This is what Adrian Newey and Kaz from PD has been working on for GT5

Engine: gas turbine, 1483bhp @ 15,000RPM, 527lb ft @ 12,000RPM
Transmission: continuously variable, rear-wheel drive
Top Speed: 249mph
Weight: 545kg
Length/Width/Height: 4750/2180/980mm
Suzuka Lap Time: 1:11.540 (compare with Vettel’s 2009 F1 lap time of 1:30.833)
Special Features: enclosed wheels, “fan element” to increase low and medium-speed downforce (much like a vacuum cleaner

http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=163805&stc=1&d=1287495876
http://www.gtpla.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/red-bull-x1-prototype-side.jpg

Would you watch an f1 gp with such cars?
Fuck yeah!

Hell yah, I think that is the future of F1 or Lemans. But I see it more f1. Maybe in the year 2525, but ya maybe by 2020

http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=163808&stc=1&d=1287505551

http://www.rx8club.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=163810&stc=1&d=1287507370

Hell yah, I think that is the future of F1 or Lemans. But I see it more f1. Maybe in the year 2525, but ya maybe by 2020

That would be freaking AWESOME...but with numbers like that, I would think that pretty much all of the tracks would have to be reworked an run off areas increased :dunno:

^ Naa, you just don't go off track.

Very true, Very True...but try telling that to Petrov :evil_laug

^ Naa, you just don't go off track.

Or increase the number of backup drivers :)

WAIT A MIN....WHAT THE HELL....WTF does it have Vettle's name on the car!?!?!?!? ....And they say RB doesn't favor one driver over the other....pffft whatever

WAIT A MIN....WHAT THE HELL....WTF does it have Vettle's name on the car!?!?!?!? ....And they say RB doesn't favor one driver over the other....pffft whatever

They are favoring Webber by trying to exile vettel to the moon with that ting :bootyshak
Life's a matter of perspective =)

^^LOL...good point!!!

WAIT A MIN....WHAT THE HELL....WTF does it have Vettle's name on the car!?!?!?!? ....And they say RB doesn't favor one driver over the other....pffft whatever

Why dont you guys leave Vet alone. He has done nothing to any ofyou , but yet you insist on making fun of him. This entire whole season, he has only showed that he has class and great sportmanship. When I decide to grow up, I want to be just like Vet.

CLASS

Money don't buy that..:hippie:

Korean circuit an 'enormous construction site'

Formula One's travelling circus is arriving in South Korea, and the first reports are mixed.

BBC television anchor Jake Humphrey summed up the Yeongam venue as satisfactory but "far from finished".
more @ http://en.espnf1.com/korea/motorsport/story/31491.html

I guess we will see the state of things when Practice 2 session airs. (Friday 1am EDT). Speedtv.com will stream Practice 1 at 9 pm EDT Thursday.

Why dont you guys leave Vet alone. He has done nothing to any ofyou , but yet you insist on making fun of him. This entire whole season, he has only showed that he has class and great sportmanship. When I decide to grow up, I want to be just like Vet.

Alright now...do I need to get you some Puffs Plus :yelrotflm Actually, I like the guy, but all of his hype is overshadowing all the work Webber has been putting in. Personally, if Ham doesn't snatch this whole championship up from under everyone, I hope Webber wins it. Vettle's time will come....but quite fankly...kid needs to pay his dues!!!

Alright now...do I need to get you some Puffs Plus :yelrotflm Actually, I like the guy, but all of his hype is overshadowing all the work Webber has been putting in. Personally, if Ham doesn't snatch this whole championship up from under everyone, I hope Webber wins it. Vettle's time will come....but quite fankly...kid needs to pay his dues!!!

I agree. I'm backing Lewis but if that doesn't pan out I would like to see Webber get it. After him, Button followed by Alonso who has worked very hard this year.

Paul.

Alright now...do I need to get you some Puffs Plus :yelrotflm Actually, I like the guy, but all of his hype is overshadowing all the work Webber has been putting in. Personally, if Ham doesn't snatch this whole championship up from under everyone, I hope Webber wins it. Vettle's time will come....but quite fankly...kid needs to pay his dues!!!

LOL me liking vet is a big fat joke lol. For me its 1. Webber 2. Ham 3. Button, 4. anything but Vet. As for alonso I would hate to see him get it, but he did work hard , even if one of his race was a freebee.

LOL me liking vet is a big fat joke lol. For me its 1. Webber 2. Ham 3. Button, 4. anything but Vet. As for alonso I would hate to see him get it, but he did work hard , even if one of his race was a freebee.

Yeah, one race was a freebee for him but...
How many races di webby get for free because Vettel exploded somewhere? :)

Yeah, I think Webber has a whole field of 4 leaf clovers up his arse!! I can think of at least 2 times he's hit somebody...or somebody hit him and he was able to continue. As far as the championship goes...I'm hoping one thing...but realistically I'm thinking:
Webber
Vettle
Alonso
Hamilton
Button
Massa

If vet wins this year, I am going to be pissed. How can a driver who makes a living out of hitting other people win the championship? Other drivers are down on points due to his crash to any one style of driving. Imagine if Vet didnt take out web or jenson, they woudl be higher on points.

I have it figured out now, Vet takes out drivers on purpose, because he knows his car is faster overall. So his strat is to take out many drivers as possiable at beginning of the seasont o mid, closer to the end of the season drive like there is no tomorrow. Since his car is doing all the work for him. I must say the guy is smart <^_~>

I figured you out VET!!

Korea preview quotes - Ferrari, HRT, Virgin, Force India & more

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2010/10/11389.html


there is one thing all the drivers and their teams love, it is a challenge, and the inaugural Korean Grand Prix should certainly be one of the biggest challenges of the season. Only just approved by the FIA, the Yeongam track is a real unknown quantity. Although they have undoubtedly studied the circuit map and sampled it on a simulator, the drivers have yet to experience the newly-built circuit for real, and they clearly can’t wait to get cracking. The drivers and team personnel reveal their preparations...

Felipe Massa, Ferrari
“I have been at home in Brazil for about a week and I made good use of my time, getting as well prepared as possible for the final trio of races. They are going to be very important for me on a personal level to fight back after the disappointing outcome of the last two races. However, more importantly, I will be trying to bring home a significant number of points to help the Scuderia in its fight for both championships. Firstly we need to qualify well on Saturday and after that, in the race, I want to be in the middle of the battle for the drivers' championship, fighting with the five drivers who are chasing the title, which is the best thing I can do to help Ferrari's and Fernando's aspirations. Ferrari has been competitive at most circuits and there is no reason to think differently this time. It has a very long straight indeed and a mixture of high and low speed corners: we will therefore need to ensure that the F10 runs as efficiently as possible, delivering good top speed for that long straight, but also generating plenty of downforce. We have seen this year how important it is to get everything working well right from the start of Friday practice, running reliably to get through the engineering programme without any technical problems. That will also be the case this weekend, but in addition, the first few runs on Friday will be the first time we discover how accurate has been the simulation work we have done back at the factory.”

Bruno Senna, HRT
“Going to Korea for the first time should be a very interesting experience. No one has been to the circuit before, but it seems to be a challenging track. It is a mix of a sector with slow corners and long straights and another one with changes of direction on medium speed corners. You need a car with good braking stability and good traction. It is a bit unknown for everyone, but we hope that, as it is going to be the first time here for everybody, it will level the playing-field and make it possible for us to achieve a good result.”

Sakon Yamamoto, HRT
“I am looking forward to race at the Korea International Circuit and it is going to be really exciting as no one has ever raced on this completely new track before. The layout calls up slow and high speed corners and you have to find the right set-up. We have to learn the specialities of the circuit very quickly to get the best out of the car. After achieving my best race result in front of my home crowd, I am highly motivated to show a good performance again.”

Dr Colin Kolles, HRT team principal
“Everyone in the Formula One paddock is excited to come to Korea. The circuit has been completed just before the start of the event and so you can say that it is brand-new. Located by the sea, the circuit is formed by a permanent section but about half of the lap is a temporary section. After our good result in Japan, where we could bring both cars to the finish line again, we are working hard for another positive race weekend.”

Timo Glock, Virgin
“I always look forward to the challenge of a new circuit and after everything that has been said about Korea I can’t wait to arrive there and see the new track for myself. It is a high downforce circuit with what look to be some challenging corners, particularly the section between Turns Seven-Nine, 11-12 and Turn 17, which is almost flat, blind and important as it leads onto the second longest straight. I think there will also be some good overtaking spots in the early part of the lap. I’m looking forward to Free Practice as in addition to getting my first real taste of the track it is always interesting to see how well our simulation work translates to reality. We have a lot of hard work to do in the remaining three races and it is important that we find everything we can from the current package to try to end the season well.”

Lucas di Grassi, Virgin
“I'm looking forward to Korea, a country that I have never been to before, and the circuit looks exciting from the pre-work we have done on the simulator. I'm confident I can put in another good performance as the track is new to everyone and we have some upgrades on the car. I have recovered well from the Suzuka accident and I have been training as hard as ever for the last three races of the season.”

John Booth, Virgin team principal
“For a time, many of us thought this race may not happen, so it is testament to all the hard work carried out by the organisers that the Korean International Circuit is now ready for racing. Our congratulations to everyone involved. Much has been said about the track and the venue, but we are excited at the prospect of discovering it for ourselves in the days ahead. We have been busy in recent months working with a simulation of the new track from the data that has been provided and our own calculations. Timo and Lucas have done countless ‘virtual’ race distances of the circuit already, but of course there is no substitute for turning a wheel for the first time when Free Practice gets underway on Friday in order to properly gauge what the track has in store for us. The biggest unknown quantity will of course be the asphalt, which was only laid a few weeks ago and will therefore be very ‘green’. With the weather conditions expected to be similar to Suzuka – although perhaps not quite as extreme as Saturday - I think we have a very interesting weekend ahead as we work towards finding the optimum setup for the race. It is difficult to believe that we have only three races of our debut season remaining, but we will be pulling out all the stops to try to end the year on a high.”

Adrian Sutil, Force India
“I drove the Yeongam circuit on the simulator earlier this week to get a head start on what to expect when we arrive. It looks as though it is a good circuit with plenty of interesting corners and sections that could provide some overtaking opportunities. I would say overall it's a medium speed circuit - there are three long straights where you can reach over 315 km/h but also some slow to medium sections that will bring the overall speed down. There's a real mix of corners, including some Tilke 'trademarks' such as a hairpin after one of the straights and some more flowing curves. I've seen and driven the layout on the sim, but what you can't get an idea of is the bumps, the grip levels and the kerbs. As the track surface has been laid only very recently it's going to evolve over the weekend - I expect this to be one of the major talking points of the weekend and we'll look to get as much information on Friday. I expect we'd run a medium level of downforce on the circuit but a lot will depend on the bumps and the track surface. If there is a lot of grip then we could even run a lower level but we'll see when we get there. It just means practice will be busier than usual as this is the kind of information you can only get when you drive the cars on the track. Aside from learning a new track, which is always a pleasure to do, I'm also very keen to see some of Korea. I love Asia and discovering new places in the region and I've not been to this area before at all. I'll have a day in Seoul, which I've heard is a really vibrant place, and then I'll head down to the south to the more rural area the circuit's in for Wednesday night. It's going to be an interesting weekend as we've got a big battle on our hands at the moment. We've got to do better in qualifying this race and then of course finish - it was a disappointment not to get to the end as the car has been very reliable this year, but it just makes me more determined to get points this time out, both for myself and for the team.”

Vitantonio Liuzzi, Force India
“This week I've been in the factory and have had a day in the simulator to get to know the Korean circuit. My first impression of the track is that it will be a pretty nice one to drive. It has a lot of different types of corners, from slow to high and it won't be easy to find a set up that will suit every type of corner you have there. I think the first sector with the long, long straights and tight corner into another straight will really suit our car; the second sector not as much but we will see when we get there - so much will depend on the grip levels and the track surface. It will make Friday practice pretty busy as we look through all the data and try to get the most out of the car and the tyres. We've got a couple of new tweaks on the car as well that will make the programme even more charged. Plus I will have another chassis to use in Korea and for the last three races as my car was very badly damaged in Japan. My goal this time out is of course to go the whole distance in the race and also to make the most of qualifying as we have really been struggling in this area. We have found it hard to get temperature into the tyres over one flying lap and that means we've started further back, but we will try and understand it and see if we can improve. I'm looking forward to getting out there and doing a good job throughout the weekend; it's going to be an interesting one for sure.”

Paul di Resta, Force India test and reserve driver
“As we decided at the start of the season, I'm not going to be driving in Korea as it's a new track for everyone and the drivers will need the extra track time to get used to its nuances. With the track being ready so late, that extra time is even more important as the conditions are going to evolve very, very quickly over the race weekend. From my perspective however it will be interesting to see the new venue and also experience how the team prepares for a completely new event, both at the track and back at the factory. I'm sure the whole paddock will be a different atmosphere, as no one really knows what to expect. We've heard it's a great facility so let's hope it is as good as it sounds. Like everyone else on the team I'm looking forward to seeing something completely new.”

Dr Vijay Mallya, Force India chairman and team principal
“It's going to be a very interesting event for us as a team. It's a new track, a new country that very few people on the team have been to before so it will be a big challenge for us to address. We've tried to gather us much information on both the facility and the area in advance to make it as smooth as possible. Both drivers have been in the simulator to learn the layout and the team will fly out earlier than usual to get used to the area, the track and of course the jet lag - we realise it's a very hard time of year for everyone. We've got some changes to the front wing and a small mechanical update that we didn't use in Suzuka because of the weather. We are also looking at introducing some new aero tweaks to strengthen performance, but of course we want to make sure any effort is targeted and will give a genuine improvement.”

Robert Kubica, Renault
“I have seen the videos on You Tube and collected as much information as I can with the team. I will do some virtual laps to learn the layout before we walk the track with the engineers on Thursday. To be honest, though, the first installation lap gives you more information than most of the preparation you can do. The track looks pretty interesting. There's a bit of everything: long corners, high-speed and low-speed sections, and the final sector seems quite challenging. A lot will depend on the level of grip that the asphalt has. If the grip is high, then some of the corners will be easy flat; if it's low, they will be a big challenge. We have seen already this year, at races like Hockenheim and Canada, that the grip varies a lot with new tarmac. And that makes it very difficult to predict what will happen this weekend in Korea, and how competitive we can be relative to our rivals.”

Vitaly Petrov, Renault
“It's hard to do any special preparation because it's a brand new circuit and there have not been any races there yet. This means there is very little information available. All I have done is some simulator work to help me learn the track. Because it's a new circuit, I think this makes life a little bit easier for me because everybody will be in the same situation and will have to learn the track. The best thing is to walk the track and see it for yourself. Then, I like to do some laps on my bike to understand as much as I can. You have to look at things like the kerbs and the run-off areas. All this is helpful, but you obviously learn the most during the first free practice session. It's important that you know the lap by the end of this first session. It looks like a tricky circuit. The third sector looks quite a challenge because it's low-speed with most corners probably taken in second or third gear. Turns Seven and Eight will be quick corners and there are three long straights where it's important to use the F-duct. Overall I think it will be quite a good circuit for our car. There should also be some opportunities for overtaking.”

Eric Boullier, Renault team principal
“It's always exciting to visit a new venue and, following our Roadshow in Seoul earlier this month, we know that Formula One can expect a very warm and enthusiastic welcome from the country's fans. Any new track brings with it plenty of unknowns, and the potential for surprises up and down the grid. The circuit presents a variety of challenges, some well-suited to our car and others less so. As always, our aim will be to extract the maximum from the car and to make the most of every opportunity that presents itself to us.”

