Every hotel, restaurant, road, casino, you name it, has view of the track. Too bad they spent the last 3 days covering every visible spot, including windows, with black sheets so that no one can see it unless you are sitting in a paid seat on the other side of the main strip. There are security guards every fifty feet that will actively stop you from trying to see the race from any overlook, window, or walkway. Restaurants overlooking the track without black coverings are charging $300 a seat (before food and drink), the grandstand tickets are $3,000. The entire experience in Vegas is so anti-viewer it is insane. I’ve got general admission for the race on Saturday, and it’s not possible to get to the podium ceremony from those seats.

Update: I’m in the stands now and it’s awesome :)

Yes, I know it’s extremely more easy to dunk on Sergio Perez right now, I’ve been extremely guilty of that. The last two seasons (2023 and 2024) have been quite honestly, beyond awful. But I think people are forgetting just how good Perez was in the midfield for almost a decade before joining Red Bull.

From his debut in 2011 with Sauber, it was clear Checo had talent beyond the normal pay driver. Who can forget his incredible drive to 2nd place in Malaysia 2012, almost beating Fernando Alonso in a vastly inferior car? Or his podiums that season in Canada and Monza? That year put him on the radar of the entire paddock and got him a seat at McLaren in 2013—a team that, unfortunately, was on the decline.

But after McLaren, he rebuilt his career at Force India/Racing Point, becoming the king of tire management. Perez consistently punched above his weight, dragging those midfield cars to results they had no business achieving. Baku 2016 was absolutely brilliant in my opinion.

But his victory in Sakhir 2020 was a masterclass in perseverance—falling to the back of the grid after an early collision and still winning the race. That win alone cemented his place as one of the most reliable and clever midfield drivers of the 21st century so far.

It’s sad to see how his time at Red Bull has overshadowed all of that.. But let’s not forget the Sergio Perez who kept the likes of Force India alive, paid the team members salaries when they went into administration, was renowned for saving tires that not many others could do (Portugal 2021) , and who delivered consistent results year after year when it mattered most.

It feels like people only remember the bad moments and have erased the years of brilliance he brought to F1’s midfield. Checo deserved his chances in a top team, even if in the end, it hasn’t worked out the way anyone hoped.

Whatever happens from here, I’ll always respect Sergio Perez for what he achieved before Red Bull. He was the midfield driver of the 2010s, and that’s a legacy worth remembering.

I couldn’t get a screenshot, but he had the slowest cooldown lap. He had almost no words for his team. He took his time on his lap, resting his hands on top of the wheel down the straights. Once in pit lane, he removed the steering wheel, and sat for a moment with his hands on his thighs, taking it all in. Lifting himself out of the car, he paused for a moment, and I think he was probably emotional.

I fear this was really the end of the honey badger. We’ll miss him!

Edit: just watch his interview.

After the recent controversy surrounding Max Verstappen's defensive driving moves on Lando Norris, I saw a lot of users mention Verstappen being the lead cause of rule changes and forcing the FIA to clarify rules in the past.

I thought it'd be fun to do a deep dive on what changes and clarifications had to be made solely because of him:

edit: added rule changes 11, 12 and 13, thanks to those who pointed them out!

edit: several people requested I make a similar list for Lewis Hamilton. I'll post it tomorrow.

1. Minimum Age Requirement for F1 Super Licence

Race: -

Incident: Max Verstappen was signed by Toro Rosso for the 2015 season at just 16 years old, making his F1 debut at 17 years and 166 days—the youngest driver in Formula 1 history.

Rule Change: The FIA introduced new Super Licence requirements effective from the 2016 season. Drivers must be at least 18 years old to be eligible, have accumulated at least 40 points over the previous three seasons in specified lower categories, and have completed a minimum number of kilometers in testing, along with holding a valid road driver's licence.

2. The "Verstappen Rule" – Moving Under Braking

Race: 2016 Japanese Grand Prix

Incident: Verstappen aggressively defended against Lewis Hamilton by moving under braking into the chicane, forcing Hamilton to take evasive action.

Rule Change: The FIA prohibited drivers from changing direction under braking in a way that could cause an avoidable collision. Drivers must not move unpredictably or change direction under braking when defending, and must leave at least one car's width between their own car and the edge of the track when defending.

3. Expansion of the "Verstappen Rule" – Dangerous Defensive Maneuvers

Race: 2016 Belgian Grand Prix

Incident: Verstappen made aggressive defensive moves against Kimi Räikkönen, including moving under braking and weaving on straights, leading to safety concerns.

