F1 2013

wackysleet · September 10, 2013

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/108731

Honda for 2015 to power Maclaren

Thank you, an interesting article and some good questions on the Q.and A part.

rixalex · September 10, 2013

I have always been a fan of Sebs long before he won at Monsa in the Torro Rosso but unfortunately since joining the all conquering Red Bull team it's really impossible to judge just how good he actually is, my own view which I'm sure will be disputed is that there is not much to choose between Seb, Kimi and Fernando, based on their performances/results, what about Lewis I hear posters shout, well in my opinion Lewis shows signs of brilliance AT TIMES but is not consistant as he seems to be affected by outside influences {personal?} as an example, was Maclarens car really only good enough for him to get 4th and 5th places in the last 3yrs of his contract with the team whilst Jenson was 2nd one yr and one place behind Lewis the other 2 yrs and accumulated a higher number of points, I believe Lewis is a faster driver than Jenson but lacks the technical skills of Jenson.

I have to say that the "I would like another car" attributed on Fernandos birthday when asked what present he would like, while probably under the circumstances not very prudent certainly was not as scathing as Montezumas personal attacks especially when he appears to accept no responsibility for an under performing car. Perhaps that's why Fillipe is still the driver, difficult to sack a driver who is not performing so well in a car incapable of winning, perhaps Ferrari should sack Montezuma.

rixalex, I am sure your right about the chaos/panic behind the scenes at Ferrari with the kind of investment they're making and no championship so people are apportioning blame to everyone but themselves although ultimately the buck has to stop with Montezuma.

This post of course is my personal view and is intended {hopefully} to stimulate some reaction to debate as this topic aka Formula 1 seems to be lacking in input this season even more so than other years and is in danger of disappearing all together, hence a possible controversial post. Here's hoping.

David.

A good post David that i actually didn't think was that controversial.

With regards your comments about best drivers, i think the only thing that is indisputable, is who is the most successful... and with regards that, Seb is well on his way to being twice as successful as anyone else on the grid, with four Championships to his name.

Determining who is "the best" is a whole lot more subjective. For me, Alonso is the best in terms of all round racing package. He isn't without weaknesses however, and for me, his biggest weakness is prima-dona tendencies; a need for whatever team he is in to be totally focused on him. When the team is focused in that way, he excels, as he has done at Ferrari. And that is great for him personally and for his goal of winning the driver's championship, but not so great for the team in its own quest of winning the constructor's championship.

Seb as i say, is undeniably the most successful. Again though, not without weakness. He excels at leading from the front and has at times come up short when battling from further back. How exactly he would fair in a car that wasn't as good as the Red Bull has been for most of the last four seasons, we have yet to find out.

Kimi since he has come back has been fantastic. For me though there is a question mark concerning his commitment, which seemed to disappear totally before he took his sabbatical. I also wonder about his team working skills. All very well coming out with things like "leave me alone" on the car to pit radio, when he is driving well, but how would teams tolerate that sort of attitude when things aren't going so well. I know one thing for sure, if either Hamilton or Alonso said something like that, they would have been crucified by the media. Kimi seems to get away with it... for the time being...

Finally, with regards Lewis, i do agree with you that an emotional tendency, wearing his heart on his sleeve, and blurting soon to be regretted things out when things don't go his way, is his achilles heel. I think it's more of an achilles heel however in terms of his media image. I don't think it tends to negatively impact on his driving, in fact i think in the same way as someone like Rooney needs to have that feisty side to his character to play his best football, Lewis needs that precocious side to him, in order to drive as well as we know he can.

