Poll: 70th Anniversary Grand Prix 2020, Silverstone - Race 5/?

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Rate the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix out of ten


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Soldato
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I wonder if DAS was a contributor to the Mercedes' tyre wear issues? Haven't heard much more about it since the opening rounds.

As mentioned earlier in thread, it didn't look as if they were using it, so doubtful it has made any difference
 
Associate
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Definitely something going on with Vettel, you don't just magically become **** overnight. I doubt Ferrari are purposely crippling him, I also doubt that motivation is as much as issue, as you'd still expect him to be performing, but maybe 4 tenths off Leclerc if he was lacking motivation.

I wonder if the the way developed the car has just left him completely lost and unable to drive around it. Same as Red Bull when they lost the blown diffusers.

I do agree, I cannot believe Vettel is having a brain fart moment every race. Its' hard to put finger on, over driving, pressure, lack of encouragement/confidence from the team etc.
 
Soldato
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Definitely something going on with Vettel, you don't just magically become **** overnight. I doubt Ferrari are purposely crippling him, I also doubt that motivation is as much as issue, as you'd still expect him to be performing, but maybe 4 tenths off Leclerc if he was lacking motivation.

I wonder if the the way developed the car has just left him completely lost and unable to drive around it. Same as Red Bull when they lost the blown diffusers.

Well put yourself in his shoes. Your team have effectively sacked you, so why would you continue to try?

True, it could be argued he would be damaging his chances at looking appealing for another team to sign him. Unless, of course, the deal has already been done and he is doing what he can to help his new team by ensuring he hobbles Ferarri in the championship.

Its something that has crossed my mind given the unusual cliff edge in his performance.
 
Soldato
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I do agree, I cannot believe Vettel is having a brain fart moment every race. Its' hard to put finger on, over driving, pressure, lack of encouragement/confidence from the team etc.

I think it’s part the car is not working for him (maybe they’ve based in on LeClerc?) and part he’s just given up with it.
 
Soldato
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For one, these are 'competitive animals' I've played many different sports to varying levels, when I can't be bothered, or I'm hacked off with my team or teammates, I've still pulled out some individual genius (if I do say so myself). If he really didn't want to be there, and Ferrari didn't want him there, he'd be gone.
 
Man of Honour
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So Racing Point are expecting Perez to race this weekend. Hopefully he'll have at least one negative test before travelling to Spain. If he tests positive after travelling to Barcelona, Racing Point would desperately need a severe kick in the knackers.

I'm also assuming that Hulkenberg is on standby still, if not already heading to the track.
 
Soldato
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I think it’s part the car is not working for him (maybe they’ve based in on LeClerc?) and part he’s just given up with it.

I think this will be a large part of it. The car will be tweaked around the number one driver. So if leclerc doesn’t like a particular characteristic of the cars handling etc, it will be adjusted for him. So maybe this just isn’t to Vettel liking? There will probably also be a degree of checking out that has been done. Let’s be honest I very much doubt he’s putting in his best or do or die performances.
 
Caporegime
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Well put yourself in his shoes. Your team have effectively sacked you, so why would you continue to try?

This doesn't seem to be the mentality we've seen from other drivers in the past, but then Vettel seems to be mentally pretty fragile. His much vaunted disavowal of Sport Psychologists, perhaps?

Its something that has crossed my mind given the unusual cliff edge in his performance.

I'm not sure that Vettel really has gone over an unusual cliff edge; ever since his last championship his performance has been lacking. First he was outclassed by Dani Ric coming into the team where he was established champion, then he was mediocre at Ferrari with a performance characterised by mistakes when it mattered. It seems to me that he has had a long decline from the breathtaking form of 2013 to the dismal performance of today rather than simply falling off a cliff edge. What's different this year is that he no longer has the car under him to make up for that decline, and is up against the rapidly improving Leclerc, who is probably already the third best driver on the grid.
 
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Soldato
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I'm not sure that Vettel really has gone over an unusual cliff edge; ever since his last championship his performance has been lacking. First he was outclassed by Dani Ric coming into the team where he was established champion, then he was mediocre at Ferrari with a performance characterised by mistakes when it mattered. It seems to me that he has had a long decline from the breathtaking form of 2013 to the dismal performance of today rather than simply falling off a cliff edge. What's different this year is that he no longer has the car under him to make up for that decline, and is up the rapidly improving Leclerc, who is probably already the third best driver on the grid.
It's more than that. Last season Vettel and Leclerc were, to all intents and purposes, relatively close for most of the year. This season Vettel is a long way off Leclerc with a car that sometimes barely even looks derivable and shoddy build quality (loose pedals, grenading engine). When the Ferrari boss is coming on the radio to apologise to him after races (and he blanks him), it's obviously not as even (by accident or measure) as anyone would like to think.

Ignoring the issues with the car, it's fare to say his head isn't in it though. When you've won races in 10 of the 12 full seasons you've competed in it's probably fair to expect a drop in motivation when you're incapable of getting out of the top 10. Only Prost (11 out of 13), Hamilton (all 14 seasons) and Schumacher (all 15 in career part one) have better records and I think at least two of them would struggle for motivation at this stage of their career too in such a situation.

I wouldn't be surprised to see them part company before the end of the season. It might even trigger the Sainz/Ricciardo/Alonso switches early (after the Indy 500 in two weeks, bubbles permitting) but more likely there is a driver who's stock has increased recently... Nico Hulkenberg. It would be full 2020 if Hulkenberg gets a shot in such a great team in what might be their worst car in living memory (results wise thus far it looks even worse than the F92A) with little realistic chance of a podium.
 
