Lewis Hamilton has taken provisional pole position for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
| Row 1 | 1. Lewis Hamilton 1’27.511 Mercedes | |
| 2. Valtteri Bottas 1’27.622 Mercedes | ||
| Row 2 | 3. Max Verstappen 1’27.653 Red Bull | |
| 4. Charles Leclerc 1’28.054 Ferrari | ||
| Row 3 | 5. Sergio Perez 1’28.123 Red Bull | |
| 6. Pierre Gasly 1’28.125 AlphaTauri | ||
| Row 4 | 7. Lando Norris 1’28.180 McLaren | |
| 8. Yuki Tsunoda 1’28.442 AlphaTauri | ||
| Row 5 | 9. Esteban Ocon 1’28.647 Alpine | |
| 10. Antonio Giovinazzi 1’28.754 Alfa Romeo | ||
| Row 6 | 11. Daniel Ricciardo 1’28.668 McLaren | |
| 12. Kimi Raikkonen 1’28.885 Alfa Romeo | ||
| Row 7 | 13. Fernando Alonso 1’28.920 Alpine | |
| 14. George Russell 1’29.054 Williams | ||
| Row 8 | 15. Carlos Sainz Jnr 1’53.652 Ferrari | |
| 16. Nicholas Latifi 1’29.177 Williams | ||
| Row 9 | 17. Sebastian Vettel 1’29.198 Aston Martin | |
| 18. Lance Stroll 1’29.368 Aston Martin | ||
| Row 10 | 19. Mick Schumacher 1’29.464 Haas | |
| 20. Nikita Mazepin 1’30.473 Haas |
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Tom
4th December 2021, 18:04
Max Ver-crashin is back
mystic one (@mysticus)
4th December 2021, 18:09
I suspect RB will be going to stewards 100% to get Ham penalized for one of the infringements as nothing else will make it easy for them from now on… Their only chance is they have to get ham penalized or hope that gearbox is safe
RandomMallard (@)
4th December 2021, 19:07
@mysticus I think that’ll be a struggle. They’ll need ‘substantial new evidence’ for that, and I doubt they’ll get that. The onboard for the yellows has already been considered, and is fairly conclusive in that he would have had no idea there were yellows shown. And it was made pretty clear that it was going to be the team’s responsibility to warn drivers of faster cars. Maybe Lewis could have been off the racing line a bit more but I think a reprimand/fine for him and a fine for Mercedes is the correct decision.
mystic one (@mysticus)
4th December 2021, 19:16
@randommallard
yeah was just a dig to stir some fans :) like the first comment. However, about the incident everyone were doing the same thing even until the qualifying finished. i dont know if u saw it the final corner in the q2 ending, it was disgusting… i dont know what the engineers are thinking sending all at the same time and drivers… noone is budging and not getting out of the way at all.
RandomMallard (@)
4th December 2021, 19:34
@mysticus Not trying to target you, or fans of certain drivers, because loads of people do it, but I do wish people wouldn’t. I won’t lie, I have done it a bit in the past but I am pretty ashamed of that now ngl and would like to think I’ve grown up a bit since then. It’s just unnecessary. All it does is provoke other fans, who’ll make a jibe back and just get into massive arguments. I’ve seen more conversations on Reddit that are more civilised than some of the ones here, and that’s saying something.
mystic one (@mysticus)
4th December 2021, 20:10
@randommallard
it is hard not to when the tension is this high, and as a Ham fan, i see so much said and done against him and his team by Red Bull and yet they are the ones the most loudest here about fairness/consistency etc… when it benefits them they are ok with it, when it doesnt suit, they shake the earth to find excuses :)
Dex
4th December 2021, 18:25
Max is a big crasher you’re saying? Okay…
DeanR (@deanr)
4th December 2021, 19:06
Bit childish. I mean at least come up with a witty name. I can get on board with witty jibes but Vercrashen?? Must do better.
Plossl (@)
4th December 2021, 19:57
As a Lewis fan you cannot knock a man for trying to hard and finding the limit, today it didn’t pay off, but hey, least he tried…
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
4th December 2021, 18:04
Wow. That’s the moment this championship swings on. How. Just how. That was the best lap we’ve ever seen, right until that terrible mistake. What drama. Sometimes Netflix doesn’t need to script.
