Start, Interlagos, 2018

Hamilton takes Brazil win as Ocon clash costs Verstappen victory

2018 Brazilian Grand Prix summary

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Lewis Hamilton scored his 10th victory of 2018 and secured the constructors’ championship for Mercedes in a dramatic Brazilian Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen took the lead off Hamilton earlier in the race but was knocked into a spin by Esteban Ocon as he lapped the Force India. The Red Bull driver was able to get going again and finished the race one-and-a-half seconds behind the winner, as Hamilton struggled with power unit problems.

Nonetheless a furious Verstappen pushed Ocon repeatedly when the pair met after the race.

The podium was completed by Kimi Raikkonen, who traded places with Sebastian Vettel three times during the race. He passed Vettel when his team mate ran wide early on, lost the position in the pits, then regained it when Ferrari told Vettel to let him through.

Valtteri Bottas ran second early on but fell to fifth behind the recovering Daniel Ricciardo and one place ahead of Vettel, who had a troubled run to sixth place.

Sauber led the midfielders home courtesy of Charles Leclerc, though his team mate Marcus Ericsson retired early on. Romain Grosjean led the Haas drivers home, team mate Kevin Magnussen having suffered damaged in a first-lap clash with Magnussen.

Sergio Perez was the last of the points-scorers in 10th. Brendon Hartley came in 11th following a lengthy argument on the radio at Toro Rosso as team mate Pierre Gasly repeatedly refused to heed an order to let him by. Carlos Sainz Jnr separated the two Toro Rossos at the end.

Nico Hulkenberg was the only other driver who failed to take the chequered flag after Renault called him in for an unspecified reason early in the race.

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2018 Brazilian Grand Prix reaction

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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94 comments on “Hamilton takes Brazil win as Ocon clash costs Verstappen victory”

  1. I think Ocon forgot he wasn’t in F3 anymore…

  2. It’s about time someone takes out Max. He’s exactly like Austin Cindric and Todd Gilliland in NASCAR. They’re great drivers, it’s in their blood and they have talent but they run into people whenever it suits them and then cry like little babies when it happens to them.

    Max, grow up. You’re a great driver with incredibly talent. You don’t need to suddenly start acting like Vettel and Hamilton in order to beat them.

    1. Are you on something? Max drove a brilliant race and lost the victory due to that stupid driving by Ocon.

    2. Dutchguy (@justarandomdutchguy)
      11th November 2018, 19:13

      I want some of the stuff you’re on

      HE’S IN THE LEAD. HE WAS LAPPING OCON.
      Ocon was fighting the leader, that’s JP Jarier stuff. He wouldn’t win anything with this anyway. He was slower overall, he was slower in that corner. This was Ocon’s fault. 100% his fault. This was not Max beinh careless, HE WAS LAPPING OCON!

      1. You guys are bonkers. Ocon was faster. He had pitted for fresh SS and caught and was passing Max.

        MAX WAS NOT LAPPING OCON!

        1. Dutchguy (@justarandomdutchguy)
          11th November 2018, 19:21

          read my correction…

          Anyway, this was still some careless driving by Ocon. He should’ve lifted even if it was for position, this wasn;t even for position. He might’ve wanted to unlap himself, but should’ve waited for the 2nd straight. This was overeager dumb driving

        2. “MAX WAS NOT LAPPING OCON!”

          Ocon was already lapped by Verstappen.

          Ocon was 70 seconds behind verstappen before Ocon slammed into Verstappen.

          He was not fighting for track position. Ocon is allowed to unlap himself, but not by casusing a collision and taking out the race leader.

          1. Max DID NOT PASS Ocon to put him a lap down. It was via a pitstop and Ocon was faster. Get over yourself. Get over Max. He’s not your goddess.

          2. @neiana/

            “Max DID NOT PASS Ocon to put him a lap down.”

            Irrelevant, even in caps.

            Ocon was 13th, 70 seconds behind, penalized for causing a collision, and has taken victory from the best driver of the day.

            “Get over Max. He’s not your goddess.”

            Request to change your irrational hate into my irrational love is denied, boy.

