Lando Norris not defending

He was saving his tires. They were on Inters that needed to go as long as possible. Ferrari was near 1 second a lap quicker. 

Edited by ARTGP, 24 April 2022 - 15:17.

Absolutely no point in trying to keep Charles back in this situation & these conditions. Nothing to win, everything to lose. A no-brainer.

Lando is a great fighter but his greatest strength is knowing the maximum result possible and getting it.

Clearly Ferrari was miles faster today, and he knew from the sprint how easily they could DRS past.

Hence sensible to lose as little time as possible and then build the gap to Russell.

And given that Lando beat LeClerc, maybe the Ferrari man was driving beyond his own ability…

It's something I have noticed a lot in the past but again today he seemed to almost slow down and let Charles get by.

What do people think of this? Personally, I think if a driver has big ambitions they should fight for everything on the track.

Or is it better to just let a faster car through and avoid all the hassle that comes with the battle?

I like Lando a lot but I think he needs to get some more fight in him.

The mediums needed to last 40+ laps and it wasn't near the end of the race. The McLaren and Ferrari are in different tiers of performance.

It's a skill knowing which battles are worth fighting.

It's something I have noticed a lot in the past but again today he seemed to almost slow down and let Charles get by.

What do people think of this? Personally, I think if a driver has big ambitions they should fight for everything on the track.

Or is it better to just let a faster car through and avoid all the hassle that comes with the battle?

I like Lando a lot but I think he needs to get some more fight in him.

Lando made the right decision. Points win prizes!

It's something I have noticed a lot in the past but again today he seemed to almost slow down and let Charles get by.

What do people think of this? Personally, I think if a driver has big ambitions they should fight for everything on the track.

Or is it better to just let a faster car through and avoid all the hassle that comes with the battle?

I like Lando a lot but I think he needs to get some more fight in him.

Had Charles caught up to him and started to challenge for that podium a few laps before the end, you'd seen a different Lando. Fighting harder there in the beginning would have, apart from being futile, hurt him.

Weird thread.

Zero point in "fighting" cars that are a second a lap quicker in a powerful DRS zone. Plus McLaren have had a long term policy now of "knowing their place" in order to save tyres, max points etc

Could they be more punchy on strategy at times - yes absolutely - was this race one of those times - of course not.

Well at the end of the day, he's ahead of Charles. So the strategy worked.

Is this not a DRS symptom? Makes it an unfair fight and pointless to even attempt trying to defend against the inevitable.

No it's not. This is basic racecaft that goes back before those who first thought of DRS were even born.

Edited by flyboym3, 24 April 2022 - 20:48.

I think I noticed Haas Magnassun did this too but then we are in the unofficial era of B teams supporting A teams.

What benefit is there for him, or anyone else, in fighting a car that is clearly faster, and potentially damaging his own race?

I don't know, maybe ask Verstappen. He knows a thing or two about this,

I've stated the same some time ago. Lando misses the fighting spirit to be put in the same league of the big boys.

Yeah I didn't think that was a coincidence at all. Most aggressive driver on the field just lets another one through. Hmmmm.

Edited by flyboym3, 24 April 2022 - 21:06.

I don't know, maybe ask Verstappen. He knows a thing or two about this,

 

I've stated the same some time ago. Lando misses the fighting spirit to be put in the same league of the big boys.

And yet he is clearly better than his teammate Danny Ricciardo, who two seasons ago was considered to be one of 'the big boys'.

 

 

I've stated the same some time ago. Lando misses the fighting spirit to be put in the same league of the big boys.

No shame in admitting you’ve been consistently wrong ;)

I don't know, maybe ask Verstappen. He knows a thing or two about this,

 

I've stated the same some time ago. Lando misses the fighting spirit to be put in the same league of the big boys.

The last one is really only one which you can compare to today. Relatively early (laps 17-18 in 56-lap-race). Other two are late-race fights for high positions when of course driver does it all to keep driver behind.

Everybody covered the inside line except Magnussen.

Magnussen did. Lando didn't.