Rule Change: The FIA expanded the rule to penalize any dangerous defensive maneuvers. Drivers are not allowed to make more than one change of direction to defend a position. Any movement that impedes another driver in a dangerous manner is prohibited, and stewards were given increased authority to penalize unsportsmanlike conduct.

4. Use of Alternate Lines and Track Limits

Race: 2017 United States Grand Prix

Incident: Verstappen overtook Kimi Räikkönen for third place on the final lap by going off-track and cutting inside the track limits at Turn 17.

Rule Clarification: The FIA provided clarifying definitions of track limits and enforced consistent penalties. The track is defined by the white lines; drivers must keep at least one wheel within these lines at all times. Overtaking or gaining a lasting advantage by leaving the track is prohibited. Stewards were instructed to apply penalties uniformly for track limit violations.

5. Driver Conduct and Physical Altercations

Race: 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix

Incident: After a collision with Esteban Ocon, Verstappen confronted and physically pushed Ocon multiple times in the FIA weigh-in area.

Rule Change: The FIA strengthened regulations against unsportsmanlike conduct off the track. Drivers must conduct themselves professionally and with respect. Physical altercations can result in penalties such as community service, fines, or suspension, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the sport's integrity.

6. Formation Lap Overtaking Clarification

Race: 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

Incident: Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton during the formation lap before the race start.

Rule Clarification: The FIA clarified rules regarding formation lap conduct. Drivers must maintain their grid positions during the formation lap unless a car is delayed leaving the grid. Overtaking is only permitted if a car is delayed and others cannot avoid passing it without unduly delaying the remainder of the field. Procedures were clarified to ensure all drivers understand acceptable behavior before the race start.

7. Clarification on Forcing a Driver Off-Track

Race: 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix

Incident: Verstappen defended his position by pushing Lewis Hamilton wide at Turn 4, causing both cars to leave the track.

Rule Clarification: The FIA issued clearer guidelines on overtaking and defending. If an overtaking car is significantly alongside, the defending driver must leave at least one car's width of space. Drivers must not deliberately force another driver off the track. Detailed criteria were provided for stewards to assess incidents consistently.

8. Technical Regulations on Rear Wings and Parc Fermé

Race: 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix

Incident: After qualifying, Verstappen touched and inspected Hamilton's rear wing in parc fermé conditions.

Rule Clarification: The FIA reinforced rules regarding parc fermé conditions. Drivers and team personnel are prohibited from touching or examining rival cars during parc fermé. Strict penalties, including fines and sporting penalties, can be applied for violations. Security measures were enhanced, with increased monitoring and enforcement.

9. Double Yellow Flag Compliance

Race: 2021 Qatar Grand Prix

Incident: Verstappen failed to sufficiently slow down for double-waved yellow flags during qualifying.

Rule Clarification: The FIA reinforced the importance of yellow flag compliance. Stricter penalties were introduced for Verstappen's failing to respect yellow flags.

10. Brake Testing and Sudden Deceleration

Race: 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Incident: Verstappen braked suddenly in front of Hamilton while attempting to let him pass, leading to a collision.

Rule Clarification: The FIA reinforced rules against dangerous driving behaviors. Sudden deceleration or "brake testing" that endangers other drivers is strictly prohibited. Procedures for safely yielding positions were clarified, including proper communication protocols between teams and race control. Stricter penalties were introduced to deter such actions.

11. Restrictions on Post-Race Celebrations and dangerous driving over the Finish Line

(edit - suggested by /u/SomewhereAlarmed9985)

Race: 2021 Styrian Grand Prix

Incident: Verstappen slowed down and performed burnouts or drifted over the finish line to celebrate his victory, which was deemed potentially dangerous.

Rule Clarification: The FIA reinforced regulations prohibiting dangerous driving after the chequered flag, including burnouts and drifting over the finish line. Drivers are required to proceed safely to parc fermé after finishing the race. Post-race celebrations must not endanger other drivers, marshals, or spectators.

12. Safety Car Restart Procedure Change

Race: 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Incident: Verstappen often drew alongside the car ahead during safety car restarts, notably during the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix where he pulled alongside Lewis Hamilton before the restart.

Rule Change: The FIA updated the safety car restart procedures: Drivers must remain in a single line without overlapping until the race resumes. Overtaking or drawing alongside another car before crossing the start/finish line after the safety car has pulled into the pits is prohibited. Drivers cannot gain an advantage by positioning themselves alongside the car ahead during a restart.

13. Clarification of Pitlane Exit Rules

(*edit- suggested by user /u/Buffythedragonslayer)

Race: 2023 Monaco Grand Prix

Incident: During the race, Max Verstappen appeared to cross the pit exit line when rejoining the track, leading to controversy over whether he violated the rules.