            You said it is good the race got the wrong winner because you hate Max. You thereby make a mockery of the concept of sport – and yourself.

          3. @racefan: where were you in 2013? when bottas was unlapping himself and ham touched him, and ham received a penalty for it! oh it is ham, he must have deserved it? am i right?

        3. What place was Max in and what place was Ocon in? Were you making the same face Ocon was making during weightin’s when Max pushed Ocon the moron?

      2. Dutchguy (@justarandomdutchguy)
        11th November 2018, 19:19

        correction

        Apparantly ocon had a slight speed advantage due to tires, but a backmarker should be careful anyway. You can try to unlap yourself, but if you take out the leader, you are wrong. This was not even for position

        Also, Ocon claimed he got no space… We saw Magnussen squeeze of Ericsson and noone cared… And that actually was for position.

        1. @justarandomdutchguy

          I think “slight” is lowballing it. He caught up, had DRS, all the goodies.

          Earlier in the race, Max dove inside Bottas (I think?), went all the way on the kerbs and nearly to the grass/wall because that was a legit lunge for the position. It was very dangerous and not a peep from anybody at all.

          No, he didn’t give space to Ocon, though. We do recognize that Max probably assumed there was nobody there and so he was not intentionally turning into Ocon. At least I can recognize that. However, Ocon was there, he had moved alongside and a smart person might have driven like Kimi passing Bottos (I think?) a few laps later. Cut him off, make sure the pass is complete.

          Max did not do that, then he acted like it was all Ocon’s fault. It was not. Max had far more to lose and nothing to gain by fighting so hard to keep a faster lapped car behind him. Max is an incredibly prideful child, just the way three other current “greats” have been fairly regularly. He drives the same as he did in his first several races when he was penalized but now that he’s driving the same way but at the front of the field, it’s suddenly that he is the victim…

          1. “Ocon was there, he had moved alongside and a smart person might have driven like Kimi passing Bottos”

            Bottas and Kimi were racing eachother – for race position. Ocon was 13th, Verstappen 1st.

            Ocon got the penalty because he caused the accident.

            Your argument is logically flawed, constructed on alternate facts, and rooted in hate.

    3. “It’s about time someone takes out Max.”

      Sure it is. But people who actually love racing and sports in general, don’t agree with your pathetic comment.

      1. So what I mean by “….takes out Max” is teach him a lesson. They tried penalizing him his first several races but he hasn’t actually changed. He’s been wrecking people since he started Formula 1 and he hasn’t really changed. I’m not asking for people to risk his/their life but someone needs to teach him a lesson somehow. I used “take out Max” (and elsewhere “show him a wall” because by sheer numbers, I’m just around the NASCAR mentality more often (20 races vs. 60) and a NASCAR in the wall can still come back and finish races (wouldn’t advocate such driving at a super speedway because that kind of wreck is legit scary). Yeah, I need to switch to open wheel mentality much like Max needs to switch to “other people exist in the world not just me” mentality. The difference is I am not hurting anyone.

        Max needs to grow up and nothing has worked so far.

        1. “So what I mean by “….takes out Max” is teach him a lesson. ”

          Yes, i got that – you claim your ethics are disfucntional.

          “He’s been wrecking people since he started Formula 1 and he hasn’t really changed.”

          Vettel, Hamilton, Raikkonen and Ocon have been wrecking people since they started in formula 1. But you will be hard pressed for any of the first three to have run around in p13 and taking out the race leader.

          “Max needs to grow up and nothing has worked so far.”

          Apart from scoring podiums and points you mean?

          The reason you and your clansmen hate Max is because he is really that good and you made the inital choice to claim he is not, which is, by lack of character, is now causing you and your clan to bend reality.

    4. Max… You’re a great driver with incredibly talent. You don’t need to suddenly start acting like (drivers A and B) in order to beat them.

      Agreed.

      But…

      It’s about time someone takes out Max.

      Seriously? If this is your attitude, I’d guess you’re also the kind of viewer entertained by crashes. Pretty sad.

