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A walk down Lando Memory Lane - Lando focused GP rewatches:
Introduction
Navigation
Supplementary
Next race: Hungary 2024 - are you excited for that one? I'm not.
A walk down Lando Memory Lane - Lando focused GP rewatches
British GP 2024
Quick review: I am simply not strong enough to deal with McLaren's weather based strategies. It's amazing how the moment rain comes into the play and any rational thoughts just leaves the pit wall chat group. Sigh. Headache. Headache and also, the broadcast treated midfield like contamination zone so. Yeah. Pretty disappointing with this one, to be honest.
Also, I was handicapped by no radio transcript.
Tagline: LOL, say 'Oh, well!' or go to hell!
I’m sorry, not sorry ’bout the strat and deg
Don't lose your head!
Rating: Obligatory watch for any self-respecting Lewis fan. I'm going to be sticking to the Highlights, if I have to.
Result: P3 to P3
Obligatory Lando glazing: Actually, the first stint + inters were really strong. That overtake on Max that Oscar later copied, it was so effective? A dream.
Martin the Commentator (L15): Norris is as he was in Spain, driving intelligently, moving out of the slipstream of the Red Bull through the Luffield and corners like that. Kept himself in play and then used all the tools available to him for a nice and clean pass.
Then he got both Lewis and George in quite fantastic moves.
And look, he wasn't resentful on the radio in the end, even if he very much looked like he was dying.
My thorn: That stint on softs. Oh, brother. Not Lando's fault, it was a lot of factors, but ouch.
Keeping it fair section: You have to give it to Lewis, you have to. Amazing win, no wonder he cried. Fantastic job with tyres on the last stint, just, hats off.
But in the name of truly being fair: Hulk P6!! He's been on a roll, this couple of races!
Lance Stroll, as always in the wet, P7! And from him, I saw bits and pieces and he admirably held Charles back for quite some laps at the beginning.
Alex in points. Logan Sargeant P11! Midfield must have done such a great job, pity I saw nothing of it… Sigh, F1TV, why do you hate me?
Fs in the chat: Charles. Ferrari messed up his strategy big time and he ended up P14. Yikies.
Both Oscar and Lando too, to be fair. McLaren really missed both of their shots. Botchery of the higher calibre.
Pierre for early retirement and George for the late one.
Broadcast notes: L4: Lando's cockpit camera shows the views upside down. Just give up with this shit, man.
L22: Broadcast shows replays that are just very, very weird. Close up for Williams as it does nothing. Cars going backwards. Quick cuts.
Funny bit: Crofty at L16: Ted, when we retire from this business, we're going to emergency poncho selling. Come to Silverstone will make a fortune.
At L37 KMag slid and killed the pit lane bollard.
Yelling at the cloud: Martin the Commentator after Lando overtook Max said: ...you have to say Max was entirely correct in this maneuver. I'm sorry, do we have to? Do we? What, are we going to clap and cheer because he didn't ram into Lando for overtaking him, is that what is being said here? What a joke.
Fashion corner: Special britanized version of Williams. Red Bull with quote unquote special livery that changes almost nothing.
Land had cute print on his helmet but I think too much yellow on it, to fully appreciate pastels.
Teammate on Teammate Violence Achievement: Williams! Alex drove into Logan but not his fault, really.
Landoless radio: 2
Biblically accurate Lance Stroll DRS train: Broadcast showed me this but not other things, okay.
Strategy Room: Ferrari had people - spotters - spread around the circuit to monitor the weather. McLaren, guys, hire me for this job.
But also, like, imagine doing all that and still messing up.
As for the McLaren... So, everyone got on Zak Brown's case about not double stacking Oscar and losing him presumably podium, but honestly, McLaren is famously dogshit at double stacking so yeah, maybe he wouldn't lose that much time or maybe he'd lose much more and this teams is famously full of cowards, so, yeah.
