Indeed, I was defending Hamilton when people where slating him and saying he was a washed up PR disaster iirc
Belgian Grand Prix 2014, Spa-Francorchamps - Race 12/19
- Thread starter Shimmy
- Start date
Indeed, I was defending Hamilton when people where slating him and saying he was a washed up PR disaster iirc
Soldato
It's very much still in Hamilton's hands. Indeed if, and I'm using very robotic methods here, he beats Rosberg into 2nd in the remaining races, he'll win the title by a tidy 27 points.
A quick totting up suggests Hamilton can still afford to finish 2nd to Rosberg in two of the last seven races assuming one of those wins is in Abu Dhabi.
It's highly unlikely to ever be that straight forward, but if he gets his head down and uses the energy of from Spa, he's still got a very strong chance of winning. Now Lewis has got to show us how mentally tough he has become.
A quick totting up suggests Hamilton can still afford to finish 2nd to Rosberg in two of the last seven races assuming one of those wins is in Abu Dhabi.
It's highly unlikely to ever be that straight forward, but if he gets his head down and uses the energy of from Spa, he's still got a very strong chance of winning. Now Lewis has got to show us how mentally tough he has become.
Soldato
And how lucky his car is....
Soldato
Very succinctly put.
Ricciardo is copying Alonso in being as quick as the car allows and waiting for Mercedes to screw up. Unlikely to manage second in the Driver's Championship, he's looking good for third and much kudos inside and out of the RBR Team.
Man of Honour
Ricciardo might not win the WDC, but he's winning our hearts <3
He's absolutely showing Vettel for the average driver he is and how the car flattered him greatly when it was so dominant, similar to Rosberg this season.
He's absolutely showing Vettel for the average driver he is and how the car flattered him greatly when it was so dominant, similar to Rosberg this season.
I think there's more to it than that personally. I think the previous cars suited Vettel so well and he's struggling. Webber did well against Vettel until EBD stuff. I just think it shows he's not as adapting to the regs as well as Hamilton or Alonso. Although I don't for a second think if we were still running 2013 spec cars that DR would be even on the same row of the grid as him. It's not like anyone here thought he was anything but a whipping boy when he got promoted so he wasn't shining that much against his team mate.
A lot can change as well when you have a car that can win the title, DC beat Hakkinen when it was worthless. Rubens beat Jenson until the car was brilliant.
Vettels trouble now is unless he wins another title he will be the 4 time champ that just drove the best car by a mile for 4 years against a team mate that wasn't allowed to win. MS had similar circumstances and probably more inter team advantage than Vettel but he at least did it elsewhere too.
Soldato
Soldato
Well we all know Button will never get gifted another championship, so forget about him.
Hamilton can win championships, best car or not. But if he cannot do it, i would like it to be Riccardo. He just seems like a proper genuine guy. Even when they stripped him of the Australia points, he took it on the chin and got on with it.
Hamilton can win championships, best car or not. But if he cannot do it, i would like it to be Riccardo. He just seems like a proper genuine guy. Even when they stripped him of the Australia points, he took it on the chin and got on with it.
Soldato
Oh come on. Everything he has done in F1 up until now - that first BMW practice drive, his BMW debut, his first season at Toro Rosso, running continuously in the top 10 in a Toro Rosso (think back to how good he was in Hamilton's champion-winning season - he nearly denied Hamilton the title too), pole and a lights-to-flag victory in a Toro Rosso, four time straight WDC. He is undoubtedly a fantastic driver.
His recent domination is because he mastered the mashing of the throttle and letting the diffuser pick up the gasses from the exhaust, and he was the only driver in the field capable of believing the car would stick so readily (hence him opening up 4 second leads in 2 laps). That was his era.
The confidence you must lose from that to the extreme torque these 1.6s have must be enormous. That he is struggling to adapt to these completely different cars might be a blemish against him if he doesn't get the upper hand in the next couple of seasons, but it is only a blemish that would mark him outside of the very top echelons of F1 greatness with Fangio, Clark, Senna, Schumacher and Alonso, but he's right behind them in the next bracket alongside the likes of Moss, Brabham, Stewart, Prost and Hamilton.
