Congratulations Max, Red Bull and Honda!

[9fingers]

Epic season and an epic and insane race. A miracle or luck may have been involved but that is part of racing, whether on 2, 4 or no wheels. So Happy that Hamilton didn't win it again.....time for someone new.
Scott

[Stevex]

Don't hold your breathe, hopefully Mercedes protest will be successful. Ridiculous end to the race which I so hope is over turned. Hamilton was robbed.

[tazio]

WOW, just WOW. Congratulations Red Bull.
Hopefully Mad Max aggressive driving continues to serve him well year after year, my concern is the price of this to himself and others...

[Dimitri_Harkov]

Robbed? Karma I'd say!

Late revenge for Silverstone.

So happy for Max and Honda.

Also: Goodbye Kimi, we will miss you.

Awesome season. Best since 2012.

Cheers,
D.

[LowRyter]

I'm glad to see a new Champ.  I think both drivers went passed the norms of sportsmanship during the season although, I think Max got perhaps more unfair press.  Race control has been very inconsistent.   That's compounded by race tracks with too much runoff- the only "limits" are painted lines.

I have to give much credit to Lewis for expressing support for international social justice.  Given sponsors' reluctance for controversy, I think Lewis is the first driver to use his position to ever do that. 

Lewis had the race covered but ran into bad luck in the final laps.  As much I like both drivers, I think the Mercedes team manager, Toto Wolfe, is one of the biggest jerks in motorsports.  As much as I hate to see strategy & luck bite Lewis, it was fun to see Toto fail.  Despite the bad luck, it was an exciting race.  F1 is typically quite boring, especially when compared to Indycar.   So this has been a refreshing championship and one of the few seasons in a decade where I've actually watched complete races. 

Max is really an exciting driver, it's great to see him win and Honda take the title in their final season.  Despite all the controversy, both drivers did a much better job considering the last race antics of Schumacher and Senna.  Those two guys will never be among my favorites. 

[9fingers]

Don't hold your breathe, hopefully Mercedes protest will be successful. Ridiculous end to the race which I so hope is over turned. Hamilton was robbed.

What the world needs is more lawsuits from those that can't believe they lost!
https://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/32851032/max-verstappen-confirmed-champion-mercedes-protest-dismissed

[9fingers]

I'm glad to see a new Champ.  I think both drivers went passed the norms of sportsmanship during the season although, I think Max got perhaps more unfair press.  Race control has been very inconsistent.   That's compounded by race tracks with too much runoff- the only "limits" are painted lines.

I have to give much credit to Lewis for expressing support for international social justice.  Given sponsors' reluctance for controversy, I think Lewis is the first driver to use his position to ever do that. 

Lewis had the race covered but ran into bad luck in the final laps.  As much I like both drivers, I think the Mercedes team manager, Toto Wolfe, is one of the biggest jerks in motorsports.  As much as I hate to see strategy & luck bite Lewis, it was fun to see Toto fail.  Despite the bad luck, it was an exciting race.  F1 is typically quite boring, especially when compared to Indycar.   So this has been a refreshing championship and one of the few seasons in a decade where I've actually watched complete races. 

Aree with just about all that......not that what I think truly matters. But well said. And yes, Kimi will be missed.......what a great character..."Leave me alone....I know what I'm doing".
Scott

Max is really an exciting driver, it's great to see him win and Honda take the title in their final season.  Despite all the controversy, both drivers did a much better job considering the last race antics of Schumacher and Senna.  Those two guys will never be among my favorites.

[pauldaytona]

Today the Netherlands got their first F1 champion. Max has been focused on this since he was 4 years old. Only 24 years old now. He doesn't live a jetset life, Racing is all there is. Mercedes had a lazy pitstop strategy, that cost them the championship.

[tommy2cyl]

Big fan of Peter Windsor and his F 1 analysis.  For those that are interested:  You Tube:  Max Champion, Lewis (still) brilliant by Peter Windsor.

As a side comment, I agree with the above posting regarding run off area.  These stupid cookie cutter courses with all this paved run off area "encourages"
over the top, dangerous driving with no consequence if you go off track or force another car off track.  I have been fortunate to watch F 1 on "proper" road racing circuits like Watkins Glen (yes, many years ago) and most recently at Spa.  This, to me , is what racing circuits should be to showcase what these cars
and drivers can achieve.  I understand where the money comes from and what drives the sport and why F 1 races on the current types of circuits with yachts tied up in the harbor.  Just not a fan.  I am sure I have sufficiently dated myself, and yes, I have been a fan for 45 + years. 