And with regards your often cited comments about how he faired racing alongside Jenson, i'm reminded of comments you made a couple of weeks ago when you were bemoaning how Rosberg was being somewhat overlooked in terms of the job he was doing for Mercedes. You made the point that if you look beyond simply how many points they had accrued, and analysed things race by race, and take into account things which have been beyond Nico's control... take into account some bad luck he has had, he is actually doing much better than some people seem to think. I think you were right in saying that, and that simply comparing points doesn't always tell the complete story. In the same way, i think if you analysed those seasons that Lewis and Jenson raced together, on a race to race basis, and took into account factors that were beyond the driver's control, you'd see that in fact Lewis did do quite a bit better than Jenson in most races, but didn't always get rewarded. That's racing of course, and people will, at the end of the day, often simply focus on success.

wackysleet · September 10, 2013

I have always been a fan of Sebs long before he won at Monsa in the Torro Rosso but unfortunately since joining the all conquering Red Bull team it's really impossible to judge just how good he actually is, my own view which I'm sure will be disputed is that there is not much to choose between Seb, Kimi and Fernando, based on their performances/results, what about Lewis I hear posters shout, well in my opinion Lewis shows signs of brilliance AT TIMES but is not consistant as he seems to be affected by outside influences {personal?} as an example, was Maclarens car really only good enough for him to get 4th and 5th places in the last 3yrs of his contract with the team whilst Jenson was 2nd one yr and one place behind Lewis the other 2 yrs and accumulated a higher number of points, I believe Lewis is a faster driver than Jenson but lacks the technical skills of Jenson.

I have to say that the "I would like another car" attributed on Fernandos birthday when asked what present he would like, while probably under the circumstances not very prudent certainly was not as scathing as Montezumas personal attacks especially when he appears to accept no responsibility for an under performing car. Perhaps that's why Fillipe is still the driver, difficult to sack a driver who is not performing so well in a car incapable of winning, perhaps Ferrari should sack Montezuma.

rixalex, I am sure your right about the chaos/panic behind the scenes at Ferrari with the kind of investment they're making and no championship so people are apportioning blame to everyone but themselves although ultimately the buck has to stop with Montezuma.

This post of course is my personal view and is intended {hopefully} to stimulate some reaction to debate as this topic aka Formula 1 seems to be lacking in input this season even more so than other years and is in danger of disappearing all together, hence a possible controversial post. Here's hoping.

David.

A good post David that i actually didn't think was that controversial.
With regards your comments about best drivers, i think the only thing that is indisputable, is who is the most successful... and with regards that, Seb is well on his way to being twice as successful as anyone else on the grid, with four Championships to his name.

Determining who is "the best" is a whole lot more subjective. For me, Alonso is the best in terms of all round racing package. He isn't without weaknesses however, and for me, his biggest weakness is prima-dona tendencies; a need for whatever team he is in to be totally focused on him. When the team is focused in that way, he excels, as he has done at Ferrari. And that is great for him personally and for his goal of winning the driver's championship, but not so great for the team in its own quest of winning the constructor's championship.

Seb as i say, is undeniably the most successful. Again though, not without weakness. He excels at leading from the front and has at times come up short when battling from further back. How exactly he would fair in a car that wasn't as good as the Red Bull has been for most of the last four seasons, we have yet to find out.

Kimi since he has come back has been fantastic. For me though there is a question mark concerning his commitment, which seemed to disappear totally before he took his sabbatical. I also wonder about his team working skills. All very well coming out with things like "leave me alone" on the car to pit radio, when he is driving well, but how would teams tolerate that sort of attitude when things aren't going so well. I know one thing for sure, if either Hamilton or Alonso said something like that, they would have been crucified by the media. Kimi seems to get away with it... for the time being...

Finally, with regards Lewis, i do agree with you that an emotional tendency, wearing his heart on his sleeve, and blurting soon to be regretted things out when things don't go his way, is his achilles heel. I think it's more of an achilles heel however in terms of his media image. I don't think it tends to negatively impact on his driving, in fact i think in the same way as someone like Rooney needs to have that feisty side to his character to play his best football, Lewis needs that precocious side to him, in order to drive as well as we know he can.

And with regards your often cited comments about how he faired racing alongside Jenson, i'm reminded of comments you made a couple of weeks ago when you were bemoaning how Rosberg was being somewhat overlooked in terms of the job he was doing for Mercedes. You made the point that if you look beyond simply how many points they had accrued, and analysed things race by race, and take into account things which have been beyond Nico's control... take into account some bad luck he has had, he is actually doing much better than some people seem to think. I think you were right in saying that, and that simply comparing points doesn't always tell the complete story. In the same way, i think if you analysed those seasons that Lewis and Jenson raced together, on a race to race basis, and took into account factors that were beyond the driver's control, you'd see that in fact Lewis did do quite a bit better than Jenson in most races, but didn't always get rewarded. That's racing of course, and people will, at the end of the day, often simply focus on success.

rixalex.

at least we seem to have similar views on drivers if not 100%.

