Formula 1 Drivers Championship 2021

[Midpack]

If you follow F1, you know what a crazy controversial season it’s been for both drivers - neither has been faultless. And you could not script a better finale than this weekends Abu Dhabi GP with the top two drivers in a dead heat after 21 races - so one final race for all the marbles! Hamilton is vying for an historic unprecedented 8th drivers WC. Verstappen, only 24 yo, is without a doubt the heir apparent, with who knows how many drivers WCs in his future. They are both incredibly talented and driven, but they’re quite different on and off the track. They respect each other, but they don’t like each other. Who will prevail?

 

[Time2]

Where can we watch?


EDIT,
I see ESPN.

 

[Car-Guy]

Watched them all... Go Verstappen


Much prefer F1 over the Indycar series since Jimmie seem to always come in last or very near it. He should have stayed with NASCAR.

 

[Midpack]

Watched them all... Go Verstappen


Much prefer F1 over the Indycar series since Jimmie seem to always come in last or very near it. He should have stayed with NASCAR.

+1. Been a fan of F1 since I was a kid. And made a very good friend about 20 years ago who spent his entire career in motorsports, mostly on F1 teams starting in the mid 70's. So I've learned so much more from him. And OMG the stories he can tell about life on the circuit...

 

[Animorph]

Hopefully Verstappen doesn't decide to just trash the both of them and win that way. It would also be nice if some random factor doesn't intervene.

 

[Koolau]

I haven't followed F1 for many years. I do occasionally watch the movie RUSH again. It's the fictionalized account of two actual drivers who epitomize the fierce rivalry and also demonstrates the danger of the sport. God speed to all the drivers who earn their living this way. YMMV

 

[eytonxav]

My interest in formula one started in the early 60s when I was into slot cars, and had a scratch built tube chassis BRM. That was back in the day of Jimmy Clark, Graham Hill and Jack Brabham. Also have fond memories of attending US Grand Prix when it was held at Watkins Glenn.

 

[GTFan]

There are multiple problems with F1:

- most races are uncompetitive, and after the first couple of laps are usually snoozers
- penalties play as big if not more a role than the racing itself, and a lot of them are just BS calls for normal racing incidents that you shake your head at
- there are only 2-3 teams at most every year that have any shot at a championship, and usually one team dominates (Mercedes for what, the last decade?)

Indycar racing is far superior to F1, and really the only thing F1 has going for it is the tech. I watch all the major series (NASCAR, Indy, F1, MotoGP) and F1 is by far the worst to watch for most races. I'm glad my Tivo has 1.5x playback speed because that's the only way I can get through a lot of them.

This year has been better because Mad Max was winning until Merc swapped engines at Brazil, and then Ham started dominating again. The only way Max wins the championship Sunday is if Ham has a problem or gets taken out. Hope Max can make it look good.

 

[Midpack]

I haven't followed F1 for many years. I do occasionally watch the movie RUSH again. It's the fictionalized account of two actual drivers who epitomize the fierce rivalry and also demonstrates the danger of the sport. God speed to all the drivers who earn their living this way. YMMV

A good buddy of mine was on an F1 team (Williams then Williams-Wolf) before, during and after the 1976 season - he knew Lauda and Hunt (teams were much smaller then) and he said the movie was dramatized (of course, Hollywood doesn't make documentaries) and the timeline wasn't quite right but otherwise it was reasonably accurate. But don't take his word for it...

It is a story that continues to inspire many, all the more so because of the 2013 BAFTA-winning movie Rush, directed by Ron Howard. A slick biographical sports drama, Rush was described as “80% accurate” by Lauda, notwithstanding some exaggeration and downplays. The movie was centered on the rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda.

https://www.theweek.in/news/enterta...on the Formula One World Championship in 1976.

