The 2018 Season

[Penfold]

Chances are right up there with England winning the next three World Cups...

Still, fantastic job by Eric's son.

[Chrill]

Ericsson winning gives you a return of 501 times your investment. I mean, Leicester winning the Premier League was something like 5000 times, so this is a given really.

[Chrill]

Well. That sucked, Ericsson. Car broke before the race even began, then damage from Grosjean. Then Magnussen. Then Magnussen again. That led to a DNF. I really hoped for a good result for Ericsson before leaving F1, and P7 was definitely doable since Leclerc finished there. Real shame.

Disappointed in Verstappen shoving and pushing Ocon post-race, but then again what the hell was Ocon doing trying to unlap the leader so aggressively? 10 second Stop/Go was absolutely fair, and 3 points on his license too.

[Penfold]

Ocon got off pretty lightly with just a bit of shoving... I remember when Senna floored Eddie Irvine for having the temerity to unlap himself whilst Ayrton was battling with (insert driver name here) for position.

Perhaps it was a subtle message to Mercedes: You think Bottas is a good wingman for Lewis, but give me a chance and I'll show you how much a truly committed no. 2 can help... the first one is free!

[Matt]

I call it a 50/50 accident, if Ocon had not been a lap down. But he was, so it was on him. But Max has taken out more than his share of people with dumb moves that he has never yet taken responsibility for, so I am not interested in hearing from him either.

[Penfold]

Sympathy for Max... not an easy thing to conjure.

[Chrill]

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/2018/11/Ride_onboard_with_Ocon_for_the_laps_leading_up_to_Verstappen_clash.html

Feel free to form your own opinion. In my book, Ocon came from too far behind and didn't have what it took to overtake safely. Since he had Verstappen alongside him into turn 1, Ocon should have backed off. I agree with the 10 second Stop/Go penalty.

[Penfold]

... and if he had managed to nip past Max, he would've had a few more laps before his shiny new super-softs lost their edge and he got blue flags waved in his face.  Talk about a pointless endeavour.

[Chrill]

Sure, but he'd be some 5-6 seconds further ahead than if he hadn't first passed Maximus Von Stappi.

[Penfold]

Briefly nip off into the distance by hammering your tyres, or conserve them by driving more cautiously behind Max... I wonder which would be the more sensible approach? 

[Chrill]

Surely hammering your tyres, they'd last the distance.

[Penfold]

They'd last in as much as they wouldn't explode, but what's the fastest way to drive 31 laps on a set of super-softs?  Then there's the time lost in passing, and then being re-passed by Max.

[Chrill]

Alonso wrapped up his career in mediocre fashion, but at least he stopped caring so that's cool:
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/alonso-whiting-corner-cutting-penalties/4304116/

Cut the corner to gain an advantage thrice, resulting in 3 times 5 second time-penalties added to his time total, and 3 licence points. He does not care.

[Chrill]

https://www.aftonbladet.se/a/8w02dW

Learn Swedish you muppets.

EDIT: And if you don't, here is a Google Translated version of the article:

"A disaster if this proved true"
Material fraud may have inhibited Marcus Ericsson
SPORTBLADET less than 3 hours ago

Marcus Ericssons last season in Formula 1 may have been characterized by major injustices.
Material fraud may have hampered his achievements.
"It is not the most fair sport in the world we are dealing with," says reporter Janne Blomqvist in Viasat Motor's F1 podcast.

The Swedish racer left Formula One after five years. The 28-year-old was forced away from his stable Sauber in favor of Antonio Giovinazzi and Kimi Raikkonen.

A few weeks ago, Ericsson revealed that, while in Formula 1, he ruined the Australian television profile Sarah Todd's marriage when he went out on a date with her.

Now, new - completely different - information about Ericsson's time in Formula One. Viasat reporter Janne Blomqvist says about major injustices that have taken place in Ericssons stables - material ones that have had a negative impact on Ericsson and benefited team mate Charles Leclerc.

"I have witnessed evidence that something is not right, that it is different simply. The brand did not look so strong, and something needed to be done. The brand being Charles Leclerc. But it does not take anything from Leclerc's performance, because he is very good, says Blomqvist in Viasat Motors F1 podd.

Blomqvist says, however, that he can not or can not reveal his sources, but at the same time claims that they are relatively reliable.

"There are indications that it has not been right, and I mean very clear indications," he says.

At the same time, he says that many do not know about the injustices in progress.

"It would be a disaster if it came to light. Not everyone in Sauber knows what's going on. The worst thing that could happen is that this is coming out, it would be a giant scandal. It's so sick, because everyone knows what's going on, says Blomqvist.

[Matt]

I don't really buy it. It sounds like what Nasr said when Ericsson was beating him. Plus, Sauber was in a close points fight in the constructor's battle, so the idea that they were purposely inhibiting Ericsson makes no sense. And Ericsson arguably had some of his better drives near the end of the season.