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Caporegime
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I wouldn't be surprised to see them part company before the end of the season. It might even trigger the Sainz/Ricciardo/Alonso switches early (after the Indy 500 in two weeks, bubbles permitting) but more likely there is a driver who's stock has increased recently... Nico Hulkenberg.

I have been wondering whether this is on the cards myself. I think Alonso would love to get back in, and Renault want Ric out. The sticking point is McLaren. I'd like to see Vettel get some of his mojo back instead; regardless of what you think of him, a driver of his success doesn't deserve this kind of final season.

It would be full 2020 if Hulkenberg gets a shot in such a great team in what might be their worst car in living memory (results wise thus far it looks even worse than the F92A) with little realistic chance of a podium.

Living memory would technically include all of F1, wouldn't it? :D

I think you're exaggerating the badness of the Ferrari. Leclerc has got two podiums with it, and done so on genuine pace, and the only DNFs so far were off the back of the teammates driving into each other not mechanical failure. I think the F 14 T is about the level of difficulty. That car only manages two podiums al season with the great Alonso behind the wheel.
 
Man of Honour
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I was half thinking that triggering the driver swaps early might be a goer - especially if Ferrari were willing to pay enough to McLaren to get Sainz early - but why the hell would Sainz want to leave McLaren early to go and drive around in that Ferrari.... I think he might want to hang on as long as he can...

That said I suspect Alonso being available once the Indy 500 is run might be key - Renault are actually looking decently competitive in the midfield this year so he might fancy a few races; especially as we're going to be hitting tracks that either no-one has ever raced on (Mugello and Portimao) or that not that many current drivers will have raced F1 on (Nurburgring!)

The only real loser here is Sainz....
 
Soldato
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Living memory would technically include all of F1, wouldn't it? :D

"Recent" might have been a better choice, but "recent" is relative. I can't say I've seen a worse Ferrari personally. You're probably right about the F14 T and looking back further the 312T5 was plain bad (or rather not as flexible as the opposition regarding ground effect due to their engine) and they had a few below par seasons in the 60s, but that looks about it.

I think you're exaggerating the badness of the Ferrari. Leclerc has got two podiums with it, and done so on genuine pace, and the only DNFs so far were off the back of the teammates driving into each other not mechanical failure. I think the F 14 T is about the level of difficulty. That car only manages two podiums al season with the great Alonso behind the wheel.[/QUOTE]
Perhaps you're right, and it's looking better (for Leclerc) since the upgrades in Hungary. Time will tell I guess. However Leclerc has lucked into podiums to a degree rather than on genuine pace. He only got second in Austria due to some good strategy (for once), Hamilton's penalty, Albon being spun and Perez not pitting under the safety car, and in Silverstone only because of Bottas's puncture. Fantastic performance on Sunday though.
 
Soldato
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why the hell would Sainz want to leave McLaren early to go and drive around in that Ferrari.... I think he might want to hang on as long as he can...

Even an 'OMG how bad is he this year' Vettel is only 5 points behind Sainz.

Leclerc has finished 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 11th and a smash in that Ferrari.

Either Leclerc is a god or the Ferrari isn't actually all that bad.
 
Soldato
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I was half thinking that triggering the driver swaps early might be a goer - especially if Ferrari were willing to pay enough to McLaren to get Sainz early - but why the hell would Sainz want to leave McLaren early to go and drive around in that Ferrari.... I think he might want to hang on as long as he can...

[..]

The only real loser here is Sainz....
I think Sainz would be fairly willing to get into the Ferrari. For Leclerc it's faster than the McLarens, particularly on race pace. I don't think Sainz would jump at the chance mid-season, but I don't think he'd protest too hard, especially if pre-season testing next season is curtailed.

Of course, the last time a driver swapped to a Ferrari mid-season the replacement driver only made it out of Q1 once and finished 3rd last, 2nd last, 5th last, 11th, 10th and 3rd last, so maybe it is best to stick for now!

I suspect the driver missing out would be Vettel (with Perez continuing at Racing Point until the end of the season), and I think Vettel would be quite happy with a break given how his season has started!
 
Caporegime
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Perhaps you're right, and it's looking better (for Leclerc) since the upgrades in Hungary. Time will tell I guess. However Leclerc has lucked into podiums to a degree rather than on genuine pace. He only got second in Austria due to some good strategy (for once), Hamilton's penalty, Albon being spun and Perez not pitting under the safety car, and in Silverstone only because of Bottas's puncture. Fantastic performance on Sunday though.

Maybe genuine pace was the wrong choice of words, what I mean is that it wasn't down to a fluke. It wasn't that, say, a safety car at the right time handed it to him or whatever. Yes, it needed the luck of better cars failing or making bad strategy calls, but Leclerc was the quickest car that wasn't a Red Bull or Mercedes in Austria and in Silverstone. I think the Ferrari is probably the third best car this season in a close run thing with the Racing Point; although the Racing Point is clearly better on some tracks (see Hungary) so that will depend on the mixture of tracks favouring one or the other.
 
Caporegime
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Hulk in the ferrari would be my dream.

And if hulk v approached leclerc levels of speed it would really really look bad on vettel

Just think vettel needs a good car, he can't really overtake anymore and h@a generally lost form. It happens. Could be any reasons.

Very surprised he has a seat next year
 
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