      1. @phylyp when NASCAR/F1 ratio is 60/20 and the NASCAR race is less than 5 miles from my house and also on the TV already, it’s kinda hard to break out of the mentality that someone can just bump another driver and both can keep driving with no problem.

        1. @neiana – ok, you’re forgiven for not breaking out of the NASCAR mindset, and for admitting it as well :-)

          I’ve had trouble viewing and understanding NASCAR as well, given its so different from what I’m used to, so the struggle is understandable!

      2. @phylyp

        To be fair, the BBC used to use crashes in the intros to advertise up and coming races. There was a Monaco reel that consisted of 100% crashes to hype up the following race.

    5. Neiana, there is one person who needs to grow up quickly…and it’s not Max….its the poster I’m replying to

      1. I’m not advocating it but crashes are still used fairly commonly in one or all three of the intro scenes before qualy and race.

  3. Shocker from Ocon – idiot

  4. RebelAngelFloyd (@)
    11th November 2018, 19:08

    Ocon (still on a Mercedes contract) heading for a welldeserved sabbatical, helped Mercedes to the day victory…

  5. i think that crash was more max’s fault.

    ocon was on softer, fresher & faster tyres having just made a stop. he got drs & drove past verstappen and remained alongside verstappen when max just didn’t leave room and turned in. had max left room there would not have been a collision, ocon was perfectly entitled to be where he was and did nothing wrong. he was alongside by more than half a car and deserved to be left room which max did not give him.

    i am a fan of max’s and would have liked for him to win but for me that incident was more his fault.

    max also tried to start a fight with ocon in the weighing area.
    https://twitter.com/TomekTR/status/1061692445413568512

    1. I totally dislike max because he ruins ferrari race many times, the difference is he was in the current lap the several times he crashed with a ferrari, but ocon is an idiot he was lapped and tried to come back and crashed vers…

    2. Lewis gave very good advice to max in cool down room but I guess Apple doesnt fall far from the tree and Max being Jos’s son decides to throw out the advice and pick up fight..

      1. Dutchguy (@justarandomdutchguy)
        11th November 2018, 19:16

        I think Lewis would be at Ocon’s troat as well, as would Vettel. He’s being all peaceful now, but I doubt that he’d reacted any more positvely.

        Of course, getting touchy isn’t proffesional, but it’s not entirely un-understandable either

        1. @justarandomdutchguy Err no both Vettel and Hamilton have their moments, but they have more class and respect for other drivers than Max, ‘like father like son’, what an unedifying moment to watch at the post race weigh-in.

          1. @ju88sy some lovely selective memory, bearing in mind Vettel used his car (not his arms) as a projectile in 2017 and Hamilton used to bash Rosberg off the track whenever he knew he could get away with it. A car is a lot more dangerous and unedifying than a few pushes.

        2. “Of course, getting touchy isn’t proffesional, but it’s not entirely un-understandable either”

          If Ocon had made sure he would be there to apologize at first opportunity, that would not have happened at all.

          One has just taken out the race leader and took a victory from him, whilst driving at postion 13 yourself, and the stewards have held you responsible. But you try the ‘that is Max again’. Max should not have pushed him around, but Ocon could have prevented that by not acting like a weasel.

          1. Beyonce has a song for you.

    3. Verstappen needs go learn that anyone can be ballsy when they have less to lose than the other guy and that doesn’t make them a great driver. Just pushy and self entitled.

      1. Max is Petulant child. He should be advised that “talent doesn’t equal greatness”. If he doesn’t grow up he will never win a drivers championship.

    4. Yeah, I agree, especially taking into consideration that force India was the fastest team today

    5. max also tried to start a fight with ocon in the weighing area.

      I’m with Max on the incident, but that was post-race fight was dumb.

      1. @phylyp yeah, it was dumb (although I like this level of emotion), but you don’t know what was said. If Verstappen confronted Ocon and Ocon told him to get lost or bad luck or whatever, then a push is more than warranted. (IF being operative).

