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Why do us Brits never support our sports stars properly?
I'd like to think because we like fair play and give support as it's earned.
I may be overly optimistic of course 🙂
Lewis is known. KNOWN to be a take-no-prisoners-type when it comes to overtaking someone. Not a blunder-through but very robust.
All of the World Champs on the grid share this trait IMO - the ability to race hard, fair and clean (ok, they're all going to make the odd mistake but we've seen some fantastic battles in recent years with proper side by side racing without contact, set against the demolition derby that happens further down the grid). In fact, I'd suggest that it's a great measure to see who may have the potential to be a future (or at least potential given the criticality of being in the right car at the right time) World Champ - DR being a great current example.
Controversial.... but.
Whats to say the Redbull is actually a very good car and Vettel really is tired/lacking old focus and DR is a good driver who is making capital on a good car (still). If Webber was in DR's seat and Vettels maybe lacking focus would Webber now be lauded?
Because things don't change that fast, and Vettel has gone from being easily the best driver on his team to being nowhere near. Though there is an argument that previously his driving style suited the RB better (and that naturally it was engineered to suit his driving style).
Whats to say the Redbull is actually a very good car and Vettel really is tired/lacking old focus and DR is a good driver who is making capital on a good car (still). If Webber was in DR's seat and Vettels maybe lacking focus would Webber now be lauded?
There's a simpler explanation is why - the RB with its EBD required a very counter intuitive driving style - eg boot it just when you should be taking it easy on the throttle. Vettel adapted to this much better than Webber (old dog!) and hence was way better than him when the EBD was working effectively (eg mid way through last year) or at tracks that it was more of an advantage on.
The argument (which IMO is an oversimplification) is that Vettel is a very good driver but with the ability to drive in that odd way which provided a massive advantage. Take away the EBD advantage and he's back to 'just' being a very good driver. Not to mention that he's now got used to the EBD style and is now finding it hard to adapt back to the old style.
Vettel has gone from being easily the best driver on his team to being nowhere near
Because he no longer has a weak teammate? Instead of outshining a workmanlike old stager, he now has a rising star and it's reflecting badly on him.
The car is no longer the best and Vettel can't wring the extra performance out of it like a really, really good driver can. Senna, Alonso, even LH
Mind you, the team did for him yesterday, what a bizarre strategy that was.
I'm going to have to watch the race again. Too much red wine last night 🙂
I honestly can't remember enjoying a season as much as this one. Amazing!
This is one of the reasons i really dont like how the FIA "apply" rules throughout the season :
"The messages to be banned include: sector time detail of a competitor and where a competitor is faster or slower; adjustment of power unit settings; adjustment of gearbox settings; information on differential settings; information on fuel flow settings and level of fuel saving needed and information on brake balance.
On the formation lap ahead of a race there can be no information on clutch maps or settings, for example the bite point, or burn outs.
Teams can no longer answer a direct question from a driver, such as 'Am I using the right torque map?', nor can there be any coded messages.
From the Japanese Grand Prix onwards early next month teams will also be banned from informing drivers about tyre pressures or temperatures, and warnings as to brake wear or temperatures.
For the avoidance of doubt, the FIA has ratified what messages can be relayed, and these include: acknowledgement a driver message has been heard; lap or sector time detail; lap time detail of a competitor; gaps to a competitor during a practice session or race.
With regard to tyres drivers will be informed as to punctures, tyre choice at an upcoming pit stop, number of laps a competitor has done on a set of tyres during a race and tyre specification of a competitor.
Messages such as "push hard", "push now", "you will be racing so and so" or similar are fine, whilst teams can also help by warning of traffic during a practice session or race.
Information relating to gaps between cars in qualifying so as to better position a car for a clear lap is also permissible.
Drivers can also be told of a potential problem with a competitor's car during a race, and of a competitor's likely race strategy.
Finally, warnings with regard to yellow flags, blue flags, safety car deployments or other cautions, are also allowed."
