I think Botas wins that competition anyway.

Ooh very nice. I have a soft spot for Jessica though.

I am an admitted JB fanboi

aracer, me too! yes, I got the count wrong, didn’t include today’s race d’oh!!

stand by what I said though, Magnussen makes much better sense from Maclaren’s POV. I can’t see Alonso being happy to go to Maclaren other wise. At the very least, he’s not want a repeat of last time, where there wasn’t a clear first and second driver, and Button wouldn’t want that.

This season has been electric – for all people saying F1 is now sh*t, then you clearly haven’t watched any races this year

I watched some bits of some races at the start of the season, fell asleep on the sofa and so couldn’t be bothered with the rest.
I calculate that with 19 races ( I had to look that up) I have probably saved myself approx. 60 hours (qualifying +race day) to do something more exciting instead.

I am glad other people get something from it, but with some regret I have grown apart from it because of the politics and personalities.

fell asleep on the sofa and so couldn’t be bothered with the rest.

So there is a reasonable chance you are arguing from a position of ignorance?

I don’t watch the live events – refuse to line Murdoch’s pockets – but i do watch the 90 min highlights every race and keep bang up to date with everything else – including the politics (which are fantastic!!) on-line.

This way, i get to go biking every weekend, then come home and watch the race with my dinner and a bottle of wine

win-win-win 🙂

stand by what I said though, Magnussen makes much better sense from Maclaren’s POV. I can’t see Alonso being happy to go to Maclaren other wise. At the very least, he’s not want a repeat of last time, where there wasn’t a clear first and second driver, and Button wouldn’t want that.

Apparently it’s the other way around – Alonso wants Button and McL are trying to sort out further sponsorship on the back of Alonso which may allow them to keep JB. Apparently Alonso would prefer JB too on the basis that a) he’s a known quantity (that he reckons he can beat) and b) JB will be more help in developing the new Honda to get integrated into McL and also help sort out the new car.

Heres to a third title.

I really like LH now, was always a fan but I’m warming to him more and more. I’m not a fan of diamond earrings, gold chains and tattoos but I think he’s a character – and F1 needs more characters. It has been said in the F1 coverage that he’s easy to market – that might be because his skin colour attracts a new audience but I think it’s mostly because he has a style. You might not like that particular style but at least he has one!! Too many drivers repeating corporate responses – go too far with that and you end up being pretty faceless – Paul Diresta a prime example. Sponsors want something they can market and LH is perfect!

Plus he is turning out to be a really nice bloke now. Yeah he’s had his ups and downs but that’s great – people want to see emotion and passion about the sport which he had shown in spades. Rosberg has shown some real character in the last race and I think it’ll stand him in good stead too.

After watching the domination of Williams years ago I am so happy to see them doing well again. There is something about a team whose name is the team owner/principle, and after handing the reins to Claire I think sets a fantastic legacy in place. I would love to see Massa win the World Championship one year, he’s a great bloke and a great racer.

BTW – was anyone shocked at how long it took the marshals to put out the fire on Maldanados car? They didn’t appear to be doing anything and someone had to run from the other side of the track to put the fire out. I am sure that would NEVER happen at Silverstone. What would have happened if he had been stuck in the car and the fire was spreading??

Big shout out to all the marshals at all the motor racing – something the Brits can be very proud of as our marshals are the best in the world and go to so many races around the world to support the local teams and basically show them how it’s done. Nice to see the British marshal got to give Lewis a flag for the victory lap.

All I saw in this year’s championship is that the team with the best engine and car package usually wins.

Mercedes made the best interpretation of the horribly complicated new engine rules. Their fuel also had more pep in it. They were aided by a ridiculous freeze on development, and were allowed to provide their own team with a more powerful model than the one they supplied to McLaren, Williams and Force India.

Disappointment of the year, definitely Raikkonen, I wouldn’t employ him if I was running a team, far too many ‘can’t be arsed’ races.

+1
He’s a fantastic driver and I kind of like his ‘whatever’ attitude but I wouldn’t have him in my fantasy F1 team. It’s a shame he’s basically hogging that seat at Ferrari when there are people like Vergne potentially looking at going back to being reserve drivers, or Button leaving altogether.
Are Ferrari actually wanting to keep him or are they stuck with him contractually now?

But Raikkonen is clearly better than he showed this year and while I agree his motivation seems to come and go, I reckon if they provided a better car (that he was comfortable in) then we’d see the best of him again.