        1. If … Ocon told him to get lost

          @hahostolze – I know what KMag would have said if he were in Ocon’s shoes :-D

    6. PLEASE someone give him a wall next race. I just hate it when nasty people with nasty, arrogant attitudes drive around with their thumbs up their noses and win all the time.

      So does everyone. That’s why people hate Vettel and Hamilton.

      1. Wrong! YOU hate Vettel and Hamilton. Think you’ll find they have massive fan bases but you crack on sweetheart, you crack on.

        1. I actually dislike Hamilton (rather than hate) and am a moderate fan of Vettel. I can see reality, I guess you can’t?

      2. @neiana really?
        Your completely nuts and a disgrace for this fansite.
        I guess sport in all its variations is a bit strange to you. Go back to …(some uninteresting activity you normally do)

    7. The track does not narrow at that point and Max could have given Ocon room (as several other drivers did when attempting an overtake on that piece of track), Max cut across Ocon’s nose and left Ocon nowhere to escape the collision. Just slow-mo the incident for an appreciation of where the blame should lay.

      1. That’s what the Stewards did form all angles and they gave a penalty to Ocon and three points on his license..
        So it’s clear already..

      2. Ocon shouldn’t have been there, he should have backed out once Max got in inside line into turn 1 and was ahead. Yes Ocon has the right to unlap himself, but only if it’s clean move. Not if he has to fight for it.

  6. RebelAngelFloyd (@)
    11th November 2018, 19:10

    Maybe Ocon was blinded by all the blue lights in his cockpit…..

    1. @rebelangelfloyd There had been no blue lights because Ocon wasn’t been lapped.

      Ocon had just pitted a lap or so before so was on faster tyres and it was Ocon that actually caught Max, He stayed behind him for over a lap but when he got DRS he went to unlap himself because he was actually losing time behind Max.

      By just showing the replays we saw it does make it seem like Max was trying to lap him but that was not the case. I had the F1TV onboard camera of Ocon up at the time so saw the full build up.

      1. Yep, Ocon did what he tried on Perez several times this and last year..His ego is bigger than his talent sometimes.
        But this time he took out the race leader. He needs some deserved time off it seems. Oh, wait he will get that!

      2. Ocon was trying to unlap himself.

  7. What happened on the scales after the race…. Damn…

    1. Senna would have knocked his teeth out and Piquet would have gone full blown karate on his ass. I don’t get why people get their panties in a bunch over that. He had it comming when he chose note to appologize and instead taunt Verstappen, even when Verstappen started to walk away.

  8. Hamilton gifted another win

  9. It’s been a while since the last time a fight for a race win was decided by a lapped-driver.

  10. RebelAngelFloyd (@)
    11th November 2018, 19:14

    I guess it’s better for Ocon if he starts his sabbatical one race earlier.

  11. Something that’s been overlooked is that at that point Ocon was actually faster than Max due to been on the softer compound having just left the pits.

    That incident wasn’t Max trying to lap Esteban it was Esteban looking to unlap himself having just caught Max due to been a bit faster at that point. Esteban had been behind Max for over a lap, He got DRS & managed to pull well alongside Max, He then stayed alongside Max & was still over a car length alongside when contact was made. Max should have left more room, Simple as that in my view.

    1. It isn’t being overlooked by some of us, just the blind fanatics of Maxipad. The guys is insane and he’s got insane fans to be right there with him.

      1. The fact Ocon got a stop and go penalty says all there is to say about who is to blame for the incident.

      2. What is overlooked by Max haters is that Ocon got a 10 second penalty, and this is because normal people can actually still see reality in the absence of blind hate.

        Ocon did not even have the dignity to seek Max out and apologize, as a gentelman with some balls would have done. He just turns the situation around, as if he did not get a penalty for taking out the race leader whilst he should have given room -and- being 70 seconds behind.

        What is also overlooked is that Ocon has been regurlarly beaten by Max, that Ocon is a mercedes driver, and this might well be his second last grand-prix ever – which explains the red mist.

      3. … blind fanatics of Maxipad

        Yeah sure. But still Ocon got the 10 sec drive through and 3 penalty points.

        Btw, obsessed anti-fans are at least as silly as blind pro-fans.