Why not just ban all radio communication apart from safety/flags situation and only allow whats on a pit board as now.
no - cos that would require balls!
instead we'll get conspiracy theories abound about what messages meant and if it was a code.
...and probably random penalties issued out with a cry of "FIA fixing the championship" from the fans...
Why not just ban all radio communication apart from safety/flags situation and only allow whats on a pit board as now.
Because they haven't banned any of the ones that people like hearing - eg SV and FA bitching about eachother 😆
I agree with the sentiment - drivers should be able to drive the car without assistance and if they're too complex to do that properly right now (eg the start issues, and so on) then they'll just need to design them differently in future.
I think they are missing a very simple solution to this problem... [b]steering wheels[/b]!
Make them a hell of a lot simpler and restrict what the drivers can adjust.
Just have two buttons - 'Start Mode' and 'Race Mode'. And a brake balance adjuster.
But there's a difficult balance there - the cars have to at least look difficult to drive and high tech. Lots of knobs on the wheels (and behind them 🙂 ) helps convey that, doesn't it?
What's 'Fernando is faster than you' in code?
Give Maldonado one of these - plenty of buttons but he won't be able to cause much damage...
[img] 
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I'm for it - pretty much
But only after the red lights are out, there's a serious safety implication with cars stalled* on the grid.
That could happen easily if they get the clutch bite point wrong.
*anti-stall mode
Introducing that part of it mid season does seem silly unless they can actually change the software so that they don't need all the bite point setup to happen on the grid. I did think that they should delay the more technical aspects until next year and just implement the 'he's faster than you in turns 2 and 3' parts for this year.
not sure I agree with the brake one being excluded as I would regard that as a safety issue. Would the FIA rather discs shattered and sent cars off at high speed?
Will "it's hammer time" be allowed?
Only for American drivers.
With modern steering wheels they're almost back at the same conttol level as the pit to car telemetry that was banned years ago. Back then the argument was that being able to fail sensors,adjust a zillion parameters etc on the fly does nothing for 'the show' and IMO that's still the case.
3 car teams for 2015, and suddenly the drivers market can open up again huh?
Maldonado again!
eddiebaby - MemberMaldonado again!
Ferrari looked a handful too. Lot of oversteer on Fred's car.
oooo its geting close
rbr returning to form could mean a huge regret for merc if they start to fight for the title and still leave their drivers "racing" each other...
exciting race tomorrow of riccy gets a good start....
I thought it was simply a circuit where the Merc had less of an advantage (and the RB works well) rather than any closing of the performance gap?
You are correct
Merc has also moved resource onto the 2015 car therefore they aren't developing this year's car as much as others now.
Both championships are pretty much in the bag so they can ease back a bit on this years.
Thought Lewis had fluffed it on the first corner, great drive for the rest of the lap. Had to chuckle at Rosbergs reaction to being pipped to pole.
Still amazes me how two drivers can be so close over three miles of track.
No love lost between Martin Brundle & Christian Horner then!? Brilliant retort from Brundle
CH "Shame you're too old to have driven here in F1"
MB "Shame you weren't fast enough"
YES!
Well, karma is quite a bitch, isn't it...
Who's rosberg going to crash into then?
Ricciardo must be cross, Alonso's stitched him right up - hasn't he ? Why not made to concede another place ?
He'd already gained that hadn't he?
Alonso did all he had to, if they start being over zealous on first corner incidents, it'll ruin the starts.
"10 laps and rosberg will be lapped"
HA!
He won't be lapped now...
He'll be passed repeatedly though 🙂
So Mercedes finally penalise Nico for Spa - clever of them to wait an extra race to make it look less suspicious
Well, this is boring...
Oh ffs not this stupid rule about unlapping the lapped cars
Stupid stupid stupid
It is isn't it. Exactly what is the benefit of that supposed to be?
Phenomenal speed of that merc now he needs it!
Would like him to pit now and pass the other three on fresh tyres - he'd surely be huge amounts faster, would be fun to see.
He needs to go now or he won't have the time to chase