My reference to Lewis v Jenson was in respect of the season Jenson was WDC runner up and Lewis did not perform at all well, the reason I believe was his public split with Nicole which I felt impacted on his head somewhat and that maybe a problem he has to overcome, disappointment.

Your right about it being difficult assessing just how good Seb is although having followed his career I have always been an admirer {finger and all lol}and think after his little spat with Mark when he raced against team orders for me along with other incidences proves he is a racer.

With Fernando it's much easier to quantify his ability and my guess is that he really is the best of the bunch he has had good results in cars that were not always the best.

Kimi, I think has a great talent but is not a team player and that's why I don't think he will go to Ferrari and with the attitude he has shown at Lotus would not go down too well with Ferrari.

With regards to Nico, I have always rated him highly and as you said, points do not tell the complete story but I just wish he got as much publicity as Mercedes appear to be giving Lewis, I'm sure it would boost his confidence somewhat.

David.

b19bry · September 10, 2013

my own view which I'm sure will be disputed is that there is not much to choose between Seb, Kimi and Fernando, based on their performances/results,

David.

Alonso is some margin ahead of anyone on the grid currently. His ability to consistently put the Ferrari's he's been given over the last few season's on the podium has been outstanding. In addition, in spite of often fighting race performances and in contrast to his rivals, he very rarely gets involved in scrapes that put him out of the race.

Vettel is undeniably a top talent but he's been lucky to have had the luxury of the best car on the grid for a few seasons now. Up until this season he was prone to errors, and last season he fell well behind Alonso recovering only in the last part of the season when the Red Bull proved so dominant. This season he's matured and has made a lot fewer mistakes.

Kimi has driven sublimely since his return, as consistent as Alonso and with real raw pace. However, his form in the season and a half before he left to go rallying leaves some questions unanswered. I hope he's a real contender next season whichever team he's with.

I agree with what you say about Button I think he's as underrated as Hamilton is overrated. It'll be great when he get's Honda engines again but I guess next year Mclaren may struggle in the shadow of the Mercedes factory team.

I never thought Hamilton was 'that' good, he had easily the most well prepared entry to F1 in the best car on the grid in the history of F1 and was hailed as the second messiah. He is still very much the BBC's 'darling' (in contrast to Button) and in spite of some very shaky performances. On his day he's spectacular but he has also often failed to impress, then shown a weak temperament. In fairness he seems to have matured in this regard this season.

Really pleased Ricciardo got the Red Bull drive, think he could be one to watch fro the future and I'd love to see Bianchi get the second seat at Ferrari but that won't happen for now.

Really looking forward to next season, the all new cars will hopefully shake things up a bit.

Again these are my views and I hope that's controversial enough for you David.......feel free to shoot me down ?

Edited September 10, 2013 by b19bry

wackysleet · September 11, 2013

my own view which I'm sure will be disputed is that there is not much to choose between Seb, Kimi and Fernando, based on their performances/results,

David.

Alonso is some margin ahead of anyone on the grid currently. His ability to consistently put the Ferrari's he's been given over the last few season's on the podium has been outstanding. In addition, in spite of often fighting race performances and in contrast to his rivals, he very rarely gets involved in scrapes that put him out of the race.

Vettel is undeniably a top talent but he's been lucky to have had the luxury of the best car on the grid for a few seasons now. Up until this season he was prone to errors, and last season he fell well behind Alonso recovering only in the last part of the season when the Red Bull proved so dominant. This season he's matured and has made a lot fewer mistakes.

Kimi has driven sublimely since his return, as consistent as Alonso and with real raw pace. However, his form in the season and a half before he left to go rallying leaves some questions unanswered. I hope he's a real contender next season whichever team he's with.

