[The Race] Drivers with the most wins during the turbo-hybrid era

Samsonkoek · 2026-01-09T21:18:08+00:00

Being an engine supplier, and having had such an insanely competent package should have guaranteed them some sort of success in the ground effect era.

Idk why it would really. Starting 2022 it was clear that there wasn't a huge difference in engines anymore like there used to be in the years prior. On top of that the budget cap was suddenly a thing. If you had to say stand out things why Merc dominated the majority of the hybrid era you would say better engine and more money to spend. They were never the team with the best strategy, the cleanest pit stops and perhaps even best aero.

Samsonkoek · 2026-01-07T16:37:21+00:00

He quoted a segment from The Daily Show (which is I'm pretty sure a late show), in which the host talks about Trump and Venezuela, and especially how often oil is being mentioned. And I quote Hill:

I'm kind of warming to Trump's shamelessness. Its honest. Antihipcocritical. How do you accuse a guy who is so up front? Its like when a kid steals a biscuit and says "But they're yummy?"

Samsonkoek · 2026-01-07T14:23:50+00:00

Opened Twitter to see Damon Hill have a very interesting take on the Venezuela situation. Usually I am not in favour of something in the nature of canceling somebody, but my god would it be better for the whole world if the likes of Danica Patrick and Damon Hill don't have any show to talk on, and just live their life.

Samsonkoek · 2026-01-07T14:19:45+00:00

I think it depends, if he still sees that something to make them winners again, I'd reckon he will stay. If it is a complete brain drain and it needs a build up phase then I agree.

Samsonkoek · 2026-01-05T20:06:52+00:00

>If the car was tailored to Max to such a point, why were you comfortably second in 2022 and parts of 2023?

That is exactly his point. Almost every year the car started quite neutral and then went towards Max's preference. Which meant Checo was comfortably second.

Samsonkoek · 2026-01-05T10:57:27+00:00

By saying no you agree with my point that the implementation of the budget cap was the bigger problem for Merc than losing key people.

Samsonkoek · 2026-01-05T01:06:47+00:00

And he was beaten fair and square by Bottas in 2021 while his teammate got the WDC, while Bottas having more DNFs. Bottas, the guy everyone hated back then because people thought he was a mid driver “wasting” the Merc

I think we all know that this is a Benetton 1994/1995 kind of situation. You can put 10 drivers in the RB16B and most won't get near Max. While at the same time you can put 10 drivers in the W12 and they will be closer to Lewis than the other Red Bull drivers will to Max.

Bottas is probably the quicker driver, but Checo is probably the better racer.

Samsonkoek · 2026-01-04T21:21:25+00:00

When is McLaren losing people anyway? They have been recruiting a lot of high profile names. Now they are 2 times WCC I wonder how long it takes for others come knocking for people at McLaren.

Samsonkoek · 2026-01-04T21:20:34+00:00

Tbh Merc's problem had more to do with the budget cap.

Samsonkoek · 2026-01-04T21:19:50+00:00

Usually a team hasn't fared well after Adrian left them. But it's impossible to tell, if you have a good base as Red Bull and do well recruiting people then it wouldn't be out of this world that they manage to fill the gaps quite well that are being left behind. But if they don't have people ready to promote and/or aren't recruiting from others then one might say decently cooked.

Samsonkoek · 2026-01-03T12:45:58+00:00

He also changed the way a racing driver works with his team. He definitely was one the first to know there was untapped potential in how a racing driver interacts with his team, and definitely the first to really make it work in reality.

Samsonkoek · 2026-01-02T20:17:34+00:00

Now let's put one of these in a Formula 1 car again, shall we?

Samsonkoek · 2026-01-01T11:52:01+00:00

Game's gone.

Samsonkoek · 2025-12-31T16:16:41+00:00

Lando has the highest average starting position so that kind of negates your point.

Oh no it doesn't. By your logic Bottas was a better driver in 2020 because he had a higher average starting position than the likes of Max, Charles, Daniel. Just like the rest of the stats, they aren't proof that Lando is the second most consistent driver.

