blazenblue63

Was a great race. Alonso might still get it done!! They're expecting heavy rain on Saturday and Sunday and we all know who is the best under those conditions (hint Malaysia) so WHEN Alonso wins vettel has to be 4th or worse. Top 3 makes him champion. Hamilton and raikkonen are both better rain drivers than vettel and it's massa's home race. Advantage Ferrari but will it be enough? I think it just might! Forza Ferrari!

Mazmart

iTrader: (12)

Vettel is going to be SO PISSED if the championship slips away from him .

Paul.

blazenblue63

I know I can't wait! With Webber's car taking a dump again it just might happen to vettel on Sunday. And if it does, a third place is all Alonso needs. So let's hope that Alonso wins, Hamilton and raikkonen second and third, vettel starting next to maldonado with grosjean in front of him and with a failing alternator that should do it lol!

Jims5543

iTrader: (1)

Everyone is hating on Seb. I have been rooting for the kid since he won in Italy, in the rain, in a STR. I was elated that RBR was moving him up.
So now 2 WDC's later everyone is a hater.

I am rooting for him next
weekend. I doubt Alonso will get a win and doubt Seb will finish lower than 4th. I honestly think RBR is going to ensure there is no alternator problem.
Malasia was a long time ago.


Posted from Rx8club.com App for Android

bse50

I'm italian. I can't help but root for Ferrari. They could sit behind HRT and I'd still love them.
Besides, it's easy to hate on Vettel when he has all the luck in the world: Best team, best car, a teammate that kept somebody behind for the whole season and not just the last 5 races etc.

I'm super happy that Massa found himself again anyway, i offended him heavily in the past but apparently the issues were way above what we all could imagine. He's a good guy and a good teammate.

blazenblue63

It hasn't rained at a race since Malaysia. And they can't guarantee the alternator won't fail. Webber proved that yesterday. I've never been a fan of vettel. Or red bull. Like their comments yesterday that Hamilton only passed vettel because of karthikayan... It's lame and untrue. He would have gotten him anyway. Plus the crap they should have been disqualified for earlier in the season. They are just a sad bitter bunch in that team. Atleast Ferrari is up front about their (imo genius) tactic yesterday. If Alonso had Vettels car it would have already been decided. Alonso imo deserves the title because the ONLY reason vettel has even come back into title contention is because Newey thought of something to put on the car. Alonso has had the third best car (at best) all year and here he is. So the DRIVERS title should go to a driver and not a guy that can barely win without Newey's aids (sp) because in a car equal to Alonso he'd be fighting with sauber somewhere in 8th.

blazenblue63

I agree. I love seeing the old Massa back. Like you I'm a Ferrari fan to the bone. Always have been.

alnielsen

iTrader: (4)

While I may not like it, I fear your correct. Finger Boy will uncountably win.

blazenblue63

Rain changes everything. Remember the senna essess a few years ago? 5 cars or so slid off track at the exact same spot. Rain is such an equalizer in F1 we could even see Schumacher win. Remember Canada last year? Schumacher only lost the podium because it dried up. And Button came from last to win because Vettel slid off track. It's possible alright. We just need lots of water and a little luck, and the water is predicted

Jims5543

iTrader: (1)

Vettel did not slide off track, he braked late and got into the wet, then understeered for just enough time that Jenson ran under him to take first.

Ask me how I know.

blazenblue63

Last time i checked when you understeer meaning you steer but you keep going straight, you're sliding....

Jims5543

iTrader: (1)

He didn't go off the track just off line, maybe to the white line in the picture......... right in front of my stands....there I stood, freezing, soaking wet and with a broken heart.

I too, was rooting for Schumi to win this or at least get on the podium.

blazenblue63

Then we're not talking about the same spot or incident. In the last lap he went completely off track. Granted was still asphalt but outside the track. That's where Button took him. Maybe someone can YouTube it lol.

I would love to see Schumacher win this last race if it doesn't hurt Alonso lol!

bse50

He almost spun.

blazenblue63

Ah you are right he didn't go completely off track. I'm getting old lol! My memory failed me

Jims5543

iTrader: (1)

This is why I love RX8 club, I was sitting there in person watching it, and yet, I am being told I did not see what I see. It happened right in front of me, I was sitting in those stands in 2011.

I am off to the premix thread now, it seems I did not see the engine wear on a non premixed engine as well.



BTW- I can only hope Vettel loses the lead ont he last lap, and comes in second in Brazil in the rain.

blazenblue63

Well no need to be a dick lol! The only part i was mistaken on was if 4 or 2 wheels went over the tiny white line. Wasn't exactly the way you said it either and like you said, you were there. Point is, Vettel isn't as good in the wet as others.

Jims5543

iTrader: (1)

It was sarcasm, I was not trying to offend you. Just making a joke at my expense sorry if it came across wrong.

Vettel lead the entire race in the wet, and it was not until a drying track (and a brilliant tire strategy on Buttons part) that Vettel started to lose time, sort of like Schumacher. They were both flying in the rain and as soon as the track started to dry, they both were slowing down.


One thing I remember distinctly when I was at the race, when all those parade laps were going down behind the safety car, Vettel and Schumacher were the only two messing around testing to see where they had traction to pull away from that corner, Vettel in front was letting the pace car pull away a little then nailing the throttle coming out of that corner, Schumacher was doing the same thing, falling behind and playing with the traction to see where on the track they could find the most grip. They kept taking varying lines through that section, playing with it.

