Well, you said it. Now you've got to do it.
BOTTAS: "It's been super-close between Lewis and I all weekend and there's only been a few hundredths between us. We've had a strong car all weekend. There's a long run into Turn 1, so there's a chance...
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Well, you said it. Now you've got to do it.
BOTTAS: "It's been super-close between Lewis and I all weekend and there's only been a few hundredths between us. We've had a strong car all weekend. There's a long run into Turn 1, so there's a chance...
Apparently there's an interview of Woolf by RTL? Acknowledging these bigger gaps Bottas is conceding to Hamilton in the races like China, Spain and France. Apparently it's an accumulation of little things that lead to a big gap. The team and Bottas all know what it is and what has to happen to prevent it. But obviously I/we don't.
When was the last time Bottas v2.0 out qualified Hamilton? I think that’s 4 races on the trot Hamilton has out qualified him now.
Today Bottas was unable to do so again on what is labelled a “Bottas” (v1.0?) track by some.
He needs to step it up as Hamilton finally appears to be getting more comfortable with the car and Bottas v2.0 is slipping behind.
Bottas should outqualify Hamilton as soon as possible so that it doesn't become a thing critics can point at (Same with Hulkenberg and the streak Riccardo had over him). The biggest deal is who is in front when the race settles after the start.
The 149pts he's amassed in the races so far would've led the 16&18 championship at this point, and been the leading MB in 17.
He's fine so far. He just has to pick and choose when he's going to be **** so that it doesn't lose big time. He also might want to figure out why he falls back 8secs+ in some races where he's finished 2nd to Hamilton. It just takes the pressure off Hamilton and allows him a margin of error. Errors Bottas could've taken advantage of if he didn't blunder qualifying in Canada.
31 points now between Bottas and Hamilton.
Both Mercedes drivers were hindered by overheating issues which dictated their pace today, however, Bottas seemed to use up his tires much more than Hamilton during the first stint.
Onto Silverstone we go but a lucky break for Bottas at the office. Without Hamilton’s penalty of we could be looking at a 40+ point difference in the title race now.
Bottas still needs to up his game.
What on earth would he have to do to up his game?
The 164pts he's amassed during the races so far would've still led the 16&18 championship. Been the leading MB in and been 1pt behind Rosberg in 14.
I would say he's now at least 1 win short of par this season. It's now a drought. It'll now become a thing if he doesn't win asap.
I'm not going to even bother with your post.
Anyway, doing the maths. Bottas is on track to score 387pts this season, 382 without the projected 5FL.
382 would've been enough to miss out on the 14 c'ship by 2, win 15 by 1, miss out in 16 by 3, win 17 by 19, and lose 18 by 26. The WC's average since MB have had the best car since 14 has been 384.2. Bottas is in line to beat that, but it still might not be enough. So to say he has to up his game is moot.
It's not like he can magically become a second quicker than Hamilton and overrun him. It's not like he can wave a wand in Austria, and make his tyres fresher and car cooler. Walk past Verstappen and Leclerc and put 15pts between him and Hamilton. It's not like there's going to be a wildcard race, where the winner is going to get 50 bonus points. Bottas wins and Hamilton dnfs.
Even if now the Ferrari's and RB get their share of wins, and Hamilton doesn't win a race for the rest of the season. Let's says he averages 4th? That's 144pts and 341 for the season, 344 throwing in a few FL. That's not going to be easy for Bottas to overcome even with his current form line. If he does, it's realistically going be til the second last race before he does.
To say he has to up his game is kind of pointless as he's already going at almost full capacity. It's like going up to Yohan Blake and Tyson Gay, who are the second fastest men in history with 9.69 in the 100m. The saying Usain Bolt's fastest time is 9.59, you're going to have to up your game. It's not really taking into account all factors that contribute to the results.
Hopefully Starter is taking a rest from lurking on here, as he may get a bit upset.
But in the Austrian GP thread, he made a quote that caught my eye regarding the possible consequences of the Verstappen cheap shot on Leclerc...
Now, I don't notice Starter's post to know if he's particularly critical or dismissive of Bottas. But it's those kind of moments that can subtly affect who wins the championship.Quote:
Max could be kicking himself as Bottas took an undeserved win from him
Let's just say Verstappen/Leclerc got into sufficiently hard clash to allow Bottas to win? That would've been an extra 10pts Bottas would've got towards the championship on Hamilton for pretty much doing nothing.
Somehow you have to make those random moments work for you. Bottas hasn't, as Hamilton is +14pts on him from the season so far due to other's adversity/errors.
As opposed to just being the leading MB in 17. Bottas' haul of 182pts so far would be leading the last 3 seasons at this point. 20 behind Hamilton in 15 and 8pts behind Rosberg in 14.
You can sit there and pick holes in whatever he's doing relative to Hamilton this year. But it typically isn't as costly as it normally would be during the course of a season.
