planetf1.com

Asphalt_World wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 2:49 pm

And although no solution is perfect, Lewis going off, taking ages to get out of the gravel, doing nearly an entire lap with a broken wing, pitting to change the wing and being a lap down, now probably finishing in second, is rather silly for such a high profile sport.

Yet Jenson Button's win in Canada 2011 is viewed as his greatest win, go figure.

Asphalt_World wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:11 pm

JN23 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:11 pm

Asphalt_World wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:10 pm

Good drive by Max, but he was so close to spinning before the restart. A few degrees more and he would have blown it!

When that happened, he was partly on the grass I think. Could Leclerc have legitimately passed him and kept the lead?

I doubt it.

Thanks.

Asphalt_World wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 2:56 pm

Well, if there was ever a brilliant example of why DRS is giving too much advantage, that was it. Never got close when both were using it, passed well before the corner when Leclerc didn't have it.

Leclerc had DRS when behind Norris.

pokerman wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:13 pm

Asphalt_World wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 2:56 pm

Well, if there was ever a brilliant example of why DRS is giving too much advantage, that was it. Never got close when both were using it, passed well before the corner when Leclerc didn't have it.

Leclerc had DRS when behind Norris.

That's my point. Leclerc and Lewis both had it and Lewis couldn't get past him. On the first lap Charles didn't have it and Lewis did, Lewis was well passed before the braking point for the next corner.

Hamilton has just taken it to new levels, normally people only get salty when he wins, he needs penalising, the SC rule stinks, DRS stinks, DRS has a habit of coming up more when used by Hamilton.

A.J. wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 2:58 pm

HAM reversed on the track - isn't that an automatic penalty? Can someone with more knowledge of the rules clarify?

It's only a disqualification if you reverse in the pit lane. You can reverse on the track as long as it's safe to do so to get you out trouble. As lewis did.

Asphalt_World wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:17 pm

pokerman wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:13 pm

Asphalt_World wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 2:56 pm

Well, if there was ever a brilliant example of why DRS is giving too much advantage, that was it. Never got close when both were using it, passed well before the corner when Leclerc didn't have it.

Leclerc had DRS when behind Norris.

That's my point. Leclerc and Lewis both had it and Lewis couldn't get past him. On the first lap Charles didn't have it and Lewis did, Lewis was well passed before the braking point for the next corner.

Why didn't Leclerc get past Norris when he had DRS?

Anyway in summary great recovery for Hamilton and great podium for Norris, deserved win for Max.

pokerman wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:20 pm

Asphalt_World wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:17 pm

pokerman wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:13 pm

Asphalt_World wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 2:56 pm

Well, if there was ever a brilliant example of why DRS is giving too much advantage, that was it. Never got close when both were using it, passed well before the corner when Leclerc didn't have it.

Leclerc had DRS when behind Norris.

That's my point. Leclerc and Lewis both had it and Lewis couldn't get past him. On the first lap Charles didn't have it and Lewis did, Lewis was well passed before the braking point for the next corner.

Why didn't Leclerc get past Norris when he had DRS?

Think that Macca is pretty decent in a straight line. Took Hamilton a few laps to make DRS stick on Norris.

pokerman wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:20 pm

Asphalt_World wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:17 pm

pokerman wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:13 pm

Asphalt_World wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 2:56 pm

Well, if there was ever a brilliant example of why DRS is giving too much advantage, that was it. Never got close when both were using it, passed well before the corner when Leclerc didn't have it.

Leclerc had DRS when behind Norris.

That's my point. Leclerc and Lewis both had it and Lewis couldn't get past him. On the first lap Charles didn't have it and Lewis did, Lewis was well passed before the braking point for the next corner.

Why didn't Leclerc get past Norris when he had DRS?

You do know the Mercedes is far superior to the Ferrari and McLaren whereas the Ferrari is very close to McLaren? But then Lewis is God etc.

pokerman wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:20 pm

Hamilton has just taken it to new levels, normally people only get salty when he wins, he needs penalising, the SC rule stinks, DRS stinks, DRS has a habit of coming up more when used by Hamilton.

We all bow down to Lewis, don't panic.

F1Tyrant wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 2:56 pm

Hamilton is crazy lucky.