Heikki Kovalainen, Lotus
“I left Suzuka on Monday morning still buzzing after such a great race. I said then that the car was just fantastic to drive, and all drivers pray for days like that - it meant so much to the whole team, and our fans, for us to go one better than we did in Australia. That sort of result gives us a huge boost as the season draws towards the end, particularly because we were so far ahead of both Virgins - while they have kept updating their car at each race, we’ve been working on 2011 and haven’t updated our car since Silverstone, so to stay that far ahead is a major result. I’m looking forward to Korea. It’s new for all of us, and while I’ve had a bit of a look at the layout, the first couple of laps will be all about finding the right lines, and then we will focus on setups. To be honest, it won’t take long to get to grips with the track and I think the car will be ok there. It’s a pretty typical modern circuit - a couple of long straights with heavy braking at the end, and then a mix of a few tighter corners and a couple more quicker ones, so we should be about where we were in Japan. If I get another set of tyres like my second set in Suzuka it’ll be great, but whatever happens, we're closer to tenth in the championship now, and that’s what it’s all about.”

Jarno Trulli, Lotus
“I really enjoyed Japan but it was good to get home! The whole team performed really well over the weekend, and we took a big step towards the end goal of tenth, so everyone left happy. Korea looks pretty good - some drivers use simulators or even games to take a look at the lines, but I usually find my way around a new venue by running a few laps of the track on the Thursday. It’s a good way to work out the stresses of the plane journey, and you get a view of where the braking and turn-in points are. Whatever happens, after a couple of laps I’ll know my way around and where I can push, so it doesn’t take long to acclimatise.”

Tony Fernandes, Lotus team principal
“I am still smiling from what happened in Japan. The whole team deserved a result like that, and we were able to capitalise on what was a pretty crazy race by being in the right place at the right time. That was down to having experienced drivers who kept out of trouble on track and drove brilliantly all weekend, a team on the pit wall who made the right calls to give us the chance to grab 12th and 13th, and guys in the garage who put in the hard work to help us stay well ahead of our competition - all in all it was a fantastic team effort.”

Mike Gascoyne, Lotus chief technical officer
“Looking back to Japan, we could not really have had a better weekend. I think both Jarno and Heikki managed to extract every bit of performance they could from the cars, and that showed in our advantage over our nearest rivals in qualifying and in the race. We made a couple of announcements before the race about next year that showed how ambitious we really are, and there are more to come, but for now we go to Korea in a very positive frame of mind. It is always a bit of a step into the unknown when you go to a new venue, but we have completed a number of simulation programs at the factory that have given us a pretty good idea of how the car will behave on track. The big unknowns are what downforce levels to run, and how the track surface will stand up to the rigours of a full race weekend. We will find the right setup over the weekend, and any track issues are out of our control - it has been passed by the FIA so we will just go there and do our best. If there are any problems, it will be the same for everyone, so we cannot waste time worrying about what might happen - we will just focus on bringing both cars home in the race and taking another step closer to the end of the season.”

Kamui Kobayashi, BMW Sauber
“I am very excited about going to the next Grand Prix! After the race in Suzuka I am even more motivated. I went straight to Tokyo to stay there until I have to travel to South Korea. I had a couple of promotional activities and meetings, but also time to relax and do some sports in order to prepare for the next race. I always enjoy nice warm weather, and also it was good for me to stay in the same time zone instead of flying back and forth to Europe. I have never been to South Korea. At some circuits this year other drivers have had an advantage in terms of knowing the track, but this time it is the same for everybody. I am very much looking forward to discovering the circuit!”

"

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http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2010/10/11389.html

Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber
“Two years ago I went to South Korea for the first time - I was doing demo runs with our former Formula One car. It was the first time a F1 car had been fired up in that country. The circuit didn’t exist, so I drove on a closed street in Seoul and then in Gwang-ju, a city in the province of Jeollanam-do where the circuit has been built. The track is a long way away from the capital, therefore the weekend will kick off with a several hour drive, which might be a little inconvenient after a long flight. At the moment hardly anyone knows exactly what to expect on site. I am very curious to see the track and the facilities! From a driver’s perspective the most important thing is that the tarmac lasts. If the final layer is laid a short time before, it is generally understood it can be oily which, of course, would be extremely problematic. But I can only give any informed information about the quality and layout of the track once I have driven there. Generally I welcome new venues because they provide a special driving challenge, and for a world championship it is positive to race in as many countries as possible.”

James Key, BMW Sauber technical director
“For the new Korea circuit any preparation we are able to do will rely on the information we have on the track’s layout. We can, of course, undertake initial simulations and make predictions, but ultimately it is difficult to foresee everything with such a new circuit, and we will only know all this when we get there. We have a CAD file of the circuit from which we can derive an ideal driving line, and this can then be used to run our simulation tools. It allows us to play with different downforce and grip levels, braking severity and, to a certain extent, to look at mechanical settings and ride heights. But this is obviously very general as you don’t know how bumpy the track is, how the grip levels are, how the tyres will degrade or if the drivers will take a different line and so on. You can not prepare for these unknown factors, but you have to make sure you are ready to deal with them and so spread predictive work out to cover various different scenarios. Only then can we consider how to react to whatever the case may be. For other new tracks on the calendar you would have data from different racing series, but this is not the case here. It is up to the teams and drivers to learn quickly and react in the best possible way to optimise the car, so it will be a good challenge. The track looks extremely interesting with three straights, heavy braking at the end of each and then very winding sections for the second half of the lap. It looks like a technical track, and one of those where you face the challenge to find a compromise for the downforce levels required. However, theoretically it looks like a higher downforce track with a winding section towards the end of the lap. It will be a very interesting weekend for all of us and we look forward to visiting Korea for the first time.”

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes GP
"It will be an exciting challenge to race at the new Korean circuit. It looks great from the pictures that we have seen recently and I hope that the asphalt holds up as it has only been put down very recently. It is always interesting to learn a new circuit and generally I get up to speed quickly so I'm looking forward to the weekend."

Michael Schumacher, Mercedes GP
"Finally this year we are going to a circuit which is not only new for me but for all of the drivers. Korea will be a very interesting country to see and even if the track has only just been finished in time, I am confident that everything will be fine. I am very much in favour of new races and I think it is a benefit for all of us in the sport. It should not be too complicated to learn the layout and we are used to adapting quickly to new circumstances. We had quite a good race in Japan last weekend and are hoping that we can move forward again and put on a good show at the first race in Korea."

Ross Brawn, Mercedes GP team principal
"We are very pleased to be visiting Korea next week and are looking forward to the experience of racing in a new country for Formula One. It is important for the future of our sport that we continue to expand our global fan base therefore we are very pleased that the venue is ready in time after some uncertainty. We have been preparing for the new Korean circuit back at the factory with work on our simulator so we have a good idea of what to expect but as always with a new track, it will be an interesting challenge."

Norbert Haug, vice-president, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
"The first Korean Grand Prix will be a completely new experience for everybody involved in Formula One and our team welcomes this new race onto the calendar. The organisers have had a challenging period of time to get the new facilities complete according to the initial plan but everything seems to be ready now. We are looking forward to an exiting first race at this new track in Yeongam where we can hopefully continue to get the maximum from our current technical package, as in the last races, and score additional points."

Jenson Button, McLaren
“It’s always exciting visiting a new circuit for the first time. The Korean track certainly looks very interesting - a real mix of different characteristics - and there appear to be a couple of very likely opportunities for overtaking, particularly at the end of the three main straights, but possibly also off-line in the twisty final sector. The track looks quite high-speed, and the walls are close, so I think it’ll be an interesting challenge. As with any new circuit, it looks like it might throw up a few unexpected issues - not necessarily on the racetrack itself, but I’m sure the teams and drivers will work together with the organisers to make sure the event is a complete success, We’ve made some improvements to the parts we tested in Suzuka, and it’s looking likely that we’ll run the new parts on Friday in Korea. As with all our upgrades, we are pushing the envelope, so I’m optimistic that the tests will be positive and that we’ll be able to race the new components.”

Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
“I’ve driven the Korean International Circuit on the simulator, and my first impressions were extremely positive. On paper, the track should suit our car quite well - the first sector is all about good end-of-straight speeds and strong performance under heavy braking, both key characteristics of our car. And the middle sector is fast and flowing; it’s the kind of place where you want a car with a good balance and good downforce. I think it’ll reward commitment - it actually feels like quite a nice driver’s track. The end of the lap is slower and tighter, but it’s still all about rhythm and flow - so, as long as the track surface is nice and grippy, I think we’re set for an enjoyable first race in Korea. I’m looking forward to the weekend - I think we can have a positive race. While recent results haven’t necessarily shown it, we’ve had a strong car - now I’m hoping to get the chance to prove it on track.”

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
“With three races remaining, and 75 points on the table for the drivers, it would be unwise to write off Jenson, Lewis or Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. Both drivers have won world championships before - they understand the difficulties of such a unique situation, and both have learned how to deliver their best under high pressure. They will be ready for this battle. And it’s a battle that will doubtless be won by consistency. While we will continue with our aggressive development strategy, bringing further new components to this race, we’re mindful of the need to bag points at every race. Nonetheless, we are committed to winning, and won’t give up without a fight. Finally, to clarify, following his gearbox issue in Suzuka, Lewis will not face a second successive five-place grid penalty this weekend. The gearbox regulations were framed to ensure teams weren’t penalised twice for the same gearbox issue, so Lewis will go into the weekend without risk of further penalty.”

Hirohide Hamashima, Bridgestone director of motorsport tyre development
"This Grand Prix presents everyone in Formula one with an interesting challenge as the circuit has only recently been completed. This means that we cannot look at any data from races there so we have to rely on simulation data. From this information, the maximum and average speeds will be 310 km/h and 205 km/h respectively. This places the track between Catalunya and Istanbul and close to Sepang in terms of speed, which is an important factor determining the allocation of the hard and soft tyres. Korea should be a good test of all of our technology and I expect all the team engineers to be working very hard indeed over the weekend trying to understand the best car set-ups and tyre strategies for the race. As it will be the first motor racing event at the facility we expect a lot of track surface evolution over the weekend. It will also be interesting to see how the teams and individual drivers adapt to this track, particularly those in the hunt for the championship battle."

I wouldn't be surprised if Vettel wins it. Horner tickles his balls every night after all.

Hamilton won't win it because he's his own worst enemy when it comes down to crunch time.

Webber and Alonso have an equal chance IMO. The straights at Korea and the slow corners don't suit the Red Bull car nearly as well as Suzuka did, and Ferrari is usually pretty damn good in Brazil. Abu Dhabi is a crap-shoot.

Back2Back champions!
You can do it!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4106/5100109559_9010266a3d_b.jpg

The joker is a champion?

They just interviewed nando and woah!
He said that this championship is pretty hard and that, no matter the outcome, this was his best year career wise.
Then he just briefly talked about the drivers, saying that both button and hamilton are a menace because they know what fighting for a championship means and they won't be as pressed as vettel or webber may be. He also added that Webber is up top because he deserved it by putting together a great championship and that it will be difficult to win over him.
How come nando moved from bashing and crying to saying the kind of things?

If vet wins this year, I am going to be pissed. How can a driver who makes a living out of hitting other people win the championship? Other drivers are down on points due to his crash to any one style of driving. Imagine if Vet didnt take out web or jenson, they woudl be higher on points.

Dont forget to add 50 points to Vettel due to technical failures causing point loss or even a DNF when he had the first position and easily would have won that race. Seriously Vettel dominated the early races but due to technical issues, one or another he came out below.

I find Vettel has been struggling hard all year to make up for that and has been doing great drives. He has done some mistakes due to immaturity and he is passionate showing his feelings. I know some of you find that he has no class and is a brat, but I see someone who really wants to win and is burning with adrenaline and so into the fight.

I am hoping Vettel takes #1 this year. That would show the others that despite his bad luck he has the raw speed and determination to make up for it.

They just interviewed nando and woah!
He said that this championship is pretty hard and that, no matter the outcome, this was his best year career wise.
Then he just briefly talked about the drivers, saying that both button and hamilton are a menace because they know what fighting for a championship means and they won't be as pressed as vettel or webber may be. He also added that Webber is up top because he deserved it by putting together a great championship and that it will be difficult to win over him.
How come nando moved from bashing and crying to saying the kind of things?

He maybe grew up? Maybe he is turning out to be a nice guy? Naaaah.... ;)

I don't like the way he has been treating Massa this year but I suppose it is an eat or get eaten environment at Ferrari.

http://f1grandprix.motorionline.com/download/pitbabes2010/GP_Giappone//gp_giappone_pitbabes_000025.jpg

I am hoping Vettel takes #1 this year. That would show the others that despite him playing crash test dummy on the race track the rawspeed of his car and not his determination to make up for it.

I agree with your last statement.

and I concur.


lol for a second, I really thouoght PerSmitt said that hahahahhaha

They just interviewed nando and woah!
He said that this championship is pretty hard and that, no matter the outcome, this was his best year career wise.
Then he just briefly talked about the drivers, saying that both button and hamilton are a menace because they know what fighting for a championship means and they won't be as pressed as vettel or webber may be. He also added that Webber is up top because he deserved it by putting together a great championship and that it will be difficult to win over him.
How come nando moved from bashing and crying to saying the kind of things?

Outside of his stupid FIA manipulation outburst earlier this season that sounds like the same exact Fernando Alonso that has been interviewed the past year or two?

Outside of his stupid FIA manipulation outburst earlier this season that sounds like the same exact Fernando Alonso that has been interviewed the past year or two?

Gentleman,

I concur with your statement. Well said Sir. :) :ylsuper:

Carlos

Pos No Driver Team Time/Retired Gap Laps
1 6 Mark Webber RBR-Renault 1:37.942 23
2 8 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:38.132 0.190 30
3 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:38.279 0.337 29
4 11 Robert Kubica Renault 1:38.718 0.776 29
5 1 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1:38.726 0.784 19
6 7 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:38.820 0.878 32
7 5 Sebastian Vettel RBR-Renault 1:39.204 1.262 22

Ferrari clearly did a lot of laps, it is nice to see kubica up there. If the guy had a real car he would be competing for the title.
Even if starting 2nd or maybe 3rd Alonso could take the lead in the first tight turn by using the car's potential. Redbulls are underpowered and in that Monza-like turn power is everything, especially on lap 1 when you're approaching it at a not-so-mad speed.

Let's see how practice 3 turns out. Only there Ferrari usually starts focusing on qualifyin times

Pos No Driver Team Time/Retired Gap Laps
1 6 Mark Webber RBR-Renault 1:37.942 23
2 8 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:38.132 0.190 30
3 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:38.279 0.337 29
4 11 Robert Kubica Renault 1:38.718 0.776 29
5 1 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1:38.726 0.784 19
6 7 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:38.820 0.878 32
7 5 Sebastian Vettel RBR-Renault 1:39.204 1.262 22

Ferrari clearly did a lot of laps, it is nice to see kubica up there. If the guy had a real car he would be competing for the title.
Even if starting 2nd or maybe 3rd Alonso could take the lead in the first tight turn by using the car's potential. Redbulls are underpowered and in that Monza-like turn power is everything, especially on lap 1 when you're approaching it at a not-so-mad speed.

Let's see how practice 3 turns out. Only there Ferrari usually starts focusing on qualifyin times

I'm predicting that Hamilton and Alonso will lead the way around this track. Whoever is first between the two of them... *shrugs* no idea.

I also expect Vettel to bounce back and challenge Webber. The fact that he is 1.2 seconds behind indicates that he was not trying for a hot lap this session.

But something tells me RB will be challenged by 1 red and 1 silver car. Button and Massa will likely play backmakers of the front runners. Is that even correct to say? ;)

Gentleman,

I concur with your statement. Well said Sir. :) :ylsuper:

Carlos

Gentleman my arse, he just making up for his crying episodes. He such a douche. :naughty:

Alfy ran out of koolaid..

Alfy ran out of koolaid..
Only because you, Rwatters and polo dranked it all up. All 3 of you guys sounded so ghey, "OH Alonso such a gentelman, he just melts my heart with his words."

I feel sorry for you guys.

You clearly need to reread my previous post then!

