F1 Zorg & Badger GP Fantasy Grand Prix 2017

[hard top]

Nice touch from Lewis Hamilton, who was one of the first to congratulate Valtteri Bottas.

Mercedes have now been on pole 14 times in 19 races: Hamilton 11 times and Bottas three times.

 

[hard top]

Posted at 18:59
Qualifying recap

Lewis Hamilton crashed out of Brazilian Grand Prix qualifying on his first lap and will start Sunday's race the back of the grid.

His Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas won a battle for pole with Hamilton's former title rival Sebastian Vettel.

The new world champion lost control of his Mercedes at the fast and difficult Ferradura/Laranjha double right-hander. It was the first significant mistake Hamilton has made all season.

 

[hard top]

Brazilian GP​

Summary

1. Race begins at 16:00 GMT
2. Bottas on pole, Vettel 2nd, Raikkonen 3rd
3. Hamilton to start from pitlane

The lowest position Lewis Hamilton has won a race from is sixth - the 2014 British Grand Prix.
At the 2016 Russian Grand Prix he finished second after starting 10th.

Felipe Massa tearfully said farewell to his adoring home supporters at last year's race, and gets to do it again this year having reversed his decision to retire 12 months ago.

This time, though, it is final: the Williams driver says he is definitely leaving F1 after the concluding race of the season in Abu Dhabi in two weeks' time.

"It's for the last time," he said during the pre-race drivers' parade. "It's my last in F1 in Brazil.

"It's an amazing feeling, especially when you see the whole grandstand singing and suporting. That's really amazing."

 

[hard top]

Incidentally, John Watson holds the record for winning from the farthest back on the starting grid.

He won the 1983 United States Grand Prix West from 22nd position.

 

[hard top]

Lap 24/71
Fastest lap of the race by that man Lewis Hamilton. He does a 1:13.485, half a second quicker than fourth-place Max Verstappen and the gap is down to nine seconds.

FFS....
Romain Grosjean is given a 10-second time penalty for causing the collision that ended Esteban Ocon's race.
Grosjean is currently last.

 

[andyglym]

Great race

 

[hard top]

Summary

1. Vettel wins after overtaking Bottas at start as several cars collide
2. Hamilton up to 4th from pitlane start
3. Ocon, Vandoorne, Magnussen, Hartley out

 

[hard top]

Whats your money on Massa being back next season?

 

[andyglym]

Whats your money on Massa being back next season?

Zero. Too many good young lads out there. Quality, if a tad unlucky, F1 driver though.

 

[hard top]

Zero.

Yep, never seemed to ever really make it.

 

[andyglym]

Yep, never seemed to ever really make it.

Nice guys finish second. Not brutal enough and a bit of bad luck. Second is the first of the losers, in any sport. Mind-set.

 

[hard top]

Massa, a veteran of 267 grand prix starts, had announced that he would quit F1 at the end of last year, but was enticed back by Williams to replace Mercedes-bound Valtteri Bottas ahead of the current campaign.

The Brazilian has scored 36 points this season, four fewer than team-mate Lance Stroll, and had said he was keen to stay on for a 16th season, but would only do so with Williams.

Massa said he was keen to know the team's decision before his home race in Brazil, which takes place next weekend, and has become increasingly outspoken on the matter.

He questioned the credibility of both Kubica and Di Resta as potential candidates for a seat at Williams next year and usefulness of testing them both in a 2014-spec car.

It is believed he dropped down the pecking order of candidates, with Kubica and Di Resta now the frontrunners to get the seat next year.

Massa, who is expected to move to Formula E in the future, made the decision to announce the news himself via social media.

 

[hard top]

During his 15 years competing in F1, Massa scored 11 wins, 41 podiums, 16 pole positions and finished runner up to Lewis Hamilton in the 2008 drivers' championship.

 

[andyglym]

156 points, happy with that though 1st is now beyond me, I feel abused

 

[smiffy]

good one Andy! @hard top done well too!

Oh, look at me! I nearly didn't notice!

Results from Brazil
Pos Team Manager Pts
1 Team Smiffy Smiffy 162
2 Team Westfield Andy McDonnell 156
3 Kraken Racing Tim Sharpe 148
4 BMBabe Racing Stacey Jefferies 139
5 ZorgChampions2016 Gail Flint 139
6 Mint Racing Mint 137
7 Pudding club Paul Rice 131
8 thesaints 34 Chris Sharpe 126
9 le chef torchey PRO 118
10 HT HighTek 110


Championship Standings
Pos Team Manager Pts
1 BMBabe Racing Stacey Jefferies 2466
2 ZorgChampions2016 Gail Flint 2339
3 HT HighTek Hard Top 2319
4 Team Westfield Andy McDonnell 2270
5 Team Smiffy Smiffy 2256
6 Mint Racing Mint 2214
7 Pudding club Paul Rice 2111
8 Kraken Racing Tim Sharpe 2107
9 thesaints 34 Chris Sharpe 2026
10 le chef torchey PRO 1900

 

[hard top]

I dropped to 3rd.....
Was to late to get my predictions in after a Saturday afternoon snooze ...

 

[hard top]

MAX VERSTAPPEN
Race: 10
Bonus: 0
Qualy: 5

MERCEDES
Race: 30

LEWIS HAMILTON
Race: 12
Bonus: 48
Qualy: 0

SAUBER
Race: 0

ROMAIN GROSJEAN
Race: 0
Bonus: 0
Qualy: 5

HAAS
Race: 0

 

[Paul Rice]

Dumped Bottas 3 races ago now starting to get points!

 

[smiffy]

As the F1 season approaches the Grand Finale, the ZORG gang conclude that the top spot can now only be held by one of the current top three competitors.

So for the 2017 season, we all wait with bated breathe to see who is crowned,

The Queen of ZORG F1 2017

 

[Mint]

...So for the 2017 season, we all wait with bated breath to see who is crowned...

Yes, but it is the fun of taking part that counts, not winning