[Other Sport] F1 2022

[Icy Gull]

Feels like we have watched Vettel grow up during his F1 career. From that arrogant, ruthless ('multi 21 Seb') finger wagger at Red Bull (maybe its a Red Bull thing that makes people so unlikeable), to the father figure equal rights, political activist we see today.
He may have had the best car during those championship years, but my word didn't he make best use of it. Just remember it being a case of once he took the lead it was pretty much game over for the win.

Agreed, I found him obnoxious and arrogant at Red Bull. The finger waving was dickhead stuff. Irritating at Ferrari but humorous and likeable at Aston Martin.

F1 will be poorer without him, shame it’s not Stroll on the way out

 

[Audax]

I shouldn’t have bothered with my last post. You have put it much better than I managed

And Driver 61 has now gone into it in more detail:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Kwl2iMfkpc

 

[AstroSloth]

More on why he's retired here: https://the-race.com/formula-1/vettel-explains-f1-retirement-reasons-in-heartfelt-statement/

And with that, silly season for 2023 will now get very much under way. That Aston martin seat is a solid mid-grid seat. Would someone like, say, Ricciardo (despite his recent protestations that he's staying at McLaren) be looking at that seat and thinking "I could do better with that car than Vettel has" and wondering about what Aston Martin can produce in future years (they've been investing heavily in future capability). Or will Aston move to try to secure the services of the hottest prospect not yet in an F1 race seat (Piastri)?

It's absolutely not a mid-grid seat, one of the worst cars this season, Williams the only car you can really say is worse.

Vettel's driving ability makes it look better than it is.

 

[Audax]

It's absolutely not a mid-grid seat, one of the worst cars this season, Williams the only car you can really say is worse.

Vettel's driving ability makes it look better than it is.

The first iteration of the Aston Martin earlier in the season, yes I agree. The new iteration - that car has improved. It's still "lower mid-grid" and a bit hit-and-miss, but it is now a contender for lower end points. And, as I tried to point out in my post you quoted, it's not what's already been achieved by Vettel that prospects for that seat will be looking at. But rather a) the general feeling that Vettel has not been at his peak while at AM (Stroll is not a top driver but has been relatively close) and therefore thinking "I could be a few tenths quicker than that" - at which point it's a solid mid-grid seat, and b) AM have invested heavily in both infrastructure and personnel to support a climb up the grid in future years. 2022 is not the year when that will be realised, but the potential is there for 2023 onwards that the AM car will take steps forward up the grid. It's only potential, granted, but the potential is there and it could be attractive for some drivers.

TBH I don't *expect* Ricciardo or Alonso (two who've been mentioned in the press) actually making the switch. But would I be surprised if Ricciardo in particular did? No, not really. McLaren have been unable to produce a car he can get comfortable with. A third season in a car he struggles to understand would continue to damage his future prospects. A switch to AM might see him land in a car he can understand, push to its limits, and thus improve his results even if the AM car is technically slower than the trickier McLaren. And for Ricciardo, he'll have in the back of his mind that he comfortably beat Vettel at Red Bull - so assuming he could get 2-3 tenths more out of the 2022 AM isn't such a stretch.

 

[Audax]

It's absolutely not a mid-grid seat, one of the worst cars this season, Williams the only car you can really say is worse.

Vettel's driving ability makes it look better than it is.

Sorry, replying to you again . The other element that could make Aston Martin an attractive possibility for drivers is they've shown they have the capability to get innovative within the rules. They might be a bit behind this year, but I don't expect that to last.

As examples, they led the way on the double-tea-tray innovation at the start of the season (which many other teams have since copied), and for Hungary they've arrived with a *very* clever new interpretation of the rear wing rules:

[tweet]1552963940916895744[/tweet]

What they've done is found a loophole that allows them to create a rear-wing endplate-like feature. Endplates were intended to be banned by the rules for this season, and their loss is seen as a performance remover - so finding a way to get something similar back on the car could help them out.

 

[indy3050]

Pole for George! 10 & 11 for Redbull

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Wow, what a qually!

Russell on Pole! Verstappen in 10th, red bull unreliability strikes giving him no power on his final run.

Norris in 4th.

Hamilton, no DRS in 7th.

What a grid we've got for tomorrow.

 

[Worried Man Blues]

How many seconds does DRS give you on this circuit? Surprised Hamilton didn't come out and sat in the pits.

 

[Icy Gull]

That is one interesting grid. Shame Lewis is stuck behind Alonso, his race will be perfection in his head if he stops Lewis getting past him

 

[Iggle Piggle]

FFS. The one time I miss qualifying and George gets his maiden pole with all sorts going on.

 

[Icy Gull]

FFS. The one time I miss qualifying and George gets his maiden pole with all sorts going on.

It came out of nowhere too, no fastest sectors just a great lap. I was gobsmacked and was waiting to see if Lewis could better it but saw he was in the pits. DRS failure.

Max’s whinging when he lost power and couldn’t fix it with the instructions he was getting was epic too, it shouldn’t have made me smile but it did

 

[indy3050]

Really pleased for George, a little sad for Lewis. I don’t know what it is about Red Bull but I just can’t warm to them and never have been able to. Horner doesn’t help, neither did farce last year which to be fair wasn’t down to them (or was it)

 

[Marty___Mcfly]

GEORGE ON POLL! Respect.

RB / Horner P10 P11 LOL.

 

[bhafc99]

Saw this yesterday.

A McLaren, with the reg F1 NSC.

Perfect for this thread!

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Just seen the highlights. I only saw Q3 yesterday so didn't realise what a missed opportunity it was for Mercedes to lock out the front row. Lewis was quicker than George in both Q1 and Q2 so he would have had a really good chance of bettering or getting close to George's time. That would ahve made for a really interesting race.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Max’s whinging when he lost power and couldn’t fix it with the instructions he was getting was epic too, it shouldn’t have made me smile but it did

Just for you Icy.

 

[dolphins]

F2 race currently underway and the rain is starting...albeit not much yet. Could it build for a wet F1 race later?

 

[Creaky]

Just for you Icy.

Hardly whinging!

 

[Weststander]

Give the GOAT a decent car and he delivers.

As for Ferrari

Will rain intervene though?

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Hamilton and verstappen showing why they are the class of the field and generational talents.