Rule Clarification: The FIA tweaked the pitlane exit rules to clarify that drivers must not cross any part of their car over the pit exit line when rejoining the track. The updated rule specifies that touching or crossing the line with any part of the car constitutes a violation.

It's interesting to note that aside from the Pitlane Exit rule in 2023, the last rule change or clarification directly attributed to Verstappen's actions was in 2021.

Zhou Guanyu has scored 4 times as many points as Perez in the last 4 races

Zhou's last 4 races: 8th, 13th, 15th, 15th: 4 Points

Perez's last 4 races: DNF, 10th, 11th, 17th: 1 Point

Absolutely incredible performance from Zhou whos also driving the worst car on the grid

Zhou to Red Bull 2025?

I do not understand how Danica is able to be on any broadcast. She provides nothing to the broadcast and is embarrassing herself.

For example, with 21:35 left in the session you hear “With DRS open, Danica” as in her being prompted to take us through Sainz’ lap.

The next 5 seconds is dead air, which she finally follows up with saying following line: “With a long run down here in turn 1….obviously…this is uhh…fast section here”

It took her 10 seconds after her pause to squeeze out that insightful analysis.

Thankfully they cut her off to end the misery.

Please Sky save us from her and her from herself.. cut her loose.

Seriously, unless we agree that Lewis is basically nowhere near his prime level, then why is Russell not getting any credit for what he’s doing.

Yet people act like he’s merely a top midfield driver, worse than the likes of Leclerc, Sainz, or Norris. But then people like to think Lewis will go on to suddenly be super competitive with supposedly a superior driver to George next year, Leclerc.

I think George is the most underrated driver on the grid right now because people do not like him. Lewis is a top 3 driver of all time at worst, so where does that put George talent wise?

Sure, people always go about “experimental setups” or “Lewis is just unmotivated”, but, I’m sorry, that’s just a cop-out. Then we can just argue endlessly that basically no driver is worse than another driver, since there could always be intangibles like that, “oh, he just doesn’t care about driving in midfield cars”. really?

I think George is at least Leclerc level. Leclerc got a lot more credit for beating Vettel in 2019, and Vettel is not close to Lewis in driving skill. So why the discrepancy? I think it’s just that people overlook George because they don’t like him on a personal level

All this talk about “Ferrari doesn’t deserve him” is getting tiring sometimes. Is he a very good driver who deserves to be in a top team? Of course.

But these people are acting like Ferrari didn’t appreciate him at all and just fired him for the first guy that wanted to drive for them. It’s Lewis Hamilton. I think Lewis and Max are the only 2 drivers on the grid that can get any team to fire one of their drivers immediately in order to sign them.

I get that Carlos felt betrayed because he was supposed to renew his contract but the only reason he was “fired out of nowhere” is because Lewis made one of the biggest moves in the sport’s history.

For Carlos to be a Ferrari driver for 4 years and have such good moments and wins with them is incredible and no one in Ferrari had any doubts that he’s been amazing at that team.

They all love him, they never made him feel like a second driver, they always let him race Charles and were happy for him when he won races, in his last year they gave him the same upgrades as Charles and never prioritized one of them, they let him test with Williams in Abu Dhabi, they gave him one of the best send offs I’ve seen, even tomorrow he’s going to Fiorano and both him and his dad are gonna do a final lap in the F1-75 around the factory.

Say what you want about Ferrari but I don’t think there’s another team on the grid that would do all of that. Ferrari treated him with all the respect and I see him coming back there in the future.

Lance Stroll gets a lot of stick for being a rich kid racing with daddy's money.

But I wonder if you too wouldn't do what Lawrence or Lance Stroll have done if you had the means and opportunity?

If you were a mega rich father, and could easily finance his racing career, why not do it? He's your son. And if you can afford to buy a team, why not do that?

If your family was ultra wealthy, and that's what you really wanted to do, why not use your advantage to achieve your dream?

A lot of the criticism is because Lance underperforms Alonso - someone generally recognized as one of the best drivers ever in F1 - even though a few years ago he did quite OK, and he has won quite serious junior championships like the FIA F3 championship, with Prema (naturally).

But his family has invested mightily in Aston Martin: invested in very serious partner drivers like Vettel and Alonso, invested in massive new infrastructure like wind tunnels, and relationships with top tier engine manufacturers, and now in Adrian Newey. They generally act like someone taking it very seriously.