It’s unbelievable the amount of good fortune he has had in this run .. well it all evens out .. I expect the end of his career to even it all out

What a race that was. Verstappen flirted with disaster, while Hamilton was engaged in some serious heavy petting with it. Hamilton especially got away with one there. In the second race of the season in what looks set to be a hell of a battle, you can't be throwing away 18/19 points on the off chance off 6/7/8 more.

Great from Norris and Leclerc today while Sainz picked up a rather fortunate stack of points. Ricciardo still isn't up to speed in that McLaren but gets them some points. A disastrous day for Perez and Tsunoda and the Haas drivers embarrassed their team today quite frankly.

schumilegend wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:26 pm

It’s unbelievable the amount of good fortune he has had in this run .. well it all evens out .. I expect the end of his career to even it all out.

Depends how much good luck evens out losing two world titles by 11 points through no fault of his own (2007 and 2016). Then again, the move to Mercedes in 2013 was inspired.

That was only semi-serious, I think his good luck has a margin on his bad luck averaged out over a career.

Quick Reaction thoughts.

Lewis made a mistake at the start by not denying the inside to Max, and compounded that by trying to stick it out around the outside.

Max Really caught Leclerc Sleeping, as did lando, on the restart, you could even see him lighting up his tyres after the grass adventure, but Charles didn't get a good restart.

While I was disappointed we didn't have a standing restart at first, I think that because Russell lost control on a damp part of the track, on slicks it was the correct decision.

There is an interesting discussion to be had regarding backmarkers and the dry racing line, Max Got screwed following the Train through Acque Minerale, But Vettel and Russell screwed lewis by not moving out of the way on straight sections.

(Mazepin and Schumacher were better behaved for that i thought)

tootsie323 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:23 pm

pokerman wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:20 pm

Asphalt_World wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:17 pm

pokerman wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:13 pm

Asphalt_World wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 2:56 pm

Well, if there was ever a brilliant example of why DRS is giving too much advantage, that was it. Never got close when both were using it, passed well before the corner when Leclerc didn't have it.

Leclerc had DRS when behind Norris.

That's my point. Leclerc and Lewis both had it and Lewis couldn't get past him. On the first lap Charles didn't have it and Lewis did, Lewis was well passed before the braking point for the next corner.

Why didn't Leclerc get past Norris when he had DRS?

Think that Macca is pretty decent in a straight line. Took Hamilton a few laps to make DRS stick on Norris.

So we tailor the DRS to the cars that need passing, you get my point?

Stroll quietly being properly good (again), especially since it sounds like that car had some problems.

Asphalt_World wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:26 pm

pokerman wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:20 pm

Hamilton has just taken it to new levels, normally people only get salty when he wins, he needs penalising, the SC rule stinks, DRS stinks, DRS has a habit of coming up more when used by Hamilton.

We all bow down to Lewis, don't panic.

He got lucky but the saltiness is so obvious.

pokerman wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:30 pm

tootsie323 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:23 pm

pokerman wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:20 pm

Asphalt_World wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:17 pm

pokerman wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:13 pm

Leclerc had DRS when behind Norris.

That's my point. Leclerc and Lewis both had it and Lewis couldn't get past him. On the first lap Charles didn't have it and Lewis did, Lewis was well passed before the braking point for the next corner.

Why didn't Leclerc get past Norris when he had DRS?

Think that Macca is pretty decent in a straight line. Took Hamilton a few laps to make DRS stick on Norris.

So we tailor the DRS to the cars that need passing, you get my point?

No, we get rid of DRS altogether.

That was a real mixed bag for Hamilton. Unnecessary to try to hang on on Verstappen at the start but showed enough pace to possibly overcut him as the track started to dry, only for a slow change in the pits. Again, showing good pace to close Verstappen down after but his over-eagerness to pass the backmarkers should have cost him dearly but for a race stoppage.
Made the best of that piece of fortune though, salvaging both 2nd place and fastest lap to ensure that he hangs on to an early WDC lead.
I feel that this is a race he should have won. Also, one where he maybe should have ended up with nil points.

schumilegend wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:26 pm

F1Tyrant wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 2:56 pm

Hamilton is crazy lucky.

It’s unbelievable the amount of good fortune he has had in this run .. well it all evens out .. I expect the end of his career to even it all out

I think a lot of bad luck happened earlier in his career but I admit it's probably on the good side now.

BMWSauber84 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:27 pm

What a race that was. Verstappen flirted with disaster, while Hamilton was engaged in some serious heavy petting with it. Hamilton especially got away with one there. In the second race of the season in what looks set to be a hell of a battle, you can't be throwing away 18/19 points on the off chance off 6/7/8 more.