But Raikkonen is clearly better than he showed this year

That’s sort of my point- he’s clearly better (much better) than his performances, but that’s no good if he doesn’t deliver, and he’s had more than enough chances now.

And I agree – I’d rather have an Alonso who’ll do everything he can regardless of how bad the car is but Kimi is great in a half decent car.

Raikkonen is probably the most disappointing driver of the year.

Ricciardo is probably the most impressive.

Well done to Lewis though, Rosberg was quick and consistent but when it mattered on a Sunday, Lewis was able to dominate his team mate.

Ron Dennis made an interesting comment though. He said that there were eight drivers on the grid who could have been world champion in the Mercedes

Their fuel also had more pep in it. They were aided by a ridiculous freeze on development, and were allowed to provide their own team with a more powerful model than the one they supplied to McLaren, Williams and Force India.

And they ran to the same rules as everyone else.

The others cocked-up, Mercedes didn’t.

Ron Dennis made an interesting comment though. He said that there were eight drivers on the grid who could have been world champion in the Mercedes

Hamilton & Rosberg are a given.
Alonso
Vettel
Ricciardo
Button
Bottas
Raikkonen or Massa

That would be my 8 (or 9)

And they ran to the same rules as everyone else.

The others cocked-up, Mercedes didn’t.

Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying. Nobody except Hamilton or Rosberg had much chance of winning.

But the fact that we didn’t know which of them it would be made it much better than last year

Well done to Hamilton, I am no fan of his but he drove very well and thoroughly deserved the win as the dominant driver at Mercedes. He really nailed it when he had to and that’s outstanding work.

As for what Ron Dennis said, yes statement of the obvious as the Mercedes was so dominant.

northernmatt – Member

Ron Dennis made an interesting comment though. He said that there were eight drivers on the grid who could have been world champion in the Mercedes

Hamilton & Rosberg are a given.
Alonso
Vettel
Ricciardo
Button
Bottas
Raikkonen or Massa

I’m not so sure about Vettel or Raikkonen because they both were outclassed by their team mate and showed that they can’t drive a car they don’t like.

they can’t drive a car they don’t like

But they would have liked a Mercedes.

The double points for last race thing got me thinking.

To keep the championship alive, all you need to do is make it all count on the last race – i.e. the winner of the last race is world champion. Eliminate qualifying for that race – make the results so far determine grid position.

BigJohn – Member

they can’t drive a car they don’t like

But they would have liked a Mercedes.

Why would they?

Raikkonen did like the Ferarri because he couldn’t set the front end up to his liking. And Vettel can’t adapt his driving away from using RB’s effective exhaust blown defuser to give much greater rear end grip when coming out of corners.

Ron Ron Ron

Did he mention about how if he’d have not been such a di** about his team his cars could have won more titles, ie. pi**ing off renault who dropped the tie up with them (and went onto win with williams!) , so he had to use ford , then peugeot , the signing of ANDRETTI ffs.

and his treatment of JB is laughable…

Ron anyone of 8 team managers on the grid could do you job and get those results

pi**ing off renault who dropped the tie up with them

Didn’t know about that – link?

Ron Dennis had tried very hard to secure a deal with Renault, and even considered buying Ligier in order to obtain its Renault engines. McLaren would naturally have wanted to use Shell fuel and lubricants, and ultimately this proved a stumbling block with Renault’s sponsor, Elf. There was thus no alternative but to invest an estimated £6 million in developing the HB.

http://www.mclaren.com/formula1/heritage/cars/1993-formula-1-mclaren-mp4-8/

Ron Dennis made an interesting comment though. He said that there were eight drivers on the grid who could have been world champion in the Mercedes

Just shows how much more goes into being a world champion than being a good driver. Making the smart moves and deals, being in the right place at the right time, etc. Remember how people were saying what a mistake Hamilton had made, or how big a risk he was taking, going to Merc?

To that point:

http://www1.skysports.com/f1/report/22058/9538348/what-was-said-when-lewis-hamilton-quit-mclaren-to-join-mercedes

Obviously hindsight is great but still…

Remember how people were saying what a mistake Hamilton had made, or how big a risk he was taking, going to Merc?

