Open Wheel Racing 2021, anyone there to watch?

[Spartanforlife4]

Felt bad for Lewis today. Great chance for a win to continue his streak, and a great start by him and Russell that was eliminated by the lap 1 wreck. Then he and Verstappen collide and he gets sent to the middle of the pack where he more or less held serve with Russell after that, outside of the first few laps on mediums when he gained like six seconds on the leaders.

[Russell Jaslow]

Why did Checo crash deliberately in quali at Monaco?

Apparently, Max believes that. So much for him always saying he doesn't hold grudges...

Max always makes it impossible to like him.

[Kepler]

Apparently, Max believes that. So much for him always saying he doesn't hold grudges...

Max always makes it impossible to like him.

I get that; and allegedly he admitted it to Christian.

But for what reason would he have, if he did?

[Russell Jaslow]

I get that; and allegedly he admitted it to Christian.

But for what reason would he have, if he did?

Are you talking about Perez? It clinched him pole at Monaco which is everything at that race because it forced Verstappen to abort his last lap.

[Kepler]

Are you talking about Perez? It clinched him pole at Monaco which is everything at that race because it forced Verstappen to abort his last lap.

It only clinched him third. Leclerc got pole and Sainz 2

[Russell Jaslow]

It only clinched him third. Leclerc got pole and Sainz 2

Well, I misremembered that one really badly.

Yeah, I don't know other than it got him in front of Max. But both being on the second row, not much of an advantage amongst the chaos of a Monaco start.

[MichVandal]

Why did Checo crash deliberately in quali at Monaco?

By now, the effects of that are well in the past. max will have plenty of years to win Monaco. So to hold onto that and perhaps cost your teammate 2nd place in the WC and all the prize money that goes with it....

(I didn't see it, so I don't even know what happened at Monaco)

Checo has sacrificed his race more than once for max, so he's at least earned it.

Given the turn over at RBR since max came on board, it sure seems that he's a very hard person to be a teammate with.

[Russell Jaslow]

By now, the effects of that are well in the past. max will have plenty of years to win Monaco. So to hold onto that and perhaps cost your teammate 2nd place in the WC and all the prize money that goes with it....

I'm assuming you know by the way you wrote it, not a single dollar is paid out for the driver's standings. :-)

[MichVandal]

I'm assuming you know by the way you wrote it, not a single dollar is paid out for the driver's standings. :-)

I know now. I kind of wish it were, since keeping Perez down like that would have more than a personal impact. Although, it's possible that Perez had some contract money that went with his finish. For sure, he's getting money to help max, otherwise he would not be that willing to do it.

[solovsfett]

So how do you hold your job if you intentionally crash a multi million $ car?

it’s one thing when racing for a corner (as Ayrton Senna told Jackie Stewart), but to crash your car in qualifying so a teammate doesn’t place ahead on the grid? That’s really stupid.

on another note….can someone explain why Piquet Jr. was ousted from F1? I don’t recall the circumstances.

[solovsfett]

Also…team orders should be discontinued. It’s a silly gambit in that it’s incredibly rare to have a teammate who is consistently .5 behind the lead driver. If and when that’s the case, get a new #2 to push the lead driver and team. As George Russell is proving, there is no shortage of guys coming up who can race at the front with the proper equipment.

[MichVandal]

So how do you hold your job if you intentionally crash a multi million $ car?

it’s one thing when racing for a corner (as Ayrton Senna told Jackie Stewart), but to crash your car in qualifying so a teammate doesn’t place ahead on the grid? That’s really stupid.

on another note….can someone explain why Piquet Jr. was ousted from F1? I don’t recall the circumstances.

Well, that's an argument that Perez didn't do it intentionally. When Mike did it many years ago, he just barely stuffed it into the wall without damage to the car. I just can't see Checo doing that- maybe he did, but he's also paid it back more than once by giving max points. But there was a decent amount of damage to the car that needed fixed, from the pictures I saw- not overnight work, but at least a few hundred thousand dollars of wings.

Piquet was ousted because he was slow. And after he got sacked, he spilled the bean on his intentional crash to help Alonso- so I'm sure he knew his F1 time was up.

[MichVandal]

Also…team orders should be discontinued. It’s a silly gambit in that it’s incredibly rare to have a teammate who is consistently .5 behind the lead driver. If and when that’s the case, get a new #2 to push the lead driver and team. As George Eissell is proving, there is no shortage of guys coming up who can race at the front with the proper equipment.

And they tried that already. Didn't work. When Vettel didn't let Weber by, that was no team orders era- even though Red Bull was overtly not following that rule.

Red Bull has been the worst team when it comes to team orders- it has been either Vettel or Max and nobody else. It's not all that shocking they have been a revolving door for the other driver. While Merc and Ferrari have done team orders, they are infrequent enough that the other driver stays for a long time. (and I'm very much not including pre Schumi era).

[Kepler]

I am very surprised guys under contract to be teammates in future seasons would do this. Not just because of professional etiquette and team solidarity, but because they depend on each other out on the track and their relationship also puts strain on all the people who support them from mechanics and strategists to public relations and principals. I can't see even the world's worst diva getting away with that without the team going absolutely nuclear on them, for all the reasons people have listed on this thread.

Is it really just a matter of rich, pretty 20-somethings having the runaway ego and self-defeating irresponsibility of celebrities or Republicans?

[solovsfett]

Well, that's an argument that Perez didn't do it intentionally. When Mike did it many years ago, he just barely stuffed it into the wall without damage to the car. I just can't see Checo doing that- maybe he did, but he's also paid it back more than once by giving max points. But there was a decent amount of damage to the car that needed fixed, from the pictures I saw- not overnight work, but at least a few hundred thousand dollars of wings.

Piquet was ousted because he was slow. And after he got sacked, he spilled the bean on his intentional crash to help Alonso- so I'm sure he knew his F1 time was up.

Thanks!!!