I think most fans, if they were multi-billionaires like the Strolls, would invest that money in a heartbeat in themselves or their offspring, and perhaps the Stroll family have done way more than the minimum to get their child in a team. Would you?

Every message as McLaren desperately pleaded with Lando Norris to obey team orders:

Lap 47:

Tom Stallard, race engineer to Oscar Piastri (TS): “OK Oscar, Lando has pitted to cover Hamilton to make sure he covers Hamilton. We’ll manage that situation, best pace from you now. Best pace.

“Best pace. Don’t worry about Lando.”

Lap 48:

Will Joseph, race engineer to Lando Norris (WJ):

“OK Lando, Oscar has just pitted. He’ll likely come out just behind you. We’d likely to re-establish the order, at your convenience.”

Lap 49:

WJ: “Lando, still 21 laps after this one. You do have the current fastest lap, look after the tyres.”

Lap 51:

TS: OK Oscar, so, once you get to Lando, we’ll swap positions. We’ll swap position, but we want to avoid Lando having to give up a lot of race time.”

Lap 53:

WJ: “And Lando, radio check, please.

LN: “Yes, loud and clear.”

WJ: “OK, save the tyres at Turn 4 and Turn 11, please.”

Lap 56:

WJ: “We need to save more tyres please, and we do want to let Oscar through.”

LN: “Well you should have boxed him first then, surely no?”

WJ: “Doesn’t matter.”

LN: “I mean, it does. To me maybe.”

Lap 57:

WJ: “And Lando, we still think you’re using the tyres too much at Turns 4 and 11 and the rears at exit Turn 6 and Turn 9. Oscar is 3.5 [behind] – we know you’ll do the right thing.”

Lap 58:

WJ: “And Lando, Hiroshi is stressed about the tyres.”

Lap 59:

WJ: “Turn 4, Turn 11 – it’s going to get boring.”

Lap 61:

WJ: “OK Lando, 10 laps to go – we think both cars are using their tyres too much. Just remember every single Sunday morning meeting we’ve had.”

LN: “Yeah, well tell him to catch up please.”

Lap 64:

WJ: “Lando, he can’t catch you up. You’ve proved your point and it really doesn’t matter.”

LN: “He’s on much quicker tyres. I mean, I would have tried to undercut anyway. If I did, I would have got more.”

WJ: “Mate, we did the stop sequence in this order for the good of the team.”

WJ and LN talk over each other for a sentence – unintelligible.

WJ: “I’m trying to protect you mate, I promise, I’m trying to protect you.”

Lap 66:

WJ: “And Lando, there are five laps to go. The way to win a championship is not by yourself, it’s with the team. You’re going to need Oscar, and you’re going to need the team.”

Lap 67:

OP: “The longer we leave this, the riskier it gets.”

TS: “Understood, Oscar, we’re managing it.”

WJ: “A potential Safety Car now would make this very awkward. Please do it. Now.”

Lap 68: Norris slows down the main straight to release Piastri into the lead

LN: “Yeah, you don’t need to say anything.”

Lap 70: Chequered flag, Piastri leads McLaren 1-2 home for maiden F1 win

TS: “Well done, Oscar, well done. Chequered flag. Well done, buddy. Really good.”

OP: “Yep, thank you, everyone. Thank you very much. Thanks for the coordination. Sorry, I made the swap a little bit more painful than it needed to be. But thank you, I appreciate that. Well done, maximum points, and a really good weekend. Ha. First F1 win, thank you very much, everyone, thanks.”

LN: “Well done, good 1-2, a good load of points. Congrats to the team. Well deserved.”

WJ: “As we said this morning mate, many more opportunities.”

TS: “And you are also Driver of the Day!”

OP: “Ah, a nice little bonus, thank you.”

I think the phrase “Every dream needs a team” that they chose to go shifts the focus to Mercedes, instead of to Lewis, and makes the farewell feel like “we have to do it so that we don’t get cancelled” instead of “we’re doing it because we’re genuinely sad to see Lewis go.” I know Nico Rosberg said something similar today in FP3. Thoughts?

Christian Horner talking to Ted Kravitz on Sky just now. He said he hadn’t spoken to Checo about it yet, but that’s a pretty scathing assessment and makes it sound as if the team doesn’t think there was any sort of clutch issue, for example. So what was that start all about? Checo just not paying attention?

I know there was a sprint win or two in there, but in terms of actual races the two title contenders have won 2 Grand Prixs from a possible 9 since Spain (June 23). 

I can’t remember a title race like this before…it’s highly possible, albeit unlikely, that neither of them could win a race again this season. I’ve been watching since ’98 and this feels very unique.

