Formula One 2014

[djr81]

Perhaps McLaren need to put the sword to Button and get a quicker driver while Magnussen learns the ropes?

But who is the question. Grojean, the Hulk? Not many candidates out there.

[Roy]

Button still leads Magnussen comfortably in the points but the quali record and speed of Magnussen must be a worry to an incumbent F1 WDC. Romain will wipe the floor with both of them. Along with Hulk he is the best think going, but then again Perez now has had some time to acclimatise with the team and you have to say that he is showing some interesting pace relative to Hulk.

McLaren need to at least give him a test, question is woudl Lotus allow him to test for McLaren?

[djr81]

You reckon welcome back Checo could ever happen? McLarens problem now is that there aren't any credible ways into F1 without a bucket of cash or Ferrari/RedBull/Elf/Benz etc backing. None of which are tied to their team now or will be in the future. They used to just be able to pick whomever they wanted - eg Lauda, Prost, Britneys old man, Senna, Alonso. But those days are gone now, it appears. Homo was an oddity as he had support from early on.

[Roy]

I think Perez has done his dash. And the fact it wa Button he was alongside He can only hurt Hulk IMO.

Good to see Kimi getting his head arount this years car. He still had a shocker of a quali but at least had a reliable car for the race and didnt have Magnussen running into him. Was really hoping he as going to hold onto 3rd

[mad082]

I'm still shocked at the straight line speed of the redbull. Vettel was able to hold off both the merc and the Williams in a straight line, even when they had drs. In previous years he would've been on trouble before he even made it past the drs line. So we might actually see the rbr cars doing well on the straights at monza

[dezz]

I watched the Sky post race stuff last night...The interview with Toto, before the team de-brief...He was furious at Rosberg. he put the blame squarely on him and so did Lauda.

Rosberg was NEVER in front at any stage of that move, Hamilton left him room then took the racing line on exit when Rosberg was nowhere near getting getting past him....

And Hamilton explained his reasons for wanting to retire pretty convincingly in a post race interview with Pinkman... It made perfect sense and didn't seem like he was just having a sook and wanting to park it.. He's already behind on engines compared with Rosberg, and had a damaged car that he could not drive fast enough to pass anyone.. He said that even if the safety car came out (Mercs reasoning for keeping him out there) he wouldn't have been able to make any passes on cars in front... He didn't see the point in thrashing an engine he may need later on in an important battle, to not score a point in Spa..

Pinkman said that's some calm thinking under pressure, to which he promplty replied 'I wasn't under any pressure driving around at the back'

"It's not a giving up thing, I lost at least 40-50 points of downforce," Hamilton insisted.

"I could do nothing. I was driving the arse off the car and the thing was all over the place.

"I couldn't catch Romain Grosjean. It didn't even matter if the safety car came out, I wouldn't have been able to pass. [Adrian] Sutil was pulling away from me.

"I burnt up an engine in the last race. I already have one less engine than Nico."

[hrd-hr30]

I don't buy it, on one of the many occassions he was whinging to his pits in that dejected voice that he wanted to park it, they responded by telling him the only guy lapping faster was Bottas.

Meanwhile, Rosberg shows alot more class again, keeping closed team discussions private, instead of coming out running to the first reporter to cry about what wasn't even said...

“I’ve been told what Lewis has said to the press,” the championship leader said.

“He has stated his version of events and all I can say is that my view of events is very different but it’s better if l don’t give all the details of my opinion and I hope you can respect that. I’d prefer to keep it internal."

On the subject of everyone blaming Rosberg... it's like no other race driver ever clipped anyone while alongside ever before - certainly not Hamilton who "can't understand what Rosberg was doing". Everyone makes mistakes, contact between cars sometimes happens in racing. The argument that it's unacceptable on Lap 2, but OK at the end of a race is ridiculous. Particularly after Hamilton's actions in the previous race, getting first option on the pit strategy is the most important factor in the race between these teammates.

