For serious, though, I pointed out after Austin last year that cutting across the entire track at the first turn of the first lap is awful racecraft from Sainz, and got shouted down by Russell-haters.
For serious, though, I pointed out after Austin last year that cutting across the entire track at the first turn of the first lap is awful racecraft from Sainz, and got shouted down by Russell-haters.
In piastri’s case I think sainz just locked up. I don’t really think it’s an indication of him doing it on purpose. But yeah, some fans have something against Russell. You crash into one bottas years ago and the world never lets it down.
If anything, it’s that Russell then bonked Bottas on the head afterwards. That was twatty af and hard to live down. People don’t forget so easily when a sportsman acts like a dipshit, even if it’s a little thing. Well unless it’s their darling that can’t do wrong, and poor George isn’t anyone’s darling.
It seemed to me that everyone liked Russell when he was in Williams. He would occasionally out drive the fuck out the car, but, once it was obvious he was taking bottas’ seat, he started coming off as douchey . Him yelling at Bottas for his own mistake of running into the grass was kinda the turning point. Also saying that a Mercedes shouldn’t be fighting for 9th, then fighting for 9th the next year in the same seat was karma. He also complained that schumacher was fighting for his life, which he was, while defending 12th or whatever it was. The internet never forgets Georgey
I agree it was a really bad moment for him. But IMO, when it comes to driver beefs I feel like if the drivers have moved on the fans should move on.
I guess so, but it’s still interesting to see how these guys react in such situations.
In the last F3 sprint there was this moment where a driver returned to track unsafely and took himself and another car out. What he did was he ran to the other driver, obviously profusely apologised, and then went away to scream at himself. It was such a cool sporting moment.
And so if a teenager can do that, it’s a bit odd to see grown men in F1 act like children sometimes. The radio just makes it worse, because if they know people listen to what they’re saying, it makes sense for them to blame everyone else even if they know it’s their fault.
Can’t fault viewers if these things leave a bad taste in their mouth.
I agree with all that and it did leave a bad taste in my mouth too for about a year, but it’s been a long time, the drivers have moved on, and he’s been really respectful since then. Just feels weird to me to hold a grudge for years and years over something that the drivers stopped caring about. I’m not defending him in the moment but I can’t pretend to understand the stresses the drivers are under and try to forgive drivers for one off outbursts. If it’s a constant thing then I definitely get annoyed with them.
Russel just has that reverse je ne sais quoi. I hate to admit it, but he has a very punchable face and he never did wrong by me :(
I can see that, but I have a soft spot for dorky drivers who don’t come from super rich families.
Dude’s got that classic British fop facial structure working against him. Does he do dumb stuff on track sometimes? Yeah, but I don’t think that’s why people are so ready to heap blame on him.