And then, the whole thing with Lando's tyres...
Worst part is, I don't know if this was just a simple case of wrong decision and luck or pure incompetence. What would I give to hear the discussion on the pit wall during that race.
Making bigos/They love to kill Cassandra first: I'm told by Crofty, that FIA said that actually in hindsight and after their review, [stewards] should have shown Max Verstappen a black white flag for the first instance. That came out here at Silverstone earlier today and he's talking about Austria 2024 and Max racing Lando and moving under breaking. (X, X)
So Lando was fucking right.
I am. Well. Wow. I have a very, very unkind thought about this.
Fastest Lap Lando: L15, L23
Good Guy Will count: 1
Saltburn: Will. My guy. I don't like harping on you but what is going on? I know it's not all your fault but Tom straight up told Oscar mediums were recommended and you spend so much time chatting with Lando and going back and forth about it and it turned out to be a botch. All those messages about rain... Full on headloss and chaos. Please, lock in. How are you more messy in 2024 than in 2020?
And then, just silence after the race? Not even the word? I know Lando lost out on 1st place, but it was still podium at home race, come on.
Tin Foil Hat On: So many things could have been done differently that I just don't know where to start. But yeah. P1 wasn't out of the question.
Natlane special: That is not a slander, just me venting but I came to rely on Radio Transcript feature in Multiviewer a lot and I feel blind without it, so much so that I wrote to Multiviewer team about the transcript missing and they wrote back to me pretty sure this is before we launched this feature. Um, no, because I watched 2023 with it on, my friend. Sigh, anyway, they told me it can't be fixed. Sad.
Unrelated: Isn't it crazy that Haas got that stupid ass penalty in Hungary 2020 for chatting on the comms during Formation Lap and now it's like, normal? I mean, good because it was stupid rule, but like.
Thoughts:
If this race is bad, I swear to God. I need to wash my mouth off of Austria or I'm going to scream. I'm serious. <- I screamed.
Crofty, you're back!
And he spoils the starting grid.
Checo starting from the mysterious year 2030 where F1 is Net Zero.
KMag P17, let's hope he finishes the race.
Logan Sargeant P12! Alex P9! Lance Stroll P8! Hulk P6! People were locked in!!
Oscar P5, Lando P3, mediums.
Great, next to Max...
Diva P2!!!
So, I'm pretty sure Lewis wins this one.
Lando tried to get Lewis on the inside and Max gets opportunity and gets us from the outside. P4.
We're falling away from Max.
Bingo for Martin the Commentator mentioning how heavy fuel is.
L3 Pierre retires. F
Will: Lando, when the rain comes, it's going to be racing decision when it's the right condition to take it, so we'll keep it simple. <- blasted on main
Crofty wonders if there are going to be team orders for McLaren swap but since no radio transcript, I don't know, so I'll only check if something happens.
Poor Guanyu had softs on and had to pit, while rain is coming.
I had to stop my rewatch for a day due to travel and I'm back and I looked through my notes and I'm not very optimistic about this race.
Remember when I was explaining requirements for tyres in wet condition and now I'm like. *Eye-roll* Wow, Martin really needs to explain it, huh?
Honestly, I'm so glad to be doing this, it's like therapy but only for a cost of yearly subscription of F1TV, haha, I'm doing so well.
L15 Lando overtakes Max into the Stones!
Are you impressed I used the silly British name instead of saying T15?
Radio Transcript might be dead but Driver Tracker is still working, thank the chances.
We're P3.
L16 I know McLaren will beef it with strategy. <- I hate being right.
L17 Will: It's more than class 1 in the pit lane now. We are ready whenever you want it. Let's not go too early. I think I'm still pissed at Will for Austria because it really irritated me.
L17 Oscar overtakes Max same way Lando did. You're welcome.
L18 Lewis overtakes George! Yay! P1 for Lewis.
L19 Both Mercedes go off track into the Abby. That's T1.