Great from Norris and Leclerc today while Sainz picked up a rather fortunate stack of points. Ricciardo still isn't up to speed in that McLaren but gets them some points. A disastrous day for Perez and Tsunoda and the Haas drivers embarrassed their team today quite frankly.

Good_Year wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:29 pm

Quick Reaction thoughts.

Lewis made a mistake at the start by not denying the inside to Max, and compounded that by trying to stick it out around the outside.

Max Really caught Leclerc Sleeping, as did lando, on the restart, you could even see him lighting up his tyres after the grass adventure, but Charles didn't get a good restart.

While I was disappointed we didn't have a standing restart at first, I think that because Russell lost control on a damp part of the track, on slicks it was the correct decision.

There is an interesting discussion to be had regarding backmarkers and the dry racing line, Max Got screwed following the Train through Acque Minerale, But Vettel and Russell screwed lewis by not moving out of the way on straight sections.

(Mazepin and Schumacher were better behaved for that i thought)

BiB - good point! Max would have probably had to have got out of the throttle if Lewis had covered the inside quickly. Might have let someone else on the outside though.

Asphalt_World wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:32 pm

pokerman wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:30 pm

tootsie323 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:23 pm

pokerman wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:20 pm

Asphalt_World wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:17 pm

That's my point. Leclerc and Lewis both had it and Lewis couldn't get past him. On the first lap Charles didn't have it and Lewis did, Lewis was well passed before the braking point for the next corner.

Why didn't Leclerc get past Norris when he had DRS?

Think that Macca is pretty decent in a straight line. Took Hamilton a few laps to make DRS stick on Norris.

So we tailor the DRS to the cars that need passing, you get my point?

No, we get rid of DRS altogether.

Then on this track there would be no overtaking, I wait with bated breath when this issue rears it's head again.

tootsie323 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:32 pm

That was a real mixed bag for Hamilton. Unnecessary to try to hang on on Verstappen at the start but showed enough pace to possibly overcut him as the track started to dry, only for a slow change in the pits. Again, showing good pace to close Verstappen down after but his over-eagerness to pass the backmarkers should have cost him dearly but for a race stoppage.
Made the best of that piece of fortune though, salvaging both 2nd place and fastest lap to ensure that he hangs on to an early WDC lead.
I feel that this is a race he should have won. Also, one where he maybe should have ended up with nil points.

Would Hamilton have come out ahead of Verstappen with a good pit stop (say 2.2s like Bottas the lap after)? I'm not sure, but it would have given him a chance but he had a big moment coming out of the pits which likely would have cost him the lead anyway. Verstappen also on a lap warmer tyres might have helped him too.

pokerman wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:33 pm

schumilegend wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:26 pm

F1Tyrant wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 2:56 pm

Hamilton is crazy lucky.

It’s unbelievable the amount of good fortune he has had in this run .. well it all evens out .. I expect the end of his career to even it all out

I think a lot of bad luck happened earlier in his career but I admit it's probably on the good side now.

Is that Glock?

The first time two British drivers have been on the podium since Hamilton and Button at China 2012 apparently. Raikkonen has picked up some bizarre penalties since he joined Alfa.

Asphalt_World wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:32 pm

pokerman wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:30 pm

tootsie323 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:23 pm

pokerman wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:20 pm

Asphalt_World wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:17 pm

That's my point. Leclerc and Lewis both had it and Lewis couldn't get past him. On the first lap Charles didn't have it and Lewis did, Lewis was well passed before the braking point for the next corner.

Why didn't Leclerc get past Norris when he had DRS?

Think that Macca is pretty decent in a straight line. Took Hamilton a few laps to make DRS stick on Norris.

So we tailor the DRS to the cars that need passing, you get my point?

No, we get rid of DRS altogether.

Without the DRS passing is just too difficult with the current cars. It's a terribly contrived solution but without it the defending car has a massive artificial advantage from the turbulent wake it leaves behind. The DRS at least levels the playing field but the defending car still has the upper hand overall; if it provided the overall advantage to the attacking car then we'd see cars constantly passing and re-passing each other with it.