I know the year Keke Rosberg won was similar, but that was an anomaly, and there were A LOT less races back then. 

Max looks likely to retain his title through consistent 2nd-5th place finishes. If he doesn’t win another race this year, that means he ends the season as champions despite not winning for 14 races in a row. That’s longer than most seasons prior to this century! 

Very weird, but oddly entertaining. 

I have to vent my frustration as someone who was sat in a freezing grandstand for 6 hours tonight, only to get kicked out right before FP2 started. I'm a 20+ year fan of Formula 1, I have been to races on 3 continents and grew up with the sport ingrained in me since childhood. I spent school time as a kid drawing versions of the race track that could run on the Strip. Seeing those cars tonight was suppose to be a dream come true. But instead F1 decides basically spit in Las Vegas' collective face instead.

Little known fact, Las Vegas is an extremely diverse city. We have a population from all over the globe, and strong pockets of F1 fandom. Lots of these hardcore fans, myself included, were there tonight. Why? Because the $200+fees Thursday-only ticket was the only ticket we could responsibly afford. That kind money gets you an entire weekend in Melbourne at Turn 1 for christ sake.

It's also bad enough that our "local" Vegas race has us watching at a worse time than half the season schedule, or that it's bone-chilling cold out in the dry desert air, or that the worst grandstand tickets for the weekend were literally more expensive than paddock passes at some EU races, or that they've brought an absolute transportation nightmare to the city for the past 12 months...

But despite everything, us local F1 fans, excited for this race were still there in force tonight. We waited 6 hours in the cold for literally any info on FP2. Many of those grand stands were still half-full at 1AM. We didn't get updates, the F1 presenters weren't acknowledging issues track side, nothing.

Just loud pop music blaring in our ears for 6 hours while we battled the cold and ate the mostly-cold and bad "complimentary food" and drank our $27 cocktails.

But whatever, F1 was here. We were all still so excited. The vibes were good. We didn't care that it's 1AM and we all had work in the morning. F1 is here, this is our one shot to see these cars, and then... they kicked us all out... AND HAD THE SESSION ANYWAY.

The workers were apologizing, insisting they would have stayed but their bosses wouldn't pay. The brought in the cops because people wanted to see the FP2 that they god damn paid for. People were getting threatened with trespassing.

Tonight, a massive group of real F1 fans, vintage jackets, gear, the works got slapped in the face. A group of people that were likely the last shred of good will remaining in Las Vegas. We were all so excited to see our heroes on track in our home town, and we all got treated like suckers. What a gut punch. I know there have been plenty of situations where F1 did fans dirty, but nothing like this, in my opinion.

We were all leaving the track, disappointed, being told the night's over... while hearing the cars start up. What a surreal thing to see so many passionate F1 fans filled with such disdain for a sport we're all suppose to love. I wanted to just be in the area on Saturday, to hear the cars have a race I can't afford to attend, just because I love this sport so much... but now I don't even feel like watching on TV.

And they made it clear, we're not getting refunds. Thanks F1, you clearly care about our city and the folks who live here /s

ps. i'm sleep drunk and running on pure frustration, this was a wall of text, but god damn it F1 why would you do us like this? so many new F1 fans i know in attendance tonight to, and i'm just so distraught that this is their first time attending

edit: to the people blaming unions and the city of Vegas... Vegas hosts bigger events that go later than this regularly. EDC gets 170k people a day for 3 days and doesn't end until the sun is up. y'all blaming our workforce for F1 being too incompetent to account for delays, overtime, or extra shifts, AFTER deciding 12AM sessions are a good idea, is insane. vegas can make any event happen smoothly, it's up to the organizers (in this race's case: f1/fom) to organize

Engineer : Esteban, we have to let Pierre through, please. Gap behind him two seconds to Hulkenberg.

Ocon : What's the reason?

Engineer : We need to try and attack Ricciardo.

Ocon : Yeah, forget it!

Engineer : Okay, that is a request. Got three laps to go.

Ocon : Are you giving the place back after or not?

Engineer : That's what I'm working on

Ocon : Okay, I let him by. Understood.

Engineer : Esteban, the cars are not swapping places. Push to the end, please.

Ocon : Yeah, amazing. Thank you, amazing. Thank you

Engieer : OK, radio is still on.

Ocon : OK, mate. Yeah, yeah, you're good. OK. Yeah, OK. No comments. Too nice. Too nice. OK, mate.

Engieer : OK, listen. We still came 10th. We've still got a point, OK? It's a long way to go yet. OK, I know, I know, I know. I know it's frustrating.

