Formula One ( F1 )

He'll still be alive

Might be a good thing for the sport. F1 has long been torn between a series to provide the pinnacle of open-wheel racing, and the cutting edge of automotive technology.

If Formula E move ahead in terms of automotive relevance, we can get back to simple, cheap power units. This would also encourage more customer teams to partake.

Seems like a good thing to me.

Also, Kubica to swap with Palmer by Spa?

Genuinely thought it was 2015 again when I saw Paul di Resta in F1 again!

Ferrari now with more front row lock outs this year than Mercedes.

...wonder what will happen if Bottas is ahead of Lewis in the tables, and Merc have to pick a #1 driver to keep the WDC fighting against Ferrari?

Personally, I don't think they will pick a #1 unless the other driver is completely out of the running.

Their focus is on the WCC, that's where the money is.

Max's penalty seems a bit harsh.

Amazing result for McLaren, Honda, and Alonso .......fastest lap of the race!!!!!

Really? I was thinking he needs to calm down and take a look at himself, taking your team mate out is the only thing out of limits no?

I agree, given the more relaxed approach they've had this season, seamed like a racing incident to me. The stewards appear to turn a blind eye to black on black contact in most cases too.

Black on black? you have seen different footage to me.

Meaning, Team mate, on team mate contact, seams to get less attention from the stewards.

I assumed you meant tyre to tyre.
I'm just a little sad that Max seems to be trying to pass at all costs.
Amazingly he was accepting of his blame I just hope he reflects on it as he has great things ahead.

It was a small lock up in the first corners of the race. Not exactly a Kyvat-style torpedo.

If anything, it's his moving under braking that needs called into question. Normally he's one of the best at out-braking without locking a wheel.

He may be one the the best, but he still locked and took his teammate out. The first corners are not where it is won, today both he and ricciardo could have lost, because of his enthusiasm. I would like to see him grow and realise this.

So any collision caused by a lock-up should result in a penalty?

Yes that's not what I said, in my view Max deserved the penalty because his late braking was only ever going to result in what happened. I think he has great potential and needs to be a little calmer.

I know that's not what you said, which is why I asked for clarification. It was a minor lock-up that took him 2-3 metres off-line.

People are going to be pushed off-line at the start, it's a given. People are going to get dust/dirt on their tyres as a result. These sorts of collisions happen pretty frequently and seem to be rarely penalised.

Personally I find Magnussen on Hulkenberg much more deserving of a penalty as that was deliberately crowding another car off the track. But there was nothing given. I believe Sainz did the same to Alonso and there was no penalty given there either.

For me, I'd rather see these occasional moments of over-driving if it's what is necessary to see the sort of driving that Verstappen has been providing. Considering the moves he makes, I find it pretty astounding how rarely he makes a mistake. For him to be a little calmer would result in him losing the edge that he has over most other drivers in the field in that area.

I would rate him below only Alonso in his skill at navigating race starts. Considering Alonso has about 12-13 more years in F1, that's not bad going.

... scrap the stewards IMHO - too inconsistent ,.... what goes around comes around .... unless its a "would have caused injury" incident, then just black flag them.

I think Alonso must be thinking "if only i had a decent engine in this chassis"

Just a quick thought on the Mercedes pair swapping places. While everyone is saying how Lewis gave away 3 points and this could cost him the WDC, it's not inconceivable that they're leading 1-2 at Abu Dhabi with Bottas in front and Lewis in need of points when the team ask to swap. This could very well lead to a net gain in points for Lewis.

Though to be honest, with the way they'll be taking points off each other until then, I wouldn't be surprised if they're out of contention before that.

lets not forget also, Bottas is in with a title shot too - and , bottas let hamilton through in the first place!!! Bottas could have just made life hard for Hamilton to get past (lets not forget what Hamilton was doing to Nico in the final race of 2016 !)

Oh for sure, I wouldn't be surprised if they finish on relatively close points tallies.

My point was more that in giving away 3 points last weekend, he puts himself in a position to take 7 points if the roles are reversed later in the season.

And like yourself, I'm a bit surprised at the one-sided nature of people's remarks about sportsmanlike behaviour. Many other teammates would have denied the request to let their teammate past. Then again Bottas has already showed he's willing to do that back in Bahrain.

On a related note, Mercedes asking Bottas to move aside for Hamilton is a very different thing to Ferrari asking Vettel to move over for Kimi. The Mercedes move was motivated by the potential for a larger points haul. Ferrari had nothing to gain (WCC points wise) from a swap.

I don't think anyone has really been mentioning it here, but I have seen it in other places as an attempted negative point towards Ferrari.

My point was more that in giving away 3 points last weekend, he puts himself in a position to take 7 points if the roles are reversed later in the season.

ah yes - good point indeed!!!!

...another scenario is Lewis loses the title by 3 points - to Bottas! ;-)

I don't think anyone has really been mentioning it here, but I have seen it in other places as an attempted negative point towards Ferrari.

On another forum I look at (Pistonheads), there is a core of F1 race posters who are fervently pro-Hamilton. For a couple of years they were equally venomous about Rosberg. This season, that venom seems to have been transferred to Vettel/Ferrari.

I can't help think that it could be a reaction towards who they perceive to be Hamilton's biggest rival. So far, Bottas has been under the radar, but I wonder what will happen if he takes points away from Hamilton late in the season if it's a close three way fight for the Driver's title?