    2. Fully agreed with your point, but Ocon needs to pick his battles. In sector 2, the RBR would have most likely caught up, forcing him to yield to blue flags. Ocon unlapping himself wouldn’t have won him track position, or points, over the remaining laps. Ocon also wasn’t battling any other lapped driver at that moment.

      1. @phylyp You think a fresh set of SS compared to a half-race old set of whatever Max had on his car was going to do that? Most races in most leagues don’t have a lot of very late-race passes for putting cars laps down because the leading driver keeps their head on their shoulders and has worse tires. Guess what?

        Max would have won the race if he let Ocon go. So when your choice is “definitely win” if you swallow your pride and “probably win” otherwise, which is the smarter choice? Max just wasn’t smart.

      2. @phylyp @neiana
        You could equally, even more so actually, say VER needs to pick his battles. He was racing HAM and he was matching HAMs lap times to keep him at bay while at the same time saving tyres. And this very fact/management, combined with the faster tyres of OCO set up the oppurtunity, and should’ve been enough for VER, to let OCO unlap himself without putting up a fight.
        OCO was having his own race with other midfielders and would’ve lost about 6 seconds behind VER if he would not try to unlap himself. He actually had already lost some time behind VER, bc he was already a full lap behind him and faster, and he wouldn’t have had any blue flags in the upcoming laps, let alone in the very first sector 2, bc he was lapping that much faster.
        And the collision itself, yeah, VER just didn’t leave OCO any space to turn. OCO was alongside him, on the inside of the corner and just had no where to go. None of them predominantly to blame probably, but VER should have left more room.

        The thing with VER is that he acts he’s entitled (to be given room all the time for example). And he’s never at fault, like now: He sees the fact that OCO received a penalty, is proof that OCO indeed was at fault and he was robbed. But every time he gets a penalty, it’s “stupid stewards” this, “they want to destroy racing” that, denying BOT in Monza was left out of track (despite video and pic-proof) etc etc. And the same ‘logic’ follow his orange worshipers. Like they go on using arguments in favor of VER while dismissing those same arguments when used against him, whatever suits their narrative, namely Max is impeccable. Guys like rebelangelfloyd, hahostolze, racefan, robbie, dutchguy, panagiotism-papatheodorou, anunaki, erikje, paeschli, mayrton, david-br, gtisbetter. 95% of them is brainwashed by the personal, orange network of VER, ziggo.
        And it’s quite funny, bc there hasn’t been a single driver I can remember of/read about, who’s been involved in this many driver errors/incidents as their object of devotion.

        1. Guys like rebelangelfloyd, hahostolze, racefan, robbie, dutchguy, panagiotism-papatheodorou, anunaki, erikje, paeschli, mayrton, david-br, gtisbetter. 95% of them is brainwashed by the personal, orange network of VER, ziggo.

          Wow krxx, you’ve actually compiled a hit list! Good stuff. Though actually I agree with you in this case and most of your above argument. Apologies for that.

          1. @david-br at first you didn’t, but I read the post where you “actually went back to look” and suddenly had a realization. I’m not sure krxx did that. :D

          2. @neiana Well any praise of Verstappen and you’re automatically a ‘ziggo’ for krxx, whatever that is! (absolutely no idea) and thus beyond any salvation or redemption. As soon as I saw Ocon and Verstappen had collided, I assumed it was Verstappen’s fault to be honest! Apparently more or less the same reaction as Hamilton as he drove past. My second immediate reaction was ‘Mercedes conspiracy theory incoming…’

          3. Wow krxx, you’ve actually compiled a hit list!

            Ah, it’s krxx, the local anti-Max fan with a Ziggo obsession, seeing orange again.
            So predictable and so boring.

    3. jeroen.vanjaarsveld@gmail.com
      11th November 2018, 21:03

      Over a car length alongside? So Ocons car is longer than Max’s car?
      All joking aside, Max should have been more careful but Ocon should have been more careful too. I think he had some red ‘I beat this guy in GP3’ mist going on.