Ocon : I've done what I had to do, which is the most important, but you guys didn't do what you had to do. That's it.

Engineer :  What I'll say is we came P10 and we started right at the back with very little hope of getting anything out of this. And most of that is down to the fact that you drove very well and kept a cool head through difficult conditions. So you should be very pleased with yourself for that. And thank you for doing that as well

Ocon : Thank you. Yeah, happy to be working with you guys too, Dave and Josh. Very happy.

Ocon : Thanks for supporting. Thanks for supporting.

Engineer : Sorry mate, long way to go. Another 15 races, yeah.

Ricciardo was asked if there is announcement due tomorrow, or this week, and if he knows what it includes. Was also asked how he looks back at his career and if his mind is at peace.

Daniel Ricciardo replied he knows what's coming and that he looks back at his career very fondly, namely his 13 years in formula one, and that he never imagined he'd make it to formula one when he was in karts as a kid.

Daniel also discussed it further by saying he's completely at peace with himself knowing that he gave it all for his entire formula one career. Says he tried to be the best driver in the world every day of his career and that it didn't materialise but that it's fine because he gave it his all and his all was plenty.

For me, this pretty much confirms that Daniel is out. What do you think?

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has not taken executive decisions to force more consistent decisions by the stewards and has not addressed questions raised by George Russell, as the director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA), the trade union for Formula One drivers. He has failed his role and I really hope the drivers make a strong voice against his reelection in 2025. I feel every week FIA is embarrassing themselves more and more.

Sky F1 should just take the plunge, bin off Danica, bin off Naomi, get Bernie there for every race.

Her input is 100% better than DP & NS, I just don’t understand why they insist on having them both on.

Obviously we don’t know BC personal circumstances and she may not want the job full time 🤷‍♂️

I started watching F1 in 2004 and really wanted to find out a little more about the recent history of the sport, mainly about drivers. This took me a couple of years overall; I really like having background noise while working, so I would have old races on and take little notes on things that stood out. Safe to say there was a lot that made me think, I wanted to share it, and I could think of nowhere else to do so, so here it is. Hopefully this is appreciated - feel free to agree/disagree with any of this or ask anything I may not have covered etc...

• The level of driving talent throughout the field was so much worse in those days. It always made me laugh when I’d see people claim Latifi was a candidate for worst driver in F1 history. He was probably on par with someone like Aguri Suzuki, who was massively accident prone but had a noteworthy performance maybe once a year. Martin Brundle may be similar; very good for the era, but someone who struggled in qualifying like he did would probably have a much shorter shelf life in today's F1.
• The era immediately after Senna’s death is unquestionably the weakest since at least the early 80s, and most likely the weakest ever. Only Schumacher was the finished product. Hill was too error prone, Alesi too inconsistent, Villeneuve was both and the likes of Berger, Barrichello and Coulthard were lacking that last tenth or two. I don’t think you could say that for Lando, Charles or Piastri, nor for Ricciardo, Rosberg and Button in their primes.
• Michael Schumacher’s 1995 has to be the greatest single-season performance I can think of from a driver. After crashing at Imola, he went on a 13 race run where he won eight times, finished second once (Portugal), suffered a gearbox problem when leading by miles (Canada), got taken out while defending the lead (Britain), suffered mechanical failure while running second (Hungary) and got taken out while running second (Italy). This run included three of the best wins of his career at Spa, the Nurburgring and Aida, the latter one that really deserves more fanfare given I knew nothing about it before watching. If we consider Williams took 12 pole positions that year, Schumacher arguably wasn’t even driving the fastest car!
• Jacques Villeneuve is the most overrated driver I have ever seen. He was way off Hill in terms of pure pace in 96 but took advantage of Hill being awful at damage limitation. In ‘97 he was even worse at damage limitation than Damon the year prior. ‘98 saw some amazing individual drives, but there were eight occasions where he was either beaten by Frentzen, behind when one of them retired, or threw his car off the road. I would argue 2000 was his best, but even then it was hard to truly assess how good he was because his benchmark in the sister car was so bad. As soon as BAR put a competent driver in the second car, Villeneuve started to get shown up. He arguably looked weaker than Jarno Trulli compared to Panis.
• I couldn’t fathom how Montoya was so highly rated when he got walloped by Raikkonen in the same car. The Williams had to have been a rocketship. I now realise he probably was that good, but going to McLaren was awful for him. He was the antithesis of a Ron Dennis driver and just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong, though most of it was his own fault.
• Coulthard and Carlos Sainz Jr are basically the same driver, albeit Coulthard had better cars. They’d have phenomenal individual performances and somewhat lengthy purple patches where they looked like world beaters, and it was enough evidence to make you believe that Coulthard could really win the title, or Sainz could really become Ferrari’s #1 - then Leclerc/Hakkinen would remind everyone who’s boss.
• 2012 is still the greatest season ever, but 1999 and 2003 have to be right in the mix for sheer drama. There were so many flashpoints, narratives, underdog successes and what-ifs. 2000 also comes highly recommended for the sheer brilliance of the main protagonists.
• 1997 also comes highly recommended as one of the most competitive seasons of all time. There were no real classics, but there also wasn’t a single boring race. Williams had a rocketship for most of the year but Ferrari, McLaren and Benetton could win on any given weekend. Jordan and Sauber were also superb at tracks that suited their cars, while several midfield-or-lower teams were seriously boosted by Bridgestone being miles better than Goodyear. It couldn't possibly be understood by someone that hasn't seen it.
• The era puts into perspective how much MBS absolutely sucks. I couldn't stand Max in his latter years as FIA president but you could at least see he was fighting for the type of small team he himself used to be involved in. MBS is nothing more than a hyper-moralistic whinger.