There was a race last season where letting the faster driver through when he could've easily held them off for at least another lap or 2 cost Lando podium because of the way the race turned out. On average, over the course of an entire season, it probably pays off overall to play it safe like he tends to so I guess it makes sense. There is always the chance it backfires and ends up costing you badly though. Doesn't make for exciting viewing at all as a spectator either when drivers put up absolutely no fight

Lando is a great fighter but his greatest strength is knowing the maximum result possible and getting it.

 

Clearly Ferrari was miles faster today, and he knew from the sprint how easily they could DRS past.

 

Hence sensible to lose as little time as possible and then build the gap to Russell.

 

And given that Lando beat LeClerc, maybe the Ferrari man was driving beyond his own ability…

Yes, he played the percentages like a veteran driver today.

Magnussen did. Lando didn't.

Edited by flyboym3, 24 April 2022 - 21:49.

There was a race last season where letting the faster driver through when he could've easily held them off for at least another lap or 2 cost Lando podium because of the way the race turned out. On average, over the course of an entire season, it probably pays off overall to play it safe like he tends to so I guess it makes sense. There is always the chance it backfires and ends up costing you badly though. Doesn't make for exciting viewing at all as a spectator either when drivers put up absolutely no fight

They're not there for your entertainment.

They're not there for your entertainment.

Is that a joke? 

Magnussen did. Lando didn't.

Have a look at where Kmag finished if you want to see what happens when someone mindlessly defends a battle that isn't there to be won. 

He's not Eddie Van Halen, he's Robbie Robertson.

Is that a joke? 

No.

They are racing, you can watch if you want.

The whole thing loses value if they become entertainers.

No.

They are racing, you can watch if you want.

The whole thing loses value if they become entertainers.

This is perhaps a subject for another thread, but isn't the point that without fans there would be no professional racing, certainly not at a level approaching the expenditure of Formula One, unless the people ultimately paying for it - racing fans - were being entertained?

One might debate whether, for example, a Haas fan or Magnussen fan would rather see Kevin defend like a madman against a car that was inevitably going to overtake him anyhow, ruin his tyres in the process, and consequently finish a couple of places lower than he would have done if he had not ruined his tyres, or instead let the faster car past without futilely battling it.

The answer would be a matter of personal preference, but I should think many Haas fans would be delighted for Haas to finish the season in the midfield in WCC, rather than 9th or 10th, and in that competition all points can matter.

Getting back to the specific thread topic, Lando has established himself as one of the best drivers on the grid with both racing nous and combativity. I'd rather he have both qualities and use each at the right time than he have loads of one but none of the other.

This is perhaps a subject for another thread, but isn't the point that without fans there would be no professional racing, certainly not at a level approaching the expenditure of Formula One, unless the people ultimately paying for it - racing fans - were being entertained?

 

One might debate whether, for example, a Haas fan or Magnussen fan would rather see Kevin defend like a madman against a car that was inevitably going to overtake him anyhow, ruin his tyres in the process, and consequently finish a couple of places lower than he would have done if he had not ruined his tyres, or instead let the faster car past without futilely battling it.

The answer would be a matter of personal preference, but I should think many Haas fans would be delighted for Haas to finish the season in the midfield in WCC, rather than 9th or 10th, and in that competition all points can matter.

 

Getting back to the specific thread topic, Lando has established himself as one of the best drivers on the grid with both racing nous and combativity. I'd rather he have both qualities and use each at the right time than he have loads of one but none of the other.

F1 became the premier motorsport series because it was pure racing. They do what they need to do to win, that's what make it interesting.

You’re right. I’ve seen Lando do it so many times.
He’s not a fighter which is why he’ll never be WDC.

Yeah, tell that to Alain Prost.

You’re right. I’ve seen Lando do it so many times.
He’s not a fighter which is why he’ll never be WDC.

Yes, he played the percentages like a veteran driver today.

Brilliant, faultless and mature drive by Norris yesterday.  How could he or anyone else have done any better in that car as it is at present?  

So, mystery solved?

Yes, except it was never a mystery.  Just an opportunity to attack Norris.

He defended hard against Hamilton in Monza last year, so it's more picking his battles rather than being a subdued defensive driver I would say.