Bottas has to understand one thing if he wants to win the championship. That is that he doesn't have Juju. If he had Juju, then he can do whatever he likes and he'll win the championship. Hamilton, Verstappen, Schumacher, Rossi have/had Juju. Bottas doesn't.
He has to avoid making errors like he did last night and just take what he can get. It doesn't matter if he couldn't pass Stroll, or if Vettel got him then everyone think he's a dickhead. Being conservative (and Juju) in the best cars wins championship.
I have to acknowledge that after being annoyed at Nitrodaze's expressions over Hamilton's last lap at Silverstone, I have brought in a word that is comparable.
juju
[ˈdʒuːdʒuː]
noun
-supernatural power attributed to a charm...
Think about it? Both effectively made the same error at the first turn. Hamilton spins off an resumes as if nothing happened, and Bottas destroys the front of his car.
How does that happen???
It's Juju. Bottas doesn't have it. It's why nobody likes him, or cares if he suffers some misfortune.
So much for Bottas v2.0. Surely he has to be dropped now. 62 points behind Lewis after 12 races. 2 mistakes on the first lap, nearly taking his teammate out of it in turn 3. Can’t see why Mercedes would keep him except to play second fiddle to Hamilton.
How about you just stfu?
A lame arse like you just couldn't wait to lay the boots into him, you *****.
Nearly taking out his team mate? You just exaggerate any danger towards Hamilton because you're a loser that lives vicariously through Hamilton.
Why would MB keep him? Well, if they do replace him, you'll see why they would because aside from Ricciardo, there's no one who could you could say could really do better. That's why.
Another reason is because he outqualifies Hamilton regularly. Again, aside from Ricciardo, there's no one likely to be available to do that.
******* pathetic lame arse fans Hamilton has.
You're an angry little dude aren't you? :laugh:
If someone having an opinion upsets you that much, there is an ignore function. And guess what happens on the internet... people have opinions.
I think Bottas has overall upped his game, but IMO the young guns and people around him have done the same. It doesn't leave him on solid ground at the moment.
You could see that coming a mile off. The only reason why TBK hasn't already shit on Bottas earlier this year is because Bottas had lifted. Which a chump like him begrudgingly acknowledges.
As far as the young guns and other lifting? Well, I'd say that would have to be confirmed. There's a huge difference between doing well in the midfield cars, and doing well in the best car with Hamilton as your tram mate. Unless they pick Ricciardo, it's not necessarily an easy decision for MB. It's not even an easy decision even with Ricciardo available.
The problem is, all things considered, bottas is still 2nd in the championship. Mercedes is still leading the WCC by a huge margin and his pace, while sporadic, is still good enough for the race win here and there. Also the mercedes isn't as dominant as some would have you believe which is testament to Hamilton's skill more so than Bottas' shortcomings. I think that's where the tough decision lies. What would be the effect of putting Ocon in instead of Bottas? would the standings look any different? Would Ocon have 188 points before the summer break?
I could clearly see the logic with adding leclerc in the case of ferrari. Vettel seemed to be in decline and an extremely fast and talented young driver was the boost the team needed.
But Mercedes is coming off the back of 5 straight WCC and WDC years with their lead driver in the form of his life and a strong chance of winning this year's WDC and in position to challenge for next year's WDC and match Schumi as well. The team will be a contender until 2021. The stability is there, and both sides of the garage are GP winners. I think the fact that wolff managed ocon is more of a factor than an honest need for a driver switch. I am one of the hardest bottas critics out there, but i'm also very aware that he has done a solid job, all things considered, and especially has a teammate to already one of the all time greats currently in the form of his life. without leclerc side swiping him, it would probably have been a 1-3 finish for them today.
I'm not sure what Wolff and mercedes are going to do, but it would make more sense trying to get ocon into the williams seat for 2020 ( i think kubica is out) and then groom both he and russell to take over eventually at mercedes.
You’re such a sensitive little soul.
I totally see the logic in what you’re saying. Ultimately I think they want someone that will run Hamilton closer. I think they believe they have a talent in Ocon that they want to keep. Personally, I think Ocon is a complete and utter idiot and wouldn’t put him in my race car in a million years, especially after Brazil last year. That is likely to be the most deciding factor rather than any great performance by Bottas. Bottas is a known entity now. Generally starts the seasons well and fades as the year goes on. He couldn’t even win a race in 2018. Two race wins in 1.5 seasons in a Mercedes is pretty abysmal at the end of the day.
The telling signs for me were after the race Totto stating that Bottas blew it and he said Bottas had a shite race in Germany as well. Totto never makes statements like that.
I also don't rate ocon that highly too. He will be servicable but Nothing i saw at force india leads me to believe that his is anything special
I keep going back to the fact that Ocon is managed by Wolff.
rumor also has it that he will be leaving the team or his post at the end of 2020, os he might want to get "his guy" in there before that happens.
I'm not sure what the rushed decision making process is all about. telling bottas he is out with 9 races to go, demoralizes the team in general and puts bottas in an awkward position.
