Episode #322: The Pinch (2021 Italian Grand Prix/2021 IndyCar Portland)

It was inevitable really, wasn’t it? Once we saw what happened at Silverstone between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, we all knew it would happen again. And it did. “The Pinch” focuses on the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, where an amazing McLaren 1-2 was completely overshadowed by the second major flashpoint between 1st and 2nd in the Championship battle.

Was there anyone to blame for the crash? Was Verstappen getting a 3-place grid penalty fair? Have we as fans gone too far when we use inconsistent arguments like: “Checking the drivers well-being” as brownie points to beat the other fanbase with? Or even harassing the sport’s medical driver on Twitter? We discuss all the angles on and off track regarding Hamilton vs Verstappen and what could happen with Sochi this upcoming weekend.

And of course, we talk about McLaren's outstanding 1-2 finish, taking advantage of some lightning starts, a low-drag setup that was faster than the factory team in a straight line… and Lando Norris pretending to be happy that his brilliant season’s highlight was completely taken away by Daniel Ricciardo. Shoey’s for everyone.

We also have a discussion about what we’d do with the Sprint Qualifying format, given it’s clearly not going away with the ratings bump, with King and Dre proposing their own format changes! Let us know what you’d do in the comments!

We then move on IndyCar at Portland, with Alex Palou taking a real roundabout win after a massive messy Turn 1 where four cars miss the chicane, 4 more get bumped and spun round, and then the leaders got shuffled to the back due to IndyCar’s rules! But then with late cautions, the off-sequence runners got shuffled back to the front again so Palou’s overcut and survival of Rossi’s pressure got him a critical win! Talk about Portland as a track and early 2022’s IndyCar calendar also came through!

All this on Episode #322 of Motorsport101, links above and below!