Alright when was that again.....?

[TOONS12]

This is how F1 has always been. Would Senna have won so many poles and races if he was in an Osella, instead of the McLaren? Would Schumacher have won so many races if he was in a Minardi, instead of a Ferrari? I don't understand why this is a revelation to anyone.

Well yes correct. You just undermine the whole of F1 and i agree with you...its a constructors championship really, but the drivers championship is the 'sexy' part the fans like, so it gets promoted that way...

Like i said before Schumie broke his leg in 1999 and Mika Salo took his drive and his first race in Schs car he was winning but had to let Irvine past so came 2nd...

It's mainly the car and the final 10% (according to Brundle) is the nut behind the wheel...

Did Russell ever get P2 on the grid in qually before today?

 

[Appie Kuipers]

Still the same, Merc, Merc, Redbull. The Merc is still the BEST car, Ham or Russel no difference

 

[TOONS12]

Propably the worst track ever to make those kind of conclusions and comparison between the drivers.

Not really as some of us are just comparing Russell to 7 days ago...
If Lewis was still driving, Russell, still in the Williams, at best could of scraped into Q2 and maybe got 16th 15th...
As it stands, he is P2 by a whisker from pole.....
So yeah...
That Merc has gained Russell 15 odd places JUST from being the same driver as last week doing the same thing...
15 places at least.... 15!

 

[Charlie Lockwood]

Give Russell a Mercedes he can actually fit in and proper preparation, I think he'd beat Hamilton.

 

[Badwheels]

I will change my tune. It's the car. No Lewis, new dude in the seat with feet that are too big for the pedals, Bottas having FP issues. Qualifying comes around and Merc says, " Just kidding".

 

[stribbeck]

This is how F1 has always been. Would Senna have won so many poles and races if he was in an Osella, instead of the McLaren? Would Schumacher have won so many races if he was in a Minardi, instead of a Ferrari? I don't understand why this is a revelation to anyone.

Spot on, regardless of how good the driver is with a slower car they are never going to win, you need both

 

[Badwheels]

Give Russell a Mercedes he can actually fit in and proper preparation, I think he'd beat Hamilton.

In a race ? An actual race ? Uh...........no. He would be Bottas 4.0

 

[Charlie Lockwood]

In a race ? An actual race ? Uh...........no. He would be Bottas 4.0

Alonso, Button and Rosberg have all had seasons where they've matched or beaten Hamilton. Hamilton, while a great, is also very beatable. I wasn't expecting Russell to get a front row to be honest. To jump into a car he doesn't fit in, without sim preparation and with a new team around him, and do that...is seriously, seriously impressive.

 

[John-Eric Saxén]

Still the same, Merc, Merc, Redbull. The Merc is still the BEST car, Ham or Russel no difference

I will change my tune. It's the car. No Lewis, new dude in the seat with feet that are too big for the pedals, Bottas having FP issues. Qualifying comes around and Merc says, " Just kidding".

It didn't take long for you guys to forget Turkey.

Bottas was three tenths off Hamilton in Bahrain 1. It could be that we today saw again the typical lackluster late season form Bottas. In any case, it's not really enough data points to tell from one qualifying session.

 

[Dan ONeill]

Well that was really impressive from George!
Jumping into the fastest F1 car of all time and coming within a quarter of a tenth of a second of Bottas who’s been driving the car for 4 years....
I think that will silence some who say it’s all about the driver...

 

[bgil66]

I think Russell was actually up and then an engineer made a remote 'engine change' so he wouldn't get pole

 

[Tomi]

I think that will silence some who say it’s all about the driver...

I'm pretty sure no one has ever said it's ALL about the driver. But in the long run driver definitely has a significant role. I'm sure almost any driver of the current grid could take a pole in a good day with Merc. But weekend after weekend, session after session and year after year is a different thing.

 

[Dan ONeill]

I'm pretty sure no one has ever said it's ALL about the driver. But in the long run driver definitely has a significant role. I'm sure almost any driver of the current grid could take a pole in a good day with Merc. But weekend after weekend, session after session and year after year is a different thing.

No it isn’t ALL about the drivers, I will concede there are some skill differences, what I meant was that the differences we normally see are vastly exaggerated by the car. George is an up and coming talent for sure, but I think half the grid could also perform as well in the Mercedes.
Russell, Verstappen, Ricardo, Leclerc, Vettel, Perez, Sainz, Norris and Alonso dare I say.

 

[LeSunTzu]

Give Russell a Mercedes he can actually fit in and proper preparation, I think he'd beat Hamilton.

Points are awarded on Sundays only

 

[Ronaldoz87]

I think Hamilton and Bottas look better if Russel was 0.5s slower at least. It's not their fault, it's because of this overpowered Mercedes, people don't like to give credits to the drivers. Generally, the F2 and F3 are much more exciting.

 

[Appie Kuipers]

Easy 7x champ in a car nobody can follow, after Russels drive, for sure Ham is a lucky man.

 

[sparkmastertape]

I'm pretty sure no one has ever said it's ALL about the driver. But in the long run driver definitely has a significant role. I'm sure almost any driver of the current grid could take a pole in a good day with Merc. But weekend after weekend, session after session and year after year is a different thing.

Best post on RD F1

 

[TOONS12]

I'm pretty sure no one has ever said it's ALL about the driver. But in the long run driver definitely has a significant role. I'm sure almost any driver of the current grid could take a pole in a good day with Merc. But weekend after weekend, session after session and year after year is a different thing.

But at least they could get a pole....

I'd take that over being in a Williams race after race.

 

[TOONS12]

Points are awarded on Sundays only

The only point that really matters is that a guy at the back of the grid can get to the front of it in a Merc....
In the same season.

 

[Badwheels]

Alonso, Button and Rosberg have all had seasons where they've matched or beaten Hamilton. Hamilton, while a great, is also very beatable. I wasn't expecting Russell to get a front row to be honest. To jump into a car he doesn't fit in, without sim preparation and with a new team around him, and do that...is seriously, seriously impressive.

That was a young Hamilton, different car. Not apples to apples. And you say, "beat Hamilton" are we talking 1 race, a season, lifetime achievements ? I give Russ credit for putting the car where it belongs on the front row. But people saying," he could beat Hamilton" on a consistent basis, even in the same car, aren't looking at it objectively.

To win a championship in any sport takes talent and luck. To win championships repeatedly takes talent beyond the norm, luck, and keeping your own internal "dimwittedness" to an absolute minimum. Of the current drivers on the grid, I bet we all can name 3-4 times each one of them have thrown away a race or finish position by doing something bonehead, Hamilton keeps that to a minimum, as long as Albon ain't around. But Max. Zeb, Daniel, Charles have all done things where you go, " I could have done that".