Sochi

[SteveH]

For such a featureless and uninspiring track this was a very interesting race. Felt terrible for Norris. Although it was his call.

[pfc_m_drake]

Only caught the last 18 laps - but it was a wild finish.

Feel really bad for Norris. Could have just as easily worked out for him (Lando was probably thinking back to what Brad Binder pulled off at the MotoGP race at the Red Bull ring a few weeks ago).

[opinionated ow]

Only caught the last 18 laps - but it was a wild finish.

Feel really bad for Norris. Could have just as easily worked out for him (Lando was probably thinking back to what Brad Binder pulled off at the MotoGP race at the Red Bull ring a few weeks ago).

Yep, my thoughts too. If it had been 15% less severe rain he would have been fine I reckon

[TravelGal]

For such a featureless and uninspiring track this was a very interesting race. Felt terrible for Norris. Although it was his call.

Trust between driver and team. Dixon mentions it fairly often. "You have to trust your team." I didn't catch an exchange between Lando and the pits but SteveH just said it was Lando's decision. Whereas the announcers said Hamilton was told to come in and said: "Why are we doing this? It's dry" and was told, "Come in. It's going to get worse." Such a shame it overshadowed how happy I was for Max and poor Bottas, for heavens' sake.

[SteveH]

It appears that the team supported Lando's decision.

Seidl insists Norris did not ignore McLaren call (https://amp.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/seidl-insists-norris-did-not-ignore-mclaren-call,164096.html)


Seidl admits the team may have been able to handle the situation better.

"Lando felt good and wanted to stay out on slicks. We didn’t outvote him as a team so we have to analyse that.

"In hindsight, of course it was the wrong decision. We always have the option to overrule the driver because we know he doesn’t have all the information.

"If we had told him ’Come in’, he would have come in," the German added.

[TravelGal]

It appears that the team supported Lando's decision.

Seidl insists Norris did not ignore McLaren call (https://amp.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/seidl-insists-norris-did-not-ignore-mclaren-call,164096.html)

That's my point. I never heard them call him either. They let him make the decision instead of doing their job. Or maybe I'm just saying that McLaren isn't nearly as good as Mercedes and Red Bull, both of whom decided and insisted the driver should come in with obviously better results.

[datachicane]

With inherently unreliable data, McLaren simply rolled the dice and lost. If McLaren had pitted Lando before Hamilton, they ran the risk of getting the timing wrong if the rain didn't increase in the next minute or two. Once Hamilton had pitted and began making up time it was too late to maintain the lead if they did pit, so their only chance for victory was exactly what they did. It wasn't that it was a bad call or that Mercedes made an obviously better call, it's just that the weather during those critical couple of minutes favored the call that Mercedes had made. Mercedes arguably made the call out of an abundance of caution, since a quick off and finishing down in the points would be a complete disaster for Hamilton's championship hopes.

It's only in retrospect that Mercedes looks like geniuses. It could well have gone the other way.

[TravelGal]

It's only in retrospect that Mercedes looks like geniuses. It could well have gone the other way.

Good point. If they called Hamilton in and the rain had delayed, he could have stayed in umpteenth place, 26 seconds back, or wherever that was when he came back in.

[nissan gtp]

I totally understand Lando staying out. Hell, he was in the lead, with a possible first win near. That's the time to go for the all or nothing. Too bad he came up on the wrong end. He and the team will learn, and hopefully gain both confidence and trust in each other.

As to Mercedes and Hamilton, they almost alway get it right (just take the damn 'magic' button off the steering wheel).