That is something you really never see on TV, it was very interesting.

blazenblue63

Lol no need to be sorry was just playing along lol. Yeah that damn race lasted 4+ hours... Must have sucked sitting there in the rain and cold! Schumacher was always fantastic to watch in the rain. Had it kept on raining I'm convinced he would have been atleast 2nd if not 1st. But maybe we get to watch the master at work one more time before he quits on Sunday. It'll be the end of an era. I'm sure his records will be broken at some point. They start driving in F1 in diapers these days. The new generation just has a lot more time to get it done. As far as talent goes Schumacher wasn't the best, that's Senna but Schumacher spent thousands of hours testing at fiorano in his Ferrari days and his hard work made him the best ever along with near Senna talent ofcourse I'll miss the days of Schumacher.....

Jims5543

iTrader: (1)

We will be saying the same thing about Sebastian when he retires as well.

I truly believe we have another Schumacher or Senna on our hands. To think he is this good with barely any practice like Schumacher had.

A McLaren in Lewis' hands is just as fast as a RBR, but I truly feel Sebastian is the more complete package.


Lets see what happens next season, Lewis is in for some real frustration, lets see if he can do with a Mercedes, just one time, what Seb did with a Torro Rosso in Italy.... in the wet may I add.

blazenblue63

If Rosberg can do it then Hamilton can do it in reverse lol! I have a feeling Mercedes and Hamilton know something we don't.... They might pull another "Brawn" next year.

The thing about Vettel in the STR at Monza was that it only would have worked on that particular track under those particular conditions. Ofcourse you still have to do it but having said that, all you need at Monza is the strongest engine and you can get very far. Add rain and the car's weaknesses diminish. Like i said a few posts earlier that rain is an equalizer. Which in turn we saw was true in Canada last year. Schumacher in wet = fast Schumacher in dry in Mercedes = slow. Don't get me wrong I'm not taking away from Vettel I'm just saying the fact it rained made it easier for him to do so, not harder. The STR has Ferrari engines and those things just go like hell. What Hamilton does next year all depends on Mercedes. If they build him a car halfway capable of competing for P1 he'll do it. No doubt about it. I'll be amazed if Rosberg will outqualify Hamilton even once in a straight up session. Vettel isn't a bad driver AT ALL! but... He for one drives for the wrong team (red bull are imo the outcasts of F1) and two he comes across too cocky. I was Lmao when he was on top gear. I really liked him on that. But on the podium and in interviews he's just soooo full of himself. He'll grow out of that at Ferrari in 2014 then I'll like him..... MAYBE! but imo of the drivers on the grid not counting Schumacher, he's third behind Alonso and Hamilton as far as talent goes. If i remember right Alonso drove a Minardi (the HRT of that time) to P8 in Australia in his first race ever.

Jims5543

iTrader: (1)

Some more pics popping up on Twitter:

Buxton pumping up the crowd, in his cowboy hat.



Jenson in the parade.

Jims5543

iTrader: (1)

We will have to wait until next year and see, I was expecting magical things from Mercedes with Herr Schumacher on the team, I hope Lewis has some sort of magic dust he can sprinkle because that is one dog of a team. It made a 7 time WDC look mediocre.

Seb took a backmarker car to first place, something Sebastian Bourdais, the "amazingly talanted" Scott Speed (I can not type that without laughing) and many other drivers at STR could not do. Discredit it all you want, it was an amazing drive in a horrible car.

If I was 21-22 years old and achieved that he has I would be somewhat pumped full of myself as well, you cannot deny, Alonso has been there as well as Hamilton.

I think you are going to see a really ugly side of Hamilton next season when he realizes how bed of a move he made. Worse than last season, or his season with Alonso, which was an hugely ugly one for him too.


How quickly we forget Crashgate where Briatore orchestrated the crash so Alonso could take first place. Please do not tell me he did not know about it, they were all int he know.

Sebastian is a likable guy in my opinion his appearance on Top Gear and Letterman both showed he is a down to earth guy. Plus I have huge respect for him due to the fact that he has no personal sponsorship this season, he has foregone millions in endorsement money so he can concentrate on one task, winning the WDC. THAT is dedication.

bse50

Vettel is fast but Alonso is better. At Abu Dhabi Vettel made a lot of mistakes because of the task he had to complete, you don't see Nando doing such mistakes. In equal cars we know Alonso would also have the edge. In the rain alonso won on 2 occasions in 2 different years with a mid pack ferrari.
Silverstone anyone?

What we really miss is a new Villeneuve. Lead foot, all heart, no brains.

bse50

Ecclestone and CVC face £409m lawsuit - GPUpdate.net

Well, just put me in charge.
Screw the FIA, welcome v12 engines and cars only limited in size, weight and average piston speed.
Welcome back the good ol' pit stops.
1 new engine available per race, 150hours of testing in the off season allowed, 50 during the season.
Bye bye to most tilke tracks except for Texas and Istanbul. 19 races per season.
That's what I would do.
Bye bye cheap teams as well... there's gp2 if you don't want to pay to play.

Well... without many limitations newey would probably be able to build a car capable of lapping spa in 1:38...
that would be CRAZY.
So... longer races!

Screw the victories system in the event of a draw (between drivers or teams)... sudden death! 20 laps sprint race on a random track selected from a list of 5 non-city circuits.
Who wins it, takes it.