Swifty (@theswift)
4th December 2021, 18:08
Best last we’ve ever seen. You need to complete the lap my friend.
TFLB (@tflb)
4th December 2021, 18:09
@theswift Indeed. I see some saying what a brilliant lap it was… no, it was a ruddy awful one, because he crashed.
Swifty (@theswift)
4th December 2021, 18:11
I’m not a VER fan as many likely know, that said, the pure balls the guy has – I respect that. He never gives up.
He had the car today though, he should have been P1.
TFLB (@tflb)
4th December 2021, 18:20
@theswift I’m in the same boat! Yes the car looked great, which makes the crash even more unnecessary.
Aapje (@aapje)
4th December 2021, 18:21
@tflb
The car was great because he drove so close to the limit. That was the only way to beat the Mercedes’, who could be more conservative.
dot_com (@dot_com)
4th December 2021, 18:25
I was honestly frightened watching that last lap of Max. He was completely on the limit.
RandomMallard (@)
4th December 2021, 18:24
@tflb It was a brilliant lap, until (as the original comment says) he crashed. In the same way Senna’s Monaco 1988 drive was an incredible drive (nearly a minute up or something), until he crashed.
DeanR (@deanr)
4th December 2021, 19:09
That’s not a brilliant lap though! He crashed! That’s a terrible lap. This is Max’s undoing! He doesn’t know when to ease off. It will cost him, it HAS cost him. He would be WDC by now had he shown a bit of discretion.
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
4th December 2021, 18:10
@theswift the word until still has the same meaning right?
DeanR (@deanr)
4th December 2021, 19:12
Yes… it was going very well up “until” he crashed. All of that action prior to the crash contributed to why he crashed. I mean… ok, I can see he absolutely went braces out on that lap, but it cost him, it cost him big time.
RandomMallard (@)
4th December 2021, 18:10
@hahostolze Agree. Would have probably been one of the all time great laps. And then all of a sudden it turns into what could be a critical moment for Max’s championship.
Netflix will be so disappointed Max isn’t taking part fully.
lexusreliability?
4th December 2021, 18:16
@hahostolze
Best lap we’ve ever seen?! Better than Senna in Monaco? Better than Singapore when Lewis was nearly knocked out of Q2? Better than Mansell at the British GP in 92? Better than Schumi in 2003 Austria when he had to recover heaps of lost time? You must be really young or on the contrary, just drinking too much of 33’s Red Bull ;)
Swifty (@theswift)
4th December 2021, 18:17
+1, BUT, new fans, short memories…
lexusreliability?
4th December 2021, 18:23
@theswift
Have to agree. I think it’s good to be having new fans, but now with the rise of the internet there is nothing stopping the youngsters from watching old races, old seasons and just educating themselves a little bit more.
Learon
4th December 2021, 18:34
That’s the best lap we’ve never seen…
DeanR (@deanr)
4th December 2021, 19:13
Hahaha +1
PMccarthy_is_a_legend (@pmccarthy_is_a_legend)
4th December 2021, 18:24
Verstappen is just tremendous. Once in a generation type of talent. He was on course to deliver one of the greatest qualifying laps I have ever seen in F1. And I have been watching F1 for 30 years.
In the last corner he just pushed that little bit too hard, a tremendous shame. Hopefully there is no gearbox damage and he gets Bottas at the start tomorrow.
We may still get a good race if that happens.
Here’s crossing fingers ….
Nigel
4th December 2021, 18:35
Sad thing is he didn’t need to push too hard in the final corner to take pole.
Raw speed is great, but raw speed tempered with thinking is even better.
Would have been one of the great laps.
DeanR (@deanr)
4th December 2021, 19:14
Too true!!
Plossl (@)
4th December 2021, 20:03
Cant remember which driver said it but ‘ Anyone can drive fast, but can you drive quick ‘
Mayrton
4th December 2021, 22:34
Oh we all know he can. We’ve seen enough. He’s 24 or 25. He will be fine.
