Motorsport

I think fans should at least try and hold the sports they follow to account, either directly or via the media. Sure money usually wins, but fans can threaten the value of the asset and that can occasionally have meaningful impacts like last year's European Super League getting binned off (at least for a while), or Man U fans blocking BSkyB's acquisition of the Club.

I guess I'm just not as pessimistic that F1 as a sport rather than entertainment construct is a lost cause just yet. This is not the same as other Championship controversies like '89, '90, '94, '97 because it's an integrity issue rather than a driving standards issue.

I really don't think it was a minority. The outcry after Abu Dhabi was as close to a majority as I can recall after an F1 controversy. The fact it was dodgy/wrong was more or less unanimous amongst all the teams and drivers that aren't sponsored by Red Bull. It boils down to, is everyone cool with the fact that the race director can arbitrarily move cars around?

Similarly, I don't think I've seen a single credible motorsport journalist or publication directly defend Masi's actions (some defend his intentions but that's a different point) and many have continued to ask awkward questions in press conferences. As it was the centrepiece of the season, there was loads of cut through, with people who don't follow F1 interested in what happened.

This, as much as Mercedes's pressure, is why the FIA couldn't just carry on as normal and had to do something, even if it couldn't swallow its pride enough to amend the result.

Sure, the record books will show Max as 2021 WDC and after 50+ years no one will remember the specifics, but people do remember controversial championships throughout living memory and it does inform how legacies are viewed.

e.g. Hunt fortuitously won in '76 because Lauda had his accident and then bravely refused to race in the torrential rain in Japan. Prost won in '89 by crashing into Senna and vice versa in '90. They made a movie about both and both are still discussed today.

Of course, casual fans won't remember but people who care about motorsport do and they are generally the ones that fork out for expensive subscriptions that drives sponsorship incomes and buy race tickets that pay for those hosting fees.

Ricciardo has been cleared to race this weekend, so that's good. Wonder how much the lack of testing will hurt him.

Yeah maybe. His issues last year were supposed to be because he couldn't rotate the car on the brakes as well as Lando. Think it was low and mid speed he struggled and the be regs have effectively slowed them further.

Then again there's also a theory that Button-esque smooth technique will be needed to keep the floor stable. If that's true it's not really Lando's natural style either.

Will be an interesting subplot for sure.

Bah, Vettel out with COVID.

Hulkenberg in though, so that's cool.

I do wonder how much impact Lando is having on the commercial front. He's got next breakthrough F1 star written all over him.

He's surely Google's wet dream in terms of his social media savvy. I can't think of another sportsman that manages their own socials so well. I suppose the British tabloid press will do the build him up and tear him down thing soon, but for now, everyone likes Lando.

Yes good on them, however all I can see in those wheels is 'Simon'

I know that the mean, but I do like the papaya too. The launch livery was good and it seems to be gradually getting worse as they get more sponsors.

Well that and the fact that Mika is, like, my hero.

Was about to ask this very question

It looks like Verstappen's car did after Bottas put a hole in it at Hungary last year!

"It'll buff right out mate."

Ollie Bearman delivered on the hype this morning.

Won the F3 comfortably but had a 5s post race penalty for track limits (which he claims he never received a warning about) so classified second in the end.

I think we've got another Russell/Norris level British talent here. He'll also have the advantage of Prema as he's Ferrari academy, so he really looks well placed for the next couple of years.

To whom it may concern....

Around 1 second between 1st and 14th. I like it.

What’s going on with track limits then? Hopefully they are not going to apply penalties after the session.