I agree with what you say about Button I think he's as underrated as Hamilton is overrated. It'll be great when he get's Honda engines again but I guess next year Mclaren may struggle in the shadow of the Mercedes factory team.

I never thought Hamilton was 'that' good, he had easily the most well prepared entry to F1 in the best car on the grid in the history of F1 and was hailed as the second messiah. He is still very much the BBC's 'darling' (in contrast to Button) and in spite of some very shaky performances. On his day he's spectacular but he has also often failed to impress, then shown a weak temperament. In fairness he seems to have matured in this regard this season.

Really pleased Ricciardo got the Red Bull drive, think he could be one to watch fro the future and I'd love to see Bianchi get the second seat at Ferrari but that won't happen for now.

Really looking forward to next season, the all new cars will hopefully shake things up a bit.

Again these are my views and I hope that's controversial enough for you David.......feel free to shoot me down ?

b19bry.

Bugger, not so controversial Bry but I'm sure you will have pissed off the Lewis fans somewhat although I do tend to agree "too inconsistent" and not mentally strong enough in my view to realize his undoubted raw talent and your comment about being the medias darling is certainly true, a topic that I have frequently broached on with regards to Mercedes and Nico and all the publicity he gets.

I think most people only see Lewis in a certain light and perhaps miss the darker side of his character but they should read his tweets especially about his team mate Jenson and his engineers and the team in general, even comments he's made about Ron but then of course people do not want to hear that their driver is less than perfect as a human being and as I have chatted with him on numerous occasions I have my own opinion of what his character is like, judged by my standards and no one elses.

With regards to Seb and his occasional accidents {usually of his own making}I put that down to too much enthusiasm and lack of experience and his total desire like Fernando to win although as you say he has matured and now ranks at or very near to the top with Fernando and like you, I appreciate Kimis skill but also remember his last year with Ferrari and a tendency to be rather aloof and

in my view is not a team player so I hope he stays at Lotus as I cannot see him being happy playing 2nd fiddle to Fernando.

P.S. Could'nt shoot you down, ran out of ammo.

David.

Totster · September 11, 2013

Raikkonen joins Ferrari !

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/24042352

totster

September 11, 2013

Raikkonen joins Ferrari !

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/24042352

totster

There has been this kind of rumors all the time. I believe it only after Ferrari gives an official statement.

.. and I hope that will be the case in near future

GirlDrinkDrunk · September 11, 2013

wll massa has confirmed that he is toast. http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3213/8915573/Massa-confirms-Ferrari-exit

Now with raikkonen, Alonso and a team principal who knows his ass from a hole in the ground and ferrari could be unstoppable. either way, it will be fun to watch how it all comes together.

Alas montezemolo seems intent upon sticking around, despite the lousy run he has had.

that said, Whitmarsh has sure given him a run for his money in the bad decision sweepstakes.

The PF1 article links massa to a possible lotus drive, but with hulkenberg on the market, Lotus would be fools to take him.

Edited September 11, 2013 by GirlDrinkDrunk

jmccarty · September 11, 2013

Massa vs. Hulkenberg, not an easy choice technically.

Do you think Massa is over-the-hill at 32?

wackysleet · September 11, 2013

Massa vs. Hulkenberg, not an easy choice technically.

Do you think Massa is over-the-hill at 32?

Hulkengerg seems to be here one minute and gone the next but I believe Fillepe still has a lot to offer if he could only throw off the cloak of always being in someone elses shadow, it must have dented his confidence a lot and I would love to see the man do well and go to Lotus.

At Ferrari he has just been used as cannon fodder apart from the year he almost won the WDC.

So it now appears Kimi has signed for Ferrari, not really a surprise but I would have liked to see him remain at Lotus if they could have given him the guarantees he wanted but will be interesting with possible sparks flying next season.

David.

Totster · September 11, 2013

Raikkonen joins Ferrari !

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/24042352

totster

There has been this kind of rumors all the time. I believe it only after Ferrari gives an official statement.

.. and I hope that will be the case in near future

BBC would not report it if not confirmed.

totster

jmccarty · September 11, 2013

Massa vs. Hulkenberg, not an easy choice technically.

Do you think Massa is over-the-hill at 32?