They just interviewed nando and woah!
He said that this championship is pretty hard and that, no matter the outcome, this was his best year career wise.
Then he just briefly talked about the drivers, saying that both button and hamilton are a menace because they know what fighting for a championship means and they won't be as pressed as vettel or webber may be. He also added that Webber is up top because he deserved it by putting together a great championship and that it will be difficult to win over him.
How come nando moved from bashing and crying to saying the kind of things?
I actually meant "that kind of things" but my brain's pretty off as of lately

They just interviewed nando and woah!
He said that this championship is pretty hard and that, no matter the outcome, this was his best year career wise.
Then he just briefly talked about the drivers, saying that both button and hamilton are a menace because they know what fighting for a championship means and they won't be as pressed as vettel or webber may be. He also added that Webber is up top because he deserved it by putting together a great championship and that it will be difficult to win over him.
How come nando sweet words move like the wave that pounds my heart within. Is he the romeo that I have been waiting for, or is he my knight in shining armor?
taht is what i read,

taht is what i read,

That's because you inquired to the wrong dealer about some LSD but didn't receive what you expected :p

That's because you inquired to the wrong dealer about some LSD but didn't receive what you expected :p

LMAO that had me rollling. :lol2:

Go Webber...this is it.

That's because you inquired to the wrong dealer about some LSD but didn't receive what you expected :p
He took the brown acid.
"To get back to the warning that I received. You may take it with however many grains of salt that you wish. That the brown acid that is circulating around us isn't too good. It is suggested that you stay away from that.

Go Webber...this is it.

Indeed. Webber is ruling at this track so far.

Paul.

My prognostication *:

1st : Vet
2nd: Zo
3rd: Web
4th: Ham

* If Seb doesn't spear anything/anybody; if Fernando has no mech. failure; if Webber doesn't DNF :D:

Anyone else, before pre-race?

I really feel sorry for Vettel. He did everything right and his engine failed on him again. Add an additional 25 p lost due to technical problems on Vettels account.

Webber in contrast handles his car failures personally, not leaving it to chance like Vettel ;)

Big grats to Alonso and Hamilton who really proved that they could handle the weather. (Yes Vettel could handle it too, but his engine couldn't)

After races like this, just for a couple of seconds, I wonder if Ferrari has a chance at the Manufactures Championship. But, I think they are just too far back. Massa hasn't scored enough points to help them out. I don't think McLaren has a shot either. it is still RB's to lose. As is the Drivers Championship, Alonso's to lose.
RB's misfortune certainly changed things.

Anyone live near alfy? I think we may have to put him on suicide watch. ;)

Holy. Shit. I was so tired at the end of that race I thought I was dreaming, especially as I'm seeing the finish happen before my eyes. What a dream race for Ferrari. I've NEVER heard Alonso that happy over the radio before. Hell freaking yes!

RBR made changing out Webber's engine sound so innocent at the beginning of the weekend. I'm not thinking so now. That said I still don't feel bad for Vettel. I woke up the entire neighborhood when that engine started smoking. Most of Vettel's lost points are his own doing. His car blows up and breaks parts while Webber's works perfectly week in and week out. He's just too hard on his car.

I'm looking forward to Brazil now. Hopefully Ferrari can keep it up!

RBR made changing out Webber's engine sound so innocent at the beginning of the weekend. I'm not thinking so now. That said I still don't feel bad for Vettel. I woke up the entire neighborhood when that engine started smoking. Most of Vettel's lost points are his own doing. His car blows up and breaks parts while Webber's works perfectly week in and week out. He's just too hard on his car.

I'm looking forward to Brazil now. Hopefully Ferrari can keep it up!

Webber has had his fair share of technical problems with the car too. Not this year but last year Webber had about as many technical mishaps as Vettel. And I don't think its that he has learned to take care of the car better to this year considering how long he has been driving. Its bad luck for Vettel but that is life in racing.

Im just wondering why the engine gives up in the red bull car, but not in the Renault. Maybe Neweys design is a bit too much on the edge. Who knows?

But to say Vettel is too hard on his car is like saying he is driving too fast. Its ridiculous. The car should be built to sustain as fast driving as possible.

What a LUCKY day for us! Finally!
I mean... how many DNF did we score this year?
Webber's n00b mistake was so cool to watch happen, taking rosberg out was the icing on the cake. Alonso did the same retarded mistake in spa though =\

What a LUCKY day for us! Finally!
I mean... how many DNF did we score this year?
Webber's n00b mistake was so cool to watch happen, taking rosberg out was the icing on the cake. Alonso did the same retarded mistake in spa though =\

Yeah poor Rosberg. I mean the guy is driving great, really he is doing awesome and everyone is just saying that Schumi sucks. So Rosberg gets no cred for his awesome driving. And then there when he was doing really great he got taken out by Webber.

Oh btw, did you notice that the Mercedes changed the setup to wet driving? They are not allowed to do that before Qualifier and Race, BUT the race had been started. So when it was red-flagged they changed the setup on the Mercedes cars and oh it showed they had an advantage.

A typical Ross Brawn thinking outside the box situation.

And again a big grats to Alonso and all Ferrari fans. Ferrari have struggled like animals and managed to build up the car from a car that "they considered scrapping the 2010 challenge" to a car that is leading the world championship.

I agree, you see how heritage can play a big role in developing a car and handling rough situations.
What we are seeing is that McLaren and Ferrari have both stepped up their game while redbulls just demonstrated how lucky they were after the gap was reduced.
Webber is definitely not one of the top 3 drivers but was just lucky enough. Speed and reliability were both there when needed. He's paying 2 huge mistakes. The flight in valencia and this wet accident.

On the other hand the 3 real champions (Vettel, Hamilton, Alonso) are all still there even if with a lot of DNF, tough moments and even mistakes. This says a lot on who they really are.

I hope that webber definitely runs out of luck =)

Yeah poor Rosberg. I mean the guy is driving great, really he is doing awesome and everyone is just saying that Schumi sucks. So Rosberg gets no cred for his awesome driving. And then there when he was doing really great he got taken out by Webber.Rosburg gets plenty of credit. So much so, that there was talk, in the press, that Schumacher wouldn't be around next year. That talk has been killed by the team, but Schumacher is still under the threat of being fired after next year. Rosburg is young and has quite a future ahead of him.

http://imgs.blackfalconmedia.com/2010/10/24/large/12060179401796392762.jpg

I agree, you see how heritage can play a big role in developing a car and handling rough situations.
What we are seeing is that McLaren and Ferrari have both stepped up their game while redbulls just demonstrated how lucky they were after the gap was reduced.
Webber is definitely not one of the top 3 drivers but was just lucky enough. Speed and reliability were both there when needed. He's paying 2 huge mistakes. The flight in valencia and this wet accident.

On the other hand the 3 real champions (Vettel, Hamilton, Alonso) are all still there even if with a lot of DNF, tough moments and even mistakes. This says a lot on who they really are.

I hope that webber definitely runs out of luck =)

I hate to say this but the biggest fighter this year has been Alonso. Sprinkled nicely with some whining on the radio of course ;)

But what I really mean is that Ferrari were so behind that a lesser driver would give up hope and slump down for the rest of the season and focus on 2011. Yeah well Alonso is leading the championship now due to never giving up and only focus on winning.

Reminds me of Hamilton last year who had a "crap-car" and they struggled throughout the year and at the end of the year Hamilton fetched home a victory or 2 for McLaren. Not winning the championship obviously but still fighting to the very end.

These drivers have earned my respect several times over.

And with risk of being banned from the silver knights, I would not be entirely unhappy if Alonso won this year since he deserve it after such a struggle.

My hope for the end of the year:
1. Hamilton (of course)
2. Vettel
3. Alonso

My wish for next year is to see redbull's decline and some good ol' ferrari vs mclaren fights.
Dunno why but this threesome doesn't suit me =)

Anyway i was thinking last day about how unlucky drivers like rosberg etc are. Fighting against Vettel, Hamilton, Kubica and Alonso altogether must be frustrating, at least before them there was only schumacher!

Anyone live near alfy? I think we may have to put him on suicide watch. ;)
Holy. Shit. I was so tired at the end of that race I thought I was dreaming, especially as I'm seeing the finish happen before my eyes. What a dream race for Ferrari. I've NEVER heard Alonso that happy over the radio before. Hell freaking yes!

RBR made changing out Webber's engine sound so innocent at the beginning of the weekend. I'm not thinking so now. That said I still don't feel bad for Vettel. I woke up the entire neighborhood when that engine started smoking. Most of Vettel's lost points are his own doing. His car blows up and breaks parts while Webber's works perfectly week in and week out. He's just too hard on his car.

I'm looking forward to Brazil now. Hopefully Ferrari can keep it up!

LMAO, had me rolling.

A person who loves to see Ferrari and Alonso fail, I am going to say that the Team has done extremely well. So if Alonso wins the championship I wouldnt be upset, because I must admit he has came from the back of the pack and now the leader of the championships.

Even though I do feel one race was given to him as a early xmas present, he has worked really hard since mid Season.

I am still hoping that his engine does fail (since he is on his last) because I want webber or hamilton to win, but if he does win I feel he does deserve it.

OH btw, my last post doesn't mean I wont give you Ferrari Fans a hard time. So dont think your off the hook :)

Given race or not he still had some DNF before so that makes up for it i think. 2 second places (where massa gave him the position and when he was driving without clutch but broke the engine) would mean even a higher edge now... Think about it Alfy!

Hamilton is doing well too by the way and Vettel is so damn aggressive that I really love him.
Kubica would be another fine contender imho, in his mid-pack years he always showed that he can kick some butts even if in an inferior car. Plus he's always smiling and making fun of his mistakes and mechanical problems, i really like his character.

What an awesome weekend!!! Yet another one! :) :)

I guess the animosity between Alonso and Hamilton is over. They both have matured and they both deserve the World Championship... Yes I said it! :) So Alfy, this has brought us together! lol lol lol

What race... Like RWaters, I also woke up my neighbors, my kids, my wife ... What an awesome Birthday present .. I could not ask for more.

I just hope the engines last 2 more races... Amazing what Alonso said 2 races ago.. "podiums will do it" and he might be right....

Let's all be calm however, as you can see, anything can happen in the next 2 weeks...1 DNF and you are out! This, gentlemen, is exciting!!!

My take will be:
1) Alonso
2) Webber
3) Hamilton

This, by far, has been an exciting season...

Carlos
ps. Alfy, I still sent you the box of Klennex just in case :cwm27:

PSSH a box of klennex.

Btw we need to hook up sometime this year or next. I shall be heading to Austin at least once before this year is over. I will allow you to buy me a drink :)

Any how when F1 hits Austin, we should make plans

PSSH a box of klennex.

Btw we need to hook up sometime this year or next. I shall be heading to Austin at least once before this year is over. I will allow you to buy me a drink :)

Any how when F1 hits Austin, we should make plans

Sure.. Count on it. and yes we, Ferrari fans, are true gentlemen :) I'll even buy you a drink and will bring along the box of kleenex :) :lol2:

Carlos

Sure.. Count on it. and yes we, Ferrari fans, are true gentlemen :) I'll even buy you a drink and will bring along the box of kleenex :) :lol2:

Carlos
gentle my arse, more like cry babies crying for their pacifier.

I am going to say this to Persmit, I was laughing so hard when I seen white smoke coming from Vets car. I tried not laughing, but that just made my night better. After sitting on the couch waiting for a race to start, seeing Vet get a DNF made up for the delay.

I'm sure Alfy is going to yank my Silvernights membership, but I was really shocked an disappointed to see Webber go out like that. As for Vettle....doesn't really bother me 1 bit, but damn, I just feel bad for Mark.

I'm sure Alfy is going to yank my Silvernights membership, but I was really shocked an disappointed to see Webber go out like that. As for Vettle....doesn't really bother me 1 bit, but damn, I just feel bad for Mark.
lOL Nah, I too like Webber. I have been rooting for the old fella lol :) Its funny watching the clown (vet) having a bad day.

... I was laughing so hard when I seen white smoke coming from Vets car. If that happens to a Ferrari, does that mean a new Pope has been chosen? :)

If that happens to a Ferrari, does that mean a new Pope has been chosen? :)

I cant help , but i cant stop laughing at that one.

I like Sauber, but being mad because pit members were happy to see their rival out of the race is just natural. Is he asking team members to show no emotions when things are going great for them? Did he prefer that both Mclaren and Ferrari pit crews went over to the RB garage offer their condolence?


Peter Sauber has denounced members of the Ferrari and McLaren teams for displaying "unsporting" behaviour during Sunday's Korean grand prix.

Hinwil based Sauber's founder and boss said he was upset to see team members of the rival teams celebrating jubilantly when Red Bull's Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel retired from the front of the inaugural Yeongam event.

In terms of the championship fight, it was indeed Ferrari and McLaren who benefitted most from Red Bull's problems, but after he saw their celebrations on the pitwall monitors, Sauber said: "They were scenes that didn't please me at all.

"Very unsporting," the 67-year-old told Swiss daily Blick.

Meanwhile in Korea, Bernie Ecclestone helped veteran Blick correspondent Roger Benoit celebrate his 600th grand prix.



Read more: http://www.worldcarfans.com/110102529196/sauber-slams-unsporting-ferrari-and-mclaren-crews#ixzz13OlDayMc

http://www.worldcarfans.com/110102529196/sauber-slams-unsporting-ferrari-and-mclaren-crews

lOL Nah, I too like Webber. I have been rooting for the old fella lol :) Its funny watching the clown (vet) having a bad day.

My favorite Silver Knight suffered unfortunate circumstances a few times this year and it's only right I think to see others deal with life's blows of misfortune. I was actually surprised by how calm Seb was after the blowup. He may be maturing rapidly perhaps.

Paul.

My favorite Silver Knight suffered unfortunate circumstances a few times this year and it's only right I think to see others deal with life's blows of misfortune. I was actually surprised by how calm Seb was after the blowup. He may be maturing rapidly perhaps.

Paul.

LOl I give you that maz, I was also suprised how well Vet took his DNF. Guess his outburst in the past and F1 fans giving him hell for it, taught him to grow up.

Man only 2 races to go, and then we are all back to our normal lives again. I wonder what next year will have in store for us.

Argggggg....yes, the long winter of our discontent will soon be upon us. OHhh well, at least we got Mud bogging and lawn mower racing to look forward to

Argggggg....yes, the long winter of our discontent will soon be upon us. OHhh well, at least we got Mud bogging and lawn mower racing to look forward to


YEEEEE HAWWWWWWW


UmM nOpE.

Actually going to use the break to rekindle with my ex ex gf.

If that happens to a Ferrari, does that mean a new Pope has been chosen? :)

Hahaha, hilarious!

By the way, I am a bit worried about Ferrari now. They have always been strong on Interlagos and I think Alonso can win there. Just as I think Hamilton can win in Abu Dhabi.

If that happens I am afraid Alonso will win the championship (ruling out that he nukes his final engine). What do you other guys think, and even you tifoso girls ;)

Not good if true.

http://www.worldcarfans.com/110102629214/berger-says-webber-tried-to-take-out-title-rivals


Gerhard Berger has accused Mark Webber of wanting to take out a championship rival after crashing in Sunday's Korean grand prix.

Australian Webber, who at the time was leading the world championship by 14 points, spun on a wet kerb whilst running second at Yeongam and struck the wall.

But his Red Bull then rolled back across the circuit, collecting the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg.

"I don't understand why Webber didn't hit the brakes," said Rosberg. "It was crazy to roll back across the track like that."

Former grand prix winner Berger said on Monday: "He could have hit the brakes and stopped the car at the wall.

"He took out Rosberg, but it was the wrong one. I think in his mind he would have preferred Alonso or Hamilton," the former Ferrari and McLaren driver told Austrian Servus TV.

Asked to clarify whether he thinks Webber's move was deliberate, Berger - a former co-owner of the second Red Bull team Toro Rosso - added: "Yes, I think that's very clear.

"He goes off and he knows it's over. In this moment you're frustrated and a thousand thoughts go through your head.

"It's very obvious, you can see his wheels are not locked up. Perhaps he had a brake problem, but I don't think so."



Read more: http://www.worldcarfans.com/110102629214/berger-says-webber-tried-to-take-out-title-rivals#ixzz13U7bgFz8

I think that he was lucky that neither of the 2 contenders crashed into him. They can both get pretty physical under some circumstances lol

I hope that is the case.


