Quote:
Originally Posted by M5Rick
Yeah nerves of steel and a magic left foot brake like no other on the limit but on the racing line with Max grip to take the bend fast and power out of it leaving Hammy  |
You guys literally give max too much credit (yes he's an insanely talented driver but you guys just blow everything out of proportion)..... Sure it takes nerves to brake super late especially on the first lap with alot of unknowns, but that's not the only factor. Like I said you guys cannot see anything objectively.
On the first corner of the race it is mostly dependent on the car and how well it manages brake temperatures (which cool after sitting on the grid waiting for the end of the formation lap) leading up to the first turn. Then you have to factor in the down force levels generated by each car which results in more traction, the more grip you have the later you can brake because you can carry more cornerning speeds and we know the RB has way faster cornerning speeds than the merc this year due to the floor regulation. Plus max was 3rd so he had that little bit less waiting time on the grid which means less time for the brakes to cool down and for the tires to cool down, and when everything is insanely close every bit of temperature counts - so again Max had more of an advantage here too.
So in essence if you have a really damn good car that gives you the confidence you need to brake late into the first turn of the race, that is the difference maker. So honestly you guys are giving max way too much credit for this.... If it was later in the race when everything is up to temp then more credit can be given to the driver, but on the first corner it is pretty much a massive gamble and all up to the car (mainly up to the car, you just have to have the guts to gamble - all this left foot feel is nonsense specifically on that first lap because it is all dependent on how long the grid takes to form and that influences how much the brakes cool).