Hulkengerg seems to be here one minute and gone the next but I believe Fillepe still has a lot to offer if he could only throw off the cloak of always being in someone elses shadow, it must have dented his confidence a lot and I would love to see the man do well and go to Lotus.

At Ferrari he has just been used as cannon fodder apart from the year he almost won the WDC.

So it now appears Kimi has signed for Ferrari, not really a surprise but I would have liked to see him remain at Lotus if they could have given him the guarantees he wanted but will be interesting with possible sparks flying next season.

David.

Massa has never been one of my favourite's, but would like to see him put into a fast car with a new driver as co-driver to see what he could do.

ignis · September 11, 2013

Romain Grosjean and Hulkenberg maybe good match... Still think Renault maybe rather good engine....... with the new electric power units maybe the Mercedes ? as Renault has had a number of Kers problems... The only other engine on the grid for next year is a bit unknown a 1.6 lt Ferrari...

Pit lane they can only use the new electric power units, so anyone with a problem = race ended unless they do not need a Tyre change

ignis · September 11, 2013

Massa vs. Hulkenberg, not an easy choice technically.

Do you think Massa is over-the-hill at 32?

Kimi is older

jmccarty · September 11, 2013

Kimi may be younger at heart! And I am looking forward to seeing what he can do next year.

The 2009 accident with Reubens suspension took the wind out of Massa. He had a 3rd, 4th and 2nd in the years leading up to then but never seemed to fully recover on the track thereafter. He will disagree I'm sure, but had to be a traumatic experience.

Also, it looks like Bernie has halted the electric motor requirement until 2015 (for now).

September 11, 2013

I think this is the most official of the "confirmations". From Domenicali's Instagram feed.

http://www.photosugar.com/i/stefanodomenicali?photo_id=542090414640235131#

Then again. I know nothing about instagram, so the whole account could be fake as well

Edited September 11, 2013 by Guest

Mosha · September 11, 2013

Smedley "Kimi, slow down, Alonso wants to pass."

Kimi."....."

September 11, 2013

Now Kimi's move to Ferrari is official. http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/back-kimi

(There had been so many rumors over the silly season, that at least I needed to hear this, before believing anything).

Maranello, 11 September 2013 – Scuderia Ferrari announces that it has reached an agreement with Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn will join Fernando Alonso in the driver line-up for the next two racing seasons.

Next season just got much more interesting. It will also be interesting to see how Kimi and Alonso act when they are on podium together.

September 11, 2013

If you have not noticed the Lotus F1 social media team, you should check it now. Not just this status, but in general they are very funny and do not follow the rules of style communications.

https://twitter.com/Lotus_F1Team/status/377765191053606912

https://www.facebook.com/LotusF1Team

Loptr · September 11, 2013

Smedley "Kimi, slow down, Alonso wants to pass."

Kimi."....."

I can't wait for this moment to happen. Kimi's response will be classic.

rixalex · September 11, 2013

Your right about it being difficult assessing just how good Seb is although having followed his career I have always been an admirer {finger and all lol}and think after his little spat with Mark when he raced against team orders for me along with other incidences proves he is a racer.

I still remain baffled over your support for Seb racing against team orders. Both drivers had agreed prior to the race that after a certain point, they would stop racing each other. The fact that Seb went back on his word, doesn't prove he is a racer. Proves something else.

With regards to Nico, I have always rated him highly and as you said, points do not tell the complete story but I just wish he got as much publicity as Mercedes appear to be giving Lewis, I'm sure it would boost his confidence somewhat.

David.

Nico might have to work harder than Lewis to get publicity, but it is at the end of the day, still within his own hands (and nobody elses) to garner it. Stringing together back to back poles and consistently finishing ahead of Lewis will bring it naturally. He is the driver who has been at the team longer, and the guy who totally outshone Schumacher last year, his confidence shouldn't need boosting. He just needs to get on with proving that he is better than his team mate.

rixalex · September 11, 2013

I never thought Hamilton was 'that' good, he had easily the most well prepared entry to F1 in the best car on the grid in the history of F1 and was hailed as the second messiah.