Fernando Alonso is not ready to relax despite leaping into a strong points position with just two races left to run in 2010.

It is true that, now with an 11-point lead over Mark Webber, if the Spaniard wins in Brazil in two weeks and his Australian rival is fifth or lower, Alonso will secure his third drivers' world championship with a race to spare.

But McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh, whose drivers are also still mathematically in the hunt, said: "There is little doubt now the championship decider is going to be in Abu Dhabi."

Alonso agrees that he cannot rely on another Korea-like outcome before then.

"Red Bull showed us again in Korea that they are stronger than us, and that will be the same in Brazil and Abu Dhabi as well," the Ferrari driver told El Pais newspaper.

"So what we need is another small step forward to be competitive. We must be on the podium. If someone beats us now, congratulations -- winning or losing will depend on who is faster, on reliability and on luck," added the 29-year-old.

In comments published by Italy's La Stampa, Alonso said he is not interested in the mathematical possibility of him becoming champion in Brazil.

"Yes, that's true -- and if Red Bull miss their plane to Brazil, that's another way to be champion," he joked.

"The odds remain in favour of Red Bull."

Alonso said the only mathematical certainty is that he cannot lose the championship at Interlagos in two weeks.

"In Korea I have only guaranteed to be fighting in Abu Dhabi in the last race of the season," he confirmed.



Read more: http://www.worldcarfans.com/110102629213/alonso-not-expecting-to-win-title-in-brazil#ixzz13UBU06vA

Could it be that Red Bull is so much stronger, at the moment, because the other teams have tuned down their engines in order to make them last to the end of the season?

Lol i love the crazy theories

kubica dropped off after the practice sessions because a member of the mclaren pit crew has a picture of him singing karaoke to miley cyrus in women's lingerie.

Could it be that Red Bull is so much stronger, at the moment, because the other teams have tuned down their engines in order to make them last to the end of the season?

I hope Ferrari tunes the crap out of Alonso engine. I want Alonso car to move so fast that it.........

Lol i love the crazy theories

kubica dropped off after the practice sessions because a member of the mclaren pit crew has a picture of him singing karaoke to miley cyrus in women's lingerie.
There's a picture of Kubica in women's lingerie?

Could it be that Red Bull is so much stronger, at the moment, because the other teams have tuned down their engines in order to make them last to the end of the season?

If that's the case then we should see them slowing down now. I believe both are out of engines.

I'm wondering if Ferrari may take a grid spot penalty at Brazil (knowing you can pass there) to give Alonso a good engine for the last race? Certainly something to ponder.

Red Bull's edge is not from horsepower but rather in aerodynamic down force. The advantage may go to McLaren through engine reliability through the last two races. This could very well be a factor.

Paul.

Not good if true.

http://www.worldcarfans.com/110102629214/berger-says-webber-tried-to-take-out-title-rivals

About Webber taking out rivals. In a crash situation like that 2 million thoughts fly through your mind. When competing those thoughts are not always nice to your fellow competitors.

That Webber thought about taking one of his rivals down with him I have no doubt. We are also talking about the world's most competitive people. In that split second when the entire world is spinning all it takes is a moment of hesitation to brake and thus letting the car slide out again and clip a competitor.

I am definitely not saying that Webber wanted to take out an opponent. I'm just saying that in that split second when you must act on instinct you can find out a lot of weird things about yourself.

Knowing ferrari they probably have like a couple of engines ready to go somehow =)
Jokes aside, having no fresh engines left is not this huge problem, if they played right now they should have some good broken in engines with just some horsepower losses. A new engine can break down easily.. a known unit shouldn't!

Knowing ferrari they probably have like a couple of engines ready to go somehow =)
Jokes aside, having no fresh engines left is not this huge problem, if they played right now they should have some good broken in engines with just some horsepower losses. A new engine can break down easily.. a known unit shouldn't!

I was of the thought that it was mileage that broke the engine and not random chance. Once an engine reaches a certain mileage it is almost 100% certain that it breaks due to wear and tear.

I always heard that the safest you could get is a brand new engine in the F1 car. Can Aln confirm or deny this please?

It is true to an extent and i can confirm this.
My thought came out from the fact that the last few races didn't see a lot of engine abuse because of safety car deployement, inclement weather etc.
A new engine can always pop (that's the major risk, think about ferrari at the beginning of this season), those last "half used" engines should suffice.
Especially Ferrari is using the lowest mileage engines for the race\qualifying and is keeping the worn ones for the free practices.
I don't know if you have noticed this: They are putting a lot of free practice laps but then limit their laps in qualifying :)

I'm flattered. But, I don't know for sure. I would think a new one would be more dependable. Those engines are only expected to last for a short time. Endurance wasn't in the specs.

I'm flattered. But, I don't know for sure. I would think a new one would be more dependable. Those engines are only expected to last for a short time. Endurance wasn't in the specs.

Is their life expectancy 3 or 4000kms?

Alonso as good as Senna - Berger
Fernando Alonso can be mentioned in the same breath as Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher according to former Formula One driver Gerhard Berger.

Coming from Berger, who was Senna's team-mate and great friend, it is high praise indeed.
continued at http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/32322.html

Horner admits Vettel engine situation 'not ideal'
Christian Horner hopes Sebastian Vettel's engine situation does not further dent his championship chances.

The Red Bull driver retired from the lead of the Korean Grand Prix last Sunday with a sudden and catastrophic failure of his Renault engine.

The 2.4 litre V8 unit that failed was the eighth he has used in races so far in 2010, but it had successfully completed 1600km of its projected life of 2000km.
continued at http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=392508:F1

Ok Al, i will hold you responsible for my nightmares now that you corrected me about engine lives :(

I'm flattered. But, I don't know for sure. I would think a new one would be more dependable. Those engines are only expected to last for a short time. Endurance wasn't in the specs. :scratchhe I look up to you for guidance. Now who I do I look up to now, if you don't know :).


@BSE doesn't the engine get damage if the car is running slow, which causes more heat to sit around the engine bay.

About Webber taking out rivals. In a crash situation like that 2 million thoughts fly through your mind. When competing those thoughts are not always nice to your fellow competitors.

That Webber thought about taking one of his rivals down with him I have no doubt. We are also talking about the world's most competitive people. In that split second when the entire world is spinning all it takes is a moment of hesitation to brake and thus letting the car slide out again and clip a competitor.

I am definitely not saying that Webber wanted to take out an opponent. I'm just saying that in that split second when you must act on instinct you can find out a lot of weird things about yourself.

Looking at the footage I would suggest that Webbers first thought may have been about trying to continue and get back to the pits. the nose was busted up on the first impact but it looked like all 4 wheels were still on. I would have been trying to avoid getting hit and continuing the race before I would have thought about taking others out. Webber was most focused on finishing as well as he could, taking out someone else doesn't serve him at all.

it'd be a double joy if vettel or alonso's engine blow up in the course of the next 2 races :D

@BSE doesn't the engine get damage if the car is running slow, which causes more heat to sit around the engine bay.
Alonso is so hot anyway :crazy:

I don't think so, they have so many pre-sets to pick up from, keeping the temperatures down shouldn't be too hard :)

The suggestion that Webber was trying to take out a rival seems ludicrous to me. That wreck was fast and violent. I have not seen any indication of such malicious thought process from him.

This end of season is going to be VERY exciting.

Paul.

Looking at the footage I would suggest that Webbers first thought may have been about trying to continue and get back to the pits. the nose was busted up on the first impact but it looked like all 4 wheels were still on. I would have been trying to avoid getting hit and continuing the race before I would have thought about taking others out. Webber was most focused on finishing as well as he could, taking out someone else doesn't serve him at all.

True, as I said I don't think Webber would go for a rivals car. Just that there are a lot of crazy ideas during that slow-motion time before impact.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvxMEOO4a_E&feature=player_embedded

ty for the share. I notice at 3:14 he crashes into Button

"Happy 80th Birthday Bernie" From The People Who Secretly Hate You
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/jalopnik/2010/10/bernie_with_red_bull_2.jpg
http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/12/2010/10/thumb160x_red_bull_birthday.jpg
The Red Bull Racing team had some fun with F1 emperor Bernie Ecclestone on his 80th birthday, giving him a walker tricked out with everything he'd need, including buttons for "nurse," "power," "money" and "tea."

You see, it's funny because they all hate him and he's so rich and powerful it's still endearing.

Note to Alfy, mad no. Just doing my job and keeping it on topic.

Is their life expectancy 3 or 4000kms?

Alonso's practice engine had a couple THOUSAND km's on it before it was swapped out, and it wasn't swapped out because it failed either. lol

Alonso's practice engine had a couple THOUSAND km's on it before it was swapped out, and it wasn't swapped out because it failed either. lol

:banghead::banghead::banghead:

Speed deficit due to 'engine situation' - Heidfeld
Nick Heidfeld on Monday said he is losing out on the straights compared with his teammate Kamui Kobayashi.

The pair are driving identical Sauber cars, but the speed traps usually show Japanese Kobayashi with better ultimate speed in a straight line.

Heidfeld, 33, joined the Swiss team after serving test driving roles with Mercedes and Pirelli this year, and he is currently on the lookout for a full-time job for 2011.

In his three races alongside rookie Kobayashi so far, the German has been out-qualified two times, and is yet to finish a race higher than the Japanese.

Heidfeld said on his official website nickheidfeld.com that his speed deficit compared with Kobayashi is due to his "engine situation".

He took over ousted predecessor Pedro de la Rosa's allocation of eight engines for 2010, after the Spaniard suffered several problems with his Ferrari units.

"Therefore the remaining engines have to cover a lot of extra miles," said Heidfeld.

"This unfortunately leads to an engine power loss due to having 'older' engines, which is the reason for losing out on acceleration and top speeds," he added.
http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=393049:F1

Looks like the speculation from last week was on the mark.

Bernie being an ass as always

F1's three new teams have been "an embarrassment" for the sport in 2010, according to chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.

Through additional financial incentives, the 80-year-old Briton actively enticed new entrants into pitlane this year.

But he has told the Financial Times that Virgin, Lotus and HRT have ultimately added no value to F1 because of their lack of competitiveness.

"They do nothing for us, they are an embarrassment," said Ecclestone. "We need to get rid of a few of those cripples."

He clarified that the Malaysian team Lotus is worth keeping in F1 beyond 2010, and called for Sir Richard Branson to put some serious money into Virgin.

"Richard should put some money in there shouldn't he? He could do what (Red Bull chief Dietrich Mateschitz) has done and put some money in."

http://www.worldcarfans.com/110110129296/f1s-new-team-cripples-are-an-embarrassment---ecclestone

"They do nothing for us, they are an embarrassment," said Ecclestone. "We need to get rid of a few of those cripples."
Maybe we should just allow the top 5 teams to compete. To get rid of those pesky mid-packers too. They do nothing but fill a spot on the grid.
I do understand where his thinking is coming from, not that I agree. He wants "excitement" of NASCAR. Where the pack is so tight that almost all the cars have a chance to win at the end of the race. However, this tight of a pack also leads to driver mistakes. Mechanical failures, which are inevitable, eliminate innocent drivers/cars just because there is no time to react.

Maybe we should just allow the top 5 teams to compete. To get rid of those pesky mid-packers too. They do nothing but fill a spot on the grid.
I do understand where his thinking is coming from, not that I agree. He wants "excitement" of NASCAR. Where the pack is so tight that almost all the cars have a chance to win at the end of the race. However, this tight of a pack also leads to driver mistakes. Mechanical failures, which are inevitable, eliminate innocent drivers/cars just because there is no time to react.

What I react to is the fact that Spyker (now Force India) was even suckier in 2007. And now Force India has a high class car. Give the teams a couple of years to adapt. They entered thinking there was a budget cap and now there isnt.

And finally, he was the one who let them in so if that is a mistake it is on his ass.

What we could do without is actually Ecclestone!
He made the sport what it is today...

FIA officials visit US GP track site
Nick Craw, president of the FIA's senate, has travelled to Austin to inspect preparations for the 2010 United States Grand Prix.

The US GP is set to return to the F1 calendar in 2012, having last featured in 2007. The venue for the race will be a yet to be built track in Austin, Texas. Craw visited the site of the track and met with race and local officials.

"It will be great," Craw told the official Formula One site.

"This has some of the most interesting, exciting and different features, drawn from other successful venues around the world. It is a very strong team they've assembled here. I think it's a very good plan and a very solid business model. They've set the bar pretty high."

Tavo Hellmund, chairman of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, admitted his delight at Craw's successful visit and promised the race will be an exciting one for both drivers and spectators.
More @ http://www.planetf1.com/news/3213/6482389/FIA-officials-visit-US-GP-track-site

And now for the other side:
US GP site might not be ready for 2012 debut
New information casts doubt upon whether organisers of the 2012 United States Grand Prix can prepare the Austin site in time for its inaugural race date.

Construction is set to begin in December, but an official document – obtained by the Austin Business Journal – shows that the expected build time for the bespoke circuit east of the Austin-Bergstrom international airport is 24 months.

According to the local KXAN Austin News, the news was confirmed by a spokesman for F1, who said the 24 month timeframe could include months of planning before the December start-date.

Earlier in 2010, Bernie Ecclestone warned that organiser Tavo Hellmund risked penalties if the inaugural race does not go ahead in 2012.
http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=393111:F1

What the hell!!!! It's going to make the US look really pathetic if Korea could get their act together within the given time frame, and we can't. At this rate, it will be another 20 years before we get another race in the U.S.!!!!

What the hell!!!! It's going to make the US look really pathetic if Korea could get their act together within the given time frame, and we can't. At this rate, it will be another 20 years before we get another race in the U.S.!!!!

Hate to pop your bubble, but that is how the rest of the world look at the US already.

Now lets hope they manage in the given time frame. Hopefully they will do better than USF1 who talked really big and said they were going to do it the "smart american way"

It's all politics. Palms will be greased and it will get done.

Wait, we aren't talking about Chicago here are we.

Hate to pop your bubble, but that is how the rest of the world look at the US already.

Now lets hope they manage in the given time frame. Hopefully they will do better than USF1 who talked really big and said they were going to do it the "smart american way"

:tear: OUCH...that's kind of harsh, but a sentiment most Americans expect from people that have never lived here for any significant amount of time.

:fingersx: Hopefully they don't go out like USF1, that would be a shame.

:tear: OUCH...that's kind of harsh, but a sentiment most Americans expect from people that have never lived here for any significant amount of time.

:fingersx: Hopefully they don't go out like USF1, that would be a shame.

Yeah I know its harsh. And I know Sweden is very much left wing which makes the population here be even more critical to the US. I am not saying I share the opinion though. Just stating the opinion of a general population. Sweden even more so than the rest of Europe. (I dunno about arab countries and asian countries but I doubt they are that fond of the US, especially the arab countries like Iran etc...)

But you know a self bloated idea is very easy to maintain. Most swedes think Sweden is the best country in the world. I had a co-worker who said "When I am out of the country I can proudly say 'I am from sweden'". The dude was not joking, he thought that he could be extra proud over his country and that other people would think "Sweden, wow!"

I have long since given up on country level pride and let every individual be judged on his or her own merits instead of which country he or she comes from.

But honestly it was irritating to hear Windsor go out and say: "We can do F1 smarter because we are American". That is just like begging for bad feelings among non-americans.

Yeah I know its harsh. And I know Sweden is very much left wing which makes the population here be even more critical to the US. I am not saying I share the opinion though. Just stating the opinion of a general population. Sweden even more so than the rest of Europe. (I dunno about arab countries and asian countries but I doubt they are that fond of the US, especially the arab countries like Iran etc...)

But you know a self bloated idea is very easy to maintain. Most swedes think Sweden is the best country in the world. I had a co-worker who said "When I am out of the country I can proudly say 'I am from sweden'". The dude was not joking, he thought that he could be extra proud over his country and that other people would think "Sweden, wow!"