Swifty (@theswift)
4th December 2021, 18:04
VER finds out what pushing too far really costs (some would say, karma). I feel number 8 coming.
Plossl (@)
4th December 2021, 18:04
And that’s why Sir Lewis is paid the Big Bucks….
Aapje (@aapje)
4th December 2021, 18:26
@f1-plossl
He had the better car, so he could drive more safely…
David BR (@david-br)
4th December 2021, 18:28
@aapje Sure, despite the Red Bull being just as fast round this track, Hamilton had the better car…
José Lopes da Silva
4th December 2021, 18:43
Red Bull told Perez to slow so that Mercedes could look faster.
Emma
4th December 2021, 19:00
Actually, looking at the two laps side by side, the Mercedes looked more of a handful all around the track. If Max had just eased off a tiny weeny bit in the last corner, he’d have taken pole by 2 tenths – that’s probably what the car was capable of today (in his hands).
David BR (@david-br)
4th December 2021, 19:02
That was my impression too Emma.
Mayrton
4th December 2021, 22:36
Same here
Aapje (@aapje)
4th December 2021, 19:21
@david-br
Max clearly had to ride much closer to the limit to equalize the performance. That means that the car is a bit slower.
Learon
4th December 2021, 21:36
Max drove over the limit of his car in that corner; nothing less, nothing more. It doesn’t tell anyone if Lewis’s car is faster or not.
Edvaldo
4th December 2021, 18:31
lol. so the car is to blame then, not max? is this it?
mystic one (@mysticus)
4th December 2021, 18:57
@Edvaldo
haha made my day. when lewis wins, it is because of his car, when he loose, he is a sore loser because he doesnt know how to drive, when he drives and wins next time, oh it is only the car.
max wins, pure talent! max loose, he didnt have the best car :) these guys always cracks me up
Plossl (@)
4th December 2021, 18:32
Thats not how it works… Max made a mistake that you might get away with on Iracing, but back in the real World…..
ian dearing
4th December 2021, 18:05
So how many minutes before RB protest Hamilton?
mystic one (@mysticus)
4th December 2021, 18:10
i think i saw whole RB team was running to Stewards’ room just now :)
DeanR (@deanr)
4th December 2021, 19:16
Awww bless
ian dearing
4th December 2021, 19:44
So obviously not watching Sky then?
TFLB (@tflb)
4th December 2021, 18:05
That was ludicrously ill-disciplined driving from Verstappen. Jamming the throttle on after his initial error could only have resulted in a crash. Shame, as I’d prefer him to win the title. Still, good to see Jos the thug unhappy, and I wonder what Horner is going to blame this time…
f12007v (@f1fan-2000)
4th December 2021, 18:09
When your car isnt as fast as your opponent u have to try everything to go faster.
bosyber (@bosyber)
4th December 2021, 18:17
@f1fan-2000, well it certainly looked like Verstappen was the faster one here, had he not locked up the wheel, he’d likely would have been well over 2tenth faster, and even with the lockup and a clean exit after he’d probably be in the ballpark for pole. Yeah, going all out is cool, when it works.
f12007v (@f1fan-2000)
4th December 2021, 18:34
Yes max with his over the limit driving brought him 2 tenths faster look where is perez.
William Stuart (@williamstuart)
5th December 2021, 13:36
Comparisons with Perez are irrelevant, he is extremely average, and a poor qualifier. The Red Bull was the more balanced and thus faster car in qualifying as you can see if you watch the onboards. Red Bull added downforce between Friday and Saturday to improve one lap pace and take track position in qualifying while Mercedes preferred the increased straight line speed.
Swifty (@theswift)
4th December 2021, 18:18
He as 0.4 seconds up, he had the car. Give over. He ruined his championship today. Nobody else.
Swifty (@theswift)
4th December 2021, 18:18
*he was 0.4 seconds up
lexusreliability?
4th December 2021, 18:18
@f1fan-2000
Except the Red Bull has been faster for 60% of the season. I can’t help but feel if Ricciardo was in that Red Bull he would be champion already given he beat Max twice (not by having the ultimate raw pace but just better race IQ).
DeanR (@deanr)
4th December 2021, 19:20
THAT is Max’s downfall. Discretion is the better part of valour!