  12. I wouldn’t have kept my calm like Max with Ocon after the race

  13. Well, this is curious, Ocon did a typical Verstappen move, only all Verstappen fans, who usually defend moves like this, are all very upset and the anti-Verstappen guys, who usually condemn these moves like crazy are saying it’s totally fine!

    All sillyness aside, I think this is just a continuation of the lack of respect from junior drivers which is on the increase. Max is guilty of that as well as some other drivers. It seem to creep up through the junior ranks.

    I know Ocon is driving is own race and you can unlap yourself, but looking at all the factors like, end of season, current place in the race, it’s the nr 1 fighting for a win. Should you go wheel to wheel just for an unlap?

    For the record i also think max should have used his head more, both drivers could have easily avoided this, but in cases like this, which are a bit more common in indycar and IMSA, i’d say the backmarker should be more cautious not to ruin the other guys race as a gentleman and fellow racer. Not just drive on the edge, cause the rules allow it and forget about common sense.

    1. Verstappen never took someone out while being one lap down on the guy he’s ‘fighting’ with

      Ocon ruined Verstappen’s race… and my enjoyment of this race

      1. @paeschli so it’s completely okay for Max to ruin someone’s day as long as they’re on the same lap? He’s done that many times but they just got tired of trying to penalize him for it

      2. That’s about the only crash type he hasn’t been involved in.

  14. OMG poor Ocon, again victim … stop the nonsense.!
    This is not the first time Ocon forced his car where it shouldn’t and where the only sure outcome would be a clash… yet -once again – he is the victim
    Was Ocon faster? Yup, Did he have fresh SS tires? Yup. Did he pass RB car safely? Nop. In fact he never put the car ahead of Max’s. Just look at where the damage of the RB car is, it wasn’t on the front wing or even front tires. It was the front sidepod, so if Ocon was ahead of Max how did he manage to destroy Max’s sidepod with his front tires?
    Ocon is a smart a** and will come with stupid responses always deflecting responsibility and playing victim, I can imagine he tried playing the same rhetoric and Max wasn’t going to take any of that. I for once am glad to see that some in the grid still have stones and put these type of “drivers” in their place. I think it is better to deal with it personally at the scales (even if a push or two happen) than go to the social media and tell the world that the other driver tried to kill you… oh wait… Ocon might just do that… again.

  15. In the end, what sticks with me is the reaction of Hamilton in the podium antechamber. ‘He had more to lose than you, you were winning this race’ (or something along those lines). This is why Hamilton is world champion. This is why no amount of unprecedented pace will make Verstappen world champion yet.

    1. Hamilton has had a dominant car (until they lost their trick wheels anyway) throughout the hybrid era.

      That’s why he’s got 4 championships in the last 5 years.

      Give Verstappen a car equal to Hamilton’s and he’ll win the championship next year.

    2. Agreed. That is the same reason I cringe a little whenever someone says Verstappen could’ve won the WDC if he were in a Merc or a Ferrari. I’m not saying he won’t, but what I am saying is that he hasn’t been tested in the conditions where he has as much to lose, if not more, as the guy he tangles with. And from what I’ve seen so far, I’m not too sure.

      1. You seem to forget VER was world champion before and knows how to dela with pressure,

        1. When did Verstappen win a WDC in F1? I know Max’s fans have crowned him a multiple champ already but I must have missed it.

        2. I’m not sure if the Zandvoort Masters qualifies as a world championship.
          Or do you mean Max finishing behind series winner Esteban Ocon in F3? (not a world championship.)
          Oh yeah, he did win the bumper car world championship when he was a child.
          My mistake, what a legend.

    3. @hahostolze
      @rockgod

      I feel the same way, especially when people say Verstappen should be in the Ferrari, or he’ll win multiple WDC someday.

      Funny thing is, Vettel has driven the same way this year; fast with crashing. Yet we see people wanting a better driver for Ferrari.

      I think Verstappen is actually ok in the Red Bull. That car was never going to win a WDC. Red Bull’s spot in the championship is pretty secure. So why not drive it like it’s stolen?