I also find it really classless for Wolff to be so public with his statements about bottas to the media and anyone who would listen. Why would bottas give 2 cents about any team stipulations from now on.
He will do his own thing and if the team don't like it, then they could release him. TBH i think his time is up at mercedes anyway, but it would seem odd to replace the guy who is in all likelihood gonna finish in the top 3 of the championship and help secure another WCC for mercedes.
Finally, the real jewel here is Russell, but Wolff has already gone out of his way to say that Russell is too young for the mercedes seat. Ridiculous
I share your view on this matter. I seriously doubt Ocon is the right man for the seat. He is quick, but l doubt much quicker than Bottas on his day. Then, there is the reckless crashing of Ocon with teammates and more memorable with Verstapenn in Brasil last season. I doubt in a head to Head with Russel that he can beat the 2018 F2 world champion. Hence, l admit that it is a bit suspect that the pool from which Mercedes is making its selection for Bottas' seat is so small. They are hiding something, l think, they are probably talking to Verstapenn.
Totally Verstappen's fault but never mind... it fits the narrative more like that.
Both Ocon and Verstappen are worse for Mercedes than Bottas. The Finn is exactly what they need right now. The other two would cause way more problems. But Verstappen is more likely to be seen as a replacement for Hamilton. I wonder how that transition would work.
ok, ok, perhaps dominant is the wrong word.
it is not as easy to drive or handle than some might think.
In perfect conditions it is awfully impressive and dominant, but it's operating window is smaller and the car is temperamental too.
It is very finely balanced. Hamilton talent has pretty much mastered the car (despite being less involved than bottas in the winter in its development) and Bottas, despite his flaws has also come to grips with it.
To me it is also telling that ocon did not participate in any of the in season testing. Russell in Bahrain and Nikita Mazepin in spain. Both doing stellar work with the car.
That's why it is still baffling as to why Ocon, who at this point is pretty much relegated to being their sim driver, is even in the running to make the leap.
go figure
Mercedes may also be talking to Ricciado for all we know.
So after taking a loooong fifteen minute read to skim through this thread, I think we all agree that Bottas is a great racer and that he should continue racing in F1. We all would love to see him racing at Williams F1 next season. After employing a long string of mediocre drivers, I am sure that Williams F1 will be more than happy to take him back. Bottas, on the other hand, will enjoy having a unique opportunity to lift this formerly great team up from the ashes where it has been for more than a decade. And so, this way everybody wins! Peace. :)
Apparently Woolf say he does not want to burn Russell. It would appear he thinks the calibre of drivers moving up from F2 are not good enough for the sharp end of the grid. I recall Hamilton stepped up from F2 to immediately challenge for the championship in his first year at Mclaren and won it in his second year of entering F1.
I understand there is much at stake to risk putting a rookie into a car at the sharp end of the grid. Gasly is a proof in point. But Nando is doing a great job at Mclaren, l think Russell would do an equivalent or even better job than Ocon or Bottas. How well he does, comes down also to how well the team manages his transition into the team. I don't buy the burn out excuse. He has either shown enough to show he is capable or not.
At least one complete season in F1 should be enough to prepare a driver for the seat in the senior team. If they have not shown the readiness to step up, then it is understandable that they are given time to mature. They should be given a limit of two seasons to show readiness or dropped if they are below expectation.
I think it is demoralizing to not have a clear plan of progressing for junior drivers. It killed Wehrlein's F1 career and has placed Ocon in a difficult situation. Placing a F2 champion in a car at the rear of the grid is worst way to show appreciation of the talent. Imagine if Hamilton had started in back marker car. We probably may not have seen his true capability, if he had ended up like Wehrlien and left the formula.
Nobody is entitled to a driver. There's only so many seats to fill, and there's many factors involved when selecting a driver. It's the driver's responsibility to manage their career given the circumstances.
As far as Bottas goes, an accumulation of little things have added up to prove costly. Even when I compare the points to previous seasons. A couple of races ago, he had enough points to be 1st/2nd in previous seasons. But now would be 3rd in most of the 14-18 season to this points, and not be in the lead in any of the.
When it's clear he's looked deep down to improve his performance. But now has to look even deeper and think about race situations even more.
So latest I’ve heard is that Bottas will be retained by Mercedes for 2020. Ocon will replace Hulkenberg at Renault and Hulkenberg will got to Haas instead of Grosjean.
I think Bottas would need to retain 2nd in the drivers championship to hang on to his drive. If Verstapenn pips him to 2nd place, chances are the pressure to jettison Bottas would mount. If this were to transpire, l wonder who would take his seat. In such a circumstances, Ocon may not go to Renault. If he did, l wonder if Mercedes would be forced to promote Russell.
Breaking News: Bottas is retained by Mercedes-AMG for 2020.
Shock - not!
Spa was a good race for Bottas. He is 22 points clear of Verstapenn. He just need to keep his head down and put out great performance such this one. Go Valterie!