Bottas returning to Monaco again before Hungary to “switch off”

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In the round-up: Valtteri Bottas plans to repeat his trip home to Monaco before the next race, while continuing to comply with F1’s Covid-19 restrictions as he did last week. Trucks from Mercedes and other teams arrived at the Hungaroring yesterday (pictured).

What they say

Bottas returned to Monaco between the first two races, but remained in his ‘bubble’ with people he has isolated with during race weekends. Asked about his plans prior to Hungary he said he plans to do the same again:

I think there’s no reason to hide it: I’m going back home again as last time and obviously staying only with the people that I think I should, which are the people that I’ve been staying [with] here as well, so my girlfriend and my trainer. That is the plan.

I feel it’s a good thing for me being able to switch off for one or two days and then continue the meetings, virtual meetings that have been very popular nowadays with the engineers.

Quotes: Dieter Rencken

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Comment of the day

First lap collisions such as the one Charles Leclerc triggered on Sunday should be treated more leniently, says Sven:

I think part of the reason for why and how collisions between team mates are judged differently from other collisions is a difference in perception of intentional risk-taking versus honest mistakes.

Drivers from different teams, drivers who aren’t throwing their arms up and admit fault, immediately are often met with presumptions of much more premeditation than there is (or can be) in split-second decisions, and thus they are often penalised too harshly.

Maybe we should go back to giving drivers, especially in the first lap melee, more benefit of the doubt, and stop adding penalties on top of damage/retirements even if the colliding drivers are on rival teams.
Sven (@Crammond)

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On this day in F1

  • 35 years ago today Hockenheim’s round of the World Sportscar Championship was marred by several fires in the pits, the worst of which left Porsche boss Norbert Singer hospitalised for weeks with burns.

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52 comments on “Bottas returning to Monaco again before Hungary to “switch off””

  1. I’m sure Leclerc has sufficient protection from the FIA gods as it is without everyone rushing to defend his latest escapade. I can’t imagine such benevolence if their situations had been reversed and Vettel had ruined Leclerc’s race.

    1. You have a poor imagination then. Vettel has had more than his fair share of preferential treatment from the FIA over the years.

      For instance Vettel ruined Leclerc’s race in Brazil last year. Was he punished for it?

      1. Martin, I was comparing the flac Vettel gets for his mistakes and the benevolent attitude of most fans to Leclerc’s lunge this weekend.

        1. I’d imagine it’s down to the fact Leclerc is still relatively new to F1 vs. Vettel’s 4 WDC’s.

        2. You brought the FIA up. Don’t come crying to me because it didn’t help your point.

    2. And poor memory. It happened only three races ago.

      1. Vettel is responsible for that crash. He was supposed to be 3 or 4 cars ahead, not side by side with Leclerc in the third corner.
        If only Ferrari had a horn… or Horners… ,^_^

  2. Cristiano Ferreira
    14th July 2020, 1:45

    Actually this Ferrari truck pictured above is the scuderia only way to ever get in front of a Mercedes at this season I guess. They should race with it instead of their cars.

    :P

  3. I think F1 missed a chance it had when Rossi was in F1. Too bad the cars offered then were nothing but JUNK and his opportunity squandered.
    Seeing how he has become such an aggressive driver in the IndyCar.
    His name after winning Indy is now what F1 never saw blossom. A solid racer and a serious racer who in the right car has become a force.
    Incase fans have forgotten him in F1 terms, it’s nice to finally see how bad bottom of the grid F1 cars were then and when given a chance in a decent Car he is able to win the 500.
    Another racer who gambled on the back end of a F1 grid and almost blew his career only to see the deserved success that came from well prepared racecars in another series.
    Rossi has shown and has proven he is viable.

    1. In all fairness, I don’t think you need to be one of the world’s best drivers to win the 500. You need a good solid car foremost, and then need to be lucky with all the pace cars. Obviously, if he isn’t a bad driver. But he’s not at the same level as Hamilton, Alonso or even Vettel. Hulkenberg level maybe.

  4. Switching off, huh. That is what he calls it.

    1. He wants to switch off his season by the looks of it. I know he wants to spend time with his lady but he’s asking to lose the title. whoever tests positive, is probably out of the title run. I think by now everyone has realised the “thing” is not only not new as it is pretty much as harmless has ever but, society has taken a difference stance on these patogens, a positive and season over.
      Rossi did so well in his short f1 term, what a shame, then he lucked in on his indy win, from then onwards he has been so strong on track.

      1. Yes. Especially in light on Hamilton keeping in it ON. HAM stayed at the track for two weeks instead of travelling, a sign that he is extremely serious about avoiding Covid and winning the Championship.