EDIT: Alright, some people thought I should add more, so here goes...

• Hakkinen was great. How great? I think Alonso was more well-rounded than him. I’d take him over Vettel, who had all the right attributes but hit some notably low lows, and I’d also take him over Nico R because he had better racecraft. I didn’t include Mika above because I didn’t learn a whole lot new about him. People said he was great and he was indeed great.
• Another thing I thought well before this: Damon Hill was as lucky to win the world title as he was unlucky not to win multiple titles. I think he’d have walked the ‘97 championship if he hadn’t been fired. Senna’s death really opened the door for him, but he had already given a really good account of himself against Prost the prior year, which was most likely Damon’s best. Or was Prost maybe a bit past his best in ‘93?
• Hill 1995 = Vettel 2018. The main difference is that Vettel never recovered before he got fired.
• 2024 = 2001 on steroids
• There were two Eddie Irvines at Ferrari. One was the fighter we saw in races like Buenos Aires and Suzuka in ‘97, and for most of ‘99. The other would underperform by miles. Reportedly, Irvine had an excuse because he barely got to test until later into his time with the team, who relied on Michael to develop the car. However, the second guy cropped up at the worst possible moments later on, like Nurburgring 1998 where he led at the start and finished a minute behind, and the 1999 title decider where he was not far off being lapped.
• Frentzen had all the talent and none of the mentality. If he couldn’t be a big fish in a small pond, he was probably completely lost, and 1998 was the only exception. That said, he was as unlucky as he was bad in ‘97. Mechanical failures cost him potential wins in Argentina and Hungary, and he got screwed when the team put him on slicks at Monaco.
• Williams apparently rated Jean-Christophe Boullion highly and put him in at Sauber in ‘95 to assess Frentzen. If that’s genuinely why JCB got that drive, this was Williams’ biggest mistake in making the decision on Hill.
• For the most famous races I put time aside to watch. The one I had the most fun with was Hockenheim 2000. I knew what was going to happen and I still shed a tear at the finish. The race went completely bonkers after that guy ran onto the track and Barrichello had absolutely no business making that strategy work. Monaco 1996 was also amazing, a race full of heroes and zeroes. Nurburgring 1999 has to be the most WTF random race of all time, with Brazil 2003 being similar but losing some of the gloss because of the dumb tyre rule and the river making it into a survival lottery rather than a day of great driving
  
• Refuelling sucked. It had its moments, especially in 2003, but the sport is better off without it. However, I no longer hold the view that its reintroduction would make the sport completely unwatchable.

Sitting here, waiting for FP2 to start at 2am with many others and they just announced over the intercom that we have to leave. My first grand prix and not a cheap one. This is a colossal bummer. I'm not here to shit on the Vegas GP, I'd like for it to be successful, but us paying fans didn't do anything wrong and we're getting shafted hard now.

*UPDATE: (noon on Friday) Stub Hub sent me an email - Thank you for choosing StubHub.

We're writing to you regarding your Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix ticket purchase.

We are aware of what happened on Thursday, November 16, 2023. Don't worry, we have you covered! Once we've confirmed how the event organizers are going to handle the situation for ticketholders, we will communicate with you through email. You do not need to contact us.

Remember! You are covered by our Ticket Policy Guarantee.

We appreciate your patience and understanding.

Your StubHub Team

(We'll see if this amounts to anything, I have my doubts, but people obviously have been complaining enough to elicit them sending this out)

Probably doesn't matter as first gear in an F1 car will hit 80km/h with ease, but interesting that it's in the regulation, any idea why?