Lando got George so badly, oh wow. No contest at all, man. P2.
Lando: Yeah, they both rejoined very unsafely. <- blasted on main in no time. But ehh, nah.
Lando: Do I need to survive this bit?
Will: Ideally, yes. But not if we can't. Will... 🤦Uh, goosebumps of embarrassment.
L19 DRS disabled.
L20 Lando passes Lewis! P1, baby!
L21 Ferrari put Charles on inters and it turned out to be incredible fumble.
L21 Will: Lando, we've had our first track limit strike that time you went off T12.
Lando: Yeah, it was slippery, what do you expect? Say it.
L21 Legit, Carlos is catching Max!
L22 Will: Conditions shouldn't continue to improve for 4 to 5 laps before the main rain. Will... 🤦
Other cars on inters that are not dying are: Esteban, Checo and Guanyu.
L23 Oscar went on the grass a little bit and Martin the Commentator says: he doesn't give up, does he? Foreshadowing is a literary device-
L23 Martin the Commentator: This is where Lando Norris went off, across the tarmac...
Crofty: We know it's Slippery When Wet, in the words of Bon Jovi.
L23 Will: Opportunity, yy... place to find time, 10 to 14. When the rain hits, it could last 30 minutes. Three-zero.
L24 DRS enabled.
L24 Will: We are ready whenever [to pit].
Lando: I don't know, what do you think? One more lap?
Will: One more lap at least.
L25 Crofty: Zak Brown ... how are your nerves?
Zak Brown: They've been better. It's excting. It's pretty nerve wreaking exciting. I hate he's relatable to me.
L25 We've lapped Charles. Ouch, Ferrari, guys...
And then Charles goes off the track. Man's on inters. It's just not his day.
L26 DRS disabled. They're just flipping the switch on this thing, back and forth.
Ted the Commentator tells us early pitters to inters lost 20s. Oof.
L26 Oscar says it's too early for inters and he catches up to us as Max pits.
L27 Will: Lando, we have priority, thoughts?
Lando: Is it gonna get any harder than this or not?
Will: We think it will rain similarly to this for 10 minutes but it is getting wetter. Verstappen and Sainz took it.
Lando: It's getting quite tough.
Will: We suggest box this lap.
George and Lewis also pit.
2.8s, inters, P2.
L28 GP praises Max for good call for pit. Max in P4?! Wow.
L29 Oscar was kept lap more and he had issue slowing down into the pit lane and then missed his mark slightly. All this screwed him over, he's P6 from P1.
Well, I say P1 and the Commentators say: Oscar led this race, had to pit lap later than his teammate but like... He didn't lead, he just ended up first because Lando pitted.
L34 George has has to retire the car because of the mechanical issue. I'm so sorry.
L34 Will: Lando, if we were to fit another inter, we think we'd kill it very quickly, so we have to get to the dry patch.
Lando: Yeah, I agree.
L35 Will: Remember, they have only soft and hard and we got medium if we want to. Will... 🤦
L37 Will: Thoughts on mediums versus soft?
Lando: Soft. ... They are gonna put soft on, so, if you want me to cover that.
L38 Will: No more rain expected after this 14 laps to go, we think soft from here would be ok.
Lando: Yeah, I feel like it has to be slick tyre. It's still pretty wet.
L38 Zak is getting grilled for leaving Oscar out. I said my piece on that.
L38 Oscar gets told medium is recommended and Oscar says that it's the best.
L38 Lewis pits.
L39 They pit Oscar. To mediums. Max to hard. Lewis soft.
L39 Lando: Box! Box!
Will: Verstappen went hard.
Lando: We need to box, the soft is better now. I need slick tyre.
Will: Okay, so we can chose medium kind of people like Verstappen or chose a soft kind of people like Hamilton.
Lando: Hamilton. I think I want it. Or what do you think. Medium? I don't mind.
Will: We're going soft.