First point, "most well prepared entry" implies being given leg-ups and advantages over other drivers. There are plenty of drivers in and around F1 who come from very wealthy families and who also come with massive sponsorship financing, and who effectively buy their way in to the sport. Those are the ones i would describe as having been given leg-ups. Hamilton comes from a normal background and got his chance at McClaren because he had skill karting and they saw that. Yes they groomed him but they groom lots of drivers. Grooming doesn't guarantee an F1 seat.

Second point, "best car on the grid in the history of F1" is complete nonsense. Where on earth have you plucked that nugget from? I can think of lots of cars from different seasons that were much better in their respective eras and that were much better than the cars they were racing against, than the McClaren was in 2007.

If it was "the best car on the grid in the history of F1", certainly doesn't say much for Alonso does it...

rixalex · September 11, 2013

I think most people only see Lewis in a certain light and perhaps miss the darker side of his character but they should read his tweets especially about his team mate Jenson and his engineers and the team in general, even comments he's made about Ron but then of course people do not want to hear that their driver is less than perfect as a human being and as I have chatted with him on numerous occasions I have my own opinion of what his character is like, judged by my standards and no one elses.

David, I religiously watch qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday (and have done since a teenager and never missed a single one even when travelling), and that is pretty much where my interest in F1 begins and ends, besides perhaps reading BBC Sport News and chatting here, so i don't usually get exposed to a lot of the wider stuff you are referring to in the above... tweets, social media, gossiping, who is dating who, who dissed who.. it's of no interest to me... i'm not looking to date a Formula One driver (well not until the day they are female).

I'll go on judging drivers by my own standards, like you, but primarily by what i see them do on the track on a Saturday and a Sunday.

b19bry · September 11, 2013

Second point, "best car on the grid in the history of F1" is complete nonsense. Where on earth have you plucked that nugget from? I can think of lots of cars from different seasons that were much better in their respective eras and that were much better than the cars they were racing against, than the McClaren was in 2007.

If it was "the best car on the grid in the history of F1", certainly doesn't say much for Alonso does it...

That was not my intent and I suspect despite your overbearing sarcasm you know that.

What I mean't was, Hamilton's intro to F1 was unprecedented with the most preparation and with the (at the time) best car on the grid. This F1 opportunity has been unrivalled in the history of F1 and I stand by that.

All F1 'greats' without exception have started in a lesser car and worked their way up the grid to a top car.

You of course are welcome to disagree but the sarcasm is uncalled for, my opinion is as valid as yours

Edited September 11, 2013 by b19bry

b19bry · September 11, 2013

I think most people only see Lewis in a certain light and perhaps miss the darker side of his character but they should read his tweets especially about his team mate Jenson and his engineers and the team in general, even comments he's made about Ron but then of course people do not want to hear that their driver is less than perfect as a human being and as I have chatted with him on numerous occasions I have my own opinion of what his character is like, judged by my standards and no one elses.
David, I religiously watch qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday (and have done since a teenager and never missed a single one even when travelling), and that is pretty much where my interest in F1 begins and ends, besides perhaps reading BBC Sport News and chatting here, so i don't usually get exposed to a lot of the wider stuff you are referring to in the above... tweets, social media, gossiping, who is dating who, who dissed who.. it's of no interest to me... i'm not looking to date a Formula One driver (well not until the day they are female).
I'll go on judging drivers by my own standards, like you, but primarily by what i see them do on the track on a Saturday and a Sunday.

Ah right, so we'll see you dispense with the childish moustache comments then ?

b19bry · September 11, 2013

I thought the big news of the day is Raikkonen joining Alonso at Ferrari ???

That's a formidable pairing for the coming season. Now Ferrari just have to come up with a Banzai motor !

September 11, 2013

As I have said before. I think F1 is soap opera for boys. The qualifications and races are just one, although very visible part of the whole show.

I enjoy how differently people see the F1 circus. Some concentrate to the races, some technical details and some to other things. For me the most interesting part is the psychological dynamics between drivers and teams. I would say that's the ultimate key to wins, some other person would vote different. Altogether it's the combination of all of these parts.

