Formula 1 Heineken Gran Premio D’italia 2021Formula 1

[McLaren]

Max gonna run away tomorrow bc I don’t see McLaren putting the pressure on him.

 

[andrea]

The Mercedes garage looks so disappointed lol

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Russell loses out in qualifying to a Williams teammate for the first time.

And Bottas is first.

Bad day for Mercedes. Bottas heads to the back of the grid for the race and Lewis dropped 3 places.

 

[Famine]

Whelm not found.

 

[Dreadmed]

Max gonna run away tomorrow bc I don’t see McLaren putting the pressure on him.

I really thought they'd be a fair bit closer to Max in terms of race pace, that's a sizeable gap after 15 laps AND they were on the softer tyre...

 

[PaMu1337]

"First medal in my life" 😂

 

[Destroy321]

This should be the last sprint qualifying.

 

[BrainsBush]

Do we think it was a smart choice to change the engine of Bottas' car especially at this Mercedes engine favorable track?
Is it a smart strategy or the opposite? Or was the engine swap necessary now?

In my - totally unexperienced - opinion they made the wrong choice. If they had a choice?

 

[Jimlaad43]

It was probably here or Sochi, and Bottas would want to take the penalty here as he's always been rapid at Sochi, so that's his best chance of a win. Once they took one part of the penalty, take all of it for a brand new everything in one go. At least Monza is a place he should be able to climb through the pack.

 

[toastet]

Take penaltys when you're already slow, not the other way round. Had to grow a bit. Maybe Lewis should take his engine too now even he had to start from the pits. But damage limitation. Won't win tomorrow.

 

[MagpieRacer]

This should be the last sprint qualifying.

Why? Let's remember, it's the format being tested, not the excitement levels. The weekend format has potential, and with next years racing cars being easier to follow and hopefully drastically improve the racing spectacle, the excitement levels will naturally go up with it.

 

[PeterJB]

Take penaltys when you're already slow, not the other way round. Had to grow a bit. Maybe Lewis should take his engine too now even he had to start from the pits. But damage limitation. Won't win tomorrow.

He can still win this as long as he doesn't fluff the start again, as I don't say this often anymore, but he comfortably has the fastest car this weekend.

 

[Destroy321]

Why? Let's remember, it's the format being tested, not the excitement levels. The weekend format has potential, and with next years racing cars being easier to follow and hopefully drastically improve the racing spectacle, the excitement levels will naturally go up with it.

It feels strange to have two qualifying rounds, and I hate it.
And this is my personal opinion.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

He can still win this as long as he doesn't fluff the start again, as I don't say this often anymore, but he comfortably has the fastest car this weekend.

If Hamilton doesn't get past the McLarens on the start, he'll probably have trouble again. It will come down to tires and strategy.

 

[SlowGrayAudi]

It was probably here or Sochi, and Bottas would want to take the penalty here as he's always been rapid at Sochi, so that's his best chance of a win. Once they took one part of the penalty, take all of it for a brand new everything in one go. At least Monza is a place he should be able to climb through the pack.

Bottas climb through the pack? Thats the funnies thing ive heard all day.

This track is drs train land. If he gets into the top 10 I'll be surprised.

 

[Jimlaad43]

Bottas climb through the pack? Thats the funnies thing ive heard all day.

This track is drs train land. If he gets into the top 10 I'll be surprised.

Notice the "should" not the "will". This is Bottas, not Lewis we're talking about.

 

[Samus]

Well that was incredibly boring, again.

Why? Let's remember, it's the format being tested, not the excitement levels. The weekend format has potential, and with next years racing cars being easier to follow and hopefully drastically improve the racing spectacle, the excitement levels will naturally go up with it.

The format still sucks IMO. I like the idea of having meaningful running on all three days but not in this current format. Qualifying sorts out their single lap pace and then the sprint race is always just going to be lap 1 randomness then sorting race pace for the full race on Sunday, which is then going to be more of a procession, because we've already run the first 1/3 of the race.

We now already know that McLaren don't have the pace to match VER, we know HAM is going to struggle to overtake them on pure pace, so that is already spoiled. VER wins, HAM may or may not get past via strategy or more laps.

If they're going to run a sprint race it needs to be somehow independent of the main race.

 

[kungtotte_]

I think the sprint races should be a little shorter or a little longer. If they're shorter then everyone can slap on softs and just send it, if they're longer they introduce some pit stop possibilities.

 

[andrea]

Front row lads....

 

[PeterJB]

Notice the "should" not the "will". This is Bottas, not Lewis we're talking about.

In the same way that Perez "should" be on the podium tomorrow but "will" be 6th at best.

 

[McLaren]

In the same way that Perez "should" be on the podium tomorrow but "will" be 6th at best.

Gonna assume Perez gets DotD again b/c he moved up through the field, if Bottas doesn't get it for doing the same thing.

 

[C-ZETA]

Another reason why Perez was the right man for the Red Bull job...

 

[Samus]

You know what else is really stupid about this format?

Max Verstappen qualified 3rd yesterday, finished 2nd in a race today but in the record books, he took pole position.

 

[toastet]

You know what else is really stupid about this format?

Max Verstappen qualified 3rd yesterday, finished 2nd in a race today but in the record books, he took pole position.

So just like Schumacher back in 2012 in Monaco when Alonso Webber got the pole due to a 3 place grid penalty for Michael.

 

[Jimlaad43]

So just like Schumacher back in 2012 in Monaco when Alonso got the pole due to a 3 place grid penalty for Michael.

*Webber started on Pole after a 5 place grid penalty to Michael.

Monaco 2012 - Starting grid • STATS F1

www.statsf1.com

 

[Jimlaad43]

You know what else is really stupid about this format?

Max Verstappen qualified 3rd yesterday, finished 2nd in a race today but in the record books, he took pole position.

That's not really the format's fault, that can be blamed on the engine penalty which Mercedes must be regretting now. Bottas finally goes fastest in quali and wins a race, and his reward is P20 on the grid.

 

[Samus]

That's not really the format's fault, that can be blamed on the engine penalty which Mercedes must be regretting now. Bottas finally goes fastest in quali and wins a race, and his reward is P20 on the grid.

It is in the sense that they give pole to the sprint race winner. That's just wrong, you shouldn't give the same award to two wildly different formats.

 

[toastet]

Max got a win and Russell even his first podium in Spa without racing an inch, so I think everything is possible.

 

[toastet]

Read this under a Facebook post and had to giggle a bit: "Bono, my Valtteri is gone!"

 

[Grayfox]

You know what else is really stupid about this format?

Max Verstappen qualified 3rd yesterday, finished 2nd in a race today but in the record books, he took pole position.

This could've worked out like this as well.

Lewis starts second and gets a good start, his whipping boy gives him first, lewis powers ahead while whipping boi blocks Max.

Lewis: 1st
Bottas: 2nd
Max: 3rd.

The only thing that stopped this from happening is Lewis's poor start.