Sieper wrote: ↑15 Jul 2020, 15:29
Verstappen was never off the pace of Ricciardo by 5-7 tenths though. Albon has been and still is.
True. But Verstappen is an outstandingly quick driver. Would we really expect the gap for Ricciardo vs Verstappen to be the benchmark for Verstappen vs Albon? Especially given all the extra disadvantages Albon has compared to Verstappen when he was in a similar position.
Sieper wrote: ↑15 Jul 2020, 15:29
He is Also outqualified everytime their cars (technical punishments for engine changes) allowed them to be in Q3 (bar Japan, where they were equal but as Verstappen set his time earlier that officially counts as outqualified as well).
The scenario you are suggesting is that when Albon comes in with:-
1) Barely any F1 prep time,
2) Barely any F1 experience,
3) Dropped into a car he'd
never driven before,
4) In a team he doesn't know and that is focussed entirely on his team mate,
5) His team mate is driving a car custom designed for him,
6) Which he has already had 1,000 laps of real experience in plus who-knows-how-many virtual laps,
7) and gets all the best parts and strategies first.
And the benchmark shouldn't be that he brings home as many points as his team leader, but that he puts in the same or better performances
across the board?
Name one driver from the last thirty years who could overcome all those handicaps and achieve that?
Verstappen had fewer of those handicaps (only 3, 5&7?) and was up against a slower team mate and didn't manage it. That's not an attack on Verstappen, that's using him to set a realistic bar.
Sieper wrote: ↑15 Jul 2020, 15:29
Also, Albon could have won Austria 2020, true, but Verstappen was way in front of him on P2 already when he was out of contention due to no fault of himselve. That kind of point tallying is not very fair.
My apologies, I obviously wasn't very clear. I was trying to present a theoretical scenario.
In this imaginary scenario, it's the first race of the 2020 season and RBR think they've got a competitive car for both WCC and WDC. The teams are just about to enter the final pitstop phase at the Red Bull Ring (Verstappen's and RBR's home GP) and Albon is leading a RBR 1-2. Do any one of us think the team doesn't engineer a position swap*? And, if they do, does anyone think Albon complains on the radio or in the press conference afterwards?
Sieper wrote: ↑15 Jul 2020, 15:29
Albon too has been using both spec noses. They both used the old spec this last race. It is not like Max gets best only.
For the first race, RBR clearly thought the new nose was faster. Once Verstappen broke his nose, who used Albon's nose for qualifying and the race?
With so many races back-to-back and the factory working under such pressure that they didn't even have spares for the first race, do we think there are always going to be two copies of each upgrade part produced simultaneously and, if not, who do we think gets the faster version of the car?**
*As Verstappen is the best chance at a WDC and it doesn't diminish WCC points the swap would be the smart thing to do and I would do exactly the same in their shoes.
** Again, this is the smart play. F1 isn't about giving Verstappen and Albon equal cars and seeing how close they are, it's about maximising the finishing position of RBR as a team in WCC and their lead driver in the WDC.
- Edited to reflect Sieper's point below.