Let me tell you, I listened this exchange over and over again and my jaw was dropping lower and lower. Just. Will... 🤦
L40 We're bit off the marks because Lando had to maneuver around Ferrari people. 4.5s, soft, P2.
It's Landover.
We're behind Lewis.
L43 Karun says there was too much chatter on the radio to Lando and I fucking agree.
L44 Lando says front left is already dying. Oh my God.
L45 Kimi Antonelli sighting.
L46 We're cooked. No pace on softs. I don't know if it's Lando or just tyre but. It's Landover.
I'm too stressed to watch. Did I really wrote this helps me? It doesn't! I'm so glad my kitty came demanding petting, so I can delay this disaster.
L48 Max gets us. P3. No chance against him at all.
L52 Oscar is 2s faster than Lando. On mediums. Which Lando had.
GET IN THERE LEWIS!
Lewis P1!
He's crying, oh, awwww.
Well earned.
Lando, post race, after sitting in silence for half a minute, no kidding: Yeah, I don't know what to say. Well done. But. I think poor from my side. And. I don't think we did good enough job with our decisions. I think we knew, we spoke about certain things and we didn't do very good job with them but- yeah, also stuff from my side. Should have boxed a lap earlier but that's on me not on you. So well done.
A walk down Lando Memory Lane - Lando focused GP rewatches
Austrian GP 2024
Quick review: A very rare L for Austria because holly hell, what was that? The whiplash of it! This race was not giving for around 50 laps - and I'm not saying it's because of those stupid gravel traps, but, like, isn't it curious, that the moment they were added, we got such a horrible experience? What, poor stewards didn't want count track limits? Pathetic. Anyway, horrible race for Lando but I don't think anyone had particularly good time, save maybe for George.
Tagline: On track terrorism.
Rating: Skip for Lando fans. Otherwise Highlights.
Result: P2 to DNF (technically P20)
They love to kill Cassandra first: Lando L59: He can't keep moving after I've moved, it's just dangerous. Or we're going to have a big shunt.
Rules Lawyer: Good grief, so many. The stewards really though they were cooking with those gravel traps, only to be hit with so much other stuff. Crossing the white line at pit entry, track limits, still, pit lane speeding, collisions. Bad language on the radio from Yuki. And I didn't even get to enjoy it, because FIA's Document site is down as of me writing this.
Curious situation with Unsafe Release from Max, because FIA document says car is considered to be released in an unsafe manner if it could endanger pit lane personnel or another driver so Max dodged the penalty for that. Sounds like a cop out.
Obligatory Lando glazing: Bulletproof P2 but sadly, you can't be F1 driver if you're not fighting for P1 and that was what ended it all. I mean, honestly, it looked like Lando wasn't even trying that hard to get P2, like, he got there effortlessly, so I am so sad he didn't get to keep it.
My thorn: Sadly, I do have more negative things to say. First, track limits. I have started to think about them as sort of resources that you can use to make up for a time and less like a mistakes but still. Had Lando saved them up, maybe we wouldn't get that +5. Which, to be fair, didn't matter in the end.
Now, I do think Lando was low-key panicking - or, not so low-key - for those last 15 laps, and instead calming him down, Will was just repeating after him. I don't want to blame Will for Lando's result, because it clearly Max's fault but the man certainly didn't help. Just- I don't want to say the whole race was bad but there was a crucial moment when Lando should do the whole keep your head down and lock in and he didn't and that cost him both a win and any points at all. Like, I want to see fierce racing, not people arguing on the radio, you get me?
And that goes for Max too!
Keeping it fair section: People in top 10 were kind of driving around in the first half and during the second, I was focusing on Lando, but I think Nico Hulkenberg deserves praise for P6. No clue how he got there, but brava!
Fs in the chat: Lando for sure.
But also Charles, who got contact with Oscar and just never recovered, while Ferrari tried pitted him 4 times. And he didn't even get a point.