He will realise this one day and when he does… he will be mighty hard to stop.
mystic one (@mysticus)
4th December 2021, 18:11
Horner is in Stewards’ room now
Plossl (@)
4th December 2021, 18:36
Uh Oh, looks like Facebook is leaking again…
mystic one (@mysticus)
4th December 2021, 18:59
sorry reported your reply instead of reply button :) yeah it is like reddit comments
Plossl (@)
4th December 2021, 20:09
Well that’s you on Santa’s botched pitstop list :-)
dot_com (@dot_com)
4th December 2021, 19:08
Shouldn’t you be somewhere else? Like PlanetF1?
glynh (@glynh)
4th December 2021, 18:07
This is an amazing track for qualifying. So nice to see no run off and drivers punished for mistakes.
That lap for Verstappen was brilliant to watch until that slight error. Great to watch the drivers on the edge.
Jere (@jerejj)
4th December 2021, 18:08
I can foresee a gearbox change, depending on hit impact, which would mean P8 on the grid.
Tommy C (@tommy-c)
4th December 2021, 18:08
Well that was dramatic! Max was pushing the absolute limit all through that lap. It’s a very fine line between precision and disaster here, much like Monaco.
TFLB (@tflb)
4th December 2021, 18:08
Was Kimi on a hot lap when Bottas blundered into him? If so that’ll probably be a penalty.
erikje
4th December 2021, 18:09
A mega lap by verstappen with a gruesome error on the last corner.
A pity to see the toxic reactions from the Lewis fans. But hey, sportsmanship is a rare item with those.
RJ
4th December 2021, 18:11
this. I watched a sensational qualifying. To see the unnecessary negativity in the very first posts was abit of a downer.
Broderick Harper (@banbrorace)
4th December 2021, 18:11
LOL!! Says the serial Hamilton knocker
erikje
4th December 2021, 18:22
The difference is I admire the lap Lewis did and the number of poles he collected. Its a whiner by nature so that does not help.
His fans are the big problem. They only seem to think their driver is great by putting other drivers down.
lexusreliability?
4th December 2021, 18:29
@erikje
The good thing about this website is, all the articles still have the comment history.
Please point me to any of Lewis’s poles and I will gladly dig up the link and see if you actually said anything positive. I don’t ever remember reading anything positive from you about Lewis, Mercedes or Toto Wolff.
Plossl (@)
4th December 2021, 18:37
I miss the pre-Silverstone days….
Emma
4th December 2021, 19:03
Irony is truly dead.
dot_com (@dot_com)
4th December 2021, 19:09
Wait… were you being ironic?
DeanR (@deanr)
4th December 2021, 19:23
NEVER have you complimented Lewis in the true sense! Never! You have grudgingly admitted he has some talent but you always have a sly dig afterwards. You reep what you sow my friend
Plossl (@)
4th December 2021, 18:14
Your not still flogging that dead Horse are ya…
bosyber (@bosyber)
4th December 2021, 18:18
It was a great lap, until that point, definitely. I’ll forget the rest of your sentence, because I can understand your pain. But just leave that stuff please.
Swifty (@theswift)
4th December 2021, 18:19
Coming from erikje, wow.
The fact is, it wasn’t even a lap.
Jim from US (@jimfromus)
4th December 2021, 18:09
Bottas will get a penalty. Hamilton and Verstappen, 1-2, at start.
Plossl (@)
4th December 2021, 18:09
Hats off to Leclerc to put that death trap in P4 maybe 3
Swifty (@theswift)
4th December 2021, 18:20
+1, LEC was stellar today.
dot_com (@dot_com)
4th December 2021, 19:10
Leclerc was great. It’s a shame for Sainz, he’s been running really well this weekend, too.
Miltiadis (@miltosgreekfan)
4th December 2021, 18:09
Significant mistakes by both the championship contenders in Q3, with the difference that Verstappen’s mistake is pretty costly at the end….
What’s even worse is that Bottas managed to be up there, starting second. Lap 1 tomorrow is gonna be really exciting
RandomMallard (@)
4th December 2021, 18:11
@miltosgreekfan I wouldn’t rule out a grid penalty for Bottas. Sounds like he was pretty clumsy (I only have the radio commentary so I haven’t seen the incident, but it sounded like he made a bit of an error).
