2022 Formula 1 Season thread

[The-Real-Deal82]

Not sure if your opinion is correct here. What evidence do you have that Masi was under pressure to be soft on Max? He may have awarded some decisions Max's way, but why say he was under pressure to do so?
And the BBC are reporting Lewis is waiting for the outcome of the investigation before he agrees to race this year or not.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/59987230

Lots of stories seem to back this up.

Anyway Aston Martin have appointed Krack? As team principle.

Aston Martin appoint Mike Krack as team principal

Former BMW motorsport boss Mike Krack will play a "central and leading role" at Aston Martin, says chairman Lawrence Stroll.

www.bbc.co.uk

It’s a suggestion in a lot of articles I have read over the last month. Not necessarily to ‘be soft on Max’, but to ensure the fight was close. Negotiating Max’s penalty with Horner over the live feed was probably what caused journalists to think this as it’s unheard of.

If Lewis wants the outcome of the FIA investigation to be published before he makes his decision on racing in 2022 then I think that’s fair enough. I would feel the same in his shoes. If Masi remains and the events of Abu Dhabi are swept aside then I hope Lewis walks away while he’s at the top.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Another discrepancy I don't see commented upon: It had been determined you had to give up a position, that meant you could not re-take the position for two corners. This goes back to a race at Spa 2008? (which I was there!) where Lewis gained an advantage, let the car pass him (Raikkonen?) , and immediately overtook the position. My recollection is Lewis took the checkered flag and was handed a time penalty making Raikkonen the winner.

I know it was a long time ago but my memory of Spa 2008 was Lewis was demoted to third and Massa won the race. Raikkonen crashed out a few laps after the incident with Lewis and didn’t finish the race. That race is still one of Hamilton’s best victories and sadly in another era where the FIA meddled after a race had finished. The decision came 2 hours after the chequered flag. Kimi squeezed Lewis across the chicane and what annoyed me was the place was given back as per the rules. The 2 corner part was introduced as a result of this and the penalty caused a lot of controversy at the time.

McLaren we’re not in the FIA’s good books due to spy-gate and flimsy steward decisions sadly blighted 2008. Another from that season was Adrian Sutil getting a drive through penalty for an unsafe pit release and Massa getting a 5 second time penalty for exactly the same infraction. I thought we were past this sort of inconsistency by 2021.

 

[Glideslope]

It’s a suggestion in a lot of articles I have read over the last month. Not necessarily to ‘be soft on Max’, but to ensure the fight was close. Negotiating Max’s penalty with Horner over the live feed was probably what caused journalists to think this as it’s unheard of.

If Lewis wants the outcome of the FIA investigation to be published before he makes his decision on racing in 2022 then I think that’s fair enough. I would feel the same in his shoes. If Masi remains and the events of Abu Dhabi are swept aside then I hope Lewis walks away while he’s at the top.

I don’t think Lewis will be happy with Masi being replaced alone. The Political End Game here from Lewis and Mercedes is for Max to be stripped of his title and have it given to Lewis. I don‘t see that happening.

It’s very frustrating to see such a mess this has become due to Political decisions clouding the “Rules of the road.”

However, if one were to go way back I predicted Liberty would try and turn F1 into an Open Wheel NASCAR.

I hope 2022 can recover, but it’s going to be very hard. F1 has descended into Tribalism.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I don’t think Lewis will be happy with Masi being replaced alone. The Political End Game here from Lewis and Mercedes is for Max to be stripped of his title and have it given to Lewis. I don‘t see that happening.

I’m not convinced Mercedes and Hamilton do want Max stripped of the title. I think they want an acknowledgment from the FIA that Masi got it wrong and it ultimately decided the championship. Inheriting the championship now would be a tainted win and Lewis knows already he did enough to win it. This I feel is just a formality for Mercedes’ to get acknowledgment. I would hate to see the title taken off one driver and given to another over a month later and that would further make the sport a laughing stock IMO.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I’m not convinced Mercedes and Hamilton do want Max stripped of the title. I think they want an acknowledgment from the FIA that Masi got it wrong and it ultimately decided the championship. Inheriting the championship now would be a tainted win and Lewis knows already he did enough to win it. This I feel is just a formality for Mercedes’ to get acknowledgment. I would hate to see the title taken off one driver and given to another over a month later and that would further make the sport a laughing stock IMO.