Tin Foil Hat On: I will say this. After Lando messed up that one move and went wide, McLaren should go into crisis mode and tell him to disengage. Would Lando listen, I don't know. But it was over, guys. There was no way Lando was going to magically make up 5s to Max. Or, if they truly believed that, they should just tell Lando not to give the position back. I don't know man, I just feel like not getting P1 was definitely on Lando but losing P2/points was on Max and McLaren. Maybe I'm biased but that's my look on it.
Broadcast notes: No Crofty. I can't believe I miss him.
I love that shot on T3, it looks amazing.
Speaking off, the slow roll of camera from the back to the front of the grid at the start replay was so cinematic. I loved it.
We get wind telegraphic.
Funny bit: This is for me only.
L8 Lance Stroll: I know you're going to tell me to lift and coast forward and all but... I don't want to.
L15 Mark Slade, KMag's RE: Manage the tyres.
KMag: Just me or Nico too?
Mark Slade, KMag's RE: Both cars need to save tyres.
KMag: Fuck that.
L59 Lando: Oh, Jesus. You numpty! <- despite the horrors, he stays silly
Wing graveyard: 1. Charles 2. Lando, but he retired before going out with it.
Landoless radio: 1
Fastest Lap Lando: L26, L54
Natlane special: I had a little break from watching the races and I was so glad it'd be Austria welcoming me back and what do I get? It's a good thing I'm in high spirit or I'd crash out. Sorry for being so negative, I really was looking forward to this race and it was horrible.
In other, unrelated news, KMag's RE has amazing voice.
Unrelated: Maybe it's just my snowflake, glass heart sensibilities but comments under 2024 Radio Rewinds are so mean. It didn't use to be like that...
Thoughts:
Guanyu starting from that one self-pickup package thing that is always full and my stuff gets redirected.
Lando warming up his hands before the race. Cute.
Oscar P7, Lando P2.
Commentators are trying to talk tyres to me but I'm not locked in enough for that.
George tried his damnest to get past Lando but position protected.
Oscar does Checo special - trying to overtake from the outside into T4 and going wide because of course.
Ajajaj. Ferrari curse. Charles had misfortune of having Oscar to his left and Checo to his right and being sqeezed. Damage for him.
Remember when in 2020 Commentators were harping on and on about Carlos' move to Ferrari? Look how the tables have turned.
I kind of didn't pay attention but I wonder what happened to Logan Sargeant, who's behind Charles.
L12 Haas pitted early and now they are battling each other.
L13 Lando: I'm struggling with everything. And here I thought we were doing good...
Oscar potentially had two victims: Charles and Checo.
L15 No way! Alex on Charles! Get it!
L15 Will: So you're happy with plan A?
Lando: Yeah, I mean, it's clear who we're racing, so... Seeing Max is 4s ahead, not him, I assume.
L17 Charles boxes again. Probably because hard tyres bad.
L19 Will: Lando, the hard tyre looks poor which makes difference to us important. And also, remember we have two mediums, Red Bull don't. <- blasted on main
L22 Oscar snitched on Lewis for crossing the line on the pit entry. Race Control must have been bored to tears because they jumped on it immediately.
L23 Max boxes on the same lap as Lando did. Which is... a choice. But if we're not racing him, then fine. 2.6s, hards, P3.
Lando complains Max launched into him which he kind of did.
L25 Lewis gets penalty for line hopping.
L25 Will: Lando, we're stuck in launch map. I'd like a switch on. Sigh.
L26 Ferrari is cooking up plan for Charles to end in points. And without SC, allegedly. While he's P18.
L27 Toto motivating Lewis not to give up.
L20 Lando: What line is he doing at 6?
Will: It's kind of as discussed, similar to Oscar. I don't know if it's good or bad answer.
L33 Thank the chances for Fernando vs Alpines because otherwise we'd die from boredom.