Broderick Harper (@banbrorace)
4th December 2021, 18:14
Grid penalty for what?
RandomMallard (@)
4th December 2021, 18:17
@banbrorace Sounded like he had a pretty clumsy coming together with Raikkonen in Q2. I only have the radio commentary so I haven’t seen the incident but it sounded pretty silly from what they were saying
Miltiadis (@miltosgreekfan)
4th December 2021, 18:19
@randommallard This might be a possibility, i haven’t checked as well but from the replay’s it seemed like Kimi was on a flying lap.
dot_com (@dot_com)
4th December 2021, 19:12
It looked as though Bottas was pottering along in the middle of the track as Kimi was coming through on a flyer. Kimi tried to avoid him but they still made contact. It could have been a massive accident. Traffic is a nightmare at this track.
Miltiadis (@miltosgreekfan)
4th December 2021, 19:40
@dot_com Actually both were on an outlap
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QTwAQa4LX4
dot_com (@dot_com)
4th December 2021, 20:38
Didn’t realize that, thanks. Kimi looked a lot faster.
JackySteeg (@jackysteeg)
4th December 2021, 18:10
So close to being Max’s lap of the gods. Truly amazing to watch until it all went wrong.
mystic one (@mysticus)
4th December 2021, 18:13
it almost seemed like Lewis’ Singapore mega lap when no one thought it was possible from a mercedes.
RandomMallard (@)
4th December 2021, 18:14
@mysticus Was thinking the exact same thing.
On the same note @jackysteeg have you seen Chaz Mostert’s pole lap for the Bathurst 1000? An incredible piece of driving over 1 lap
bosyber (@bosyber)
4th December 2021, 18:19
@mysticus, yeah, it was quite like that indeed, well, almost.
mystic one (@mysticus)
4th December 2021, 18:23
@randommallard
Bathurst is a hell of a circuit, but i didnt watch it earlier only now managed to pick up highlights… yeah those corners and elevation changes is nerve breaking really.
RandomMallard (@)
4th December 2021, 18:28
@mysticus This weekend has made me think, what’s dangerous about Bathurst that isn’t dangerous about Jeddah? Fast, narrow blind corners with no runoff? That was allowed here. Maybe some of the fencing would need a bit of work, and I doubt it would suit F1 brilliantly (although neither does Albert Park, at least before the changes), but I’d love to see them give it a go.
I suppose I can dream
mystic one (@mysticus)
4th December 2021, 18:35
@randommallard
I cant imagine F1 in Bathurst :) it would be bumper cars or motocross rally…
yeah Jeddah for whatever reason it seems way too dangerous, almost like Singapore but Singapore is slower twisty, here is extremely fast n twisty… i suspect there will be at least 2 SC periods that curb where charles flight and max was riding it the whole team and did a jump as well seems way out of place (due to danger as the run off is too small and that concrete?wall? mean it is asking a very nasty shunt waiting to happen!)
JackySteeg (@jackysteeg)
5th December 2021, 5:50
@randommallard oh yes. It’s the reason I had the phrase “lap of the gods” bouncing around my head!
David BR (@david-br)
4th December 2021, 18:19
@jackysteeg You get nothing for overdriving. Knowing the limit under maximum pressure is the difference between the good and the great. Max failed this one.
mystic one (@mysticus)
4th December 2021, 19:23
@david-br
max is racing a ghost! he doesnt know when to stop and when to put pedal to metal, he always over does it and mostly mindlessly for no reason other than his ego
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LSAaVq4Dsw
Ben
4th December 2021, 18:10
Max can still win this tomorrow. His pace on the hard and medium tyres is incredible. Starting P3 isn’t bad, as its right at the front and it’ll be easy for Mercedes to tri
Themselves up. Max will easily beat Bottas and most likely Hamilton on an under/overcut.
Still a bit of a silly mistake from him, the lap had gone after the lockup. The impact didn’t seem big enough to damage a gearbox so he’ll be P3.
