Didnt catch the race, but i caught the ''highlights'' which REALLY only highlighted what an utter dull race that must have been, after the start the highlights are lap 14, 30, 40,55 ( which was only a highlight as it was the finish ) so basically only 2 interesting things happened in 41 laps and a solid hour of watching... compared to last weeks emotional rollercoaster
Can they move Ab Drab to the start of the season that way the new car shakedown gives us something watch? Bring back Brazil for the finale.
Can they just stop with the Shady oil money Grands Prix... They're all dull af. I expect Jeddah to be equally dull.
Really they need to stop Herman Tilke designing the tracks. Or they can have a local dignitary's ten year old son design the layout, then have Tilke engineer it with the ten year old having final say. Wipeout told me tracks would have jumps and loops by now damnit! Also, even with D-Ric joining them I get the impression Mclaren are going to miss Carlos. Also also, Perez Red Bull rumours kicking into high gear now. Feel bad for Albon but there's really only four drivers right now I'd pick over Perez right now (Ham, Lec, Sai and Ric). https://www.planetf1.com/news/red-bull-sergio-perez-2021/
As dull and unimaginative as Tilke is, not convinced a.n.other track designer would've done any better. Like Pirelli, they're kinda hamstrung by what F1 asks for.
I was going to see how accurate my pre-season predictions were... only with the pre-season covid goings on I never really made any.
Ooo I actually did make some. Let's have a look Mercedes: I don't think they can afford a full switcheroo this year, so the car in first testing will largely be the car for the season. Hamilton will DOMINATE Bottas all year, whether through his own skill, a little word in the ear or just his shear unhuman will to get to 100/7. Another championship double. Bottas FINNishes 3rd, leaves Mercedes at the end of the year for shock signing Russell. Hamilton domination, tick. Bottas was just about good enough to keep second, but dam that Russell shout was not a bad one. Everyone would probably rather want Russell than Bottas in the no2 Merc next year Ferrari: Another season where they aim straight at both feet. Still unwilling to openly declare Leclerc the best and No1 will cause countless troubles. There will be poles, podiums and wins, but will realistically be nowhere in either championship. Leclerc 4th and Vettel 6th who leaves at the end of the season into retirement, having seen in the simulator that next year's car will show him up even more. Team 3rd. Nope and nope. Engine shenanigans and a terrible design hammer Ferrari down the grid. They did get a few podiums shockingly, leclerc outclassed vettel who should be retiring, but he's going to suck money from the teat of pap stroll instead. Red Bull: Verstappen will be challenging Hamilton every step of the way. I don't think it will be quite like the old McLaren vs Red Bull days, but there will definitely be a lot of tracks favouring one team. Verstappen to finish a solid second. Albon gets a bit too debonair and is dumped back into toro rosso Red Bull Jnr mid season, replaced by Gasly or a massive wildcard that no one saw coming. Finish 2nd in WCC. Not too bad. Max was certainly always there nipping at the Mercedes heels, but realistically just in a second class car. Still comfortably ahead of the chasing pack though. Albon survives by the skin of his teeth, but probably won't be there next season. McLaren: Another phenomenal season heading the midfield. Sainz and Norris still having a big old love-in. Sainz finishes 5th thanks to consistency, a little luck, some stellar drives and Heir Stoppypants dropping it on several occasions. Norris top 10. Pretty dam close. Feel a bit sorry for Carlos, hopefully the 2022 Ferrari won't be too bad, because can't see next year being that much better for them. Renault: Oh dear, oh dear. Car goes backwards, people scratch heads, takes baby steps forwards, then giant leap backwards as someone forgets to carry the 3(hundred). Drivetrain problems continue to halt them when they're having a good day costing them valuable points. Both drivers on par with each other, neither get a podium and will struggle to get into top 10, team finish 6th or maybe 7th, it'll be super tight. Ricciardo comes to the realisation that it's better to be number 2 in a good car than number 1 in a crap car and moves to Ferrari. Ocon has a good yer despite the cars problems, shows he's matured and lines himself up for a drive