[Hutnicks]

  What is it with teams screwing up their tyre strategies and gifting their wins to Mercs?

Not just the teams. Flossy burnt his new shoes out getting under Verstappens rear wing and then was dumb enough to have a go again.

 

[Melrose]

 
Not just the teams. Flossy burnt his new shoes out getting under Verstappens rear wing and then was dumb enough to have a go again.

Flossy.....?
 
I don't understand half the nicknames you use.

 

[Hutnicks]

 
Flossy.....?
 
I don't understand half the nicknames you use.

Flossberg, Britney, they guy who spent two laps chasing the rookie who admirably held his own only to see his fronts start locking a la Fubarri, oops I ate my tyresand roasted my brakes. AND THEN tries a bonehead overtake at the chicane by later braking. Sinful for a guy in that position to let a rook goad him into that kind of error.
 
 Wonder how contract negotiations are going now?
 
 Pain there somewhat ameliorated by SKY's doltwit commentators giving Whitehead kudos for not penalizing him for obeying the chicane run off rules. Uh, guys, when you enter the runoff area backwards the arrows cease to apply.

 

[oqvist]

I don´t understand the nicknames either lol Going by nicknames it would be hammy the shunt.
 
Actually that was a good move by Rosberg. It didn´t work but why on earth shouldn´t he try when he has such a gap behind it was not like it was totally impossible though extremely hard to achieve.
 
To bad Hamilton didn´t take the Mercs out in the start but the gap certainly is not as big as it used to so maybe it´s possible to play with them if Ferrari and Red Bull stop messing up their strategy.

 

[WraithApe]

  What is it with teams screwing up their tyre strategies and gifting their wins to Mercs?

 
And of course Vettel came out defending the strategy team after the race, but Ferrari have clearly got issues in that department. Basically thought they could be clever and sneak a 2 stop but the other two on the podium both showed it was a 1 stopper. From the moment it happened, you had the feeling it was the wrong call. Pretty entertaining race all round I thought - great to see Max defending like that and forcing the error from Rosberg 

 

[oqvist]

I wouldn´t say attempting an overtake is a driver error. It was not like it was totally impossible but yes Max is good with hs defensive driving can´t say anything else
 
Ferrari certainly have their fair share of questionable calls. They where a bit unlucky in the pit stop with the green flag coming a bit soon.

 

[WraithApe]

 
Flossy.....?
 
I don't understand half the nicknames you use.

 
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2011/08/09/top-ten-f1-driver-nicknames/ 
 
Still doesn't explain Flossberg (guess that's just a derogatory rhyming thing?) but enlightened me at least on the origins of Britney!

 

[Herueyes]

What is it with teams screwing up their tyre strategies and gifting their wins to Mercs?

Be easy... Remember when Merc had to screw up for the other teams to win? Now for the last 2 races it's the opposite... Sorta...


Peace...

 

[Hutnicks]

   
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2011/08/09/top-ten-f1-driver-nicknames/ 
 
Still doesn't explain Flossberg (guess that's just a derogatory rhyming thing?) but enlightened me at least on the origins of Britney!

There's an old expression here in sport that refers to being "flossed" when a competitor gets the better of you.
 

Be easy... Remember when Merc had to screw up for the other teams to win? Now for the last 2 races it's the opposite... Sorta...

Peace...

That and the one thing DeResta points out, and quite rightly is the Merc is 'just another car" when it gets stuck in the pack and does not have clean air. That lends a new light into them panicking at the starts and taking any means necessary to get clear from lap 1.
 
 As far as the pure aero package goes I think Williams is the only runner with a solution for dealing with traffic. I wonder just what Bottas could do if he had a first string engine?

 

[Hutnicks]

C'mon guys. Wake up out there. This is the big one.

 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baku_%28spirit%29
 
Much more appropriate def then the Azerbaijan native rigamarole.
 
Disintegrating curbs. Plastic sheet over pave covered with new asphalt. What could possibly go wrong?
 
My money is on 4 cars in huge fracas by the third corner of the first lap. Who that might be TBD in qually tomorrow. Which of course, should be outright mania unto itself.
 
Tight race for the WDC, usual suspects up front, personal rivalries between 3 of the top 4 marques.
 
What the geniuses at Sky did not seem to mention in practice is, come time to be lapping back markers, this track is a potential killing field. Throw a safety in there somewhere and no matter who's in the lead he could well get backed into a pack of hungry sharks and eaten alive. Love to read the strat algorithm the teams have cobbled up for this one.
 
 I think more than any other. This one could be a "Drivers" race.

 

[WraithApe]

Here in the UK, I see C4 have the live race this weekend for a change. It clashes with Euro 2016 but I might have to give precedence to the F1 - it's not like there's a shortage of games on! "Have you never heard of a PVR?" would be a fair question, but the dish is still bust 

 
Rosberg still leading the championship but I can't help thinking Hamilton has got him licked now. When he doesn't have reliability issues to contend with, his race-craft just seems more finely tuned. Does Rosberg lack killer instinct?

 

[WraithApe]

Ha ha spoke too soon. Nightmare! Baku takes no prisoners...

 

[Big Kev]

How can Lewis fall off so badly, having owned all of the practise sessions, he was all over the place today.
 
If he can get a good start, which is doubtful, he can still have a good chance of a podium though.

 

[Hutnicks]

  Here in the UK, I see C4 have the live race this weekend for a change. It clashes with Euro 2016 but I might have to give precedence to the F1 - it's not like there's a shortage of games on! "Have you never heard of a PVR?" would be a fair question, but the dish is still bust 

 
Rosberg still leading the championship but I can't help thinking Hamilton has got him licked now. When he doesn't have reliability issues to contend with, his race-craft just seems more finely tuned. Does Rosberg lack killer instinct?

I think that is exactly it. Rosberg seems to do well when in the lead but fighting for position he always seems to come off the loser.
 

  How can Lewis fall off so badly, having owned all of the practise sessions, he was all over the place today.
 
If he can get a good start, which is doubtful, he can still have a good chance of a podium though.

 
On that track anything is possible. Given the mix up front it may work to Lewis advantage if 3rd corner panic sets in on the first lap. With that and the almost assured safety's it could be anyones race.
 
Unforgiving track for certain. The difference between Nico and Lewis on pole there can be meausered in thousandths of an inch on that wall. "Champions corner, Baku style"

 

[WraithApe]

Interesting to see Force India with a bit of pace at this circuit as well - from Perez anyway. Real pity for him about the grid penalty but the prospect of Dan R starting on the front row is quite exciting given Merc's troubles with getting off the line this season.