RandomMallard (@)
4th December 2021, 18:13
His pace on the harder tyres does indeed seem to be very good, although with the general trends seen throughout the season (Merc performing better the harder the tyres get) I do wonder if the Silver Arrows are hiding anything. And I wouldn’t rule out a grid penalty for Bottas yet
Broderick Harper (@banbrorace)
4th December 2021, 18:13
I can see the track rubbering in, actually favouring the Mercs, who when they hook it up correctly look faster.
Sumedh
4th December 2021, 18:11
This season just keeps giving. What a session.
Did Mercedes really didn’t refuel through Q3? So Hamilton did 2 pairs of 2 laps each? And he finished the session with time left on the clock? What a strange strategy
mystic one (@mysticus)
4th December 2021, 18:14
May explain his Q2 lap also the reason why Max was asking for a tow, they have sensed it i think maybe too late
bosyber (@bosyber)
4th December 2021, 18:21
Sumedh I suppose with how much trouble Mercedes seemed to have getting those tyres warmed up putting extra fuel in was not as big as a negative as it would be otherwise, and going a bit early may have been in anticipation of yellow flags or so (think the Q1 stuff perhaps, and imagine if he’d have been behind Verstappen right there, for example).
Patrick (@anunaki)
4th December 2021, 18:17
Too bad of the mistake, you could see how hard Max pushes that redbull to beat the Mercs. Over the limit unfortunately.
But he is quick, so let’s see tomorrow.
David BR (@david-br)
4th December 2021, 18:18
Verstappen finally cracked under pressure.
Patrick (@anunaki)
4th December 2021, 18:20
Maybe, or he made a mistake because that sometimes happens
David BR (@david-br)
4th December 2021, 18:22
@anunaki Sure he made a mistake.
bosyber (@bosyber)
4th December 2021, 18:22
Maybe a bit of both, but yeah, from what all the drivers were saying and from what we saw you need to keep concentrating through the lap so a mistake is easily made, and with that speed, very little time to fix it.
David BR (@david-br)
4th December 2021, 18:35
@bosyber He almost lost it at the start of the lap too. What I’m saying is that there isn’t really any justifiable excuse for pushing too hard, it’s about the skill needed to drive to the limit even under extreme pressure, not beyond. The whole lap was slightly out of control and he just lucked out by the end, perhaps compounding his trouble in frustration.
bosyber (@bosyber)
4th December 2021, 19:10
Yeah, I see what you are saying. Had he pulled it off, it would have been like Hamilton in that Singapore lap, but, he didn’t.Bryan Young (on twitter): I’ve just lost count of the ‘best lap there ever was ..’ that ended early and in the wall #f1 indeed.
mystic one (@mysticus)
4th December 2021, 19:10
@david-br when he started his lap, i thought he was gonna crash this corner or the next, he was testing limits of physics really… and final corner he locked up big time but instead of settling the car first, he put the pedal to the metal/walls! He should have eased at the final corner rather than risk it all… unfortunately max has no half measures, all in or no go, he doesnt know middle ground. I suspect a few people will have nasty incidents in at the corner where charles took a flight side ways, and max did some high flying too… too much stress to the car will not end well. At some point, commentators were jokingly saying lewis was taking it easy (conservatively) through the corners. he is reaping the fruits of it now. max is max, when you think he is maturing and being smart he does a max thing
David BR (@david-br)
4th December 2021, 19:14
@bosyber But that Singapore lap was a thing of beauty, never out of control, just perfection. In fact Verstappen had moments in P3 and qualifying where his driving was fantastic too and, I think, if he’d put that altogether and stayed calm he’d have won poll deservedly. But the pressure got too much today. There’s still tomorrow and the next race though, it’s not over if he readjusts well.
David BR (@david-br)
4th December 2021, 19:23
@mysticus I only saw the final runs on replay 15 minutes later, already knowing what had happened. So I thought the moment he’d crashed was at the beginning, precisely because it looked for a moment like he’d made contact… then I realized it came later, but by then it was clear the whole lap was far too out there, on the edge. Sure he could have got away with it. But I think if he’d driven to his usual limit, not beyond, he’d have made poll anyway. The Red Bull looks slightly faster on the softs (and the Mercedes very good on the hard tyres).
hyoko
4th December 2021, 18:18
Tomorrow is the perfect moment for Valtteri’s retaliation with a divebomb from P2. I predict a huge crash between both Mercs at turn 1 with Max and Charles barely avoiding involvement
lexusreliability?
