2009 F1 Season

[n/aTurbo]

boring race huh. well i dont feel so bad missing the race now. Well done Webber btw.

[wolverine]

It may not have been the greatest race given that Button cleared out and both RBR's were unassailable for 2nd & 3rd but there was a some fun and games with Barrichello/Kovalainen, Barrichello/Sutil (....what the hell....) Barrichello and anyone he came across or crashed into.

Webber being consistently faster than Vettel in the middle stint seems to indicate better tyre management?!? So maybe Vettel lost time here due to impatience and pushing too hard too early? He has raw speed and stinks of future world champ since he is still learning how to manage and set up a car.

Hamilton getting passed by Piquet.

Nakajima who was very quick although he made a minor mistakes but was robbed by a left front wheel issue in the pits that cost him plenty.

Rosberg was solid, Trulli was up there so a slight improvement on any car will be rewarded by moving ahead on the grid.

[Topstage_S14]

I dont think too many people like button.

put me on that list!

[TALBO]

I like Button, what I don't like is the british commentators that lick his arse like they licked their other british golden boy Lewis's....

It's also very unfortunate that there are so many so called F1 fans out there that take the british based and biased commentary as gospel.

[FineLine]

I like Button, what I don't like is the british commentators that lick his arse like they licked their other british golden boy Lewis's....

It's also very unfortunate that there are so many so called F1 fans out there that take the british based and biased commentary as gospel.

X2. He is a great driver but the way the commentators crap on it almost makes you dislike him by association.

They did the same with mansell and Lewis.

[TALBO]

+ Damon Hill

[Beer Baron]

I can't believe we now have them using 'schumacher-esque' to describe button. ffs MS has won, what? 5 WDSs in a row at one point. how many has button won? farking none. (yet). give me a break. MS re-set just about every bloody lap record and championship record there is. button was a contender for the most races entered without scoring a bloody win. sure he's winning now... in a car that absolutely smashes any of the other cars out there by any measure you can come up with. bravo...

and go webber! I liked the interview in the pre-race show. he said something like "yeah sebastian is often quick, but sometimes this old dog shows him a thing or two". well vettel has out qualified webber at nearly every race this year, yet webber has beaten him home 5 out of 7 times. sit and think on that one RBR management. my real fear now is that webbo will get dropped for next year now that they finally have a good car they can have their pick of drivers to steer it. come on guys, give webber some pay back for the years that he spent toughing it out and developing the team and car. give him at least 1 more year to make something happen now that he finally has a decent car. I mean the bloke is 4th in the WDC for crying out loud.

[Beer Baron]

The dark horse for the weekend will be Massa, Rubens, Massa and Webber for the podium. Not sure of respective positions yet

1 out of 3 aint bad old son. and it was the right one!

[TALBO]

I can't believe we now have them using 'schumacher-esque' to describe button. ffs MS has won, what? 5 WDSs in a row at one point. how many has button won? farking none. (yet). give me a break. MS re-set just about every bloody lap record and championship record there is. button was a contender for the most races entered without scoring a bloody win. sure he's winning now... in a car that absolutely smashes any of the other cars out there by any measure you can come up with. bravo...

+1. I too thought that was disgraceful comparing a 7 time WC with 91 wins...... It could also be argued that MS only ever had the luxury of having the best car underneath him for 2 seasons out of his whole career.

Not taking anything away from Jensen but trying to compare him to the greatest driver of all time is a little premature imo

[Roy]

Yeh, my crystal ball has never worked too well

Will the FOTA walk and do their own thing? I cant see Bernie letting it happen as he is too smart a businessman and even if the teams go he needs to keep the big name drivers, otherwise its going to be A1GP

[Beer Baron]

yes, especially since jenson has achieve absolutely bugger all in his first 8 or so seaons in F1 despite being in some decent machinery some of the time. well he did well in 04 in a cracking car.

it's tough to think that if webber wasn't robbed of those 1.5 points at malaysia (scored 1.5 instead of 3 due to short race) he would be equal with vettel. i wonder what RBR would be thinking then about who is the #1 WDC chance?

I reckon if webber can take at least 1 win this year he should be right for a seat next year. he'll probably need to finish ahead of or very close to vets as well, or else RBR will be convinced that webber is just an ok driver in a great car (like button!) and turf him out in favour of someone else. there will surely be a queue of hopeful drivers outside the RBR offices right about now.

Webber is going well. 3 podiums this year (same as vets). and they have both had one shit effort. (webber qualifying 18th but finished 11th in china and vets even worse qualifying 13th dropping down to finish 15th in malaysia). sebs has had one DNF though.

Let's not forget that webber got red bull's first ever front row grid slot at silverstone last year. he is bloody quick there and won there before in lesser classes. yeah he dropped it last year on lap 1 I think it was, but he wont fark it up again.... surely...

[Beer Baron]

Yeh, my crystal ball has never worked too well

Will the FOTA walk and do their own thing? I cant see Bernie letting it happen as he is too smart a businessman and even if the teams go he needs to keep the big name drivers, otherwise its going to be A1GP

none of your balls work very well troy but I think they have a pill or some kind of spray for that these days...

