out the 09 season. He has had the best run of cars of any driver ever.

[Mchamilton]

Lewis is only Lewis when he's way ahead into the distance, preferably 30 wdc points ahead, in car that is .5 of a second faster than any other car on the track.
The more things tighten up, the more the frustration levels rise, the more prone to error he becomes. Impossible to check, but would he have taken P2 in Lec's car ? I doubt it ...

Nopes. You dont win 6 WDC out of sheer luck. 2018 season was close with Lewis trailing Vettel in first half of the season, yet he won.

Consistency is the key - he holds the record for most consecutive points finishes in F1 history, bringing his total up to 34 races. And this has nothing to do with car with 0.5secs advantage

In the last race, he managed to close the 6sec gap between himself and Bottas in matter of few laps. Without gearbix sensor issues / team order, Lewis would have definitely overtaken Bottas.

He just needed to change his approach to turn 3 then hd would have been on Bottas gearbox at T4, but he was consistently 3/10ths slower through turn 3 using his wide square line, hopefully he makes that adjustment for this weekend.

[dans79]

I would like to ask here how the moderators feel about that. Is that allowed, condoned, Is it okay to do? I really, really hate to be belittled and it happens every time.

Just like in the real world, people can say just about anything, as long as they aren't openly/directly hostile, caveats exist of course.