JN23 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:40 pm

tootsie323 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:32 pm

That was a real mixed bag for Hamilton. Unnecessary to try to hang on on Verstappen at the start but showed enough pace to possibly overcut him as the track started to dry, only for a slow change in the pits. Again, showing good pace to close Verstappen down after but his over-eagerness to pass the backmarkers should have cost him dearly but for a race stoppage.
Made the best of that piece of fortune though, salvaging both 2nd place and fastest lap to ensure that he hangs on to an early WDC lead.
I feel that this is a race he should have won. Also, one where he maybe should have ended up with nil points.

Would Hamilton have come out ahead of Verstappen with a good pit stop (say 2.2s like Bottas the lap after)? I'm not sure, but it would have given him a chance but he had a big moment coming out of the pits which likely would have cost him the lead anyway. Verstappen also on a lap warmer tyres might have helped him too.

Well that moment on pit-out is probably directly related to him knowing his pitstop was crap. Though he very quickly ended up 5+ seconds behind anyway.

My take on the Russell/Bottas incident.

Russell: That seat is mine.
Bottas: No it's not.
Crash, bang, wallop.

pokerman wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:39 pm

Asphalt_World wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:32 pm

pokerman wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:30 pm

tootsie323 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:23 pm

pokerman wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:20 pm

Why didn't Leclerc get past Norris when he had DRS?

Think that Macca is pretty decent in a straight line. Took Hamilton a few laps to make DRS stick on Norris.

So we tailor the DRS to the cars that need passing, you get my point?

No, we get rid of DRS altogether.

Then on this track there would be no overtaking, I wait with bated breath when this issue rears it's head again.

This is why I, along with many others, favour brakes that are much less effective and of course, better aero to allow cars to follow much closer.

Schumacher forever#1 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:41 pm

pokerman wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:33 pm

schumilegend wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:26 pm

F1Tyrant wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 2:56 pm

Hamilton is crazy lucky.

It’s unbelievable the amount of good fortune he has had in this run .. well it all evens out .. I expect the end of his career to even it all out

I think a lot of bad luck happened earlier in his career but I admit it's probably on the good side now.

Is that Glock?

I don't know if that's good luck? I'd argue Hamilton was unlucky it rained, as he was running fairly comfortably in P4 at that point. McLaren made the right call to switch to inters which secured him P5, Toyota did not (although I think they gained positions overall).

Invade wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:42 pm

JN23 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:40 pm

tootsie323 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:32 pm

That was a real mixed bag for Hamilton. Unnecessary to try to hang on on Verstappen at the start but showed enough pace to possibly overcut him as the track started to dry, only for a slow change in the pits. Again, showing good pace to close Verstappen down after but his over-eagerness to pass the backmarkers should have cost him dearly but for a race stoppage.
Made the best of that piece of fortune though, salvaging both 2nd place and fastest lap to ensure that he hangs on to an early WDC lead.
I feel that this is a race he should have won. Also, one where he maybe should have ended up with nil points.

Would Hamilton have come out ahead of Verstappen with a good pit stop (say 2.2s like Bottas the lap after)? I'm not sure, but it would have given him a chance but he had a big moment coming out of the pits which likely would have cost him the lead anyway. Verstappen also on a lap warmer tyres might have helped him too.

Well that moment on pit-out is probably directly related to him knowing his pitstop was crap. Though he very quickly ended up 5+ seconds behind anyway.

True. I think if he got out ahead of Verstappen then he'd have quickly been behind anyway.

Asphalt_World wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:43 pm

This is why I, along with many others, favour brakes that are much less effective and of course, better aero to allow cars to follow much closer.

Bolded seems a tad dangerous especially on the circuit that wrecked Piquet and killed Senna.

Hopefully, the 2022 cars made this issue redundant and DRS is scrapped two or three races in next season as it's OP.

If the Russell / Bottas incident shows us anything, it's that a Williams was trying to overtake a Mercedes. This should be bigger news than the crash itself!

JN23 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:44 pm

Invade wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:42 pm

JN23 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:40 pm

tootsie323 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:32 pm

That was a real mixed bag for Hamilton. Unnecessary to try to hang on on Verstappen at the start but showed enough pace to possibly overcut him as the track started to dry, only for a slow change in the pits. Again, showing good pace to close Verstappen down after but his over-eagerness to pass the backmarkers should have cost him dearly but for a race stoppage.
Made the best of that piece of fortune though, salvaging both 2nd place and fastest lap to ensure that he hangs on to an early WDC lead.
I feel that this is a race he should have won. Also, one where he maybe should have ended up with nil points.

