2021 Hungarian Grand Prix - Hungaroring, July 30 - Aug 01

[Shrieker]

Some thoughts on the race:
While some may have enjoyed the race and seeing a different winner, it also gave us a good insight into "reverse grid" and how problematic it might be. In the initial stage of the race, Hamilton was stuck in a DRS train of multiple cars following Mick Schumacher, Verstappen and Gasly. With all of them having DRS and Verstappen initially not getting past Mick, we had a train for multiple laps. It was only once people got passt Schumacher that the train slowly started to neutralize.

If you had a reverse-grid of cars in opposite performance order - the speed delta between cars would be far too small to enhance the "overtaking spectacle". We'd just end up with a long train of cars. It's always cool to see a quicker car fight through traffic, as Hamilton then was able to do with fresher tires, but the exception doesn't make the rule.

Fair enough, but should also factor in that this was the damn Hungaroring.

[NathanOlder]

that battle show why drs is a bad idea .it make passing easy they should be nothing easy about f1 it is the pinnacle of motor racing.the art of overtaking and defence has been negated by drs .overtaking heroes like kobayashi are no more hailed.i want to see drivers fighting getting frustrated race getting ruined emotion boiling over and if you make a pass it should be meaningful because you took a risk and earned it
whenever merc is on back foot fia are eager to start giving a flurry of penalty.mclaren asked for penalties in Baku but were rebuffed that you all have been doing it .they had the audacity to investigate max on lewis in imola but it took a lot of lobbying for max crash in silverstone just to be investigated.but anything that happen on merc cars get investigated instantly like in bahrain

Without DRS, this battle never even happens. Not a single attempt to pass would have been made. DRS gave us this battle.

[El Scorchio]

It was especially revealing how fantastic and heavyweight fighter of a driver Alonso still is, looking at how swiftly Hamilton then got up to Sainz and 'easily' passed Sainz.

Sainz was saving fuel as early as 10 laps out and was on much older tires than any of the cars in the top 5. There was no way he was playing defense against Lewis at that point. I'm surprised he kept Alonso behind to be honest. The pace delta between he and Alonso was growing by the lap towards the end.

Yeah Sainz had tyres that were 7 laps older than Fernando's. If Sainz had tyres 7 laps newer, he too would have been able to keep Hamilton at bay for much longer. Fernando was able to pull out to 8 tenths in sector 3 to stop Lewis passing as he had the tyres to do so, Sainz did not.

Also Alonso is supremely experienced and a fabulous racer. However, we are lucky it was the Hungaroring or we wouldn't have to to witness anything like the long battle, and Hamilton would have been up the road and winning the race. You also have to be glad Raikkonen(?) happened to be right there at the start of the battle or again it looked like Hamilton would be straight through.

It was a superb few laps though. I wonder if Hamilton will look at what Alonso said about how he raced it and look at how he can make adjustments himself in the future? It was FASCINATING that Alonso said that afterwards. Great insight into it.

[Roo]

I have an issue with the restart; why on earth do cars on the grid have to line up in order, yet those going into the pit are allowed, to effectly restart the race before the race restarts,

[SiLo]

What's happening with Ricciardo? Even a very broken and hard to drive Red Bull could overtake him.

He's coming across as a driver in the Button mould - very quick in a car that's exactly how he wants it, strangely off colour in a car that's not to his exact liking.

Either that or he's having an "off season". All drivers have them at some point where they just can't seem to get themselves "on it".

There's also the third option: maybe Norris is just faster than him and making him look slow. Which would be a surprise, to be honest.

I suspect if SAI was in the other McLaren they’d both be on similar points/extracting similar performance from the racecar. Which is why I don’t expect RIC to figure it out this season, there’s something not right with his feel in that car.

Next year will be the bell-weather. Most are dumping their stock in RIC, I think it’s a good time to buy.

I'm sure McLaren know what they need to do to help Ric find more speed, but I think the lack of development for the car this year is probably throwing a huge spanner in the works.

[proteus]

https://9gag.com/gag/aWjAYB3

[NathanOlder]

Lance Stroll behaviour in turn 1 was embarrassing. Something a F3 driver would do. Both himself and Bottas are the new Torpedos. Five place grid penalty is not enough. Should start last at the next race.

I mean, why are people so disconnected from reality ? Yes what happened yesterday was bad, and should never happen again, especially at this level. With all that said, this was Bottas' first ever 1st lap mishap in his entire career. But somehow, he's the 'new torpedo' according to you smh

Not strictly true, He torpedo'd Lewis in Bahrain in 2016 I think it was. Maybe 2015.

[Just_a_fan]

It was especially revealing how fantastic and heavyweight fighter of a driver Alonso still is, looking at how swiftly Hamilton then got up to Sainz and 'easily' passed Sainz.

