Not as good a last week but some great midfield battles. What a nightmare for Ferrari though…
Stroll finished third in Baku a few years ago
This week’s podium ceremony was a lot less sad and pathetic…until the trophybots happened. So ridiculous.
Norris with another ridiculous final lap. May not have not been as amazing as last week, but moving up 2 places in the final lap was fantastic!
Norris is certainly getting noticed for all the right reasons. With a Mercedes engine in that car next year we may well see him at the pointy end of the race on a regular basis and if this is typical of his racing then I’m looking forward to it.
And full marks to McLaren and his team-mate for making a sensible and grown up decision to maximise team points. Ferrari will look at how Sainz handled that and be very happy with that pragmatic mindset, Sainz however, may be less enthusiastic about the choice he has made.
As for Mercedes. Hamilton seemed able to easily pull 2 or 3 tenths on Red Bull when he needed to on a track that is normally not condusive to the Merc and you’d have to think that such a gap is only going to be enhanced on the majority of other tracks during the seasonl.
Sainz’s tyres were clearly older and less effective than Norris’s and they would both have lost time battling each other. But considering Norris fought off a strong challenge from Sainz last week to go on to the podium I was surprised Sainz moved over so readily. It was the right thing to do but you don’t often see it. Kudos to him for that; it was the pragmatic calm-headed decision which is another impressive thing about Carlos.
But would Max or Lewis have done that? I doubt it.
Most likely he was told to move over by the team on the radio rather than doing it completely voluntarily. But still, good for him for doing so promptly, not all drivers in the past have been so accommodating. I think you could be right about a younger Lewis or Verstappen, I think the former has matured over the years, the latter maybe not yet. And Vettel not at all 
.
I just can’t see Lewis moving over for Bottas though in the same situation, regarding of how much maturing has been done.
Though I’m guessing Ferrari likes seeing this. Now hopefully Sainz and Leclerc can actually get along (yesterday’s crash was totally Leclerc’s fault).
Oh yes without doubt. But most drivers start doing the old “he needs to get closer to me then” argument for several laps before finally yielding.
Depends. If they are in midfield cars and trying to maximise points for the team then defintely, he would. In the midst of a live title challenge? Perhaps a different kettle of fish but Lewis will know exactly when trying to hold off Bottas becomes a pointless exercise (as it was for Sainz) and by trying to do so he will only harm himself.
Last race with the title on the line? all bets are off and he’d make that car as wide as humanly possible (plus I doubt Merc would issue any such orders in those circumstances)
Big rumor is Vettel to Racing Point next year, kicking Perez out of his seat.
(Does Perez land on his feet at Haas?)
No joy in this season for me, but it sure as hell beats that simulator bullshit. And, yeah, the trophy-bots were embarrassing.
Nice to see those F1 teams springing for the fancy face masks. They don’t do anything half-assed, do they?
And Racing Point begins its climb to the A list. I always knew that if Stroll and Perez could just do better in qualifying, they would actually have a serious shot in the races instead of being perpetual back-of-the-packers, and they have now proven this. And Alex Albon continues to shine…and Ferrari continues to fade.
Based on previous years, I already knew Hamilton clearly had this race in the bag. But it was everyone else who was a real wild card.
I didn’t follow this one too closely - does anyone know what was behind the apparent drop in pace for the McLarens?
Norris had a bad start and was stuck in a DRS train for the entire race. Sainz finished further up but it seems McLaren are only fourth or fifth (maybe sixth) best at power circuits. Doesn’t bode well for Silverstone.
That last race sucked!!!
I’d say it was wearing
I dunno, the last few laps were pretty exciting, to me.
Yes, but how much more would they have been if Verstappen hadn’t pitted. Oh well.
Red Bull were also concerned about Verstappen’s tyres - they were cut up too. So no guarantee he would have finished.