Depends if his free Mercedes engine tie up continues.
Isn't that a bit at odds with some peoples views that Vettel is the one getting all the fancy new clever parts while Webber is stuck with a base line car.
Japanese Grand Prix 2013, Suzuka - Race 15/19
- Thread starter Duke
- Start date
Depends if his free Mercedes engine tie up continues.
Isn't that a bit at odds with some peoples views that Vettel is the one getting all the fancy new clever parts while Webber is stuck with a base line car.
Lotus should do well here.
Soldato
Caporegime
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The majority of Webber's issues are being a slower driver, qualifying worse and being in traffic.
Vettel has hit more than his fair share of people, but 80% of the time he's in the lead with no one ahead of him except guys with blue flags jumping out of his way. Webber hits and gets hit by people because he's got a car that in race is faster than everyone but Vettel, but he qualifies way down the grid often.
The few times Vettel follows other cars like when he followed Hamilton, his car failed.
Lets say his car is being pushed at 90% and Webber's is at 98% because he both is pushing harder to overtake and his car is running hotter in dirty air. I think if you take any pair of cars and stick one way out front and one 5 cars back in dirty air you'll see a seemingly massive difference in "luck" , crashes/contact/failures.
kers as well, I mean do we even know if Vettel is using his Kers much when he's cruising around, while Webber is hitting the button to get past people almost every lap.
Vettel has hit more than his fair share of people, but 80% of the time he's in the lead with no one ahead of him except guys with blue flags jumping out of his way. Webber hits and gets hit by people because he's got a car that in race is faster than everyone but Vettel, but he qualifies way down the grid often.
The few times Vettel follows other cars like when he followed Hamilton, his car failed.
Lets say his car is being pushed at 90% and Webber's is at 98% because he both is pushing harder to overtake and his car is running hotter in dirty air. I think if you take any pair of cars and stick one way out front and one 5 cars back in dirty air you'll see a seemingly massive difference in "luck" , crashes/contact/failures.
kers as well, I mean do we even know if Vettel is using his Kers much when he's cruising around, while Webber is hitting the button to get past people almost every lap.
Soldato
The top UK viewing figures for F1 was when UK drivers were challenging for the title.
1996, 2007, 2008 and 2009. All rises in UK figures as UK drivers challenge for or win titles.
2000 to 2005, and 2012. All declines after some German guy dominates.
We are being dragged down from an inflated high following the Hamilton/Button period by an accelerated decline due to Vettel.
Just look at the fluctuations between 1997 and 2010 when F1 was free to air and all live. Its hardly a solidly high baseline Sky have just come along and shattered.
As the decline started in 1998-99 that was when Mika won the title, and continued through Alonso winning two titles, I'm not sure the Schumacher period had much to do with it.
ITV having the rights didnt help either , disturbing live races with adverts etc (plus generally poor programming in general)
The "Jake" years on the BBC sees decent rises, and as soon as it goes to Sky......figures plummet in one year back to what it was four years previous (not looking at qauli, as that is understandably going to have less viewers than the races themselves)
Without the generally regarded "awful" years of ITV - BBC would have been pretty flat /steady in viewing figures from 99-2008 if one channel had managed to continue with their quality of programming.
think its very wrong to just say its Sky vs all other options as during that time ITV were regarded by nearly everyone as absolutely terrible. In the opposite (but very beneficial) sense it was as much thanks to Jake's presenting as well as the interest from the British championship contenders point of view as to why figures rise upto 2011
The "Jake" years on the BBC sees decent rises, and as soon as it goes to Sky......figures plummet in one year back to what it was four years previous (not looking at qauli, as that is understandably going to have less viewers than the races themselves)
Without the generally regarded "awful" years of ITV - BBC would have been pretty flat /steady in viewing figures from 99-2008 if one channel had managed to continue with their quality of programming.
think its very wrong to just say its Sky vs all other options as during that time ITV were regarded by nearly everyone as absolutely terrible. In the opposite (but very beneficial) sense it was as much thanks to Jake's presenting as well as the interest from the British championship contenders point of view as to why figures rise upto 2011
Alonso\Webber\Lewis could have won that year but we know that rb used poor webber as a decoy to get Ferrari to pit Alonso and it worked
That was 2010 not 2012
Soldato
Well it's Wednesday and they've probably only just started unpacking the lorries at Suzuka, but I think we can safely say the result will be "Vettel wins lol." Anything else is wishful thinking.
As for Webber, I've always assumed most of his Red Bull 'bad luck' is due to his driving it like he stole it approach.
For me, the viewing figures do reflect the state of F1 during those years. 98-04 were pretty dreadful, and not just from a British perspective. I'm sure many would just switch on ITV's cack-handed coverage, watch the first lap and then tune back in to see Schuey overtake Rubens on the last lap and win the race. The whole Hakkinen/Schumacher rivalry was about as interesting as it got and that's not saying very much at all. One hopes 2014 stirs up the pot nicely, F1 needs a shot in the arm.
As for Webber, I've always assumed most of his Red Bull 'bad luck' is due to his driving it like he stole it approach.
For me, the viewing figures do reflect the state of F1 during those years. 98-04 were pretty dreadful, and not just from a British perspective. I'm sure many would just switch on ITV's cack-handed coverage, watch the first lap and then tune back in to see Schuey overtake Rubens on the last lap and win the race. The whole Hakkinen/Schumacher rivalry was about as interesting as it got and that's not saying very much at all.