      The question is, can he be more mature with a championship car? I suspect not based on his actions today, because he had a GP to lose and he chose to race a car two laps down.

  16. It was almost surreal seeing a backmarker trying to fight the race leader as if the win was at stake. I couldn’t believe what I was watching.

    I don’t think 10 seconds is enough. He needs to be suspended a race.

    Yes, backmarkers are allowed unlap themselves, but if you can’t get a pass completed before going into the corner you give up. Verstappen is entitled to believe that Ocon in 16th position will not impede him through the Senna S. It was one of the more bizarre things I’ve seen in F1.

    Not only did Ocon not give up a the first corner of the Senna S but at the second corner he refused to give up trying. Ocon never actually got in front throughout those corners. How could Verstappen possibly think Ocon would punt it up the inside of turn 2.

    Alonso was a disgrace today as well. I’m happy to see the back of him. He should have been given a black flag for ignoring blue flags all day.

    1. I agree that Alonso behaved in a way unbecoming of a champion, but I think that Ocon (with literally nothing left to lose in F1) was unlapping himself and VER was too caught up in his own thing. Max made the basic mistake of assuming a position rather than earning a position. Turn 4 would have been much more sensible place to pass, and I hope VER learns to drive with his head more than with his heart. I also hope that Ocon gets a drive again so we can see where this goes in the future.

      1. “Max made the basic mistake”

        I think you are making the basic mistake of not knowing the rules. Ocon got a penalty for causing a collision. Causing, as in being responsile for it.

        “and I hope VER learns to drive with his head more than with his heart”

        I think Ocon has his own head on his torso, and Max can do little about what is going on in there.

        If you have missed Verstappen driving with both head and heart yesterday, one wonders what you have been watching.

  17. It was pointless for Ocon to unlap himself.

    If he managed to do it he would have had blue flags all over the place in sector 2 were Red Bull is much faster then Racing Point Force India.

    1. That is not how race drivers think.

  18. I thought Ericsson retired?

  19. Hamilton is an outstanding driver. Absolutely brilliant. Mercedes wasn’t the fastest car today and he took care of the tyres and was superb when the oportunity arrived. Really fast when the tyres were dying.

    1. @edmarques I think you’re in the wrong post. Here we are arguing about the orange mist, the orange sunglasses, the orange halo..

      just kidding of course. :D

  20. Off the track, I’m not usually a big Lewis fan, but his comments to Mxx backstage at the podium were pretty classic. Ocon was trying to unlap himself and he obviously had nothing to lose. Max made the rookie mistake of feeling entitled to the corner and taking too much of it. Contact was made with Ocon being half a car width off of the track. I hope that Max learns from this error and (even more) I hope Ocon gets a drive in F1 again so we can see where this goes.
    If Kimi in the Sauber could be there in the hunt next year, that would be okay by me too.

    1. Im am normally not, but now that i do it makes my argument stronger with stuffed nothing!

      “Max made the rookie mistake of feeling entitled to the corner and taking too much of it.”

      This is incorrect.

      Legally entitled by the FIA-rule book. Ocon made the rookie mistake to hit the race leader whilst running 1 lap back in 16th. Ocon’s error, and it was penalized.

      “I hope that Max learns from this error”

      Ocon’s error.

      If Max would give way to each idiot who thinks he can ruin a sport event, than he would send the mesage: hey, i will move aside for anyhting, so be my guest. Are you sure you fully undertand what it takes to be a racing driver?

  21. So wrap up for the raceweekend ?
    Lewis has at least one previously penalty worthy move, the offended is a merc customer, and of course won’t report anything to the stewards, as they fear jeopardizing their relations.
    On Sunday, the driver, who acknowledged himself that he previously got straight team orders from Merc (in Monaco for example), incidentally makes a very uncharacteristicly brain fade move – from him – and takes out the leader , and Lewis wins the race as a consequence. Later Ocon says, he was told to unlap himself.

  22. What place was Max in? What place was Ocon in?
    The look on Ocon’s face before and after Max pushed him was making me want to punch him myself. Ocon messed up bad – end of story, if you disagree you are the Ocon of this scenario.

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