I'm not taking anything away from Ricciardo, who's clearly a champion in the making, but the fact Vettel is struggling relatively does not suddenly mark him down as average.
Man of Honour
Well I did put average in italic, when I perhaps should have used ' ', hes better than most on the field, but he is not the prodigy people proclaimed when he was continually winning races.
As for winning in a Toro Rosso, even a blind squirrel will find a nut eventually. There's been lots of occasions where a weak team has pulled out a win due to the conditions.
As for winning in a Toro Rosso, even a blind squirrel will find a nut eventually. There's been lots of occasions where a weak team has pulled out a win due to the conditions.
When I am at work tomorrow (and have time to waste) I will look over the Vettel early race/wins and I'm sure everyone said the same about him. I'm under no illusions that DR will turn out the same as Vettel. Right now it's still Vettel the main man and he's careful not to upset the applecart and play the plucky winner. I will be amazed if this continues, if he doesn't have that utterly ruthless ******* streak then I don't think he will last long in the snake pit.
Everyone used to say what a lovely happy smiley guy Vettel was. I hope DR stays as he is, I just can't see it happening
Man of Honour
Ric has an advantage. He is not German.
Look at Webber, everyone loves an Australian.
Look at Webber, everyone loves an Australian.
Soldato
Normally due to tyres (the Prost cars and Hill in 1997) or some weird weather catching people out (Panis at Monaco in 1996 or Verstappen at Sepang 2001 for example).
Monza 2008 race was equal - the conditions were stable throughout the weekend (wet all the way through). Getting pole fair enough, most have pulled a top lap out of the bag, but he just kept building and building a lead lap after lap. Everyone thought when it began driving up towards the end that he drop back into the clutches of the more established drivers but he just kept driving away until he could afford to back it right down. It is one of the best drives I have ever seen.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not a Vettel fan - but to label him as average or 'average' is a whole new kind of nonsense.
Soldato
When I am at work tomorrow (and have time to waste) I will look over the Vettel early race/wins and I'm sure everyone said the same about him. I'm under no illusions that DR will turn out the same as Vettel. Right now it's still Vettel the main man and he's careful not to upset the applecart and play the plucky winner. I will be amazed if this continues, if he doesn't have that utterly ruthless ******* streak then I don't think he will last long in the snake pit.
Everyone used to say what a lovely happy smiley guy Vettel was. I hope DR stays as he is, I just can't see it happening
I still like Vettel...
Soldato
Everyone used to say what a lovely happy smiley guy Vettel was. I hope DR stays as he is, I just can't see it happening
Have just watched back some of the 2008 Monza race to ensure what I was posting was as I remembered and Brundle says this near the end, which is nicely timed:
Martin Brundle: "Vettel 14 seconds clear. What a supreme drive from this 21 year old."
James Allen: "I'm not even going to bother asking you at the end of this race who your driver of the day is as I've a feeling... it's a question of whether it's he's the driver of the season - this has been an amazing performance."
Martin Brundle: "I tell you the kid's got to change his attitude with the media - he's happy, he's friendly, he answers your questions, he shakes hands with the sound man, he shakes hands with the cameraman and the interviewer and thanks you for the interview - he'll give grand prix drivers a bad name."
Soldato
I know we only see one side of the drivers and they may be completely different behind closed doors but I hope DR doesn't change. I like his attitude and he comes across very well in interviews. I think the change depends on the person, I don't really remember much a change in attitude with Webber or Kimi over the years.
Soldato
Haha, I remember Brundle saying that and laughing when I heard it.
Soldato
Why on Earth has Button popped up into the conversation? No one was talking about him
It's quite amusing that it's plain to see that you don't like Jenson yet the reasons you give for liking Ricciardo are exactly the reason Button has so many fans. Just lol.