These are the things we follow while trying to predict what will happen in next races or next season. That is as important as seeing the drivers and teams to do their best on the racetrack. At least for me.

b19bry · September 11, 2013

As I have said before. I think F1 is soap opera for boys. The qualifications and races are just one, although very visible part of the whole show.

I enjoy how differently people see the F1 circus. Some concentrate to the races, some technical details and some to other things. For me the most interesting part is the psychological dynamics between drivers and teams. I would say that's the ultimate key to wins, some other person would vote different. Altogether it's the combination of all of these parts.

These are the things we follow while trying to predict what will happen in next races or next season. That is as important as seeing the drivers and teams to do their best on the racetrack. At least for me.

I think I mostly (but respectfully) disagree.

To me qualifying and the race (preferably trackside) are pretty much everything.

To see a driver pushing a car to the edge (and you get to sense how close to the edge) is the real excitement of motor racing to me.

How some 'fans' relish character assassination of the drivers they don't care for I don't fully understand.

Edited September 11, 2013 by b19bry

September 11, 2013

I think I mostly (but respectfully) disagree.

To me qualifying and the race (preferably trackside) are pretty much everything.

To see a driver pushing a car to the edge (and you get to sense how close to the edge) is the real excitement of motor racing to me.

How some 'fans' relish character assassination of the drivers they don't care for I don't fully understand.

I think this is good. You can see far more what is happening on the track than me. I probably see more what is happening outside of the track. When we combine these informations, the combination is more than single parts.

The drivers and the teams are build from individual minds. They have their own minds and things which motivates each of them.

Hamilton, who I think is a brilliant driver (and I don't personally always like his way of doing things) was having problems in his personal life as well as how to cope with his own father and McLaren 'father' Ron Dennis. This caused him to move on to Mercedes. After the move he was full of motivation once again. One reason being to show the doubters that his decision to move was right. That's a big boost on the track.

The same follows with each of the drivers as well as teams. Ferrari hired Kimi once again. One reason was that he might get more points than Massa. The other reason was to say Alonso that he is not the King in Ferrari and he should change his attitude. This move also pushes Alonso to concentrate to his driving, instead of his politics. Now Alonso really has to show what he is made of once he has lost the number 1 driver status at Ferrari.

For the rest of the season it's very interesting to see how Massa is coping with Alonso. Massa has been playing the second fiddle for long time. Now Massa knows that he will be leaving Ferrari and does not need to be the second driver anymore. He actually needs to impress other teams, who might hire him, of his skills. This is bad news for Alonso for the rest of the season. I guess we saw the prelude of this at the Italian GP qualification already. There is more of this to come.

wackysleet · September 11, 2013

rixalex.

I guess you misunderstood my meaning concerning the comment I made about Seb and Marks spat, that occasion in my opinion when they raced was the best, most competitive piece of racing in that whole charade, 4 drivers and only Mark thought team orders were acceptable, certainly Lewis to his credit didn't and Nico was well peeved about it but the point intended was that Seb is a better racer than many give him credit for and that was only once instance of his skill because Mark gave no quarter and our relevant stances on team orders are a personal thing that has had the life flogged out of it, you agree and I don't.

I accept what you say forms your own opinion about a driver and that you don't listen to tittle tattle/Facebook or any other media outlet but I do read Lewis twitter page and for the record, did you know that when he had a big argument with the team he posted a diagram on his twitter account of the telemetry of his car and only removed it when the team had a go at him and if that is not a show of throwing his toys out of the pram then I don't know what is and by the way that is public knowledge available to any person knowing where to find it and I do not read social gossip only sport related stuff, a bit like you reading/watching BBC that and ones track performance causes me to form an opinion of a driver and yet you have frequently castigated Fernando over articles in the press concerning his alleged prima donna attitudes, an opinion I also share but most of the top drivers are like that.

Your correct up to a point with regards to Nico and his publicity but even when he had won 2 races and Lewis had won nothing it was still the Mercedes machine pumping out all the news about Lewis and even this weekend with Nico scoring well and Lewis way down the field it was still all about good old Lewis with hardly a mention of Nico but as you rightly say, we are all entitled to our personal views and opinions.

David.

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