Edited August 25, 2014 by hrd-hr30

[hrd-hr30]

Even if you blame Nico and think he had no right to be there, Hamilton was aware of the fact he was there. He was 3/4 alongside on entry to the corner after Hamilton went defensive on the approach. He certainly knew he was there. And yes, Hamilton might have been within his rights to stick to the racing line, but look where that got him... I doubt it's any consolation to him now, knowing he was right. All for the sake of a foot of road. An experienced driver should know better. But that's Hamilton's style to disregard the other car on the exit. Guess what - sometimes when you're in front, you're the more vulnerable one if there's contact.

[Roy]

When they told Lewis about Bottas being the only car quicker...its was a bit of a fib to keep him on task. I was watching the live timing and there were a few others. But the point being the 3-4 cars that were quicker were all in the top 6. Easier to say just one driver I guess when you are faster than the 10 guys in front of you

I do like the pics of when Homo wiping his wing off... its excellent tough, close quarters racing

[hrd-hr30]

Hamilton has been overly agressive on the chop chop with Rosberg all season. The only reason there hasn't been contact sooner was Rosberg being very compliant and getting the f**k out of his way. Sooner or later shit was going to happen the way Hamilton drives. Rosberg was pulling out of that move too, but Hamilton just had to do his usual chop chop job. And what a friggen sook!

You tell 'em Eddie!

I'm sticking with this being a case of Hamilton's usual chop-my-team-mate's-nose-off style. I can understand Nico being sick of that bullshit considering how agressive Hamilton has been in a few previous incidents, including the last race when Rosberg was fully alongside.

this paints a good picture of the racing line through there:

compared to this, I'm running you off the road again line:

Hamilton knew what he was doing; "It's not your job to go massively out of your way to leave extra, extra room. And it wasn't one of those corners where there's a wall there or anything."

Yes, he's entitled to do that, but I doubt that's any consolation to him at the moment. He could have left the extra foot needed and carried on unharmed, still in the lead. Just had to push the point to Nico, who decided to make one of his own... hehe

Good on him, I say!

Edited August 26, 2014 by hrd-hr30

[djr81]

Well it was only the first of three overtakes he stuffed up during the GP. Britney should have won once Homo pitted. But the second and third mistakes he made meant he couldn't. Which must have pissed the MB folk off massively.

Shame of all of this is the handbags at five paces nonsense takes away from the really good job Dan did. Those last laps pushing for every tenth were really good as was his first stint where he lapped a lot quicker than his team mate and made his tyres last longer. Class act, as opposed to the muppets from MB.

[hrd-hr30]

true. definitely that lockup trying to pass Vettel that forced another pitstop was the one that cost the race.

and at the end of the day, it was his poor start that led to the situation of needing to pass Hamilton in the first place. It was a scrappy race from Rosberg. But at the end of the day, it wasn't a bad result for him.

[Roy]

Yeh, was it Button where he was trying to overtake and flat spotted his tyres? Rosberg has been generally a pretty clean racer and apart from the hell of a chop he gae Schuey a few years ago in the wet at Spa on the same corner and the clash where Webber put him to the sword in Malysia turn 1...I really cant recall too many accidents Britney has involved himself in. Rather clean record...but didnt cover himself in glory trying to recover.

But then again, look at Hamiltons attempt in Germany where he ran into everyone and in Hungary where the rain master was damn lucky to finish the first lap after almost putting it into the tyres.

[djr81]

Think is was Vettel where he locked up. Button he ran off the road and had to redress. Not sure if the radio they broadcast ("Ask Charlie if the overtake was ok") was from the Button overtake which he redressed or another one besides.

[Roy]

But my dislike for Hamo is returning as he seems to have forgotten his more laid back persona of last year and his wanker ego is back on song now he is in the hunt for wins and WDC. Same situation that saw me barracking for Massa is back and has me barracking Rosberg.

[djr81]

Well I don't mind so much as long as he is not trying to be Senna Mk 2 and be all spiritual and shit. Then I just want to see him in the fence.

[flano87]

reading this thread makes my face hurt.

[djr81]

reading this thread makes my face hurt.

What's so difficult.

Figure out who you don't like.

Blame them.

Profit.

[Roy]

The Belgian's wheeled out their finest wenches too which was nice

[MatthewT85]

yeah i figured the "i was trying to prove a point" was him meaning if youre going to keep chopping me on exit im not going to dissappear and you're going to get hit... it was like in bahrain, kept doing it