at Mercedes next year, but doesn't get it. Renault have 1 year in 2021 new regs to pull It out the bag or the whole team gets folded. Pretty dam wrong. A pretty solid season in am ultra competitive 'best of the rest'. Both drivers even get podiums, but Danny ric does leave, just for McLaren not Ferrari. Almost did though! Toro Rosso Alfa Romeo Alpha Centauri **** it, Toro Rosso: The team have a fantastic year scrapping it out with Renault and coming out on top for the majority. Gasly and Kvyat both scoring more often than not, Gasly constantly reminding Red Bull that he's a quality driver and punching above the cars, likely to be switched back with Albon. Kvyat, safe in the knowledge that there's not really anyone in the young driver programme that's threatening to be promoted, finally learns to relax and enjoy it and has some good results of his own. Team to finish 5th, at least 1 driver in top 10 if not 2 (Kvyat and Albon with his Red Bull points). Would not be surprised for both Kvyat and Albon to be retained for 2021, a stable platform for new regs. Kvyat may move to Renault. They did do pretty dam well, all things considered, even get a win! Sad for gasly not to get a rbr seat back, but shown quality driving still. Kvyat just not in it I don't think, only scores 1 point less than vettel though. Aqua Teen Hunger Force: With deals going on behind the scenes for 2021, there's not much money, development or impetus for this year. Development all but ends after Belgium updates, if not Spain with a minor uplift at Belgium. They'll have some good days at high speed tracks, but by and large they're at the back of the midfield/front of the rear end. Checo has some decent moments, Stroll has some terrible ones. No one really cares, it's all about 2021. Perez to continue next year in "Aston Martin", alongside Bottas. By this time even papa stroll has had enough of of the marionette and tells him to piss off to indy. They like crashes. Team finish 8th or 9th. Very wrong, but these predictions were made before the tracing point was revealed. Perez still pissing on stroll for 99% of the time(and hulk for 2 races). Stroll flukes a couple of podiums and a pole somehow, Perez gets his maiden win, first to win after being last at the end of first lap, should be rewarded with rbr drive. Hagen Haas: After the turmoil of last season, both car and drivers turn up this season. Steiner has the drivers balls in an incredibly tight grip, any in team fighting is to be clean or you're dead, team orders are to be followed INSTANTLY and to be fair thwy play ball, knowing if they continue on their destructive path that other teams aren't likely to want them should they be let go. The car is much better this year, more consistent, easier on the tyres, but definitely 7th. It will be REALLY close between them, force India and alfa at times, but they'll also be waiting to mop up the messes left by Renault explosions. The drivers behave themselves for the best part, but the car is a pig. Both drivers dropped for schumi jnr and Prince oily grope. AlFa romeo Kilo: They're not sure who they're meant to be. Are they Ferrari Jnr? Are they Haas 2.0? What are we even doing again? In case you're wondering this has taken far longer than it should have done and I'm loosing concentration, much like Kimi (why the **** is that being auto corrected to Limited?) wandering off for a Magnum. Having said that, Kimi will continue to show why, despite only having 1 championship to his name, he's one of the best of all time. When he can be arsed. He'll show again that Giovinazi just isn't cut it for the top, then retire at the end of the season. Latifi to come in. They'll fight with FI for 8th. Probably finish 9th though, concentrating far too much on helping Ferrari with next year's car. Grab 8th. Both drivers retained. Some classic Kimi throughout the season, but no magnums. Williams: DEAD. ****ING. LAST. They'll be much improved on last year's car, but they'll still be slower than everyone else on the grid. Until a Renault blows up. Both Russell and Latifi show great frit and determination to drag the car over the finish line, but if the team ends up with double digit points I'd be shocked. To the point of 5strokes at once. At the end of the season, everyone is in tears, as they know Williams is not coming back next year. They might sell the name and equipment to some consortium, but it won't BE Williams. Russell joins Mercedes, Latifi to Alfa. Williams is dead. Long live Williams. Russell deserves that Merc seat.