 

[Midpack]

There are multiple problems with F1:

- most races are uncompetitive, and after the first couple of laps are usually snoozers
- penalties play as big if not more a role than the racing itself, and a lot of them are just BS calls for normal racing incidents that you shake your head at
- there are only 2-3 teams at most every year that have any shot at a championship, and usually one team dominates (Mercedes for what, the last decade?)

Indycar racing is far superior to F1, and really the only thing F1 has going for it is the tech. I watch all the major series (NASCAR, Indy, F1, MotoGP) and F1 is by far the worst to watch for most races. I'm glad my Tivo has 1.5x playback speed because that's the only way I can get through a lot of them.

This year has been better because Mad Max was winning until Merc swapped engines at Brazil, and then Ham started dominating again. The only way Max wins the championship Sunday is if Ham has a problem or gets taken out. Hope Max can make it look good.

You're most welcome to your preferences, and I don't have any need to criticize IndyCars, but FWIW:

• Ganassi or Penske have won all but one season from 2008-2021 - Andretti broke thru once 9 years ago...
• Honda and Chevy are the only engine-manufacturers who've won since 2004 and Damara is the only chassis manufacturer - the last 17 years!
• At least IndyCar isn't all ovals anymore, about 50/50. "After the first couple of laps" oval races "are usually snoozers." When IndyCar was all ovals, it was a crashing bore.
• And while penalties are a factor in F1 sometimes, to say they play "as big if not more a role than the racing itself" is a ridiculous exaggeration.

You like IndyCars and think F1 is boring. I like F1 and think IndyCars are boring. All good.

 

[GTFan]

[*]And while penalties are a factor in F1 sometimes, to say they play "as big if not more a role than the racing itself" is a ridiculous exaggeration.

Wasn't just my opinion, Mad Max himself said so.

https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/32797197/red-bull-max-verstappen-says-f1-more-penalties-racing

There's no way you can deny F1 has WAY too many ticky-tack penalties for what should be racing incidents (and are, here). Let them freaking race for cryin' out loud.

Look, I like the cars and the spectacle of F1. It's got a lot going for it, more than any other series and the fan turnout shows that. When the races are good they're as exciting as any race here (like Saudi last week), problem being that these are few and far between.
But the overwrought F1 management and dominance of Merc over the last decade is tiresome. At least RB is making a game of it now, but Ferrari has disappeared and that's a huge miss for the series.

 

[Midpack]

Wasn't just my opinion, Mad Max himself says so.

https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/32797197/red-bull-max-verstappen-says-f1-more-penalties-racing

An off the cuff blanket accusation made after one race on a controversial circuit. Glad you enjoy IndyCars.

 

[eytonxav]

Formula One is the epitome of motorsports IMO and requires the highest skilled drivers. I like Indy when they go off oval, but chasing around an oval is a total bore to me.

 

[Midpack]

So far so good after qualifying, Max and Lewis on the front row. Now for a clean race, let the best man win without significant controversy. It will be interesting to see how the tire strategy plays out with Max starting softs and Lewis on mediums.

 

[Car-Guy]

Not as exciting as most of the F1 races this year, except the last lap ... The field let Max and Lewis race... Without that late race crash the outcome would have been very different. But that is racing. Great finish and I'm happy with the results... (See post #3)

 

[GTFan]

The racing gods wanted Max to win, and I applaud that decision. No other way to describe the miracle that he got. Very happy to see the F1 stewards actually let them race it out at the end (for a change).

 

[Midpack]

Agreed. To me it was unfair in that without the Latifi crash/safety car, Lewis would clearly have won. The lead he'd protected would have seen him through. And allowing some lapped cars to advance at the last minute didn't help. But those are the rules, and were the roles reversed, I am sure Mercedes would have done the same as Red Bull, and Lewis would have passed Max and won. It's impossible to predict when fresher tires could trump track position, when leads evaporate under safety cars and pitting can be free. So congrats to Max.

OTOH, Max had won 9 races to Lewis' 8 in 2021 going into Abu Dhabi.

Next year could be a real brawl in F1.