4th December 2021, 18:32
Thanks for the laugh.
Jim from US (@jimfromus)
4th December 2021, 18:38
Exactly because Max is always patient at the start of races and will be holding back going in to the first 2 turns.
Jazz (@jazz)
4th December 2021, 18:18
I just saw Johnathan Wheatley wheeling Alexander Albon through the pit garage on a sack barrow….
DeanR (@deanr)
4th December 2021, 19:47
🤣 +1
Emma
4th December 2021, 18:18
Lots of anti-Max people will no doubt be crowing about him choking. I see it differently – I saw an utterly committed driver giving it all he had and almost reaping the reward. Very thin line between hero and zero on this track. That drive reminded me of some of Senna’s onboards. Such bravery…
Swifty (@theswift)
4th December 2021, 18:21
I must agree – utter courage. Sadly it didn’t pay dividends today. There’s also a balance, risk vs reward.
David BR (@david-br)
4th December 2021, 18:22
I saw someone learning the hard way just how much you need to compete at the front. He can do it but too many of his fans have belittled Hamilton when this kind of pressure situation is precisely were Lewis has shown his worth.
erikje
4th December 2021, 18:25
Max is still a hype.. I know your story by now :)
David BR (@david-br)
4th December 2021, 18:32
No I think he’s the real thing. But I don’t think he’s come under real championship pressure until this weekend. That’s all. Hamilton messed up his first championship bid (first season). Max can still win this. However I think it was a case of the pressure getting to him. It is that fine limit between pushing to the maximum and beyond. He almost clipped the wall at the start of his final run, so it wasn’t one corner where he overdrove.
Emma
4th December 2021, 19:07
If it had been Lewis crashing on his last Q3 lap today @david-br, I don’t even want to imagine what some people here would be saying…
David BR (@david-br)
4th December 2021, 19:18
‘Bottled it’ for sure. I’m kind of relieved Verstappen finally showed the pressure does get to him. It gives a bit more of a human dimension. The red warning light was there when he asked Red Bull for a tow after the first Q3 run, even when he was 3 tenths up on the Mercedes. It was a huh?? moment, why’s he asking for a tow when he’s got poll in reach if he stayed calm and focused?
TFLB (@tflb)
4th December 2021, 18:31
I think the issue I have with it is not the initial mistake – the lock-up – but rather the gunning of the throttle, that was only ever going to make the back slide round and hit the wall. Smacked of ill-discipline. Making a mistake that ruins your lap is one thing, and forgivable. Crashing after the time damage is done and potentially giving yourself a gearbox penalty is another thing entirely.
bartvander (@bartvander)
4th December 2021, 19:12
Agreed. So cool to see.
Yes he made a mistake. But playing it safe is not going to beat the Mercs. For years he is giving absolutely everything to attack the them. Playing it safe would probably also ended in 3rd place. This guy is something else.
William Stuart (@williamstuart)
5th December 2021, 13:43
Seriously? Playing it safe is exactly what would’ve beaten the Mercs today – he had 3 tenths in hand. That Red Bull fired up the softs due to the downforce they added overnight, the Mercedes looked slower on the softs than the harder compounds.
dot_com (@dot_com)
4th December 2021, 19:15
He was just so quick on that lap. It was crazy how much faster he looked than everyone else. I kept thinking that something would have to eventually give… and it did.
DeanR (@deanr)
4th December 2021, 19:53
It WAS a really fast, on the edge lap. Could that relentless pushing have affected his tyres, brakes? Likely. If Max just calms down a bit he will be unstoppable. It reminds me alot of Lewis’ early career. It was all or nothing for him too. He learned. I’m not so sure Max will?? I hope he does achieve his potential though.
Broderick Harper (@banbrorace)
4th December 2021, 21:13
This is something I’ve been saying but the Max obsessives / Hamilton haters, seem to think that this is dissing Verstappen.
