BOF Posted September 7, 2021 Author Moderator Share Posted September 7, 2021 Big breaking news that no one saw coming is that Merc have confirmed promising youngster George Russell for their 2nd seat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 32 minutes ago, BOF said: Big breaking news that no one saw coming is that Merc have confirmed promising youngster George Russell for their 2nd seat. Lot of pressure on the lads shoulders. His brief cameo last season will have raised expectations he will come in and cut the mustard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFCDAN Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 Can only be good for F1 in general if one of the second drivers of the top teams is a threat for the race win. Feels like for the last 3 years its generally Lewis or Max. I miss the days of the Mercs and Red Bulls running each other off the road. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farlz Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 Been obvious for some time. Hopefully makes things a bit interesting at Merc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 I suspect he’ll be no more of a threat than Bottas (but I hope I’m wrong). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted September 7, 2021 Author Moderator Share Posted September 7, 2021 I think he'll be much more of a threat, and I think both will take points off each other to the detriment of their WDC hopes. As for pressure. He has the drive he deserves so I don't think pressure will be a problem once he settles in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFCDAN Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 1 hour ago, BOF said: I think he'll be much more of a threat, and I think both will take points off each other to the detriment of their WDC hopes. As for pressure. He has the drive he deserves so I don't think pressure will be a problem once he settles in. I thought the same thing. You could actually see the merits of keeping Bottas over promoting a potentially better younger driver with something to prove. The risk of them coming together returns and as you say taking points off each other at critical moments potentially. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted September 7, 2021 Author Moderator Share Posted September 7, 2021 15 minutes ago, AVFCDAN said: You could actually see the merits of keeping Bottas over promoting a potentially better younger driver with something to prove. Yeah Merc mentioned the risk of all the other top teams having one of the next generation of hot shots in their team and Merc risking being left behind. The difference though is basically all of those other hot shots are already their team leader. Leclerc, Verstappen and Norris are their team's #1. Hamilton, for want of a better term, will kind of be in Russell's way. He's still top of his game and will have no intention of yielding. Russell hasn't gone in there as a number 2. They'll be free to race, so it'll be difficult for Merc to prevent both drivers from hampering the other's championship by virtue of both being very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted September 7, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted September 7, 2021 I think Russell will be there to learn from Lewis and eventually take the baton from him as their next Number 1 driver. Bottas is a great number 2 but he's clearly growing tired of being that. It's a lot easier to keep a 23 year old happy being a number 2 and learning from the GOAT in the knowledge that he'll eventually takeover from him. You have to go back 20 years before you find someone who won the championship at an older age than lewis is now. Merc are thinking towards the future I'm sure 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted September 7, 2021 Moderator Share Posted September 7, 2021 Russell playing the long game - he'll need to be the reliable understudy next year at least if he's to aspire to becoming the lead driver the year after. Putting his ambitions on hold in order to find himself with the best seat in the house in a couple of years time carries a little bit of risk, but the pay off if he gets it is a real chance at the Championship. He now needs to spend 15 months persuading Lewis that he feels old. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodders Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 Yeah Lewis won't go on more than 2 more seasons after this I'd have thought, just wildly pulling that out of my ass etc, but I think he'll leave before Russell (if he does ) looks like dominating him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 If Lewis makes it 8x champion he might start to think a lot more about leaving the sport. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted September 8, 2021 Author Moderator Share Posted September 8, 2021 Alex Albon has been announced as a Williams driver for 2022. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted September 10, 2021 Author Moderator Share Posted September 10, 2021 F1 & F2 qualifying today at 17:00 & 15:50 respectively. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted September 10, 2021 Author Moderator Share Posted September 10, 2021 Damage limitation for Max getting 3rd with Lewis 2nd but he seems a long way off. Good to see Ricciardo up along with Norris. Gio another Q3. Gasly being Gasly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted September 11, 2021 Moderator Share Posted September 11, 2021 So Bottas was the fastest in qualifying but starts at the back tomorrow because of the engine thing, and nothing he does in the sprint race today makes a blind bit of difference to his season or to anything to do with tomorrow's race? I still don't really understand what these sprint races are for. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted September 11, 2021 Author Moderator Share Posted September 11, 2021 Money. It puts a competitive session (qualifying) on the Friday upping the Friday attendance. And the pseudo second race on the Saturday potentially ups the Saturday attendance too. So the whole weekend has fewer practices and the 2 day weekend becomes a 3 day. There is no effect on the actual race other than rendering qualifying largely irrelevant. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted September 11, 2021 Moderator Share Posted September 11, 2021 Is there an advantage to be gained for Mercedes by having Bottas get right out of Hamilton's way and get right into Verstappen's way? Let Lewis go by on the way to the tight first corner, get slap bang into the middle of the racing line and slap the anchors on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farlz Posted September 11, 2021 Share Posted September 11, 2021 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted September 11, 2021 Author Moderator Share Posted September 11, 2021 Other than Bottas taking points off Max on the Saturday, no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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