Official Formula 1 thread

[rice_classic]

If they're not racing 10/10th's then to me, it's not racing even if what they're doing looks like racing. I don't want to watch a scripted "show", I want to watch racing.

And Lee Diffy can kick rocks. There are few voices in this world that make me want to club a baby seal and his is one of them.

[Panda Grahams]

I guess I'm the only one who actually likes Vettel...

[raphy]

it would be great if they really start hating each other and we get a prost vs senna situation. that would make things very interesting.

[Panda Grahams]

I grew up watching Senna and I see a lot of similarities between him and Vettel. I love their attitudes towards racing and against the politics behind it all. I know a lot of F1 would not exist without the politics, but I want to watch a race. It can be self-defeating to race against your own team, but drivers, to me, are independent because of their different skill sets. It's a confusing subject because drivers are put on teams to get the best combination of skills to benefit the team through cooperation, but the driver who deserves the win, deserves the win. I think the Malaysian Grand Prix was a great example of this. Both Mercedes and Red Bull had their teams as far as they could get them. At this point, the drivers had helped their team as much as they could and the better driver should be able to use his skill set to claim the position he deserves. Yes, it can be self-defeating and can lose the race for the team, but it's a race and there are risks. I think the podium reflected the two sides of this situation quite well. Vettel and Weber had the best two spots in the race, but were obviously at arms with each other. Whereas, Hamilton felt bad for claiming third when Rosberg was the faster driver during that race. I gained a lot of respect for Hamilton that night. Anyways... just my two cents.

[R_E_L]

Originally Posted by Panda Grahams

I guess I'm the only one who actually likes Vettel...

Not at all. While I like watching drivers like Lewis, Kimi and Alonso do there thing I find myself secretly rooting for Vettel. Probably because of the historical significance of having another dominant driver, or maybe because I like how Red Bull has come up and really taken it to the big boys. But I don't want him too dominant, I want to see everyone battling 'til the end of the season.

Still I think he can be immature at times and even be a bit of a whiner, but like with all my favorite athletes, I have a great respect for his dedication and focus. People put a lot of emphasis on the car but it doesn't get to the end of the race on autopilot. For me Lewis is the fastest flat out driver, Alonso the most well rounded and Vettel the most focused (being able to get that crucial fast lap at the end of qualifying). But out of all of them, I think the only one who could've maybe done what Vettel did in the same car would possibly be Alonso. Vettel deserves to be where he is whether people like to admit it or not.

[cfusionpm]

Originally Posted by Panda Grahams

I grew up watching Senna and I see a lot of similarities between him and Vettel. I love their attitudes towards racing and against the politics behind it all. I know a lot of F1 would not exist without the politics, but I want to watch a race. It can be self-defeating to race against your own team, but drivers, to me, are independent because of their different skill sets.

Except "officially" Vettel apologized for what he did and acted like he was remorseful (which of course, he wasn't). If he were really like Senna, he would have said "I passed him because I'm faster than him. If he wanted the spot bad enough, if he wanted to earn it, he should have fought for it like I did." Senna himself is famously quoted saying: "By being a racing driver means you are racing with other people. And if you no longer go for a gap that exists, you are no longer a racing driver because we are competing, we are competing to win."

Vettel disobeyed team orders, put himself and his teammate at risk of collision, and needs to get an attitude check. I'm all for watching a battle, but that wasn't a battle. Will Buxton put it perfectly in his piece:

"If we use a boxing analogy, it isn’t as simple as Mark dropping his guard and being caught with a knock-out uppercut. What happened in Malaysia was tantamount to his rival delivering a brutal blow to the back of his head as he walked to his corner after the bell had sounded."

http://willthef1journo.wordpress.com...ling-assassin/

[ZetaVI]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=N6j8JWZeMqU"]Infiniti Red Bull Racing sets new pitstop world record - GONE IN 2.05 SECONDS - YouTube[/ame]

[ATL BRZ]

While we wait on things to get started in Shanghai, there's a new movie trailer out for what looks to be the first good F1 movie in a while! It's based on Niki Lauda and James Hunt's epic rivalry in the 1976 season!

[ame]http://youtu.be/s43KIRThDDc[/ame]

[ame]http://youtu.be/rUSCxxGQuZY[/ame]

[ZetaVI]

Rush is on my must see list. Can't wait!

[cfusionpm]

Looking forward to this weekends grand prix! Let's see how RBR handles Vettel and what Alonso can do if he doesn't crash. The merecedes, ferrari and ted bull cars will all be at each other's throats on the track!

[ap5512]

Can't wait for the weekend...should be a good race!

[cfusionpm]

Hamilton will start on pole with a good margin over the very close Raikkonen and Alonso starting 2nd and 3rd on the grid. Vettel with a gamble on tires that may pay off in the race, did NOT pay off in quali, since he starts way back in 9th, and will be on the harder of the two tires to begin with. His teammate Webber got DQ'd from Q3 due to a fuel problem in Q2. Wah wah. Conspiracy theories will rise for sure.

Looks like the front rows are all Mercedes, Lotus, and Ferrari. Good luck to all of them. Keep Vettel in the back, help Webber fall off entirely, and teach that team what humility and maturity is about.

The only team I genuinely feel bad for is the abysmally bad McLaren team. From having arguably the best car last year to being out-scored by Force India for pete's sake! Shame they couldn't get their act together, but best of luck to Hamilton at his new home!

[Jaqub Jackson]

I am a big fan of Formula 1 vehicles and always love to watch its races. I am very sorry to say that I can not watch F1 practice by the Austin. You are lucky to have visit there. Good luck.

[so26]

Originally Posted by cfusionpm

The only team I genuinely feel bad for is the abysmally bad McLaren team. From having arguably the best car last year to being out-scored by Force India for pete's sake!

They need a top driver again and there are none available. I believe kimi does not have a contract for next year but i highly doubt he'd ever go back there. Maybe kubica will be ready for next year.