  5. Women on the Formula 1 podium and why it is so important (Fast and Fearless)

    It is great that F1 is setting the example when it comes to equality. This quote from that Fast and Fearless article, “Visibility is key when it comes to inspiring others as we know to BE IT, you have to be able to SEE IT!”

  6. If that testing regimen is truly upheld I would be very surprised. If so then good job to everyone!! Hope the paddock stays safe! And everyone.

    Was good to see social distancing generally being followed.

    I wish the mask fitting problem could be solved for all teams, no need for fancy designs, or let each person design their own, safety first…

    1. Some of the masks are absurd. Watching Norris constantly adjust his during an interview where the TV crew had standard surgical masks and didn’t touch them once highlighted what a joke the masks the drivers have on are.

      1. Just look at Renaults solution when Ricci wears them.

        1. The Ferrari and McLaren masks are sculptured at the nose, the Mercedes and Red Bull designs aren’t. The generic mask worn by eg Sky F1 and Ricciardo aren’t. Sainz, Norris, Vettel and Leclerc are near-constantly repositioning their masks too. Guidance I have read suggests if you’re wearing a mask, you don’t touch it :/

          F1 teams… good at designing ventilators, not so good designing masks…

  7. Women on the Formula 1 podium and why it is so important

    Why? Appreciation from winning constructor to its employees was great, using podium as a display for diversity tokenism is wrong.

    1. Were any of the podium women, women of colour?
      Just wondering as I didn’t watch the ceremonies in question. I hope they were otherwise someone is going to be on the receiving end of the GOAT’s naming and shaming routine.

      1. Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
        14th July 2020, 9:36

        No they were white. And no trans women either which is disappointing.

        1. @rdotquestionmark still waiting to see an assault helicopter on the podium.

          1. Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
            14th July 2020, 9:54

            Probably be one delivering the trophies next race @peartree

          2. @rdotquestionmark man I switched off when I saw those remote-controlled devices bringing the trophies that was absolutely ridiculous. Next race they’ll have to jump from their podium like they jump out of unsafe cars. I take helicopters anytime.

          3. Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
            14th July 2020, 11:06

            It was almost like a parody wasn’t it @spoutnik. While all the teams and crews are stood together all around the podium. As always it’s all about brand image and perception rather than common sense.

      2. If you took the time to read the article you’d know the answer to your question was “Yes”.

  8. I’m quite stunned about the FIA allowing Bottas to travel home.

    He says he’s maintaining the same bubble, but surely he (and those travelling with him) are being exposed to others (air crew, border security etc) when travelling – even more so if they are travelling commercial.

    It just seems to fly in the face of all the precautions they said they had put in place.

    1. Exactly, especially when almost all the other members of the entire paddock are taking maximum precautions

    2. @dbradock I couldn’t agree more. The FIA could’ve (and should’ve) made it clear already before the first Red Bull Ring-weekend that no one would be allowed to leave the race venue in between the races, and the same with travelling from Spielberg following weekend 2 to anywhere other than Budapest.

      1. Kneel against racism, put women on a podium, clap for first-line responders, but treat drivers preferentially to the rest.
        Still some way to go Mercedes.

        1. @coldfly it could be good, then they would not have to worry about bottas acidentally wiining the championship

          1. I always forget to peel the onion that one extra layer, @peartree.

          2. Aren’t they supposed to go home some time between races? Or is everyone living in motor homes from track to track for the rest of the season?
            Horner, Toto, Brawn, Brown, Binotto, all of them living trackside until December…

      2. @Only Facts! Consecutive races with one race-less weekend between them are a different matter to races on subsequent weekends. F1 folks generally travel straight to the next venue in between back-to-back weekend events.

    3. @dbradock Given the short season and the lack of competition from other teams, this would seem a really good chance for Bottas to win the title. One DNF from Hamilton could turn everything. So Bottas risking, even niminally, becoming positive for Covid-19 and being excluded for two races or more as he isolates seems bizarre.

      1. @david-br Bizarre indeed.

      2. And what if the genius brings the virus back to his team? To the entire paddock. Why is his team being so weak?

        1. True, imagine if both drivers have to self-isolate for several weeks. It would be hard to justify this leeway retrospectively. And I can’t imagine Hamilton being particularly thrilled.

      3. @david-br, Bottas is really wasting his best opportunity yet but the increased risk infection is not the biggest reason for that.

        While Hamilton spent the week working with his engineers after P2 on qualy and in the race (before penalties), Bottas travelling back and forth to Monaco to “switch off” for a few days. If he wants to to have a shot at becoming a champion against Hamilton he needs to do a Rosberg and focus 100% on racing.

        This is a shorter season with fewer races than usual so it’s likely the best chance he’ll get.

        1. @paulk Also true, I thought that too last weekend.