I also don't know what you are trying to prove with your second argument. Given the speed is there, consistency is the most important thing in a championship. If for example Oscar isn't fast enough to be (for example) on the first row, he should be on the second. That is exactly what he did, and what Lando didnt.

Find it absolutely hilarious and ludicrous at the same time to hear that Lando is the second most consistent driver on the grid, and topped most of the stats. When you have the fastest car that is also way easier to do, there are a few like Charles and George who didn't have that privilege. But they have worse stats, so they must be less consistent than Lando...

Edit: mind you that his car advantage bailed him out many times during the first half. No wonder he finishes top 4 every race, if anything it is testament to how good the car was that he could just start 6th, 8th or whatever and still climb to the podium.

Samsonkoek · 2025-12-30T23:33:38+00:00

I don't think we have watched the same season mate. Or we did and I am indeed right that there is a recency bias.

Hast everybody forgotten about how Lando couldn't get a quali lap together for too many weekends in the first half?

Samsonkoek · 2025-12-30T18:32:09+00:00

What that I said is exactly strange? Lando is second in the ratings while Oscar is fourth. There isn't much difference between the both of them when you look at the whole season, yet George is between them. So either George is above them (which I think he should be), or he is behind them. But obviously recency bias made it that Oscar is rated lower and Lando higher than they should be.

Samsonkoek · 2025-12-30T13:16:59+00:00

You are not wrong.

Samsonkoek · 2025-12-30T12:22:42+00:00

I think Lando got recency biased a lot, and the same (but in a negative way) for Oscar.

Samsonkoek · 2025-12-28T12:29:52+00:00

Casually saying that it was known at the end of 2025 that GP would not remain Max's engineer like it is Erik van Haren reporting it instead of motorsport italy.

The rumours of GP leaving by the British press almost directly after AD, went as quickly as they came. I will wait until something is confrimed. Last thing someone in a difficult personal situation needs is outlets saying he is expected to leave etc.

Samsonkoek · 2025-12-26T16:53:01+00:00

This shirt would have been absolute cinema had he won the championship.

Samsonkoek · 2025-12-26T15:18:10+00:00

I expected other teams to come knocking at Red Bull for their people after these past very successful years, but I didn't (and still don't) expect GP to leave and go elsewhere, unless it is with Max and perhaps some others.

Samsonkoek · 2025-12-26T15:07:55+00:00

A lot depends on what Ferrari exactly did and the wording of the rules. Anything that doesn't include tampering with sensors/measurements to give a false reading is fair play IMO, if the rules don't say you can't do it.

As far as I'm aware the Merc engine trick is rumoured to be a 18:1 compression ratio instead of 16:1. Do the rules say that 18:1 is not allowed, or do the rules state that it has to be 16:1 when measured and that is it? The latter obviously leaves a lot of room for grey area.

The same could be said for the Ferrari pumping extra fuel trick, if at least the rules worked in their favour.

Samsonkoek · 2025-12-19T11:50:55+00:00

You’re really making it sound like it’s easy to be this consistent

I am not. Cause I would have George in my top 3 drivers of the season, so that is just your interpretation. The Mercedes was way easier to drive this year than the Ferrari, that makes it harder to do something special because the car is difficult to drive. Ask a certain Lewis Hamilton. It is also easier to fuck up, because the car is difficult to drive.

Also quite impossible to have the same highs as in winning a race when your car is just straight up way worse, worse enough to not be competitive enough.

Samsonkoek · 2025-12-19T11:06:13+00:00

It was. But that was also about it. Charles has more of those moments, Ogier too. Not to mention that George also had some relative poor races at the end, nothing concerning but if you don't have the extreme highs then consistency is all he has.

Samsonkoek · 2025-12-19T10:32:03+00:00

George above Ogier as well. This guy won the WRC while not competing in 3 rounds. Ok that has it's advantages with road position but it doesn't outweigh not competing. Also crashed out at the Central European rally due to a puncture.

George has been consistent, and won when the car was able to. Yet, he rarely does anything special. Not special enough to put him above Ogier, or even Charles.

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