Agreed. They just don’t want to see it happen again.

 

[Pezimak]

I suspect pit stops might be a little slower with bigger wheels? But I do hope for close racing.
Then they can drop DRS. Makes it boring. The car following has too much advantage already. When they can (theoretically) follow through the corners closer, passing will be far too easy. I’d rather see cars passing up the inside on the bend. Not pulling out and passing with ease.

That's true about DRS if they can follow more closely now. More exciting overtaking round corners would be great. I want to see more battles like Vettel and Alonso, or Lewis and Perez in the last race.

 

[Pezimak]

It’s a suggestion in a lot of articles I have read over the last month. Not necessarily to ‘be soft on Max’, but to ensure the fight was close. Negotiating Max’s penalty with Horner over the live feed was probably what caused journalists to think this as it’s unheard of.

If Lewis wants the outcome of the FIA investigation to be published before he makes his decision on racing in 2022 then I think that’s fair enough. I would feel the same in his shoes. If Masi remains and the events of Abu Dhabi are swept aside then I hope Lewis walks away while he’s at the top.

The presenters said negotiating penalties in that situation was a normal thing, we just don't get to hear it normally apparently. Seems it's the media making conclusion based on their opinions. I'm sure the investigation will find its conclusion, and I hope they don't let Lewis giving an ultimatum in a way manipulate the outcome.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

The presenters said negotiating penalties in that situation was a normal thing, we just don't get to hear it normally apparently. Seems it's the media making conclusion based on their opinions. I'm sure the investigation will find its conclusion, and I hope they don't let Lewis giving an ultimatum in a way manipulate the outcome.

So normal that presenters that are ex drivers were astonished by it.

Lewis retiring shouldn’t have any impact on whether the FIA do the right thing and answer the questions that have been asked. The final outcome should be the same regardless. Lewis could retire anyway.

 

[Phil77354]

Well Lewis will retire. Or he won't. It won't matter much either way once the new season is underway, and for myself I'm anxious to see the next generation of drivers develop and fight it out, as well as see how the new cars perform.

 

[CWallace]

If Lewis does decide to retire for whatever reason, how much would it suck to be Valteri Bottas and see Stoffel Vandoorne or Nyck de Vries lapping him every GP in the #2 AMG.

Then again, he has only himself to blame for being punted to Alfa.

 

[Glideslope]

I’d like to see Gasy with Russel. One never knows. ?

 

[DR3MCLAREN]

???? too funny!

 

[pachyderm]

Launches:

Aston Martin AMR22 10th Feb

McLaren MCL36, on Friday 11th Feb

Ferrari Thursday 17th Feb



The rest are TBD

 

[Pezimak]

Crazy:

https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/s6c4ry

 

[Pezimak]

So normal that presenters that are ex drivers were astonished by it.

Lewis retiring shouldn’t have any impact on whether the FIA do the right thing and answer the questions that have been asked. The final outcome should be the same regardless. Lewis could retire anyway.

The presenters weren’t astonished? They said it was normal. I don’t know it’s the first time I’ve heard it but I doubt it was an exclusive time it happened.

 

[kToni73]

Crazy:

https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/s6c4ry

That guy has no fear ?

 

[Apple fanboy]

That guy has no fear ?

Driver or the cameraman! Much respect to both!

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

The presenters weren’t astonished? They said it was normal. I don’t know it’s the first time I’ve heard it but I doubt it was an exclusive time it happened.

David Coulthard was surprised and hadn’t heard this before at this level. Anyway, neither of us are ever going to change our opinions on 2021 and for me it will always be a season decided off the track. It’s unfortunate after a thrilling year but life goes on. We can discuss it for years and likely will, but it won’t change the outcome. At the least I think the FIA will acknowledge poor race management. This will be done either in their report or in their actions (moving Masi to another role) I am sure.

 

[pachyderm]

A. Lewis isn't retiring.

B. I don't root for Lewis but I do like him as a character in the F1 circus. So I hope he sticks around for a bit longer.

C. Lewis' fans..? I'm not a fan of them for the most part. Hang on, hang on, some of you lot ok but man, it gets old after awhile. You're not the only LH fans that I'm familiar with online. Every message board/forum I go to has them.
And it's the same b.s.

Roll on 2022...