    4. I agree, it does seem odd that Bottas is allowed to go on excursions that jeopardise the entire GP. I can’t imagine anyone pointing the finger at him if there was an outbreak of infections in the Mercedes garage, some other poor chump would be found to take the blame.

  9. As for the COTD, that is a valid point, such as this race and some others when the driver locked up a bit and touched another car… but there are scenarios when a more strict punishment should be put. Like grosjeans smoke screen, and some other driver years ago (before v6 era) that caused a huge pile up at Monza and got a deserved one race ban

  10. I just don’t understand the point in doing this type of back-and-forth travelling for two or three days (with or without COVID). He already had had a chance to be in Monaco before the first Red Bull Ring-weekend for a while due to the extended break from racing, so weird that this wasn’t enough for him, and that the team (and the FIA) allow him despite the circumstances. I guess ‘no-must’ extra back-and-forth travelling doesn’t bother him, but still weird that one would voluntarily do something like this just for the sake of it. Last year, between the Singapore and Russian GPs, he made a brief visit to the factory rather than going straight to Sochi despite them being on subsequent weekends, so neither of these two cases is the first for him. Like previously, I’m only pointing this out because this is something I wouldn’t ‘voluntarily’ do. I would minimize unnecessary extra travel as much as possible and only do it if I had to, not just for the sake of being somewhere else for two or three days.
    Good thing that he appears to be very close on continuing at Mercedes for yet another year, though.

    1. @jerejj Mercedes priority, ensuring Bottas is in place. :(
      I really hoped we’d see Russell there next year. However good the driver, leaving them down at the bottom of the grid for too long isn’t smart.

  11. The guy was able to stay home for months, why all this unnecessary traveling? Not only amidst the coronavirus crisis but also the climate change.

    1. @d0senbrot Also beats me. I don’t get the point in this type of ‘unnecessary’ back-and-forth travelling either. I could understand if it were, for example, for a birth, but just for the sake of being somewhere else for two or three days. Hardly a justifiable reason for this type of extra travel. Being able to stay at home for an extended period without racing, and yet, still not enough for him (nor for Leclerc last time). The other 18 drivers didn’t do this, so neither should they have.

  12. Switch off from the lifestyle of jet set consumption by returning to the lifestyle of jet set consumption.

  13. F1’s Bubble concept is very confusing and by the looks of it, not working well.
    So Bottas goes home to Monaco to see his girlfriend… Did she stay in the bubble, meaning was she forced to undergo strict testing and to only be around approved people (that are in the F1 bubble)?
    There are so many sub Bubbles that cross into the other Bubbles in the Paddock. May it be team staff or Media staff.
    On SKY, you have Croft in the Booth and then DiResta, Brundle (not sure if Davidson was in there too) rotate around. And then they roam around talk to some drivers (if know they ware at a distance).
    Then Seb keeps visiting Red Bulls area with no mask, Leclerc goes to a Party,….
    F1 has to put it’s foot down if it wants to finish this season.
    The NHL’s concept of a working Bubble means nobody is allowed to leave the Bubble. That includes Hotel Staff, Team Staff, Media….. Testing is done daily. If someone leaves the bubble (only authorized for medical or personal reasons) the have to quarantine and can only rejoin the bubble after testing negative 4 times. Breaking the rules can casue major Fines or losing Draft picks and if a player is caught, he is not allowed anymore in the bubble and has to watch from home. Everyone has the chance of opting out and to not play without being penalized or fined.
    The players, staff and others that enter the bubble know that this comes with giving up a lot and not being able to do many things. They all voted on those rules and accepted it. So…. everyone knows what the rules are and what
    the consequences are.
    That said…. F1’s Bubble then already popped and positive tests are just a matter of time.
    I don’t like Hamilton, but he is doing his part by staying in his motor home and inside the bubble at the track and I applaud him for that.
    Bottas should not be allowed to Race in Hungary (and any other driver/person not going straight to Budapest and isolate from the outside to stay in the Bubble).

    1. Bottas’s girlfriend was at the track with him.
      Davidson is in the UK with Chandhok.
      8k+ tests, no positives. Seems to be working

      1. @hollidog – No positive results so far, yes, but how long is this going to last if some keep on making exceptions on their own by leaving their designated bubbles like this, etc.?
        @us-brian – I couldn’t agree more with you. Especially the part ”F1 has to put it’s foot down if it wants to finish this season.”

    2. There have been no positive tests – yet – but Covid-safetiness in F1, that must have taken a lot of hours to organise and planned in great detail, is at risk if these driver antics continue…

  14. A driver could test positive and barely feel anything, still perfectly able to race.. and since there is such limited contact anyway in the paddock between the drivers and anyone other than their trainers, it would have to be a ridiculous idea that would prevent them from racing. About as ridiculous as the podium robots.

    They’re outdoors most of the time and wearing masks, non issue.

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