Let’s face it Max still has an attitude to racing that Hamilton left after that troubling 2011 season. What happened today has been on the horizon all season – if you go close to the edge then eventually you’ll come a cropper.
JohnH (@johnrkh)
4th December 2021, 18:23
I don’t think this track is particularly good, blind corners no run off huge potential for incidents. It looks as if yellow flags and safety cars could determine the outcome.
Swifty (@theswift)
4th December 2021, 18:25
VER + HAM fist bumping after the race is a lovely sight to see. Loving this battle.
RandomMallard (@)
4th December 2021, 18:41
@theswift I’m assuming that meant quali not the race. But yeah it actually doesn’t seem like there’s too much animosity between the two drivers really, which I find quite surprising. Obviously you’re always going to have your heat of the moment swearing and arguments on the radio, but it doesn’t seem too sour off the track when everyone’s calmed down a bit. Now if both teams principals could stop acting like 5 year olds…
Swifty (@theswift)
4th December 2021, 18:45
@randommallard, indeed, after qualifying… :-)
DaveW (@dmw)
5th December 2021, 1:24
They are letting down 500 people on Reddit who envision a punch up after every session.
Broderick Harper (@banbrorace)
4th December 2021, 18:27
LOL!! Horner’s considering appealing the yellow flag decision as it seems a “little inconsistent” compared to two weeks ago.
Of course the incidents were identical weren’t they??!!
Gigantor (@kbdavies)
4th December 2021, 18:36
If anyone is still unsure of the difference between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, they should watch Q3 of this qualifying session.
Max choked under pressure whilst 2/10ths up on his rival, and a guaranteed pole position. The look on his engineers and Christian Horner’s face says it all.
He has the makings of being a absolutely great driver, but he STILL isn’t quite there yet.
RandomMallard (@)
4th December 2021, 18:50
@kbdavies I think it’s a bigger reflection on how crucial experience is in a title fight. I’m not on about overall driving experience, because Max is in his 7th season now, but title battle experience. Almost every driver makes mistakes in their first title battle or two. Think Vettel/Webber in Turkey, or Hamilton in China or Europe 2007. Hakkinen’s title winning seasons weren’t flawless either, and nor were Senna’s (Monaco 1988 for example).
What’s incredible about Lewis is how, for want of a better word, calculated (in a good way) he is. He can manage things very well, which is something I think he struggled with a bit earlier on in his career. Reminds me very much of Prost in that sense.
f12007v (@f1fan-2000)
4th December 2021, 19:07
Yeah calculated like what angle to clip a red bulls rear tyres in silverstone
DeanR (@deanr)
4th December 2021, 19:55
Hehehe let it go man! Let it GO!
Broderick Harper (@banbrorace)
4th December 2021, 21:17
@deanr
It’s interesting that Silverstone is all you’ve got. Hardly a slam dunk Hamilton 100% of the blame was it? Virtually no-one in the paddock, believed a penalty was justified
And there were two important fact;
1) Verstappen was officially deemed to be partly at fault
2) A 33 point lead for Max, was unnecessarily at least halved
DeanR (@deanr)
5th December 2021, 6:36
? I assume you meant to reply to that other bloke?
macaque (@macaque)
5th December 2021, 5:45
On the other hand, Lewis also made mistakes this year. If he loses the championship one could always say “if it wasn’t for Baku…”
macaque (@macaque)
5th December 2021, 5:46
And that time he didn’t come in for a tyre change.
Dom (@3dom)
4th December 2021, 18:43
What a lap that was until the final corner! It really feels like someone has been writing this season. What a rollercoaster! Can’t take your eyes off it for a second. Heart rates sky high!
Joe
4th December 2021, 18:46
That was gonna be a great lap from Max, unbelievable talent. What a drive. Deserves respect. I am a Ham + Merc fan, and Max and RB are worthy competitors deserving respect, may be not Horner. Here is for a great race tomorrow.
By the way, Giovinazzi has done an incredible job in P10, beating a Ferrari.
macaque (@macaque)
4th December 2021, 19:37
I’m sure it’s been mentioned before, but why does the race start at half past? Is it the optimal local time, for it to start after sunset, but not finish too late at night?