I have long since given up on country level pride and let every individual be judged on his or her own merits instead of which country he or she comes from.
But honestly it was irritating to hear Windsor go out and say: "We can do F1 smarter because we are American". That is just like begging for bad feelings among non-americans.

AMEN brother...I feel the exact same way!!

And Windsor's a freaking dumb ass....that's just the thinking that gives the US such a bad wrap...among other things!!

Peter Windsor is, of course, British.

Paul.

This is why I'm still pulling hard for Lewis. I think the strategy of engine preservation could be an equalizer at least.

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2010/11/11459.html

It will be exciting to see these last 2 races.

Paul.

Peter Windsor is, of course, British.

Paul.

I could of sworn that Peter was speaking Britishnese on Speedchannel, when he worked for them. I didn't even know that I could understand Britishnese.

This is why I'm still pulling hard for Lewis. I think the strategy of engine preservation could be an equalizer at least.

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2010/11/11459.html

It will be exciting to see these last 2 races.

Paul.

Superior engine vs superior aerodynamics. Personally I am an Aero guy and always thinks a better aero package will win. But I am hoping for McLaren.

I am so excited for this weekend, and terrified that Alonso will settle it. Imagine this, nerves getting to the Red Bulls crashing out both. Alonso winning and Hamilton second.

That would put it to
Alonso 256
Hamilton 228
Webber 220

And at that point Alonso has won the championship. So If McLaren want any running chance we must have a bad weekend for both Red Bull and Ferrari.

However if the McLaren were to get a 1-2 victory and Alonso having a bad day (or even a DNF) then things would be spicy for Abu Dhabi.

The final scenario would be Red Bull doing a 1-2 putting Webber back in the lead. But I doubt that. I think both Red Bull drivers are feeling the nerves now. This is what will settle the entire season, and the competition has 3 world champions who already have conquered these nerves.

Superior engine vs superior aerodynamics. Personally I am an Aero guy and always thinks a better aero package will win. But I am hoping for McLaren.

I am so excited for this weekend, and terrified that Alonso will settle it. Imagine this, nerves getting to the Red Bulls crashing out both. Alonso winning and Hamilton second.

That would put it to
Alonso 256
Hamilton 228
Webber 220

And at that point Alonso has won the championship. So If McLaren want any running chance we must have a bad weekend for both Red Bull and Ferrari.

However if the McLaren were to get a 1-2 victory and Alonso having a bad day (or even a DNF) then things would be spicy for Abu Dhabi.

The final scenario would be Red Bull doing a 1-2 putting Webber back in the lead. But I doubt that. I think both Red Bull drivers are feeling the nerves now. This is what will settle the entire season, and the competition has 3 world champions who already have conquered these nerves.

You are, unfortunately, so right about aero and as I used the term equalizer, it seems rain shall be the equalizer or spoiler depending on your perspective. With the expected rain, qualifying will be treacherous and the Red Bulls, Ferraris, Mercedes GP and possibly even Renault may have better downforce packages than McLaren causing Jenson to be wisely cautious and Lewis to stretch the envelope, scratching for every hundredth of a second he can. Neither rumored the horsepower advantage, nor straightway speed will have effect and the more stressed engines will not be pushed as hard if we see heavy rain.

So, my prediction for this race is Sebastien will take pole and if he doesn't screw up on the first lap or into the first corner he can win. He has the car for it and is one of the more talented rain drivers. Webber, Alonso and Hamilton will all make it interesting as well.

Paul.

11:29 Alonso has stopped on track. He's getting out of the car and that looks like some kind of mechanical failure. There is no smoke from the engine so it probably wasn't due to that.

11:31 Ferrari confirm that Alonso's engine was going to go and that he parked it early to stop it blowing up. They've already said they were going to change the engine between sessions, so they are playing down the problem here.

One more down... I wonder if he will burn another engine in the next practice...

11:29 Alonso has stopped on track. He's getting out of the car and that looks like some kind of mechanical failure. There is no smoke from the engine so it probably wasn't due to that.

11:31 Ferrari confirm that Alonso's engine was going to go and that he parked it early to stop it blowing up. They've already said they were going to change the engine between sessions, so they are playing down the problem here.

One more down... I wonder if he will burn another engine in the next practice...

Keep bringing us the good news. :)

Keep bring us the good news. :)

:wiggle:

Hope Hamilton can get on top of the Red Bull this week-end, McLaren has been the 3rd team way too much recently.

Alonso title due to team orders 'a shame' for F1 - Heidfeld

Read more: http://www.worldcarfans.com/110110429367/alonso-title-due-to-team-orders-a-shame-for-f1---heidfeld#ixzz14PzgXVzJ

Nick Heidfeld on Thursday said it would be a shame if the team orders saga is seen to have influenced the outcome of the drivers' world championship.

With two races to go, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso is 11 points ahead of Red Bull's Mark Webber in the points standings.

7 of those points were earned in Hockenheim, where Alonso's teammate Felipe Massa was controversially moved aside despite team orders being banned in F1.

Ferrari was fined $100,000 for the move but Alonso kept his points.

"If Alonso wins the championship with a margin less than the 7 points, it would devalue the championship -- that's a personal view," said former FIA president Max Mosley.

Red Bull's team boss Christian Horner agrees, stating that seeing Alonso win because of the extra points would be "frustrating".

Sauber driver Heidfeld said in Brazil on Thursday: "From a team's perspective, it (team orders) is perhaps understandable.

"But it would be a shame if the championship is decided by the fact that Red Bull has followed the rules while others see it maybe differently.

"If that happens, I would really hope that Red Bull's behaviour is seen in a positive way," the German is quoted by the news agency SID.

Earlier this week, McLaren team boss and FOTA chairman Martin Whitmarsh refused to say a title win for Alonso would reflect badly on the sport.

"I think we've had a very good championship and that's what we should think about, full stop," he said.



Read more: http://www.worldcarfans.com/110110429367/alonso-title-due-to-team-orders-a-shame-for-f1---heidfeld#ixzz14PzlBoab

K;3774275']:wiggle:

Hope Hamilton can get on top of the Red Bull this week-end, McLaren has been the 3rd team way too much recently.

I hope crash test dummy skids into Alonso.

Heidfeld should shut up.
What if the Webber didn't crash during the last race? What if he didn't take off in valencia?
What if Vettel wasn't a kamikaze? What if Hamilton didn't crash twice in 2 gran prix?
Again, what if Alonso didn't race with a broken gearbox? crashed elsewhere like spa?

He should focus on not being spanked by kamui in the last races as well :)

Heidfeld should shut up.
:)

Why should he shut up LOL, he is speaking the truth. If Alonso wins this year with 7 points and under, than we know why that was possiable (cough, cough, massa can you confirm that Alonso is a cry baby)

You will get no presents this christmas.

Why should he shut up LOL, he is speaking the truth. If Alonso wins this year with 7 points and under, than we know why that was possiable (cough, cough, massa can you confirm that Alonso is a cry baby)

You will get no presents this christmas.
Haters will hate.

Yep but Alfy and I both love each other, even if our religious differences will never make our marriage easy.
He will understand, one day, that his god is the wrong one though.

Yep but Alfy and I both love each other, even if our religious differences will never make our marriage easy.
He will understand, one day, that his god is the wrong one though.
What???? My name is not Alonso dude lol. Last time I remember (which was like 2 mins ago) I love ladies.

Look what happens when you stress the Ferrari engine:

14:59 Massa is third fastest with a 1:12.677, still shy of the Red Bulls.
15:01 Massa has coasted to a halt. Another engine problem perhaps? Massa is on his ninth engine.

Granted its not confirmed what the error is since this just happened.

Why is Alonso pulling so many laps?

Why is Alonso pulling so many laps?

He needs to find a good setup for qualifier and race so he must do a couple of laps himself. Cannot have Massa do all the setup work for him.

He needs to find a good setup for qualifier and race so he must do a couple of laps himself. Cannot have Massa do all the setup work for him.

Maybe testing new aero parts too.

OMFG LOL

Massa threatened with jail over team orders

Massa's superstar status in his native Brazil was tarnished when he acceded to team orders to let Alonso pass during the recent German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, an incident for which Ferrari were fined £65,000 for flagrant contravention of the ban on team orders.

The 29-year-old Massa, who has no chance of winning the title himself, has stated openly that he would help his team-mate to secure the drivers' championship.

But Paulo Castilho, a prosecutor in Brazil's Special Criminal Court, has told newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo that Massa will "leave Interlagos in handcuffs" should he let Alonso through, with the lawyer apparently ready to press charges of defrauding the Brazilian public under laws protecting the rights of fans to witness fair spectacles.

Massa himself remained unapologetic about the prospect of having to give up a victory to help his team mate, even if he acknowledged how much it upsets fans.

"For sure there are some people who understand it," he said. "They have the knowledge about this complicated sport when the team is in first position.

"But there are some people who will never understand. The crowd have opposing views but I insist our work is not to understand the opinion of the crowd but to do the best on the track."

Eurosport

K;3774792']Maybe testing new aero parts too.

Most likely. He put down some really good times in P2. P3 and qualifier should be exciting.

K;3774916']OMFG LOL

Massa threatened with jail over team orders

Why are lawyers allowed to breed!?

If massa lets alonso pass him, I hope the cops come charging onto the track, and pull massa over.

Why are lawyers allowed to breed!?

Thank you :yelrotflm
Anyway all Massa should do to avoid any fines is let alonso pass on his own, without team orders. At that point it wouldn't be a matter of unfair conduct\show\whatever from ANY point of view.
If I were him i'd just run straight to the chequered flag though, my fair sportsmanship conduct went down the drain approx. 4 years ago =)

Gotta love Kubica!

What is wrong with Button? He's having a terrible second half season :(

Jeebus, I swear - as a team-mate, Button is only slightly less useless than Kovalainnen.
:cussing:

Gotta love Kubica!

Amen to that!

He belongs in a McLaren.

Holy Hulkenberg! :SHOCKED:

This ought to make for an interesting race tomorrow.

Woah Hulkenberg was a whole second faster than everyone! He had the right settings for the dry track. Hamilton went with the super softs one lap too soon I think.

Very nice to see the top drivers being happy for him.

LOL great day for williams :)

Yeah great day for Williams!
Alonso said to the italian press that he hopes that Hulk holds back the first guys "just enough".
He's probably going to take the aggressive path tomorrow... and break his engine :(

Welcome to the new voices to our little choirs.

I expect Vettel to be very aggressive and Lewis to get the edge on Webber. Alonso will make life very tough on the Hulk if he gets near him. I don't give Hulkenberg a chance at a win tomorrow even though he's starting at pole. He does have a great future ahead of him though.

Tomorrow's winner? If he doesn't wreck, I expect Vettel. I think Lewis will podium as well as Alonso.

Paul.

Button escapes from armed assailants
Jenson Button escaped unharmed after armed assailants approached the car that was taking him back from the Interlagos circuit on Saturday evening.

A statement issued by Button’s McLaren team said he was travelling in an armoured car driven by a trained police driver, who used avoidance techniques to flee the scene and deliver the world champion safely to his hotel in Sao Paulo.

The statement said: “On Saturday evening, on the way back from the Interlagos circuit to Morumbi (Sao Paulo), armed would-be assailants made an attempt to approach the car that was carrying Jenson Button.

“Neither Jenson nor the other occupants of the car were hurt. (The other occupants were [Jenson's father] John Button, [physio] Mike Collier and [manager] Richard Goddard.)

“Vodafone McLaren Mercedes had provided both Jenson and team-mate Lewis Hamilton with reinforced armoured vehicles driven by police drivers, who had been trained in avoidance techniques and were armed.

“The police driver of Jenson’s vehicle reacted swiftly and, using avoidance techniques, rapidly forced his way through the traffic, taking Jenson and the other occupants of the car immediately away from any danger and back to their hotel.”

The safety of the high-profile Formula 1 entourage at the Brazilian Grand Prix has been a source of concern for many years.

McLaren said that in response to the incident the Sao Paulo authorities would be laying on additional security to transfer its senior team personnel to and from the circuit on Sunday.

meh targeted the wrong guy

Championship situation reminder: Brazilian Grand Prix

The 2010 Drivers' Championship could all be over later today, if all goes well for Fernando Alonso, although the chances are that Abu Dhabi will be the scene of this year's finale next weekend. However, the reigning Champion's chances of keeping his title look slim after Interlagos qualifying.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fernando Alonso (championship leader, 231 points)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alonso is the only man who could win the title with one race to spare.


To do that, he must finish on the podium in Brazil, with the following situations taking place:

- Winning the race with Webber 5th or lower
- Finishing 2nd with Webber 8th or lower
- Finishing 3rd with Webber 10th or lower

This confirms that Webber is the only man who can stop Alonso in Brazil. If the Spaniard does finish on the rostrum, no result from any other contender would prevent the Ferrari driver from winning the title.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Webber (2nd overall, 220 points)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Webber will remain in the fight providing Alonso finishes off the podium in Brazil, although the Australian will be out of the championship if one of the following situations become a reality:

- Alonso wins and Webber finishes 5th or lower
- Alonso finishes 2nd and Webber finishes 8th or lower
- Alonso finishes 3rd and Webber finishes 10th or lower

So, if Alonso is 4th then we know Webber is safe, no matter where he is. However, if Alonso is in the top three, Webber knows where he needs to be.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lewis Hamilton (3rd overall, 210 points)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Like Webber, Hamilton could remain in the running without even scoring in Brazil, although the 2008 Champion will be unable to clinch a second crown in 2010 under the following circumstances:

- Alonso wins the race
- Alonso finishes 2nd and Hamilton finishes 4th or lower
- Alonso finishes 3rd and Hamilton finishes 5th or lower
- Webber wins the race and Hamilton finishes 5th or lower
- Webber finishes 2nd and Hamilton finishes 9th or lower

For Hamilton, he knows he is powerless if Alonso wins. Under any other circumstances, Lewis can prevent Alonso and Webber from becoming untouchable.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sebastian Vettel (4th overall, 206 points)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Vettel currently lies 25 points in arrears of Alonso, meaning he must finish at least 10th and therefore score one point at Interlagos to stay in the game. However, it will all be over if this happens in Brazil:

- Alonso wins the race
- Alonso finishes 2nd-10th and Vettel does not finish ahead
- Webber wins the race and Vettel finishes 4th or lower
- Webber finishes 2nd and Vettel finishes 7th or lower
- Webber finishes 3rd and Vettel finishes 8th or lower
- Webber finishes 4th and Vettel finishes 10th or lower
- Hamilton wins the race and Vettel finishes 8th or lower

Basically, Vettel must finish ahead of Alonso (providing Fernando scores) but if the Ferrari driver wins then Sebastian can’t do anything to stop him. Even if the Spaniard fails to score, Sebastian knows that a top ten result is vital to stay in touch. Webber and Hamilton are also threats, especially if Mark wins.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jenson Button (5th overall, 189 points)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The reigning Champion has the hardest job of any of the five title contenders, as he must finish at least at least 2nd no matter what happens in Brazil. However, if the following things do happen, Button becomes mathematically helpless:

- Alonso finishes 6th or higher
- Alonso finishes 7th-10th and Button does not win
- Webber wins
- Webber finishes 2nd-4th and Button does not win

Not only does Jenson need to finish at least second, but he needs other things to happen to Fernando Alonso. Even if the Spaniard fails to score and Jenson wins, the Frome driver still needs Mark Webber to finish fifth or lower. The best the McLaren man can do now is to aim for the win and pray for carnage behind…or, more realistically, help Hamilton.
http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/246804/championship-situation-reminder-brazilian-grand-prix/

After reading that, I think my hair hurts.

Button escapes from armed assailants
Jenson Button escaped unharmed after armed assailants approached the car that was taking him back from the Interlagos circuit on Saturday evening.

A statement issued by Button’s McLaren team said he was travelling in an armoured car driven by a trained police driver, who used avoidance techniques to flee the scene and deliver the world champion safely to his hotel in Sao Paulo.

The statement said: “On Saturday evening, on the way back from the Interlagos circuit to Morumbi (Sao Paulo), armed would-be assailants made an attempt to approach the car that was carrying Jenson Button.