[Roy]

Dirty i wont be able to make it to Silverstone , silly Dutton put my leave out of schedule. Hopefuly will make it to the German GP, but i wont mind if Mark winss his first GP without me being there

Mark is driving real well. I think Vettel needs to go a bt heavier in quali, it is too hit and miss with these light fuel loads. Webber was simply too quick in the second stint on Sunday, i personaly cant see RBR dropping Webber. He has done the business the past 3 years and this year he is matching his team mate, a two time GP winner. Things will change for the guy if he gets a win or two this season, but the way the Brawns are going.... its hard to see anyone getting near them other then if they hit strife.

[Beer Baron]

yeah once again RBR gave vettel a strategy that meant he needed to be in front, or have great pace on his short stints and he f**ked it up and managed neither of those aims which meant he put himself in a tough spot. it seems he is not as good at tyre management as webber. I think that is probably half the reason they keep 3 stopping him. it takes the pressure off him somewhat to look after tyres as he can use up 1 more set in the race AND spend less laps on the option tyre. where as webber can look after the tyres on bigger fuel loads and can manage the option tyre over long runs so they can 2 stop him without penalty. where as 2 stopping vettel would mean heavier qualy fuel load, longer stints with a heavier car and a longer last stint on the option tyre. but sadly he just doesn't seem to have enough speed to make the 3 stoppers work at the moment.

[dezz]

I was losing my shit listening to them compare Button to MS....They even quoted him as saying something along the lines of 'I can see why MS stepped away, it's hard work being at the top'

You have got to be f**king kidding me Button (or at least yourself) You've been at the top for not even half a season and the stress is getting to you? Last year you were fighting for last place with the Force Indias

[Beer Baron]

yeah, fighting for last with force india... fighting and losing half the time! yeah he is on drugs. boohoo tough at the top for all of 6 races (7 now). MS had every single other driver in F1 gunning for him for 10 years! and he always had a smile on his face on the podium. it's interesting to note that after MS left ferrari was still on top for one season (no doubt he'd already had a big hand in development of that car) but have since fallen well off their usual form. I know there are a lot of factors in that, rule changes, no ross brawn etc. but I don't think you can discount the impact that loosing MS has had on the performance of their car and team as a whole. just goes to show that the real champions GIVE THEMSELVES the best car and the best team, they don't fall arse backwards into one (hamilton anyone?).

[TALBO]

yeah, fighting for last with force india... fighting and losing half the time! yeah he is on drugs. boohoo tough at the top for all of 6 races (7 now). MS had every single other driver in F1 gunning for him for 10 years! and he always had a smile on his face on the podium. it's interesting to note that after MS left ferrari was still on top for one season (no doubt he'd already had a big hand in development of that car) but have since fallen well off their usual form. I know there are a lot of factors in that, rule changes, no ross brawn etc. but I don't think you can discount the impact that loosing MS has had on the performance of their car and team as a whole. just goes to show that the real champions GIVE THEMSELVES the best car and the best team, they don't fall arse backwards into one (hamilton anyone?).

Very true. Michael also contended with the almighty Newey designed Williams Renault's and McLaren Mercedes' in the 1990's....

I also think it's pretty hilarious to hear commentators make comments in regards to Rubens not being allowed to race MS when he was at Ferrari. What a load of bullshit! I bet you Rubens didn't complain at the time when MS gave him back that Austrian GP win in the USA later that year!

[Marco-R34GTT]

yeah, fighting for last with force india... fighting and losing half the time! yeah he is on drugs. boohoo tough at the top for all of 6 races (7 now). MS had every single other driver in F1 gunning for him for 10 years! and he always had a smile on his face on the podium. it's interesting to note that after MS left ferrari was still on top for one season (no doubt he'd already had a big hand in development of that car) but have since fallen well off their usual form. I know there are a lot of factors in that, rule changes, no ross brawn etc. but I don't think you can discount the impact that loosing MS has had on the performance of their car and team as a whole. just goes to show that the real champions GIVE THEMSELVES the best car and the best team, they don't fall arse backwards into one (hamilton anyone?).

Good point Dick... If I were a slighter braver man, I'd wager that MS put as much as 90% (if not more) of the laps that Badoer did in that decade of Ferrari dominance (or, at least Ferrari being competative for world championships 1997 - 2007). He was a front line driver that threw his all into developing a new car. Not many guys did that when MS was around.. Montoya? Ralf? DC? even Mika, Irvine or Damon? I doubt it... His hard work was paid off with at least 5 or 6 seasons at the helm of a next to flawless car, if anything, at times, the Ferrari was only ever limited to its Bridgestones..

[sh@un]

maybe they should hold 1 short race a season (no fuel stop, one set of option tyres) as a demo where all the drivers drive exactly the same car, including suspension and alignment settings (some sort of f1 'control' car), and ballast them up so the weights are a dead match, and then we really seperate the men from the boys

shame it'll never happen...

[R31Nismoid]

Webber being consistently faster than Vettel in the middle stint seems to indicate better tyre management?!? So maybe Vettel lost time here due to impatience and pushing too hard too early? He has raw speed and stinks of future world champ since he is still learning how to manage and set up a car.

Vettel has no choice but to push harder though

He was on a 3 stop strategy though, and the whole point of that idea is to go hard most of the race due to lighter fuel loads meaning he can indeed go faster and be a bit harder on the tyres being he will use 3 sets rather than two that the 2-stoppers were going to do.

The 3 stop strategy is what stuffed him up really because he didn't have the pace required to run 3-stops.

He would have had webber though had he not been told to back off ... sorry - "you wont catch him"... he probably would have but makes sense not to put them into harms way with a 2-3 finish