Heroes

[Ian]

Which brings me back to my old argument, get rid of the blue flags, if a driver/s in the fastest cars can't get past a backmarker without the aid of a blue flag they're not entitled to be called WDC's.

[cosworth151]

Heroes:

Hamilton - A fine drive in a come-from-behind situation.

Massa - Pretty much out drove Alonso all week-end. Might have had a shot at the race if his team hadn't back stabbed him.

Zeroes:

Schumacher - The Schumacher Chop carried to the extreme. I hoped he would do well in his come-back. Now, I'm glad he's going.

Ferrari - A cheap trick that may have cost them the race.

[Monty]

Vettel wasn't whining about Hamilton's move, he was whining about being held up a few turns before (by Karthikeyan I think) that allowed Hamilton to catch up. I'm not saying he wasn't whining, just clarifying. This was correctly picked up at the time by Coulthard on BBC but not by the Sky commentators, who assumed like the rest of us that he was whining about Hamilton's move.

Sad sole that I am, I watched Sky live and then watched the BBC coverage. Ant and Coulthard suggested that Vettel was refering to Karthikeyan but all the other pundits disagreed. If you listen to what he actually said it certainly sounds like a whine about Hamilton's overtake and the actual radio transmission was just after Hamilton overtook (quite a few seconds after Vettel had caught Karthikeyan). Whatever he was refering to, perhaps rather than whining he should have been concentrating on racing!

[vintly]

Vettel wasn't whining about Hamilton's move, he was whining about being held up a few turns before (by Karthikeyan I think) that allowed Hamilton to catch up. I'm not saying he wasn't whining, just clarifying. This was correctly picked up at the time by Coulthard on BBC but not by the Sky commentators, who assumed like the rest of us that he was whining about Hamilton's move.

Sad sole that I am, I watched Sky live and then watched the BBC coverage. Ant and Coulthard suggested that Vettel was refering to Karthikeyan but all the other pundits disagreed. If you listen to what he actually said it certainly sounds like a whine about Hamilton's overtake and the actual radio transmission was just after Hamilton overtook (quite a few seconds after Vettel had caught Karthikeyan). Whatever he was refering to, perhaps rather than whining he should have been concentrating on racing!

You're not sad in my book – I saw the Sky then BBC coverage too. I even watched some of the Sky programme again to get 5 onboard laps with Jenson on his way to overtaking Raikkonen. Absolutely brilliant – with no commentary and just the sound of the car it's fantastic, watching him gradually tee-up the pass. Anyway, I digress...

The radio transmissions aren't live, they're delayed for a while, so it certainly looked like his comments were about Hamilton, but we'll have to agree to disagree on whether they were or not. This article sheds some light on it:

http://en.espnf1.com/usa/motorsport/story/95405.html

[Dare]

Going by past Vettel remarks I'm going with
it was about Hamilton's pass

[Scott]

Going by past Vettel remarks I'm going with
it was about Hamilton's pass

 

[John S]

Heroes:-  
Jenson, what a recovery drive from way down in 15th at one point, and no help from safety cars - unlike precious Vettel in Abu Dhabi.

Hamilton for keeping the pressure on Aussie Mark & the Spoiled kid in clearly the best cars, and for taking the chances that fell to him to get by the Bulls.

Ferrari team for making the right calls both on grid slots and then Felippe's pit stop. Both things gained the drivers places.  

Special mention for 'The Hulk' kept both Williams at bay for a considerable part of the race, if they had got by and opened a gap he could never have recovered it, so
good 'Trulli train' tactics.  

Zeros:-

Renault and their damned alternaters, por old Mark. Still it means the chase is closer going to Brazil so not all bad.

Vettel - He can reel off fastest laps when he wants, but he failed to make the break in the important stage of the race, namely the second half. He and Red Bull can mutter all they like about Nahrain in the HRT, but Seb allowing Lewis to close the gap after the pit stops is the real reason the overtake was possible. The fast lap was way too late, stupid boy!

Grosjean - Once again he showed he's not up to driving a top car with the big boys, without the generous run-offs, another zero by the way, his race would have been over. Let's hope the real brains at Enstone keep his name off a contract for next year.

 

[F1fanaticBD]

I totally agree with you Irisado, but when Narain was penalized in Malaysia, apperently for no reason at all, I have fear of having the same thing happening again.

[Monty]

The radio transmissions aren't live, they're delayed for a while, so it certainly looked like his comments were about Hamilton, but we'll have to agree to disagree on whether they were or not. This article sheds some light on it:

I wasn't talking about the transmitted radio call I was talking about the actual radio call. It was timed immediately after Hamilton overtook.
I accept the comments could still have been caused by the frustration of getting held up behind Karthikeyan but it is clear that Vettel was commenting about Hamilton.

[F1fanaticBD]

I think making Vettel a zero is a bit harsh, and that is based on pit radio. What if the radio message was not played during the race. Would you have same opinion as now?

After all they are not angels, they are humans, and they are allowed to have flaws. I tends to judge them on the basis of racing, and their ability to race cars right at the edge.

Obviously everybody has their own way of judgement...

But for this track only I will agree with Monty, Micheal was way too dangerous..

[cosworth151]

In light of Mark's car giving out, I wonder if Vettel was being told to protect his machine. A 2nd to Hamilton wasn't the best outcome for him, but a DNF would have been disastrous.

[Irisado]

Which brings me back to my old argument, get rid of the blue flags, if a driver/s in the fastest cars can't get past a backmarker without the aid of a blue flag they're not entitled to be called WDC's.

You'd hear no complaints from me if they were to do that, especially not now that they have DRS assistance.

I totally agree with you Irisado, but when Narain was penalized in Malaysia, apperently for no reason at all, I have fear of having the same thing happening again.

Yes, that was a terrible decision by the FIA stewards, and I share your fears about unreasonable penalties for drivers at the back of the grid.

Also, if Vettel really thinks, as he suggested back in Malaysia, that Karthikeyan is a bad F1 driver, he's lucky he didn't drive in the 1990s, when there were some truly bad drivers on the grid.

[John S]

Yes, that was a terrible decision by the FIA stewards, and I share your fears about unreasonable penalties for drivers at the back of the grid.

Also, if Vettel really thinks, as he suggested back in Malaysia, that Karthikeyan is a bad F1 driver, he's lucky he didn't drive in the 1990s, when there were some truly bad drivers on the grid.

Now wouldn't it be good if the top 6 in each years championship had to attend a test session, after season end, to drive the bottom 6 cars.  

I'd definitely pay to watch, especially with car to pit radio feed.  



 

[Dare]

I for one give the small crews a lot of credit.To not have
the best funds,engineers,or crews and only be 1 second
a lap slower ain't bad in my books.Compared to other
series these are extremely fast cars

[F1fanaticBD]

I for one give the small crews a lot of credit.To not have
the best funds,engineers,or crews and only be 1 second
a lap slower ain't bad in my books.Compared to other
series these are extremely fast cars

Totally agree with you Dare, these are the teams lives for racing, hardly makes the glamorous side unlike the big teams, yet they put their heart out, and make sure that the spirit of racing is still alive.

For me Sauber is the best possible example, not the well funded team, but they are the most significant team to derive great number of feats along this year..