Exact wording:

9.9.2 Gear changing is restricted during the following periods: One gear change is permitted after the race or sprint session has started and before the car speed has reached 80km/h, provided every gear fitted to the car is capable of achieving at least 80km/h at 15,000rpm.

Gasly: 6th in Spain, 5th in Monaco, 8th in Canada, 10th in France, 7th in Austria, 4th at Silverstone, 14th in Germany, and 6th in Hungary. With the fastest lap in Monaco that gives him 50 points, an average finishing position of 7.5, and an average points per race of 6.25. Red Bull had the 3rd fastest car.

Albon: 10th in Russia, Retirement at the Eifel Grand Prix, 12th in Portugal, 15th at Imola, 7th in Turkey, 3rd in Bahrain, 6th in Sakhir, and 4th in Abu Dhabi. That’s 42 points, an average finishing position (in races finished so retirements don't count) of 8.14, and an average points per race of 5.25 (counting all races so races retired in do count in the math). Red Bull had the 2nd fastest car.

Pérez: 8th at Imola, Retirement in Monaco, Retirement in Canada, 8th in Spain, 7th in Austria, 17th at Silverstone, 7th in Hungary, and 7th in Belgium. With the fastest lap in Belgium that gives him 28 points, an average finishing position of 9 (in races finished so retirements don't count), and an average points per race of 3.5 (counting all races so races retired in do count in the math). Red Bull had the fastest car for 4/8 of those races and then we're 2nd to 3rd depending on the track.

If they were ranked according to the stats, it’d be this:

1: Gasly (7.5 and 6.25).

2: Albon (8.14 and 5.35).

3: Pérez (9 and 3.5).

I’ll let the people decide whether any of the 3 deserved/deserve to keep their seat and which one of them actually performed the best (especially when compared to Max Verstappen).

This Twitter post from [@jeppe_olesen] sums up what happened in the past 48h.

“The amount of clickbait and conjecture by the usual suspects on here over that last 48 hours has frankly been astounding. So just to address a few of the claims I've seen:

"Jos will miss Saudi because of the Horner situation!" - No. Jos has a race in Belgium over the weekend.

"Max is going to Mercedes!" - No. Toto just said it's not impossible. Just like Max going to Alpine or Haas isn't technically impossible.

"Ford has decided not to join F1!" - No. That was a fake. Motorsport never published any such story.

"Max will leave if Marko leaves!" - No. But he may have the option to, should it happen.

"Red Bull was going to fire Horner on February 2nd!" - Says Business F1. The same people who said Susie Wolff was passing confidential information to Toto.”

We are so gullible went it comes to stuff like. We need to start issuing our critical thinking skills or else we are doomed, not only for F1 but the real world as well…

I do enjoy the speculation, but have to take a chill pill before throwing allegations.

​

Hamilton's most dominant season in 2020 had him only win 64% of races. Before this current domination, one driver winning 64% of races was viewed as the worst it could possibly get in the modern era. Let's run through the years:

2014 and 2015: Lewis and Nico trading wins, (good battles at the very least) and Ricciardio getting 3 wins his first season at Red Bull and Vettel gets 3 wins his first year at Ferrari. Hamilton wins roughly 55% of races.

2016: Great title fight between Nico and Lewis that went down to Abu Dhabi. Max gets his first race win his first race in Red Bull, Daniel gets a win as well. Hamilton wins less than 50% of races and loses championship to Nico.

2017 and 2018: Title fight between Hamilton and Vettel. 5 different race winners each year. Hamilton wins less than 50% of races.

2019: Lewis and Valterri each get wins. Max gets 3 wins, Charles gets his first 2 wins. and Seb wins in Singapore. 5 different race winners. Again Lewis wins less than 50% of races.

2020: Lewis' most dominant season where he wins 64% of races. This is covid year so take it with a grain of salt. Max gets 2 wins, Pierre gets first win in Monza, Perez gets first win in Bahrain. Turkey was a fantastic race that did result in Lewis winning but was amazing up til the end.

​

I think it is pretty safe to say that last season's dominance is the worst the sport has been in atleast a decade. I understand this is part of F1 but it doesn't prevent my boredom. I think the reason it stings a bit more is because these regulation changes were marketed as a way of ensuring Mercedes level dominance never happened again, yet it made it even worse. Things like engine development being frozen, implementation of the cost cap, introducing a completely new philosophy of car and aero design that 3 years into the regulations everyone but Red Bull is still struggling to understand.

What are your thoughts?