You know Lewis is going to be nervous the whole time. Max just has to take him out before Lewis holds the point for fastest lap since Max has 9 wins to Lewis's 8 and would get the championship if neither finishes. I have to assume that's his strategy.
You could assume that... but that wouldn't be a strategy unique to Verstappen if it does present itself...
Look at their comments here on the 1990 title decider... does Max stand out?
Seems to me all 4 are agreeing it was fair play and are impressed by Senna's commitment to crashing Prost out.
I say arguably because I do think it is a better car, but I have begun to understand and respect Lewis’ talent more and more. I don’t like chalking up his success to just the car he drives. Lewis consistently outperforms Bottas who isn’t a terrible driver IMO. A good portion of his domination was because of a fantastic racecar, but his talent as a driver is undeniable.
I am still astonished that the Mercedes was able to perform at the level it did with a broken wing. I think everyone was given Toto’s reaction too I thought that was it was all over after he got that wing damage.
I completely agree with you on the letting him past point. He’s going wheel to wheel with a seven time world champ and he is expected to just roll over like that? Yeah no, I would have done the same thing if I was in Max’s position.
(I am a Max fan BTW)
Sorry Power Demon I shouldn't have quoted you, I wasn't disagreeing with you, I was adding on...
Im just trying to point out Max is a racer like all the others... I think you are the only one making that argument....
I know for a fact
Lewis, Leclerc, Riccardo or Ocon would have behaved identically given the circumstances... probably more of them but im sure those would.
Pushing people off the track (its
my corner /
my line mentality when "ahead") and playing with the DRS zones when letting a car pass are all fair games,
So is Lewis driving super slow on the re-start formation laps to overheat vertappen's car / cool off his softer tires....
Bottas slowing down Verstappen during the VSC to make a gap for the double pit stop.... all fair game... and I love it... just recognize they all do it.
In this case, Mercedes came out of 2021, again, with the faster car, always starts out as a "diva" but by the end its a rocket...
its not Verstappen's WDC to loose, its Lewis... all he needs to do is drive and look innocent and let Max look like a madman... just like Vettel back then lol
If the roles where reversed, you bet it would play out almost identically... they are both very similar, very hungry for success and very cunning.
Did you all see this?
The pit crews in both teams stopped pulling each others pneumatic lines in the pit box, making the pit entrance / exit tighter for them, depending on where Mercedes chooses the pit box.
(Pit box order is based on WCC result, where the winner, mercedes, chooses if they want the first or last pit box each race.)
edit: And it was Mercedes that stopped pulling the lines back first by the way.... They are the top team for a reason, they know when to turn it up to 11. That engine change in Brazil was so perfect.
I honestly expect Mercedes to have the faster car next year again, as if nothing happened. They are by far the cleverest bunch, the administration, the engineers, both design and the race engineers...
Them plus Lewis, that work so well together, the Lewis/Bono chemistry, etc... dont see that going away unless one of those key figures gets bored and quits.
Kinda like the power team of Schumacher, Todt and Brawn in the Ferrari glory days before the Italian strategy team took over.
edit2: but yeah, I think Max knows he doesn't have a car fast enough to compete with Lewis anymore. If I where Lewis, I would be worried, and I think he knows that too lol.
Watch this upcoming week all the press articles Mercedes are going to be pushing to set a precedent....
For Red Bull, most likely radio silence while they prepare their defense, as they would happily have their driver take the title by any means necessary, as is expected.