“Neither Jenson nor the other occupants of the car were hurt. (The other occupants were [Jenson's father] John Button, [physio] Mike Collier and [manager] Richard Goddard.)

“Vodafone McLaren Mercedes had provided both Jenson and team-mate Lewis Hamilton with reinforced armoured vehicles driven by police drivers, who had been trained in avoidance techniques and were armed.

“The police driver of Jenson’s vehicle reacted swiftly and, using avoidance techniques, rapidly forced his way through the traffic, taking Jenson and the other occupants of the car immediately away from any danger and back to their hotel.”

The safety of the high-profile Formula 1 entourage at the Brazilian Grand Prix has been a source of concern for many years.

McLaren said that in response to the incident the Sao Paulo authorities would be laying on additional security to transfer its senior team personnel to and from the circuit on Sunday.
Update:

According to The Daily Mail, six men armed with machine guns targeted the vehicle, with Button's driver then making contact with several other road vehicles in the consequential escape.

"My driver bounced off about five cars," Button told the newspaper. "We were driving over the top of them.

"'We were going back from the track and were outside a shanty town and moving slowly on a busy road. I saw a dog come out. It was very cute.

"The next thing I saw was a man with a gun. Our guy angled the car and floored it. That's when we saw six men, all of them brandishing machine-guns.

"My driver was a legend. It was very scary. I don't know whether they knew who it was they were ambushing.

"I said, "Isn't that a gun?" and as soon as I said that the driver angled the car. I am glad I didn't have my girlfriend Jessica with me – she would have been terrified."http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/246817/button-uninjured-in-armed-sao-paulo-car-attack/


Jenson Button was in action earlier in the day in qualifying (from ESPN News)
http://en.espnf1.com/PICTURES/CMS/7400/7472.jpg

Championship situation reminder: Brazilian Grand Prix


http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/246804/championship-situation-reminder-brazilian-grand-prix/

After reading that, I think my hair hurts.

I first thought you had been doing all the maths Aln.

Update:
http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/246817/button-uninjured-in-armed-sao-paulo-car-attack/


Now how scary isn't that. And why would they attack Button. I mean what on earth could be their reason?

A damn good race to watch. Very exciting!

I love that Red Bull lets their drivers fight it out. The audience wants to see action, no team orders. And since it went well Red Bull now has the constructors secured, which is what is important for the team, since there is where the money is.

Now it is up to two drivers to fight for the second place. If Vettel wins next race and Alonso doesn't totally f**k up Alonso will win the title. I would much rather see Alonso win the title than seeing Red Bull stoop to team orders.

There is a reason the audience weren't cheering Alonso at all here in Brazil. People hate what Ferrari did and that is bad for the brand. What Red Bull does is great for the brand, promoting a fair fight no matter the cost.

I really hope they will let the drivers handle the last race too. If Webber wins then he is a worthy champion, but if he is given the victory, then Red Bull are no better than Ferrari.

In one week we will know!

I missed it :(

If during next week's race they're running in the order they were today I can't see Vettel not moving over to let Webber have the title, assuming Alonso is still hanging right behind them on the last lap and hasn't blown up. Vettel would not have the points to overcome Zo's lead, and neither would his teammate (by finishing in 2nd). Interesting scenario we've got goin'. Six days, 7 hours and counting....

If during next week's race they're running in the order they were today I can't see Vettel not moving over to let Webber have the title, assuming Alonso is still hanging right behind them on the last lap and hasn't blown up. Vettel would not have the points to overcome Zo's lead, and neither would his teammate (by finishing in 2nd). Interesting scenario we've got goin'. Six days, 7 hours and counting....

Yeah this season is getting so frigging exciting its amazing. It really will be mind games for the last run. I expect Vettel to pay of the McLaren drivers to run Alonso off the track. ;)

On SpeedTV, they stated that Ferrari had saved a good engine for Alonso to use in AbuDhabi. The one used in Brazil was in a more questionable condition.

Hamilton: Alonso could be one of the greats
As Fernando Alonso stands on the cusp of a third Drivers' title, former team-mate Lewis Hamilton has been singing his praises.

With the Championship set to be decided at the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, Alonso and Hamilton are both still in the hunt with the Red Bull drivers sandwiched between them.

Alonso, though, is the one who is leading the race, eight points ahead of Mark Webber and 15 in front of Sebastian Vettel while Hamilton is 24 points off the pace.

And although much has been made of the feud between Alonso and Hamilton, which grabbed headlines during their tension-fraught season at McLaren in 2007, Hamilton had only kind words to say about the Ferrari driver.

"If he wins it he deserves to walk in the company of the great names of the past," Hamilton told The Mirror.

"You are going to be very hard put to find someone beat him on raw talent.

"I would have no problems having him as a team-mate but I'm happy with the way I have things now.

"When he comes to Zurich he texts me every now and then to meet up."
http://www.planetf1.com/news/3213/6495096/Hamilton-Alonso-could-be-one-of-the-greats

Are they both growing up?
I'm actually starting to like Hamilton, behavior wise. I was blinded by hate but apparently they are all just great drivers and prime donne when the stress level tops the roof :)

Are they both growing up?
I'm actually starting to like Hamilton, behavior wise. I was blinded by hate but apparently they are all just great drivers and prime donne when the stress level tops the roof :)

Nah... He wants to go to Ferrari!! :)

Seriously though, it takes a real man to say things like this. Mr. Hamilton, you have gained my respect this time and I hope you play a key role next week in helping Alonso win the championship... :ylsuper:

On the other hand, let's make sure someone is watching Alfy... He even said he will "commit internet suicide" if Alonso was to win the championship... :)

Definitely exciting end of this season... Of course I want Alonso to take it...Amazing what he said a few races ago "I only need podiums to be WC" :)

GO FERRARI!!! Can't wait!!! :ylsuper::ylsuper:

Carlos

Nah... He wants to go to Ferrari!! :)

Seriously though, it takes a real man to say things like this. Mr. Hamilton, you have gained my respect this time and I hope you play a key role next week in helping Alonso win the championship... :ylsuper:

On the other hand, let's make sure someone is watching Alfy... He even said he will "commit internet suicide" if Alonso was to win the championship... :)

Definitely exciting end of this season... Of course I want Alonso to take it...Amazing what he said a few races ago "I only need podiums to be WC" :)

GO FERRARI!!! Can't wait!!! :ylsuper::ylsuper:

Carlos
Watching Alfy is your job. Your the closest. :)
I posted that Hamilton report just to push him a little closer to the edge. And NO, it didn't come from the Onion.

Actually already in 2008 before Hamilton won his first championship he was interviewed on Top Gear and he was praising Alonso for being a great driver.

As for Hamilton helping Alonso take the title, I don't think Alonso needs Hamilton's help. The Ferrari in Alonso's hands is the no3 car on the grid right now. What Alonso need is for Vettel to beat Webber.

So Alonso, Vettel is your greatest ally right now. :)

Still, if Alonso were to win with less than 7 points *cough cough teamorder cough* it would be a shame indeed, because then people (me included) will state that Alonso did not deserve the title. However if he wins with more than 7 points then it is all good.

How many points of difference would alonso have if he arrived 3rd and vettel 1st?
Anyway... anybody is thinking about another crash gate?

Alonso is one of the great of the modern era, no doubt about it, I just hate how he turns into a cry baby sometimes :( Hamilton being out of the championship I wish Vettel wins, I just like his youth and how he enjoys F1. I really hope Webber will crash and retire :D

If Vettel wins the race it's pretty much in the pocket for Alonso, McLaren is not strong enough to get between the Red Bulls and him right now. RB probably lost the championship by letting Vettel in front in Brasil... I love clean racing, no team orders, but it doesn't seem to make sense in the end lol

K;3777830']Alonso is one of the great of the modern era, no doubt about it, I just hate how he turns into a cry baby sometimes :( Hamilton being out of the championship I wish Vettel wins, I just like his youth and how he enjoys F1. I really hope Webber will crash and retire :D

If Vettel wins the race it's pretty much in the pocket for Alonso, McLaren is not strong enough to get between the Red Bulls and him right now. RB probably lost the championship by letting Vettel in front in Brasil... I love clean racing, no team orders, but it doesn't seem to make sense in the end lol

Totally agreed, except about the crash part. I hope Webber gets a good clean race for second place :) And Hamilton third. And Button fourth. And Kobayashi fifth. All to steal points from Alonso ;)

K;3777830'] Hamilton being out of the championship I wish Vettel wins, I just like his youth and how he enjoys F1. I really hope Webber will crash and retire :D

Hamilton is not out, although it's nigh impossible for him to take the championship. I want to see an exciting race with Alonso winning perhaps or Webber even. I don't know; I think Vettel is my least favorite of the potential winners.

Paul.

Red Bull will NOT use team order in the last race. Damn I love that team. Let racing be racing!

Red Bull co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz would rather lose the drivers' title to Fernando Alonso and Ferrari than force team orders on his drivers.

If Sebastian Vettel finishes ahead of Mark Webber at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix next weekend, Alonso will only have to finish fourth to seal the title. However, team principal Christian Horner has already made clear that Vettel and Webber will be free to race and make their own decisions as to whether they help each other out in Abu Dhabi.

"Let the two drivers race and whatever will be will be," Mateschitz told Austrian paper Kliene Zeitung. "If Alonso wins we will have been unlucky.

"I predict a Hollywood ending, with the worst case scenario that we don't become champion but if that's the case, we'll do it next year. Our philosophy stays the same because this is a sport and it must remain a sport."

At the German Grand Prix, Felipe Massa made way for Ferrari team-mate Alonso, giving him seven crucial extra points in the championship. But Mateschitz has made clear that his team will not do the same.

"We don't manipulate things like Ferrari do," he added. "The whole world condemned them after what they did in Hockenheim. But we have turned out to look like idiots because we have not acted in this way."

"We have never even thought about it as long as both our drivers remain in the hunt for the championship. So a second place under correct circumstances might be better than a win on grounds of orders and confirmations."

http://en.espnf1.com/redbull/motorsport/story/33542.html

Red Bull will NOT use team order in the last race. Damn I love that team. Let racing be racing!



http://en.espnf1.com/redbull/motorsport/story/33542.html



Seriously, this is BS!! Are they stupid or what? Everybody, everybody, every team in F1 takes team orders... Let's face it, If Vettel was not "german" and RB's favorite driver, Webber could have won the championship already... What MORONS!!

Every team has favorites and in one way or another this also means "team orders", just in a very polite way...

I don't like Vettel at all... Heck I prefer Hamilton so you can tell how much I dislike him... I am sure Webber has had enough in favoring one team-mate over the other... No team orders?? yeah right....:scratchhe

Carlos

STOP THE PRESS, EVERYONE!
Abu Dhabi to stay dry for F1 finale!!!


After rain affected the last three grand prix weekends, it is almost certain that the F1 world can expect a dry finale in Abu Dhabi.

Indeed, it almost never rains in the United Arab Emirate capital, where outside the cosmopolitan city lies endless miles of sandy desert.

Media reports say it hasn't rained in Abu Dhabi for more than 120 days running, but - interestingly - a light shower is forecast for when the F1 fraternity congregates at Yas Marina on Thursday.

Beyond that, a dry and sunny weekend in the 20s is expected.

The F1 cars arrive in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, after a mad rush on Sunday to pack up the equipment in Brazil amid perhaps the tightest turnaround between races in the sport's history.

At Interlagos on Sunday, Red Bull team members celebrated their constructors' title win with loud music while they packed up just minutes after the chequered flag.

"We divided the team into three shifts to get everything done on time," confirmed McLaren's chief operating officer Simon Roberts.

To him the drivers championship is a lessor priority. He won his manufactures championship. That is where the money is.

Seriously, this is BS!! Are they stupid or what? Everybody, everybody, every team in F1 takes team orders... Let's face it, If Vettel was not "german" and RB's favorite driver, Webber could have won the championship already... What MORONS!!

Every team has favorites and in one way or another this also means "team orders", just in a very polite way...

I don't like Vettel at all... Heck I prefer Hamilton so you can tell how much I dislike him... I am sure Webber has had enough in favoring one team-mate over the other... No team orders?? yeah right....:scratchhe

Carlos

WOOOO, Did I just hear this correctly? I take it that not all of Alonso fans are not sheeps. Liking Alonsos fans more and more lately.

To bad Alonso doesnt think like his fans, in fact he thinks RB shouldnt do any team orders. Guess he only likes it when it only works for him.

The teams' differing philosophies about driver equality could mould the outcome of the 2010 world championship.

Red Bull has now secured the constructors' crown, but not echoing Ferrari's Hockenheim tactics in Sunday's Brazilian grand prix means Mark Webber is 8 points behind Fernando Alonso instead of just one.

However, the latest rumblings from Red Bull suggest that the team is prepared to play a tactical game in Abu Dhabi this weekend if it means either Webber or Sebastian Vettel can be champion.

The most likely move would be Vettel moving over for Australian Webber, because if the German wins again with Webber second in Abu Dhabi, Spaniard Alonso would stroll to the title.

But Alonso thinks Red Bull should be consistent.

"Red Bull has spent three months preaching about equality, so now they should continue with the same philosophy," he is quoted on Sunday by the El Pais newspaper.

Germany's Der Spiegel points out that this philosophy is indeed a gift to Alonso.

"He is benefitting from a policy of fair play that his own team abandoned months ago," said the publication.

But at Ferrari, the key philosophy is a course that leads to the title. German reports quote Chris Dyer, chief engineer at the Italian team, as calling the Vettel-Webber one-two at Interlagos a "big favour" to Ferrari.

"But I am sure they will not be so generous in Abu Dhabi," added the Australian.



Read more: http://www.worldcarfans.com/110110929439/red-bull-should-stick-with-fair-play-policy---alonso#ixzz14nrsOgfc

While im very glad that Red Bull has taken this stance, I do think nice guys finish last in this case. While letting them race is the best for the fans, Alonso will be laughing about fairness all the way to the bank with a 3rd title. On the other hand though, this is great advertisement for Red Bull by having them take the high road and advertisement is the real reason Red Bull is in F1 in the first place. This is a calculated decision on their part and they see that its more profitable by taking this position.

Hamilton is not out, although it's nigh impossible for him to take the championship. I want to see an exciting race with Alonso winning perhaps or Webber even. I don't know; I think Vettel is my least favorite of the potential winners.

Paul.


Well is HAM is not out of the championship, but it would be a miracle if Alonso, Webber and Vettel do not complete the race.

BTW Kobayashi is AWESOME, but it's quite ironic he had a crazy race in Brasil last year for his first F1 race and had a pretty boring one at the same place this year :(

Sorry for no replies over the past couple of weeks. I've been in Mexico on my honeymoon! Now, back to business.

Kobayashi is a lame duck. He's either on fire or does absolutely nothing. How does the guy bonzai everyone in Suzuka yet get passed in the same exact corner LAP AFTER LAP in Brazil and it didn't even look like he was trying? He'll never make it to a big team if he drives all over the place like he does now.

I love that Red Bull favors Vettel so damn much as it's keeping Alonso's title chance alive! Anyone who says they don't have team orders there is insane. Their team orders this season are that they have none, meaning they aren't helping Webber one damn bit and as a result it keeps Vettel's chance of winning the title alive all while screwing Webber out of his. If the points positions of these two were reversed I GUARANTEE that team orders would've been called and Vettel would've been the champion by now. It's pretty obvious what they're doing. Don't give them props, they're hiding it just about as well as Ferrari did IMO. lol

Speaking of Ferrari, god I hope Alonso pulls this off. If he does it will be incredible! Supposedly Ferrari has a good engine for him for the last race as well which seemed to concern Red Bull (as it should). Alonso knows exactly what he needs to do and is very poised to do it. More or less just look for Webber (assuming he's in the points) and follow him around. It's his if he does just that.

