Grand Prix thread 2020 1st Austrian Grand Prix Chat and Predictions

I've kind of kept quiet on the Black Lives Matter moment at the start of the race, but I have to air my views. It will probably be hit with the usual kind of responses, educating me how BLM is a far left marxist group and how Lewis hasn't suffered racism, to just blindly ignoring the fact that racism actually exists.

But.. I feel F1 really scored an own goal today. If the sport was unable to get everyone to buy in to an act of solidarity fully, then maybe they shouldn't have done anything at all. Simply put out a statement (naming no names) that they were unable to come together in an act of solidarity, acknowledge that the sport and world as a whole still has work to do, and that they continue to want to work to make the sport more inclusive.

What was on show today was sad. Nearly 1/3 of drivers were unable to show solidarity with their colleague's, and it was anything but a show of unity. It looked awkward, it looked insincere, and it also put some drivers directly in the spotlight. (unsurprisingly from Russia, Italy, Spain and extremely priveliged backgrounds. Kimi... Well... Yeah.). But also, you only need to look at social media to see the repercussions from this.

I'm in no way suggesting that drivers should have been forced to kneel, far from that... But F1 needs to understand that it's a sport mostly for the very privileged and that it has a **** ton of work to do to become truly inclusive, not just for minorities but across the board. Today was a shambles, which is sad considering it's lagging behind NASCAR.

Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.

 

Only just realised Lando as well as 3rd he achieved fastest lap on the very last lap. I think he needed that fast lap to hold Lewis off 3rd.. Lewis was just 0.2 seconds behind after the 5 sec penalty!!

 

The boy dun good.... Though I was fully expecting him to disconnect or get taken out by Pagenaud on the last lap.

 

He did amazing. Looking at the timing his fastest lap was less than 0.2 faster than the 2nd fastest lap - Bottas 3 laps before and 0.25 faster than Lewis with 4 laps to go!!!

 

Not necessarily no. It may well depend on your socio economic background, where you live, and any number of factors. I can well believe that if you come from a minority background you may not always be welcome trying to break into a privileged sport. You might still get that contract and win those races but it doesn’t mean everyone is going to feel you belong there.

Why should two people’s experiences be the same. The fact that Hamilton professes to a different experience to someone else goes to prove that. Otherwise you would have to conclude that one of them was lying without any real evidence for saying so.

 

I flipping love Lando. I really feel we are going to be spoilt with a potential golden generation of young drivers coming through. Some really exciting prospects.

 

Same. There's a crop of wonderful drivers right now, but Lando just connects with me. Love the enthusiasm, the humor. He just feels fresh.

 

You've just proven my point by using 'socio-economic background', racism doesn't care about money, it cares about skin colour, so why would socio-economic background some into it, unless race has little to do with it and it's the age-old case of the poor get ****ed so the rich stay rich.

 

So there's no such thing as racism. Well that's sorted then. Everything's fine.

All we have to do now is sort out the hugely disproportionate number of black people who come from poor socio-economic backgrounds and..... oh wait.

 

I really loved his banter with Carlos last year. They just genuinely seem to get on great. Today proved that they are willing to battle hard between each other as well.
The new drivers or ex rookies are really great characters like George, Albon and Charles. I think we have had a bit of a lull in seeing drivers personalities for the last few years. They used to be a bit too corporate and now the young guns are bring in a much more playful side to things. I think the sims stuff has sort of cemented that and really allowed them to show their bonds. They are showing they can have personalities, be human and be great drivers. Long may it continue.

 

And McLaren are fun!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ron Dennis would be rolling in his grave if he was dead.

 

I'm still pissed at Macca for how they dumped Hinch for Askew in Indy... So they're still on my **** list a bit.

 

It blows my mind how so many people can believe that racism just doesn't exist. We see it when we go racing in certain countries, but it's been wiped out by simply turning down the audio, we see it in football globally.

l live in the south of the USA and I see it with my own eyes regularly. We've had black neighbors abused in our neighborhood, they have left, we have had KKK material dropped in our yard, somebody tried to set fire to our front yard while having a black family member stay here. It exists, it's real, it's worse in some places than others, but it's on the rise thanks to people like Trump in power, and it needs to stop. A lot a closet racists have been let out of their box over the last few years, and this is why it's important for high profile sports and everybody to stand against it.

 

I think the sport has some good young talent rather than an army of paid drivers. There is a difference there. If talent is the entrance criteria, racism doesn't enter into it where F1 is concerned. The issue is whether the opportunity to develop the talent exists for all, no it doesn't, that is not only about colour though.
I have deleted a paragraph of debate, that looked at history and examples, the net of which ended simply recognising this is going to take generations to fix.

 

Definitely generations. We have moved backwards rather than forwards. It's like turning a ship again.

 

yes, you see it in a red-neck state in the US, where-as I live in the most multi-cultural town in the UK, I also see it everyday, there's plenty of racism here, except it's not the white people who're being racist, but no one wants to hear that because that truth is deemed racist. No one wants to hear that the black community holds itself back, that the anti-education pro gangsta 'black culture' Lewis loves so much is more to blame for their failings than white people are.

 

It exists everywhere. Believe it or not, people have similarities regardless of if they grew up in the middle of butt f*** nowhere, or live in multi-cultural or affluent communities. Claiming it doesn't is just ignorance I'm afraid.

 

Don't want to dive too deep into a political subject. But what was the message they were trying to portray this week. End racism or racial equality? If its the second then that's a bit weird as F1 is probably the most multicultural, multinational sport in the world, you know as long as you have money then your in.

If its racism then yeah OK their might be problem on the fans side of things. I have even witnessed it in a croud at Silverstone.

But overall it has come off as being a problem within the circus itself. The media have even made it seem like the drivers who didn't kneel as being racist and not supporting the cause.

Not sure F1 got it right.

 

So the next race is Albons 23rd race. The prophesied race he will get his first podium.

 

Poor lad lost two through no fault of his own. He is becoming Hamilton's new Massa.