L34 Charles pits again, all according to Ferrari's masterplan, I'm sure.
L42 Will: Lando, just be careful of at exits, which I know you will be. Will chose to be useless this race.
L43 Charles ended up behind us and it going to attempt unlapping. Not unreasonably so, because he's on mediums 10 lap old, while Lando is on 22 lap old hards.
L43 Will: Lando, Leclerc has just been told he's okay to try and pass you.
Lando: No!
Will: I know, that's what I've been told. Will....🤦
L44 Well, fuck. Charles unlaps himself.
Or not...?
He overtook Lando into T4 and went wide, losing position immediately.
Lando: Yeah, brilliant, huh? I'm just wasting my time.
Charles decides he cannot pass. Danger averted for now.
L49 Lando is complaining about blue flags but he can't be pitted out of them because he'd be put into more traffic. He says he'll at least be on new tyres.
Will: I'm just warning you. Forewarning. Will... 🤦
L51 Ajajaj, Lando went very wide, almost losing position to Pierre. Thankfully, Max boxes, which means McLaren feels safe, copying him. We box as well.
Aj. Max missed his marks and there was a problem with left rear. 6.5s pit stop.
Lando, meanwhile, 2.9s, mediums, P2.
L53 Fourth pit stop for Charles.
I'm so mad because everything is falling in place. Max's slow pit, now he locks up and I just know we're not winning this <- I didn't know, actually but well
L53 Will: Right, he's 1.2s, let's use-
Lando: Yeah, I- I see that.
Will: RBV (???)
I'm so glad I'm not watching this live.
L55 Lando complains Max is moving under braking.
Now. There were a lot of quite embarrassing messages from Will where he mostly repeats what Lando says like:
Lando He saw me move then he moved. That's not allowed.
Will: We're reporting to Race Control. He saw you move and then moved.
And it happens multiple times but I just can't report it because I get so embarrassed. Maybe it's how it's done but I just cannot take it.
L59 Lando brakes late and locks up, kind of like what Charles did. He comes out first but gives position back.
It counts as track limit. It's Landover
L62 I'm speechless.
L63 Lando does another late move and Max goes off.
L63 Will is being such a yes-man, I just. Will... 🤦
L63 Max: I'm off again.
GP: It's not very clever, is it? GP why are you being a bitch?
L64 Harry the Commentator is campaigning for Stewards to hurry up with their decisions. Valid.
L64 Oh. no.
Contact between Max and Lando.
Max has a puncture. Lando also has a puncture. Lando is worse off, he can't really make it to the pit lane.
Wow, maybe Charles will be in points, after all.
Lando with penalty.
Okay, Lando says it's not worth it to continue. Kinda fair. No way he'd get to points.
I-
No words.
Horrible race.
I'm so glad I don't have to revisit.
Saltburn: This is section where I am a mean bitch and rant, so proceed with caution. I'm not tagging this because nobody reads this far and it's well hidden and also this is an official warning.
And as always, I'm talking strictly about the situation, not passing judgement on someone's character.
That being said, Will, what the fuck was that? I understand Lando made mistakes but brother, where were you in all this? I will forever maintain that this race was salvageable had Will stopped repeating after Lando and got him to calm down. Isn't this your job as a RE?! Like, Martin Brundle - Martin Brundle! - knew Lando would get penalty for leaving the track so what, were you hoping you could convince Race Control otherwise? I understand that Lando was fighting with Max, so there were mitigating circumstances, but the headloss of it all.
I have so many conflicting feelings about Will, I just can't decide if he's competent or not but races like this really lift the scale into a certain direction.
And it pains me to say all this. I never want to sit here and type all those words. I want to rave about how great of a team my driver and his RE are, how they work together well, how they win together, lose together, overcome obstacles together. And, admittedly, I never really got that from Will and Lando, but if you can't make me feel like that, at least don't make me into a bitch. I don't like being mean, I really don't.