This is going to be one insanely interesting race I have a feeling. I can't wait! :)

While im very glad that Red Bull has taken this stance, I do think nice guys finish last in this case. While letting them race is the best for the fans, Alonso will be laughing about fairness all the way to the bank with a 3rd title. On the other hand though, this is great advertisement for Red Bull by having them take the high road and advertisement is the real reason Red Bull is in F1 in the first place. This is a calculated decision on their part and they see that its more profitable by taking this position.

Exactly, no matter how this works out the memory from 2010 will be:

Ferrari cheats
Red Bull plays fair

Hence Red Bull > Ferrari

Obviously the die-hard Ferrari fans will defend Alonso's and the teams actions to the bitter end, but everyone hovering in between will see Ferrari as evil and Red Bull as good.

If Red Bull loses the drivers title because of this it is even better for Red Bull because they get martyred. "Yeah we lost since we played fair". That will strengthen the brand further, and that gentlemen is what it all comes down to. Even knowing this I still sympathize with Red Bull and love their fair play.

To all Vettel-haters out there: Last year the situation was reversed, with Vettel chasing Button and Webber being behind. Webber was only told to help with Vettel's chances once Webber was mathematically out of the championship. What we are seeing today is the same as last year, just dragged two races longer. Webber managed to get himself knocked out of the championship before Brazil back then. Now both drivers have a shot at the title and both drivers are allowed to go for it.

Uhm...
Points and chances wise i think that most, if not any, ferrari hater lacks a broader vision of this situation.
Massa was passed by Alonso once because of a team order BUT how many points did alonso lose in other circumstances because of technical gremlins, newbie mistakes (spa) and bad races\strategies in general (monaco etc)?
I'm not saying that if he wins with less than 7 points of difference it won't stink BUT at least give him some credit for coming back this strong all on his own albeit having to fight idiotic engineers and lame situations. I mean, Massa and him share the same car... why is he the only one doing this great?

He would be the first one winning 3 titles before age 30... realistically putting him in the hunt for other huge records. Does he deserve this? Considering how he behaved, hell no. Considering how he is behaving at the moment, i really think so.

We have 3 phenomenal drivers right now (Vettel, Hamilton and Alonso) with some good outsiders (Webber, Button, Kubica) so i guess that the kind of fight to the title is much harder now than it was during Schumacher's mid career where it was him and hakkinen, him and some other random a**hole but nothing relevant.

I agree, unfortunately the Ferrari years are over.
Why do we keep domenicali? I miss todt, brawn and how they built an empire.

Uhm...
Points and chances wise i think that most, if not any, ferrari hater lacks a broader vision of this situation.
Massa was passed by Alonso once because of a team order BUT how many points did alonso lose in other circumstances because of technical gremlins, newbie mistakes (spa) and bad races\strategies in general (monaco etc)?
I'm not saying that if he wins with less than 7 points of difference it won't stink BUT at least give him some credit for coming back this strong all on his own albeit having to fight idiotic engineers and lame situations. I mean, Massa and him share the same car... why is he the only one doing this great?

He would be the first one winning 3 titles before age 30... realistically putting him in the hunt for other huge records. Does he deserve this? Considering how he behaved, hell no. Considering how he is behaving at the moment, i really think so.

We have 3 phenomenal drivers right now (Vettel, Hamilton and Alonso) with some good outsiders (Webber, Button, Kubica) so i guess that the kind of fight to the title is much harder now than it was during Schumacher's mid career where it was him and hakkinen, him and some other random a**hole but nothing relevant.

Well if we count the technical gremlins then Vettel should have won by now. He is by far the most unlucky driver this year. But that Alonso has done a great comeback is very true. He has fought like a true champion against all odds and is really being a favorite to the championship now.

However, if he wins with a few points margin people will not remember his technical issues. They will not remember his incredible fight and race wins. They will remember "Fernando is faster than you. Can you confirm that you understand the message."

Which is a shame really, because Alonso has done a great campaign this year.

I will laugh my ass off at each and every single person who bashes Alonso for winning this championship this year if it's by 7 points. EVERY season has team orders that influence the champion at some point whether we hear it broadcasted live on the radio or not.

Those that do it will prove how ignorant to F1 they are. F1 is a team sport, thus there will always be team orders (whether we hear them or not). It's how it is, and how it will always be. That doesn't make it right, but that doesn't change the fact that it's pretty much gone on since the beginning of the series.

I agree, unfortunately the Ferrari years are over.
Why do we keep domenicali? I miss todt, brawn and how they built an empire.

Ferrari needs to ditch their elitist mentality. Once they do that I think they'll stand a better chance overall. That said, a red car is leading the points right now so it's not like they're doing that bad. lol

http://www.gtpla.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/red-bull-x1-gets-real-top-640x704.jpg

I will laugh my ass off at each and every single person who bashes Alonso for winning this championship this year if it's by 7 points. EVERY season has team orders that influence the champion at some point whether we hear it broadcasted live on the radio or not.
.


You make a good point, but you missed one thing. Ususally team orders for the championship happens when the 2nd driver has no chance for the title. We USUSAlly see see team orders happen closer to the end of the season, not in the middle.


Like someone else mentioned early, only the die hard Ferrari fans will turn a blind eye, but the rest of the world will remember how Ferrari stole the championship. Which sucks, because just imagine if Alonso didnt take the free pass, this season would of been his best, but that day in hock will overshadow his great year.

You found my custom built track car.

You found my custom built track car.

LOl , i wish adrian would come back to Mclaren they need him :(

LOl , i wish adrian would come back to Mclaren they need him :(
He'll probably be found at Lotus in the future. He has a new mountain to climb.

^^ that would be so awesome. the guy is a freaking genius.

You make a good point, but you missed one thing. Ususally team orders for the championship happens when the 2nd driver has no chance for the title. We USUSAlly see see team orders happen closer to the end of the season, not in the middle.


Like someone else mentioned early, only the die hard Ferrari fans will turn a blind eye, but the rest of the world will remember how Ferrari stole the championship. Which sucks, because just imagine if Alonso didnt take the free pass, this season would of been his best, but that day in hock will overshadow his great year.

I understand the points everyone is making, I really do. It was a silly call to make when they made it because they had absolutely NO idea how the championship would've ended up, but I still think the call was made more to prevent an accident because Massa was NOT going to let that pass happen. Either way, blind luck paid off and it's never a bad thing to have it on your side. lol

Hopefully he wins it by more than 7 and this whole thing can be put to rest. If it doesn't I'll still consider it an amazing drive and an amazing win. I'd consider it an amazing drive and win regardless of the team or driver though.

^^ that would be so awesome. the guy is a freaking genius.

No kidding. I'd LOVE to see that!

He'll probably be found at Lotus in the future. He has a new mountain to climb.

Question is: which Lotus team ? :lol:

^^ are they still fighting over the name ?

On the topic of great engineers; I think it should be against the rules to hire a top engineer from another team at random times of the year. The way McLaren's top guy went to Ferrari mid season is the REAL story this year. My 'Ultimate' driver (The Hamster) is struggling his ass off in a decent chassis, just not the 'Ultimate' chassis. I would venture to say that the biggest improvements this year to Ferrari came from Pat Fry who joined them around July.

Adrian Newey is the best though.

Just an opinion.

Paul.

The title is Alonso's to lose. If VET, WEB, ALO are running 1, 2, 3 and Vet moves over and lets Webber win, it's a gift. Same as the team orders that had Massa move over for 'Nando. Either way, it wasn't earned - that's how I see it. But, team orders should be a part of the sport, because afterall, each team has 2 cars; so each one should work to ensure maximum points for the other.

Here's the simple math.

From planetf1.com:

Fernando Alonso
- A victory or second place in UAE will ensure he wins his third World title regardless of what the other contenders do
- If Webber wins, he needs to finish P2
- If Webber finishes P2, he needs to finish at least P5
- If Webber finishes P3, he needs to finish at least P6
- If Webber finishes P4, he needs to finish at least P8
- If Webber finishes P5, he needs to finish at least P9
- If Vettel wins, he needs to finish at least P4
- If Vettel finishes P2, he needs to finish at least P8


Mark Webber
- Webber can't afford to finish lower than fifth if he wants to stand any chance of winning his maiden Championship
- If he wins, Alonso needs to finish no higher than P3
- If he finishes P2, Alonso needs to finish no higher than P6 and Vettel no higher than P2
- If he finishes P3, Alonso needs to finish no higher than P7 and Vettel no higher than P2
- If he finishes P4, Alonso needs to be finish no higher than P9 and Vettel no higher than P2
- If he finishes P5, Alonso needs to finish P10 and Vettel no higher than P3


Sebastian Vettel
- Any position lower than second will see him finish the season empty handed
- If he wins, he needs Alonso to finish P5 or lower
- If he finishes P2, he needs Alonso to finish no higher than P9 and Webber no higher than P5


Lewis Hamilton
- He needs to win to stand any chance of winning a second title
- If he wins, Alonso needs to finish P11 or lower, Webber needs to finish P6 or lower and Vettel needs to finish no higher than P3


* Should Vettel win the race and finish level on 256 points with a fifth-placed Alonso, then the Red Bull driver will win the Championship. They will both have won the same amount of race victories (five), same amount of second-place finishes (two) and same number of third place finishes (three). The title will be decided by fourth-place finishes which Vettel leads three to two.

* Should Vettel win and Webber is second they'll finish on the same number of points but the German will take the honours as he will have five race victories to the Australian's four.

So lets pray for a Hamilton win and that Alonso's engine says bye bye and that Red Bull suddenly becomes really slow :)

Seriously this is going to be so exciting to watch the qualifier and the start.

^ yes that's exactly how it's gonna pan out this week.

I'm seeing a Webber, Vettel, Alonso finish position.

I'm seeing Vettel, Webber, Alonso.

If I were Vettel I would not be able to hand over the position to Webber. Just imagine handing over the position and then a flat tire or engine failure made Alonso DNF. Just the posibility of having handed over the championship then is horrible.

Nothing is over until you have caught the checkered flag and an engine failure can happen on the last lap as much as it can happen in the middle of the race.

No Team Orders @ Red Bull??? THAT IS BULL !!!!

Read on... ANY TEAM, ANY TEAM will do Team orders one way or another...

Fancy word Mr. Newey uses here... "Magnanimous".... :SHOCKED::SHOCKED:

Taken from Planet F1...

http://www.planetf1.com/news/18227/6498364/Newey-urges-duo-to-be-magnanimous-


Red Bull technical chief Adrian Newey has urged Sebastian Vettel to be "magnanimous" should he find himself in a position where he can help Mark Webber become Formula One World Champion.

Newey has been the brains behind Red Bull's astonishing rise over the last six years, the team emerging from the wreckage of Jaguar's failure to become Constructors' Champions.

But with one race remaining in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, for Newey the crowning glory to a remarkable year would be to see either Webber or Vettel clinch the Drivers' crown.

Webber stands eight points behind Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, with Vettel 15 points back, guaranteeing a pulsating end to the season.

One of the major talking points, though, is whether Vettel will aid Webber's cause should he be in a position to do so, and so prevent Alonso from winning his third World Championship.

"We've always said we would leave the drivers to it. It's a Drivers' Championship, and that's how it should be," said Newey.

"We would honestly like to win both (titles) if we possibly could, and if we're in a position where we can win the drivers', that is what we must do now.

"Ultimately, if one of the drivers is out if it, then I hope he would be magnanimous enough to help the other."

Despite the friction that has existed between Webber and Vettel this season, highlighted by fall-outs such as after their crash in Turkey, Newey feels the team have acted fairly with both drivers.

"They have pushed each other hard, which is good, a little bit too hard once or twice, but overall we're very happy," added Newey.

"At the end of the day it is a Drivers' Championship and that means there shouldn't be team orders."

In helping Red Bull clinch the Constructors' title, Newey has now completed a stunning hat-trick after previously designing race and title-winning cars with Williams and McLaren.

From virtually nothing with Red Bull, however, his sentiments after this success were understandable.

"Williams and McLaren had already won Championships as they were well established teams, so this one is certainly very special," said Newey.

"To join Red Bull and develop the car from what was Jaguar, from a mid-field runner to where we are now, is fantastic.

"In a way I've had to pinch myself because when I joined we had aspirations, but having those and achieving it are two different things.

"I still can't quite believe it, and to get both would be amazing. We can but hope, but what can you do.

"The car has proved itself to be capable of it, but we've had some bad luck here and there.

Just because they don't have the BALLS like Ferrari to do it in public does not mean they don't do it...

Read ON... You be the judges...

Carlos

No Team Orders @ Red Bull??? THAT IS BULL !!!!

Read on... ANY TEAM, ANY TEAM will do Team orders one way or another...

Fancy word Mr. Newey uses here... "Magnanimous".... :SHOCKED::SHOCKED:

Taken from Planet F1...

http://www.planetf1.com/news/18227/6498364/Newey-urges-duo-to-be-magnanimous-




Just because they don't have the BALLS like Ferrari to do it in public does not mean they don't do it...

Read ON... You be the judges...

Carlos


well not everyone is like Ferrari. I guess redbull feels it best to win fair and square, and not have the champsionship given to them. /shrug.

personally i think vet was the favored driver this year. I really think they thought Webber would not do good this year.

I don't think what Ferrari told Massa was any different than what they would to any car that was going to over take him. I use a scanner at races and hear the communications between team & drivers. A spotter is used mainly at track where you can see most of the way around. In F1, you have the instant timing with the track split into thirds and can easily tell who is faster and plot where they are on the track. If you were listening to the slower teams communications, you would hear them warning them of the faster cars coming up to pass.

I don't think what Ferrari told Massa was any different than what they would to any car that was going to over take him. I use a scanner at races and hear the communications between team & drivers. A spotter is used mainly at track where you can see most of the way around. In F1, you have the instant timing with the track split into thirds and can easily tell who is faster and plot where they are on the track. If you were listening to the slower teams communications, you would hear them warning them of the faster cars coming up to pass.

Well why would Massa be so upset after and refuse to cheer at the podium? Especially since he had to be contacted multiple times to "confirm that you understand the message". No that was a blatant team order and it stank.

All Ferrari fans who keep bashing Red Bull now are only trying to justify Ferrari's own actions. They are afraid Alonso will win with less than 8 points and thus the victory would be tainted.

Let me break it to you Ferrari fans who bash Red Bull. It will be tainted if he wins with 7 points or less. So stop bashing Red Bull who are standing for great sport this year. You are only embarrassing yourselves.

Well why would Massa be so upset after and refuse to cheer at the podium? Especially since he had to be contacted multiple times to "confirm that you understand the message". No that was a blatant team order and it stank.

All Ferrari fans who keep bashing Red Bull now are only trying to justify Ferrari's own actions. They are afraid Alonso will win with less than 8 points and thus the victory would be tainted.

Let me break it to you Ferrari fans who bash Red Bull. It will be tainted if he wins with 7 points or less. So stop bashing Red Bull who are standing for great sport this year. You are only embarrassing yourselves.

Red Bull is just a bunch of hypocrites!! We ALL know they favor Vettel... If Vettel was in Webber's position, do you think they will not have already given team orders? Who are we kidding? Why do you think Webber has had such hard time within the team?

Also, it's so stupid to keep criticizing Alonso's effort. He would have passed Massa anyways... Up to now, Ferrari has been a ONE Driver team, and not because he is #1 but because Massa has done NOTHING, NOTHING to justify he is at Ferrari. Any other driver would have given up the title long ago... I will expect Massa to leave Ferrari next year.. Actually I want him to leave.

Whether it's 1, 7, 8, 25 points.... if Alonso wins the title, HE DESERVES it...

I will not say this anymore. We are not afraid he wins the title. I am afraid he could be taken out of contention by another driver....

On the other hand, we can't claim victory yet... It'll be an interesting weekend for sure..

Carlos

Red Bull is just a bunch of hypocrites!! We ALL know they favor Vettel... If Vettel was in Webber's position, do you think they will not have already given team orders? Who are we kidding? Why do you think Webber has had such hard time within the team?