One hopes 2014 stirs up the pot nicely, F1 needs a shot in the arm.
Soldato
Wonder if the guys have managed to rebuilt Webber's toasted car?
Or will they just send him out in it as it is?
Or will they just send him out in it as it is?
Well it's Wednesday and they've probably only just started unpacking the lorries at Suzuka, but I think we can safely say the result will be "Vettel wins lol." Anything else is wishful thinking.
As for Webber, I've always assumed most of his Red Bull 'bad luck' is due to his driving it like he stole it approach.
For me, the viewing figures do reflect the state of F1 during those years. 98-04 were pretty dreadful, and not just from a British perspective. I'm sure many would just switch on ITV's cack-handed coverage, watch the first lap and then tune back in to see Schuey overtake Rubens on the last lap and win the race. The whole Hakkinen/Schumacher rivalry was about as interesting as it got and that's not saying very much at all.
pfft they had some awesome duels and there were races you thought hakkinen was romping away from then schuey does a hungary 1998
the cars looked so much more alive back then with how they reacted to being pushed to the limit, you could instantly tell when someone was really going for it these days the cars look like they have so much grip and control they might as well be scalextric
Associate
Anyone else watch the drivers press conference? After being asked about his helmet design for this year's race Vettel's quiet comment to Jenson was picked up on the mike: "Bit weird to ask about helmets, no?" Jenson's reaction was hilarious.
Soldato
That was 2010 not 2012
You missed a page
Well it was peeing down on wens so hoping for some light rain through out the race.
Oh and Happy Birthday Murry here's to the next 90
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Man of Honour
Anyone else watch the drivers press conference? After being asked about his helmet design for this year's race Vettel's quiet comment to Jenson was picked up on the mike: "Bit weird to ask about helmets, no?" Jenson's reaction was hilarious.
I don't get it
Oh god, yes it was remote through TV level frustration when you missed something good like the battle for the lead due to there being adverts about bloody John Smiths.
Soldato
ITVs pre and post session show was way beyond anything the BBC had done before them, but the love-in for all things British got very frustrating very quickly. I've no issue with a bit of British bias, but some shows were at the point of almost completely ignoring the other drivers up until the FOM feed started and Allen and Brundle took over. Allen himself was guilty of it during the race, but the fact the pictures showed something else at least forced him into now and again talking about the other drivers.
The really frustrating thing is that it was clearly the producer of the show who was forcing it through them. Allen is a completely different person since ITV lost the coverage and is unrecognisable from that era. Steve Rider was a perfectly fine motorsports host on the BBC, but was forced into asking the most mundane of questions when he was hired by ITV. The Rosental-era ITV were OK, though again as the years wore on, they erred more and more towards the British love-in.
The adverts were a necessary evil. They forced themselves into a more and more difficult position at Imola 2005, expecting Schumacher to pounce at any moment, before having to commit to the advert in the final few laps. It was horrible, but I don't remember too many poorly-timed advertising breaks - the other three that stick in the head:
Other than that, I found the adverts a little frustrating, but not as bad as I'd feared. I suppose a lot of the decade had uneventful, processional races, so I wasn't too fussed at the break, taking the opportunity to make a cuppa. It would have been terrible in the early Pirelli era with the frequent yet often somewhat out-of-the-blue pit stops and sudden differing speeds.
The really frustrating thing is that it was clearly the producer of the show who was forcing it through them. Allen is a completely different person since ITV lost the coverage and is unrecognisable from that era. Steve Rider was a perfectly fine motorsports host on the BBC, but was forced into asking the most mundane of questions when he was hired by ITV. The Rosental-era ITV were OK, though again as the years wore on, they erred more and more towards the British love-in.
The adverts were a necessary evil. They forced themselves into a more and more difficult position at Imola 2005, expecting Schumacher to pounce at any moment, before having to commit to the advert in the final few laps. It was horrible, but I don't remember too many poorly-timed advertising breaks - the other three that stick in the head:
- Hungary 1997, when Hill passed Schumacher.
- Silverstone 2003, when the camera cut to the loony wandering down the Hanger straight just as ITV went to the break. We just caught a second or so of footage and James Allen starting to exclaim.
- Suzuka 2006, when engine smoke appeared at the Degner curves, roughly where Schumacher would have been, just as ITV cut to a break (though they would have been committed to the break already, and it would have been too late to avoid).
Other than that, I found the adverts a little frustrating, but not as bad as I'd feared. I suppose a lot of the decade had uneventful, processional races, so I wasn't too fussed at the break, taking the opportunity to make a cuppa. It would have been terrible in the early Pirelli era with the frequent yet often somewhat out-of-the-blue pit stops and sudden differing speeds.
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Associate
Soldato
Can't see anything other than a RB Vettel win. Hope Mark has a good finish to the season...poor guy.
Lotus I imagine will be strong this weekend as will Mercedes I think.
Lotus I imagine will be strong this weekend as will Mercedes I think.
Man of Honour
Soldato
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Or the FIA actually enforce their rules and disqualify RBR for fielding an illegal car. Seems the Red Bull might have a modified KERS that functions as torque control, which is a strict violation of the letter of the rules.