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Formula One 2019


Lineker

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Absolutely horrifying accident in the F2 race which resulted in the race being cancelled. Anthoine Hubert went off after Eau Rouge and bounced back on to the track where Juan Manuel Correa T-Boned him at about 180mph. No news on the status of either driver as yet.

 

EDIT: Now there is, unfortunately Hubert has died. 

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I saw the crash live, and it's such a weird experience. Because the first thing I assumed is that it was obviously utterly horrific, I expected both to walk away from the crash, perhaps with injuries, but I never expected either of the two to die from it.

And then the news broke about Hubert passing away, and it's just... a shellshock. These cars are so safe, that I couldn't fathom anyone straight up dying anymore, but at the same time, I should've expected it to be really bad when I saw it.

It's different too than the Bianchi crash, a race that I also saw live. Mostly because they never actually aired Bianchi going off, and there was the period of time between the crash and him succumbing from his injuries. Although even early on you knew that the prognosis was grim.

This though, it's just... You literally saw someone's life end, and it's just hard to process such a thing. And it reinforces once more that motorracing is anything but safe, and a deadly accident is just one bad roll of the dice away.

I think this might be the last year we'll see Eau Rouge/Radillon in its current incarnation, unless they massively widen the run off on both sides. Because it happens too often that a car goes into the barriers and due to its speed/angle it rolls back out of the barriers and onto the track. Every year there's at least one heavy crash there due to the speeds involved, whether it's in GT3/LMP racing or any of the formula classes.

I think going back to the old layout of it would be most safe, a chicane that's still very technical and fast, but wouldn't result in a car up the hill at speeds close to 275km and possible stepping out and flying into the barriers.

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It's alarming how Vettel has fallen in terms of his standard of driving. From making the mistake to just strolling (pardon the pun) back on to the track however he feels like, he just seems like his confidence is shot and his brain has gone with it.

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1 minute ago, Chris2K said:

It's alarming how Vettel has fallen in terms of his standard of driving. From making the mistake to just strolling (pardon the pun) back on to the track however he feels like, he just seems like his confidence is shot and his brain has gone with it.

Even back when Riccardo was out pacing him at Red Bull he wasn't making mistakes as regularly as he has this last season or two. When do Ferrari say "enough is enough" and turf him out?

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I think Vettel's safe for now, simply because Ferrari don't really have a better option to replace him, unless they wanted to try and get Ricciardo out of his contract, or maybe take a punt on Sainz or Norris.

Great drive by Leclerc though. Gave me flashbacks to Alonso-Schumacher in Imola at points.

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1 hour ago, Katsuya said:

I think Vettel's safe for now, simply because Ferrari don't really have a better option to replace him, unless they wanted to try and get Ricciardo out of his contract, or maybe take a punt on Sainz or Norris.

Great drive by Leclerc though. Gave me flashbacks to Alonso-Schumacher in Imola at points.

Wild speculation from me personally, but Hülkenberg is out of a driver for next season and he's always been regarded as a quick and consistent driver who is a team player. He's also at an age where he's got oodles of experience but still well young enough to drive many years. He'd do really well in the Rubens/Felipe spot at Ferrari seeing that Leclerc is now really a can't miss guy that's ready now, rather than a future prospect.

Vettel on the other hand, he's a mess right now. He's making mistakes, he has been for the past two years, and the more he seems to try the more mistakes he is making. The fact Leclerc has stolen his thunder has also affected him a lot, and he's shown in the past with Ricciardo and Webber that he can't do well when he's not being regarded as the #1 guy at all times. And well, at this point with Ferrari, he doesn't really have a case for being the #1 guy because a 21 year old in his second year in the sport is outperforming him and driving more consistently than him.

Vettel is thus expensive, and a bad fit now that Leclerc has grown up well ahead of schedule. And honestly, a guy like Hülkenberg would probably jump at a chance to be wingman knowing it would be his best/only chance to get podiums and possible wins in his career.

That's all just my own speculation as an unabashed Hulk fan, but he's the biggest name that's going to be available next year, and Ferrari's best option until Ricciardo might be available in three years time. And even if Hülk doesn't work as a future, he'd still be a much better fit as a #2 guy than Vettel in the years coming.

It's crazy though, how Vettel has just gone downhill in the past three years. And now Leclerc has done in his first year what Ferrari hasn't done in 9 years and Vettel wasn't able to do in 5 seasons. Win a race at Monza.

 

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Seb's done. F1 is as much mental as it is physical and it's fairly clear his head is not in the game anymore. He's not going to win a WDC any time soon and he's not going to equal Schumacher either, almost certainly not before Lewis does or gets eight titles.

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These mistakes, while compounding, are not exactly new. There have been glimpses of stupid driving from Vettel throughout his career. I guess for the most part he has always been ahead of the game in a far better car so could get away with a lot.

Not anymore.

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