Also, it's so stupid to keep criticizing Alonso's effort. He would have passed Massa anyways... Up to now, Ferrari has been a ONE Driver team, and not because he is #1 but because Massa has done NOTHING, NOTHING to justify he is at Ferrari. Any other driver would have given up the title long ago... I will expect Massa to leave Ferrari next year.. Actually I want him to leave.

Whether it's 1, 7, 8, 25 points.... if Alonso wins the title, HE DESERVES it...

I will not say this anymore. We are not afraid he wins the title. I am afraid he could be taken out of contention by another driver....

On the other hand, we can't claim victory yet... It'll be an interesting weekend for sure..

Carlos

Hey I agree with you, If alonso wins ths year
I feel he deserves it. Only because he has helped his team come from the bottom to where it is now.

But as for Hock, we will never know if he could of passed massa up, because that moment was taken away from the F1 fans due to Alonso crying over the radio. If Alonso such an awesome driver (which i tink he is ) then he wouldn't need any ones help, and if he would of crashed into massa in the process, then that is part of racing. Racing shouldn't be fixed , but should be about testing a driver skills.

So if Alonso wins by any where near 7 points, then we know that it was not due to his skills as a driver, because like i said, His crying stole that moment away from the F1 world. Which is sad, becaue this year win will always be remember as Alonso getting a free pass.

Red Bull is just a bunch of hypocrites!! We ALL know they favor Vettel... If Vettel was in Webber's position, do you think they will not have already given team orders? Who are we kidding? Why do you think Webber has had such hard time within the team?
Of course, thats why last year Webber was allowed to fight for the title until he was mathematically out of it. Even if Vettel was in the lead that year there was no no #1 nor no #2 until Webber was out. So no, Red Bull are consistent and you are mistaken.

Also, it's so stupid to keep criticizing Alonso's effort. He would have passed Massa anyways... Up to now, Ferrari has been a ONE Driver team, and not because he is #1 but because Massa has done NOTHING, NOTHING to justify he is at Ferrari. Any other driver would have given up the title long ago... I will expect Massa to leave Ferrari next year.. Actually I want him to leave.
Aren't you a loyal supporter? You used to love Massa, what happened? Just because he is pressed into a corner with no moving space because he has a teammate that takes all place you find Massa is crap. Or maybe you conveniently forgot how Alonso in the beginning of the year made a really ugly pass on Massa deporting him to the back of the grid because he had to wait for Alonso to pit during a SC period. Oh did I mention that Alonso forced Massa off the track in the pass in the pit lane. Here is the link in case you had forgotten:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty0A4v2H11U

Did you also happen to forget Alonso shredded Massa's tire forcing him to pit directly at the start in one race? I mean how ruthless are you when trying to pass your teammate?

And Ferrari has been accepting this because it is the great Alonso. No wonder that Massa has performed poorly. Alonso has taken all the space and once you lose your self-confidence it is not easy to perform on top level. But it is really disgusting to see a supporter like you just diss Massa for it.


Whether it's 1, 7, 8, 25 points.... if Alonso wins the title, HE DESERVES it...
If it is by 7 points or less he was given the victory. No matter how much you shout otherwise on an internet forum it doesn't change the fact. That he will be world champion then, sure. But it will not be deserved unless it is by 8 points or more.

Scream all you want about it. The Ferrari and Alonso fans will obviously agree with you, but the rest of the racing fans will remember the team order and be disgusted. Thats how it is.

Of course, thats why last year Webber was allowed to fight for the title until he was mathematically out of it. Even if Vettel was in the lead that year there was no no #1 nor no #2 until Webber was out. So no, Red Bull are consistent and you are mistaken.

Aren't you a loyal supporter? You used to love Massa, what happened? Just because he is pressed into a corner with no moving space because he has a teammate that takes all place you find Massa is crap. Or maybe you conveniently forgot how Alonso in the beginning of the year made a really ugly pass on Massa deporting him to the back of the grid because he had to wait for Alonso to pit during a SC period. Oh did I mention that Alonso forced Massa off the track in the pass in the pit lane. Here is the link in case you had forgotten:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty0A4v2H11U

Did you also happen to forget Alonso shredded Massa's tire forcing him to pit directly at the start in one race? I mean how ruthless are you when trying to pass your teammate?

And Ferrari has been accepting this because it is the great Alonso. No wonder that Massa has performed poorly. Alonso has taken all the space and once you lose your self-confidence it is not easy to perform on top level. But it is really disgusting to see a supporter like you just diss Massa for it.



If it is by 7 points or less he was given the victory. No matter how much you shout otherwise on an internet forum it doesn't change the fact. That he will be world champion then, sure. But it will not be deserved unless it is by 8 points or more.

Scream all you want about it. The Ferrari and Alonso fans will obviously agree with you, but the rest of the racing fans will remember the team order and be disgusted. Thats how it is.

Thanks for taking the time to answer this. Yes indeed, we Ferrari fans deserve this level of attention... :ylsuper:

Bottom line I feel that to be part of a team, any team, especially Ferrari, you MUST do your best. Massa has been nothing but mediocre this season and Alonso has carried out the team like no other...Just imagine if Massa was also fighting for poles and such...

I am aware what he did to Massa at the beginning of the year. Was that right? no. Was it needed? you betcha. Ferrari needed someone like Alonso to go back to be one of the best teams outthere... Massa alone or anybody else for that matter would not have been able to pull it off.

Sometimes it takes a strong individual to do this and Ferrari needed the best. This is why, even though I still like Massa, I believe he is no Ferrari material. He does not have what it takes...period.

Webber and Vettel last year? Of course they had to fight it out... where do you think all this favoritism comes from? It'll always be this way at RB... This is why they are such hipocrites, just like the people that say "there are no team orders"... my ass.

But heck... Maybe Alonso does not even win the championship... Who cares!! Let's face it. Seeing a red Ferrari at the front and with a possibility of getting the WC is priceless... and some of you can't stomach that... Welcome back to reality... Ferrari is back baby... and next year will beimpossible to beat.

Carlos

Redbull has already given team orders, it's gonna be an interesting race.
http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2010/11/11512.html

McLaren... Rising, Rising and rising :D not lets hope the bulls and the horses crash and burn :D

Lewis has led the charge in practice. I hope he can stay away from P Diddy. That crowd is of no benefit to a serious young champion; at least that's what I think.

http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2010/11/11519.html

Paul.

Lewis has led the charge in practice. I hope he can stay away from P Diddy. That crowd is of no benefit to a serious young champion; at least that's what I think.

http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2010/11/11519.html

Paul.
favorite part of the interview

"
Q: What has counted against you more this year - the DNFs or the fact that the Red Bull and Ferrari cars were better than the McLaren?

LH: Definitely the DNFs in Singapore, Monza, Barcelona and Hungary, but also the points that we lost in Suzuka. At the end of the day it is a mixture of things - as a team we win and we lose together. Sometimes the car has not been perfect and sometimes I have not been perfect. Our goal at the beginning of the year is always to have a competitive car, and not be trying to catch anyone up. So Jenson (Button), myself and the rest of the team are working on this very hard already for next year"

Q: If you don’t win the title, who do you think deserves it most?LH: They are all fantastic drivers, and all of them have worked very hard. The one that I feel is maybe a little more deserving of the title would be Mark Webber. He has really done a great job for Minardi at the beginning of his career, worked his way up and most probably only got his hands on a car that could win the title now. He has taken a lot of negative feelings in his team, and he has come out knowing that his team mate is favourite. So I guess he has done a damn good job.

So does this mean..say if Vet is in Position 1 with 3 laps to go, Webber 2, and red Al 3, Vettel will allow Webber to pass and take the championship??

I have not studied all the numbers, but is this how it may pan out?...

ALL I can say is GO MARK, out of ALL the drivers this guy DESERVES the Title.

He IS a true Gentleman, and a Great driver who has bad VERY bad cars over his career.

He IS a true Gentleman, and a Great driver who has bad VERY bad cars over his career.

Looking at Vettel's time the car was great, but Webber fell for the pressure of the championship.

Anyways, it is a long race tomorrow so he might make up for it.

Its going to be extremely exciting tomorrow, thats for certain.

Looking forward to watching the race tomorrow, it's gonna be interesting for sure!

Looking forward to watching the race tomorrow, it's gonna be interesting for sure!

Lol was about to post the same shxt. well back to bed for me

wow, i'm really interested in seeing wt's gonna happen tmr, webber's wayyyyyyy too behind to let vettel give him a spot. hmmmm my hopes of redbull ferrari 3 way crash still stands :D

I believe Hamilton will take the lead on the first lap. IF Vettel beats Hamilton it will be during the pit stops. Hamilton has absolutely nothing to lose. He must win and if he doesn't he is out of the championship so he will be ruthless when trying to pass. Vettel on the other hand needs points and not necessarily a victory and therefore he will take it calmer and be more careful.

It is going to be really fun to watch how it evolves with the two McLarens going full out. And Vettel, Webber and Alonso knows they must not DNF because then they are out.

I believe Vettel will be very concerned about Hamilton and try to push him to the side giving Alonso a very great start. Avoiding disaster into the first corner will be interesting.

I can't wait for this race. I'm a Ham fan to the end though. I think he can win this race. Some of the obstacles to his win include tire maintenance and speed of pit stops. I think Ferrari is quicker in the pits (Although more likely to leave the wheel nut loose) :).

Paul.

I believe Vettel will be very concerned about Hamilton and try to push him to the side giving Alonso a very great start. Avoiding disaster into the first corner will be interesting.

I can't wait for this race. I'm a Ham fan to the end though. I think he can win this race. Some of the obstacles to his win include tire maintenance and speed of pit stops. I think Ferrari is quicker in the pits (Although more likely to leave the wheel nut loose) :).

Paul.

Well if Hamilton gets to #1 spot from the start he will be very hard to overtake. The best overtaking spot is the end of the long straight, where the McLaren is strong. There are also possibilities in sector 3, but that is mostly if the driver in front does a mistake.

I will be cheering for Hamilton all the way tomorrow!

Interesting qualifying results. Hopefully it'll be an interesting race as well. :)

AUSSIES LOVE being the Underdog...It ain't over till it is over...and if you do not think there may be a :shit fight: out in the front you are kidding yourselves.

You could see ALL 4 shunted/crashed out at the start.

THE difference with Webber is he has far more years of experience than any of the others, he has had to work hard to get where he is in F1, NO Silver SPOON in this guys mouth like the others.

Yeah, and he wont and does not CHEAT like Ferrari or McLaren..

^^ are they still fighting over the name ?

Yes, since Lotus Cars (Proton) are buying out the last 30% of Renault (should be official Wednesday). So it will be Lotus-Renault, Lotus Racing should be renamed 1Malaysia or something like that. Both have announced a black and gold livery for 2011 :evil_laug

Interesting fact, because of the buyout Kubica can end his contract with Renault.
***Wild rumors about a Kubica transfer to Ferrari starts here***

Man the first lap is going to be awesome. I really hope that Hamilton doesnt attack at the start though. I feel he should take his overtaking skills in mid track, where the RB car is weak at.

Letter to Mr Hamilton.

You have my FULL permission to attack 100% at the start. Take Vettel and yourself out of contention as you have done in the past.

In advance I sincerely want to thank you for your contribution.

Regards,:evil_laug
An Alonso fan :) :)
ps. Heck if you do this, we'll even give you a test drive @ Ferrari :)

How about this? :) :)

Carlos

Hamilton has had some problems this weekend having been called before the stewards twice so far. His concentration has been off. I'm wondering if he is going to take someone out going into turn one.

If he does take somebody (or intends to drive ultra-aggressive) out the risk of destroying his own car are too great, and with that, his very slim chance at WDC. Then again, I'm sure he's realistic enough to know he basically has 0 chance to take the title. It's Alonso's or Webber's day as I see it; unless there's a freakshow of events.

2h 21m...

Ferrari may have the best driver but if the engineers are stupid trained monkeys there's nothing we can do.
I'm cryin :(

cock... vettel's taking it :(

noooooooooooooooo

funny... i don't think we have any hardcore vettel fan here, do we?

He is one of my fave drivers but Ferrari is Ferrari since i'm italian.
Domenicali vattene!

funny... i don't think we have any hardcore vettel fan here, do we?

I am just after being a Hamilton fan!

Vettel truly showed his skill. Hamilton could challenge him but got stuck behind Kubica!

A VERY VERY well deserved victory for Vettel!

Ferrari may have the best driver but if the engineers are stupid trained monkeys there's nothing we can do.
I'm cryin :(

tactical disaster idd

Wow, not the results I expected, but a heck of race never-the-less. Those pit stops were crucial. Congrates to the kid.

Alonso lost a lot of respect from everyone when he went apeshit on Petrov after the race, what a bastard, you screwed your own championship by not being able to overtake a russian rookie driving a french car.

Horrible race for Webber, he didn't have pace at all, will he retire?

'grats to Vettel, he deserves it!!!

Alonso had all the rights of being frustrated. Instead of focusing on Petrov he should have punched his race engineer in the face though.

Both Vettel and Alonso were going for the record (Youngest world champion\youngest 3 times world champion) so i can understand how strong their sentiments may be.

In the end Red Bull did the right thing favoring their best driver during this season. Keep in mind that Vettel, with all his mistakes\crashes\DNF lost nearly 130points this season yet won the championship. He is the best driver when it comes to absolute performance as i have stated other times, if he grows up a bit he will be a pain in the ass for all of us Alonso\Hamilton\Kubica fans in the years to come :)

Vettel is going to be seriously dangerous when he matures, that is for certain.

But Ferrari were so focused on the Red Bull being the main threat that Alonso copied Webber's strategy to stay ahead of Webber. In that aspect the tactic worked, he stayed ahead of Webber the entire race.

And yes I understand that Alonso was frustrated, but it was a race for position and Petrov owned him on the track. He should have kept enough cool to not raise signs to Petrov for only having driven a good race.

I wonder what ASH8 is going to say now when he has blamed the car all the time before when Webber didn't take the championship. I think it is time to realize that Vettel > Webber by far, and as long as they drive the same car Vettel will come out on top.

He did it this year. He did it last year. He took the first victory ever for Red Bull in the Toro Rosso (a crap car). That was when I truly got impressed by him. When you take a weak car and still wins. There he showed that he was the star for Red Bull.

As an Alonso fan it's pretty hard to defend someone who acts like that after losing the race. Then again it's Alonso, there really is no defending him. He's a jackass, but a damn good driver.

Alonso couldn't get by Petrov just like Hamilton couldn't get by Kubica. It would seem that the track just doesn't condone passing. It was a very frustrating race to see everyone just following each other like that considering how much was on the line at that race.

Congrats to Vettel. As much as I don't like him it was his championship from pretty much the beginning, which is really strange considering he never actually lead the championship. That blows my mind. lol

I think just about anyone would've been fast in the Red Bull car this year. We'll see how they do with all of the rule changes next season. They do have Newey, though, so I'm sure everyone else is still fucked.

A true 3 time world champ could pass the lowly Petrov. haha

The Yas Marina circuit is truly beautiful, but do we want the championship to be decided on such a boring track? They should put it as first race of the championship and call it a day.

Congratulations SV!..

I have not read any media or even watch the race, but from what I heard (radio) Webber was way off the pace?? WHY??..

Either he "gave up" trying..which I do not believe, OR his machinery was not up to Standard of Vettels, HOW can near identical Cars be so different??..

Will Webber retire...IMO he will give it one more year..

He was not way off pace, he had to pit early because felt the rear tyres losing grip after hitting something.
Then it was a happy train 'till the end of the race behind Alonso. They had a pretty similar pace but the bottlenecks ruined all the fun :)

Congats to Seb Vet! Great driver and overall great person. This is especially true compared to a certain Spaniard who, while having an attitude, has also been involved in a lot of team scandals in recent years. Holding up Hamilton in the pits in Hungary in 07 with Mclaren, Piquet crashing so Alonso could win with Renault in Singapore in 08, and team orders this year with Ferrari. Coincidence? There is a common theme here and he stinks like a cheating Spaniard.

OK, but he was what 5th on the start grid.., considering he has been on 1 or number 2 or 3 in most if not all other races (from memory), 5th is way off.;)