Sainz was saving fuel as early as 10 laps out and was on much older tires than any of the cars in the top 5. There was no way he was playing defense against Lewis at that point. I'm surprised he kept Alonso behind to be honest. The pace delta between he and Alonso was growing by the lap towards the end.

Yeah Sainz had tyres that were 7 laps older than Fernando's. If Sainz had tyres 7 laps newer, he too would have been able to keep Hamilton at bay for much longer. Fernando was able to pull out to 8 tenths in sector 3 to stop Lewis passing as he had the tyres to do so, Sainz did not.

Alonso stated that Hamilton couldn't follow him closely in the last two corners and that allowed him to just stay ahead on the straight. Alonso also said that Hamilton was playing with lines through those corners and then he thinks he used one of those lines to attack Sainz. That's Alonso's view of it, anyway.

[Roo]

https://9gag.com/gag/aWjAYB3

When a 2 times world champion says things like that, the next question should have been why?

[214270]

He's coming across as a driver in the Button mould - very quick in a car that's exactly how he wants it, strangely off colour in a car that's not to his exact liking.

Either that or he's having an "off season". All drivers have them at some point where they just can't seem to get themselves "on it".

There's also the third option: maybe Norris is just faster than him and making him look slow. Which would be a surprise, to be honest.

I suspect if SAI was in the other McLaren they’d both be on similar points/extracting similar performance from the racecar. Which is why I don’t expect RIC to figure it out this season, there’s something not right with his feel in that car.

Next year will be the bell-weather. Most are dumping their stock in RIC, I think it’s a good time to buy.

I'm sure McLaren know what they need to do to help Ric find more speed, but I think the lack of development for the car this year is probably throwing a huge spanner in the works.

For sure that didn’t help, but isn’t the old adage 5-6 races to find your feet in a new car? We’re well past that now and there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to his successes or failures. It can’t be that he’s an overrated talent only getting caught out now, and it also can’t be that he was special but has lost it all in 1 season. Just makes no sense.

[ab_f1]

I wonder if Hamilton will look at what Alonso said about how he raced it and look at how he can make adjustments himself in the future? It was FASCINATING that Alonso said that afterwards. Great insight into it.

That was Alonso being Alonso . Look at his body language and you would know that it was "gamesmanship".
Both had a good fight within the constraints of where each was in the championship. Alonso could afford hard battle given Ocon up the road. Lewis knowing worst case being still leading championship had to be cautious. Its numbers game both were playing.

[f1jcw]

but it took a lot of lobbying for max crash in silverstone just to be investigated.but anything that happen on merc cars get investigated instantly like in bahrain

People need to get a grip. It is in your mind. The silverstone crash was investigated as quickly as possible under the circumstances and you are comparing apples and oranges.

Plus you want DRS removing cause Lewis used it as usual, as with the no fixing car under red flag, it is only a issue when Lewis does it, not a peep when Max fixed his car.

[El Scorchio]

Some thoughts on the race:
While some may have enjoyed the race and seeing a different winner, it also gave us a good insight into "reverse grid" and how problematic it might be. In the initial stage of the race, Hamilton was stuck in a DRS train of multiple cars following Mick Schumacher, Verstappen and Gasly. With all of them having DRS and Verstappen initially not getting past Mick, we had a train for multiple laps. It was only once people got passt Schumacher that the train slowly started to neutralize.

If you had a reverse-grid of cars in opposite performance order - the speed delta between cars would be far too small to enhance the "overtaking spectacle". We'd just end up with a long train of cars. It's always cool to see a quicker car fight through traffic, as Hamilton then was able to do with fresher tires, but the exception doesn't make the rule.

Exactly my thoughts about reverse grids as well. Just long DRS trains with maybe only the car in first getting overtaken but then back in the queue a few places down and filtering back to the front eventually- just like cyclists at the front of a breakaway at a grand tour or in a pursuit team. Maybe not at somewhere like Monza, but definitely at most tracks. It would be excruciating.

[El Scorchio]

I wonder if Hamilton will look at what Alonso said about how he raced it and look at how he can make adjustments himself in the future? It was FASCINATING that Alonso said that afterwards. Great insight into it.

That was Alonso being Alonso . Look at his body language and you would know that it was "gamesmanship".
Both had a good fight within the constraints of where each was in the championship. Alonso could afford hard battle given Ocon up the road. Lewis knowing worst case being still leading championship had to be cautious. Its numbers game both were playing.

I loved it. I think that it was Hamilton behind him, it really brought him alive. It's great to see he still has the fire.

[nacho]

Does anyone else think that maybe Bottas thought Lando is going to go deeper into the corner as there was so much free space? Not saying the crash wasn't 100% his fault or in any way Lando's fault.

There's no reason for Bottas to crash to Lando when he's fighting for his seat (or any other time), which is gone now I think. Perhaps he's in a similar downward spiral now as Vettel was.