Would Hamilton have come out ahead of Verstappen with a good pit stop (say 2.2s like Bottas the lap after)? I'm not sure, but it would have given him a chance but he had a big moment coming out of the pits which likely would have cost him the lead anyway. Verstappen also on a lap warmer tyres might have helped him too.

Well that moment on pit-out is probably directly related to him knowing his pitstop was crap. Though he very quickly ended up 5+ seconds behind anyway.

True. I think if he got out ahead of Verstappen then he'd have quickly been behind anyway.

Warm-up blues for Mercedes for whatever reason? Once Ham got going he was blistering. It's a shame in a sense that we didn't see how that would have played out at the front. Perhaps Lewis and Max would have both been swapping overtakes. And at the end of stints the Merc looked quicker.

Schumacher forever#1 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:41 pm

pokerman wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:33 pm

schumilegend wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:26 pm

F1Tyrant wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 2:56 pm

Hamilton is crazy lucky.

It’s unbelievable the amount of good fortune he has had in this run .. well it all evens out .. I expect the end of his career to even it all out

I think a lot of bad luck happened earlier in his career but I admit it's probably on the good side now.

Is that Glock?

You could argue that the arrival of the rain so late in that race was terribly unlucky for Hamilton. If it had just stayed dry it would have been straightforward.

Schumacher was often accused of having luck on his side as well. I'm more inclined to think that this is more about 1) people forgetting the bad luck and remembering the good and 2) the best drivers being able to make the best of a bad situation.

F1Tyrant wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:45 pm

Asphalt_World wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:43 pm

This is why I, along with many others, favour brakes that are much less effective and of course, better aero to allow cars to follow much closer.

Bolded seems a tad dangerous especially on the circuit that wrecked Piquet and killed Senna.

Hopefully, the 2022 cars made this issue redundant and DRS is scrapped two or three races in next season as it's OP.

I disagree. Weaker brakes mean drivers have longer to react to issues under braking and that top speeds are reduced a little as they're braking earlier so they're not on the throttle as long. I'm not talking about fitting brakes from a 2CV. If a braking distance is 100m, altering this so that it's something like 130m could make a nice difference.

Invade wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:46 pm

It's a shame in a sense that we didn't see how that would have played out at the front. Perhaps Lewis and Max would have both been swapping overtakes.

I get the distinct sense it would have played out like the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix and Hamilton would have squeaked past Max for the win. The Mercedes was the faster car in the cooler conditions and had better tyre deg.

Max wins in not-the-fastest car on the day matched Sir Lewis' feat in Bahrain.

Invade wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:46 pm

JN23 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:44 pm

Invade wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:42 pm

JN23 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:40 pm

tootsie323 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 18, 2021 3:32 pm

That was a real mixed bag for Hamilton. Unnecessary to try to hang on on Verstappen at the start but showed enough pace to possibly overcut him as the track started to dry, only for a slow change in the pits. Again, showing good pace to close Verstappen down after but his over-eagerness to pass the backmarkers should have cost him dearly but for a race stoppage.
Made the best of that piece of fortune though, salvaging both 2nd place and fastest lap to ensure that he hangs on to an early WDC lead.
I feel that this is a race he should have won. Also, one where he maybe should have ended up with nil points.

Would Hamilton have come out ahead of Verstappen with a good pit stop (say 2.2s like Bottas the lap after)? I'm not sure, but it would have given him a chance but he had a big moment coming out of the pits which likely would have cost him the lead anyway. Verstappen also on a lap warmer tyres might have helped him too.

Well that moment on pit-out is probably directly related to him knowing his pitstop was crap. Though he very quickly ended up 5+ seconds behind anyway.

True. I think if he got out ahead of Verstappen then he'd have quickly been behind anyway.

Warm-up blues for Mercedes for whatever reason? Once Ham got going he was blistering. It's a shame in a sense that we didn't see how that would have played out at the front. Perhaps Lewis and Max would have both been swapping overtakes. And at the end of stints the Merc looked quicker.

I think definitely some warm up blues for Mercedes - I know he had a bit of damage after turn 1 (or two), but Verstappen was five seconds clear before Hamilton got up to speed at the start.

As a Hamilton fan, I was hoping the switchover to slicks came a few laps later as he was much quicker than Verstappen when it came. Nevermind.

On the end of stints bit - Horner suggested to Sky on Friday that Merc had better tyre wear than the Red Bull.