 

[an-other]

Lewis is under contract for this year. It's the last year of his contract. Highly unlikely he will retire. I think it's just noise to sell newspapers/click bait. That's not to say it's been intimated he may not come back. It's just a flywheel that keeps gaining momentum without additional information. Bernie, the king of creating headlines, fed this, too.

Credit to Lewis for going silent. There's nothing to be gained for him to say anything publicly. I also can't imagine how much work he put into the season and needs to put in for the 2022 season. How do you move forward after this?

I don't know any non-casual F1 fan that didn't know what was going to happen the second the green flag waved on the final lap. Prior to that, Lewis put in an exceptional performance. Brought the goods when the pressure was at its highest. Fan or not of Lewis and the mercedes team, you have to respect what he did for 57 laps.

I also feel for Sainz. He wasn't given the opportunity to stick his nose in for a Ferrari victory. Whilst unlikely, there was no opportunity. Imagine his offseason if he finished 1rst or 2nd?

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

C. Lewis' fans..? I'm not a fan of them for the most part. Hang on, hang on, some of you lot ok but man, it gets old after awhile. You're not the only LH fans that I'm familiar with online. Every message board/forum I go to has them.
And it's the same b.s.

Roll on 2022...

That does tend to go for fans of any driver I have found. Schumacher fans in the early 2000’s used to be unbearable when discussing online, or a vocal minority maybe. Verstappen has attracted his fair share of people who are new to the sport and like that he has broken Hamilton’s run.

I’ve been on Hamilton’s side online since early 2006 and I think the first time I saw people disliking him was at Silverstone where he did the double overtake through Maggots and Beckets. I was at Silverstone that year and even though it wasn’t an F1 race, it caused a lot of excitement amongst British fans. I liked that he is British and was the most exciting thing to happen to F1 in a few years and I followed Alonso during his Renault years. Like Verstappen now he came along and changed the order. The fact he isn’t particularly well educated and had at the time very little PR training meant he was branded arrogant fairly early on and he’s now in the same group as any driver who dominates and is disliked. Senna, Prost, Schumacher, Vettel have all faced fans who find any element they can to attribute success to the car or politics rather than to the talent behind the wheel.

I do think in this modern era where social media is prevalent, we have a lot more people discussing F1 and often with limited knowledge of the sport in general. Things get petty with shallow opinions and it’s often better to walk away than argue and try and educate.

 

[pachyderm]

That does tend to go for fans of any driver I have found. Schumacher fans in the early 2000’s used to be unbearable when discussing online, or a vocal minority maybe. Verstappen has attracted his fair share of people who are new to the sport and like that he has broken Hamilton’s run.

I’ve been on Hamilton’s side online since early 2006 and I think the first time I saw people disliking him was at Silverstone where he did the double overtake through Maggots and Beckets. I was at Silverstone that year and even though it wasn’t an F1 race, it caused a lot of excitement amongst British fans. I liked that he is British and was the most exciting thing to happen to F1 in a few years and I followed Alonso during his Renault years. Like Verstappen now he came along and changed the order. The fact he isn’t particularly well educated and had at the time very little PR training meant he was branded arrogant fairly early on and he’s now in the same group as any driver who dominates and is disliked. Senna, Prost, Schumacher, Vettel have all faced fans who find any element they can to attribute success to the car or politics rather than to the talent behind the wheel.

I do think in this modern era where social media is prevalent, we have a lot more people discussing F1 and often with limited knowledge of the sport in general. Things get petty with shallow opinions and it’s often better to walk away than argue and try and educate.

Yer not wrong

 

[Phil77354]

As I think about it more, I'm hoping (and expecting) to see Lewis return to F1, because I want to see another year of him vs Max given the outcome of this past year. I don't know how rule and car changes will affect their respective performances in 2022 but am hoping to see another good competitive year.

Added to that we have Russel with Mercedes, giving Lewis a new and likely much more competitive teammate, and other young drivers continuing to do well. It all bodes for a good season, I think.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I think Lewis will 100% race this year. If he was retiring he’d have said so.

Anyway February 18th the new Silver Arrow along with there two drivers will be unveiled online.
And yes. Silver not black.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I think Lewis will 100% race this year. If he was retiring he’d have said so.

Anyway February 18th the new Silver Arrow along with there two drivers will be unveiled online.
And yes. Silver not black.

It’ll be nice to have the traditional silver back I say.