"A new Star is born" | Page 4 | FerrariChat

"A new Star is born"

Discussion in 'F1' started by SimCity3, Dec 6, 2020.

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  1. SimCity3

    SimCity3 F1 Rookie


    Is Mercedes the main cash cow for F1 ?

    They have provided the safety cars etc for donkeys years.
    Monopoly comes to mind
     
    Bas likes this.
  2. Bas

    Bas Four Time F1 World Champ

    Mar 24, 2008
    41,299
    ESP
    Full Name:
    Bas
    Mercedes/Toto do have a monopoly of some kind in F1. Toto himself owns a stake in 3 teams!
     
    SimCity3, jpalmito and Igor Ound like this.
  3. DF1

    DF1 Two Time F1 World Champ

    Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says it is crucial for George Russell to cut errors out of his driving if he wants to graduate to the team.

    There was no doubting Russell’s potential when he arrived in Formula 1 in 2019 – the two prior seasons had seen him win the GP3 and F2 titles back-to-back, a year after Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc had pulled off that achievement.

    Sadly at Williams Russell has not had the best platform to show off his abilities with both their 2019 and 2020 challengers struggling to get close to the points-paying positions.

    That being said, when Russell did have a clear shot at scoring his first points in Formula 1 at the 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, he put his FW43 in the wall behind the Safety Car.

    Later in the season Russell did though get a golden opportunity with parent team Mercedes who drafted him in for the Sakhir Grand Prix after Sir Lewis Hamilton tested positive for COVID-19.

    Russell’s debut weekend was certainly a success as he qualified P2 on the grid, before taking the lead from team-mate Valtteri Bottas into Turn 1.

    If it was not for a botched pit stop and later a slow puncture, then Russell was well in contention to win on his Mercedes debut.

    That performance certainly put Russell on Mercedes’ radar for a 2022 drive, but if he is to truly prove himself to Wolff, then cutting out costly mistakes like Imola will be crucial.

    “Winning Formula 1 championships is about making the least amount of mistakes. And that only comes with routine and experience,” Wolff told Motorsport.com.

    “Mercedes expects these kind of sustainable performance levels. And that’s why you need to give young drivers time.

    “Because as exuberant as they may be perceived after the performance that we’ve seen [at the Sakhir GP] from George, at the same time, young drivers will be criticised, and criticised quickly, when they make mistakes in such a high pressure environment like a top team.

    “That’s why making experiences like in Imola, and the learnings from that, are very important to form a driver that can perform at a sustainable high level.”


    Wolff in no way though was playing down Russell’s ability, saying his outing in Sakhir simply confirmed the talent which Mercedes felt he possessed.

    “We believed in George because there’s not many drivers out there that have won junior championships as rookies, especially not the very competitive GP3 and F2 championships,” Wolff continued.


    “For us, [using him as replacement for Hamilton] was a possibility to confirm what we were thinking about George. It was unfortunate that this opportunity came with Lewis having been out.

    “I would have wished it would have happened in a different way, but it gave us a set of data points to look at. And in a way it affirmed how we judged him.

    “It was also an advantage for him and Williams. He was going to go back to his team with a lot of learning, with more understanding. And this is why I think for him personally and for Williams, it was advantageous.”

    https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-wolff-george-russell-mistakes/
     
    greg328 likes this.
  4. jcurry

    jcurry Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jan 16, 2012
    21,369
    In the past
    Full Name:
    Jim
    Imola was stupid, and funny in a Romain Grossjean sort of way, but in no way should it come close to overshadowing what George did with the Williams car last yr. First he put that car into Q2 far more than anyone would/could have expected. Second, anyone in that car with his talent would/should be expected to push it to and past its envelope. There is no reason to just drive it around the track, ala Stroll.
     
  5. Beau365

    Beau365 Formula 3

    Feb 27, 2005
    1,284
    Congested London
    Full Name:
    Beau

    Funny - look at your own data points Toto !

    George was robbed of victory under your watch.
     
  6. simpen

    simpen Formula Junior

    Jun 14, 2016
    291
    It was stupid indeed & not finishing ahead of Latifi every single race is more stupid. Pushing past its envelope does not make sense and is a big no-no, probably why Toto says he is not ready for the WDC-seat. They have an excellent operating machine, they do not need a driver that cannot deliver what is needed. Bitter pill for the blind fans, but I'm sure they looked at the data well enough to base their decision on...
     
  7. jpalmito

    jpalmito F1 Veteran

    Jun 5, 2009
    7,280
    Le caylar (France)
    Full Name:
    mathieu Jeantet
    Yes like the mistakes Russel did in sakhir !:p:p
     
  8. Barry P.

    Barry P. Karting

    Nov 22, 2016
    94
    Milton Keynes
    Full Name:
    Barry
    I've just come across this thread and thought you guys may be interested in a thread I started on a Mitsubishi Evo forum back in 2014.
    I've been involved in motorsport for many years, firstly as a driver then running a team and also as a circuit instructor. Back in 2014 I was working with Lanan Racing, it was George's first season as a car driver after he graduated from racing karts for many years. As soon as he drove the car we realised that this 16yr old was going to be something special. He was not only talented but also a really nice, laid back and pleasant guy to work with. He was extremely dedicated and with a strong determination to succeed as a successful race driver, his maturity for somebody so young was astounding. George won the championship that year, finally taking it at the last race with another of the Lanan drivers, Arjun Maini, finishing second in the championship.
    The thread is an interesting read as to how George's career has developed over the years and some lovely photos from the early days.

    Link: https://www.lancerregister.com/showthread.php?t=476890
     
    SimCity3 likes this.

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