[kingoffleece]

Hamilton was ROBBED?  You cannot be serious!  He gives as good as he gets-and today he GOT.

[tris]

I think that on the day the Merc was faster than the RB

However, with the VSC and real safety car whatever Merc did RB would do the opposite so would certainly leave Max in front if Merc went for a tire change

So come the end the only way Mercedes were going to win once Lafitti binned it, was if they finished behind the safety car and there was no way Hamilton was stopping a Red Bull on sticky tyres with Max at the wheel.

Still, it's a shame as I wanted Hamilton to win as you should support your local gun fighter to quote an old film

[PJPR01]

Very bizarre rules governing this race...how in the world does it make sense to eliminate the time gap that Hamilton had over Verstappen and let them start to race side by side just because some other racer had an accident.  They have all the data they need to let them race with the same time gap once the race is under way...

Very gentlemanly of Hamilton to have congratulated Verstappen...neithe r one bears the fault of the race officials' odd ruling here.

[Aaron D.]

Great season, great race. Either one deserved the championship.

I thought the call to finish under the green was brilliant.  I've seen enough races finish under the yellow/safety car.

[Snowman]

 Congrats Max & Red Bull. I thought the stewards calls late in the race were setting up a race for TV. A setup? who knows? Now, Nascar were often accused of the same thing and look at how full their grandstands are now.
Max is fast for sure, courageous or dangerous? Happy we have a different champion but Max needs to grow up before he has a big wreck. Being pissed off and angry while open wheel racing ends about as well as riding a motorcycle while pissed off and angry.

[LowRyter]

I think that on the day the Merc was faster than the RB

However, with the VSC and real safety car whatever Merc did RB would do the opposite so would certainly leave Max in front if Merc went for a tire change

So come the end the only way Mercedes were going to win once Lafitti binned it, was if they finished behind the safety car and there was no way Hamilton was stopping a Red Bull on sticky tyres with Max at the wheel.

Still, it's a shame as I wanted Hamilton to win as you should support your local gun fighter to quote an old film

Blame Toto.  Lewis should've changed tires.  No way the race was going to end on a yellow.

[9fingers]

Congrats Max & Red Bull. I thought the stewards calls late in the race were setting up a race for TV. A setup? who knows? Now, Nascar were often accused of the same thing and look at how full their grandstands are now.
Max is fast for sure, courageous or dangerous? Happy we have a different champion but Max needs to grow up before he has a big wreck. Being pissed off and angry while open wheel racing ends about as well as riding a motorcycle while pissed off and angry.

I think Max HAS matured and I don't think he drives angry but certainly VERY aggressively. In motocross racing that pass he put on in the beginning would have been called a block pass, and the guy he blocked would have had to back off, not run off the track and cut the corner and end up 100' ahead. Bold and aggressive move me thinks. Either way I am thrilled that Verstappen is champion.
Scott

[LowRyter]

I think Max HAS matured and I don't think he drives angry but certainly VERY aggressively. In motocross racing that pass he put on in the beginning would have been called a block pass, and the guy he blocked would have had to back off, not run off the track and cut the corner and end up 100' ahead. Bold and aggressive move me thinks. Either way I am thrilled that Verstappen is champion.
Scott

Again, change the tracks,  eliminate the runoff areas.  The same can be said about Marc Marquez and the riders since his time in Moto GP.

Also, give every car a pit stall. 

This way the drivers will settle it on the track- not race control. For both  F1 & MotoGP.

[Moparnut72]

In boat racing it would be a violation of the overlap rule and an instant DQ. If you move over against another boat and force it off it's line or off the course you are in violation of the bearing away rule. Another instant DQ.
kk

[LowRyter]

of course mopar, this ain't boat racing, thanks.

[tris]

Blame Toto.  Lewis should've changed tires.  No way the race was going to end on a yellow.

....... and in that case Lewis would have ended up behind a very determined Max on the same tyres who would be driving an extremely wide Red Bull with nothing to loose from a shunt (provided it didn't look deliberate  )

It's motor racing!