Well I was one of them @mrblobby but then again I will confess to not knowing much about F1 ! A good friend of mine who does run professional sports teams (non cars but budget $25m pa) said his “inside track” was that Merc where going make a very big impact (story told to me at the Singapore F1)

Was there ever an interview from Martin Whitmarsh following his sacking? He seemed to disappear at the time and I don’t remember hearing anything from him afterwards either.

I expect that his silence would have been part of his settlement package. Same as FA has never slagged off McL after his season with them (which with hindsight is just as well!)

Ron anyone of 8 team managers on the grid could do you job and get those results

😀

Completely true as well. For a team of their size, experience and budget the performance was abysmal.

On track performance – pretty poor, not a single podium
Off track – also poor. No title sponsor and pretty shoddy treatment of their drivers

To be fair to Ron (or to treat him with even handed consideration in Ronspeak), he only took back the team late last year which meant he couldn’t really influence it that much for 2014. Next year he’ll have no excuse (for the chassis at least).

nemisis, I hadn’t heard that (your comment re Alonso wanting JB to stay at Maclaren) but it does make sense.

I guess we’ll only really know when Maclaren tell us their driver line up for next year!!

Ron Dennis made an interesting comment though. He said that there were eight drivers on the grid who could have been world champion in the Mercedes

Hamilton & Rosberg are a given.
Alonso
Vettel
Ricciardo
Button
Bottas
Raikkonen or Massa

I imagine part of his comment was barbed/aimed at one or more drivers who ‘jilted’ his approach to sign for 2015….

COUGH LEWIS

Plus, really? You could say that about any previous title holder. Its a combination of the car, the driver AND luck.

A few of the above drivers were only starting to get to grips late in the season.

I don’t like Ron. Plus even when you have the best car. Your team and team tactics really can conspire against the driver to tie him up. Cough Mclaren and their idiot pit crew and race strategy in 07 and 08. They’d have taken the Merc car and ruined their championship with the managment… all that work and cheating gone to waste. 😆

nickc – Member
nemisis, I hadn’t heard that (your comment re Alonso wanting JB to stay at Maclaren) but it does make sense.

I guess we’ll only really know when Maclaren tell us their driver line up for next year!!TBF, when I look at a lot of world championships, I do wonder whether the winning driver is often aided by data and set-up of the team mate. I’d think at the very least, the sharing of telemetry and the elimination of set-up parameters is useful, if you have a team mate whose judgement and talent you trust.

Two things Button has to his credit are consistency and an ability to get the car off the line and make places that is probably only second to Alonso. Add to that he has regularly proven his ability to race wheel-to-wheel without catastrophe – passing as well as being passed – and you have a very safe pauir of hands.

Don’t over look Honda when it comes to JB, they think highly of him and he brings alot to table in the fair east. (He was world champ in a Honda all barr name.)
If you were bringing a new engine and chassis together and had the chance of JB as a driver, you’d jump at it.

I think you need to check the results of the Australian GP.

I’m not the only one on here who’s mentioned the joy of seeing JB and FA going head to head – they know (and you know) that they will take every chance available, but never a chance which isn’t available, and that the driver in front will block as much as they can, but give space when they have to. I think the only difference being that FA is sometimes able to create opportunities JB doesn’t (as good as JB is I’m still not sure he’d have overtaken Schumacher in 130r).

I do hope what nemesis writes is true, and would love to know the source.

Found the article – I have seen it elsewhere too.

http://www1.skysports.com/f1/news/24180/9572469/sky-f1s-martin-brundle-reckons-alonso-would-prefer-button-as-mclaren-team-mate

Brundle usually has his finger on the pulse though maybe the article is more speculative than I recalled.

That said, it’s the simplest explanation for the delay for me – Now Alonso is confirmed, they’re seeing what other money that can pull in and whether that’s enough to pay for JB. Don’t forget that McL will have a bit of a dent in their finances with this season not having been very good, not to mention having to pay for FA.

fell asleep on the sofa and so couldn’t be bothered with the rest.
So there is a reasonable chance you are arguing from a position of ignorance?

No, boltonjon said anyone who thought F1 was sh*t hadn’t seen any races. I merely said I had seen some bits of some races and couldn’t be bothered with the rest. I was not ignorant of the bits I saw and thought dull. If I missed some ‘great racing’ after I made the decision to go and do something I believe was better instead so be it.
I am glad that you continue to enjoy what you feel is worthwhile to you. I’ve moved on, it happens.