[richidoo]

Yes that was a great race! My Man!!! Leading championship again. But will it last?    I crack myself up... 

Vettel made a funny pun in his press mob:
Will Buxton: "Do you think it was the alternator?"
Vettel: "Potentially"   

  The kid has a future in standup if this F1 thing doesn't work out.

Buxton interviewed Ecclestone asking about rumors that NJ race is on the rocks. Bernie does this to every new venue, and again whenever any old venue wants to re-up. Shaking them down for more money with threat of pulling the plug. Blackmail, F1 style. Did it to Tony George and lost, did it to British Racing Drivers Club and lost, did it to Rick Perry and won. It will be interesting to see how Christie fares.

[a.wayne]

The game is rigged he who pays the vig wins , the manipulation is very high, around here we refer to it as ,

WWF1...... 

[twitch54]

almost looked like NASCAR at the end, can't believe the wrecked driver threw the steering wheel the way he did, don't those things cost in excess of 250k each ??

[richidoo]

They are 25k, and he will get a penalty, usually 10k penalty in the past for throwing the wheel. I don't know why FIA cares about team's property. Maybe they think it is unsportsmanlike behavior on TV. Hamilton has a tendency to become emotional and lose composure in the car. He promised to grow up this year...     But I think Maldonado was also emotional from being blocked and he turned into Hamilton to push back, which actually caused the accident. He had room to avoid hitting Hamilton but chose to attack. Egos forget the big picture.

[ArthurDent]

Tough call on that incident. Maldonado had to get back on the track or be forced to give up the place for cutting the chicane, once back on the surface his wheels were straightened and beginning to go left for the turn (further replay review required). Hamilton was simply not willing to give room and possibly lose the position. Not the first of these type of contacts, Michael's had more than one, Vettel had the big one with Kubica a few years back, and the one with Webber. It's high pressure racing and discretion (read as judgement) does not always prevail. Emotions often overrule logic, probably more so in the closing laps. Just my opinion, but Hamilton should have just driven around him. He had the momentum and room to do so, but the 'don't give an inch' mental approach cost him, big time. It's certainly not exclusive to Hamilton, but those decisions are what determines who are the champions at the end of the day.

Missed most of the race due to not checking the start time, only caught the last 5 laps, so am going to have to set the recorder in the future. A friend is going to tape the replay for me, thankfully, as it looks like the whole thing was good. While you are correct richidoo that Michael is not as fast mentally as he once was, skill and experience when properly applied can make up for some of that. As previously stated I don't think he's there to win from Mercedes standpoint, if he does so much the better. What he brings in car development & PR compensates the team quite well I'd say.

Good for Fernando    dragging that Ferrari to the front week after week by the scruff of it's neck. They must be getting some of the bugs worked out by now which bodes well for the rest of the season. 

[eclein]

 

   Ed - some of us haven't seen the race yet.

OOOPS!

The incident did not have to happen, but I would have done the same thing. I do it all the time when I play F1 2011 on PS3...LOL. Its amazing how accurate the tracks and feel of speed is on that game. I knew every turn and when it was coming by the time it took to get there... amazing what gaming is like in racing sims these days.
 
Paul,  I'll try not to give away the ending anymore big guy!!! LOL...

[ltr317]

OOOPS!

The incident did not have to happen, but I would have done the same thing. I do it all the time when I play F1 2011 on PS3...LOL. Its amazing how accurate the tracks and feel of speed is on that game. I knew every turn and when it was coming by the time it took to get there... amazing what gaming is like in racing sims these days.
 
Paul,  I'll try not to give away the ending anymore big guy!!! LOL...

   Thanks Ed.  Some of us can't always watch the race as it happens and have it taped or DVR.  Wait a few hours before saying who won.  Talk about the race but don't give away the winner for a while. 

[twitch54]

Wait a few hours before saying who won.  Talk about the race but don't give away the winner for a while.

Or........don't open the thread untill you're ready !

[ltr317]

Or........don't open the thread untill you're ready !

I started this thread and get notifications when someone responds.  Take the look at the heading, which I talked about the first four races of the season, not subsequent races.   

[FullRangeMan]

Crash at the start is always interesting.

http://esportes.terra.com.br/automobilismo/formula1/fotos/0,,OI220039-EI12987,00-Frances+provoca+acidente+e+tira+Hamilton+e+Alonso+de+GP.html

[Crimson]

Alonzo is still ahead. Good.

Great race today. After last weeks carnage at the first turn, it was a pleasure to see mature minds prevail. Red Bull seems to be in a design slump. The MP-427 seems to be a little touchy.

The tried and true red cars with Freddy at the helm will prevail this year as far as the drivers championship is concerned. RB will, yet again, win the constructors title.

[FullRangeMan]

Surprinsing Massa car is fast again, precisely in Monza/Italy the fastest GP...
His car keep slow all this year, local sports sites informed in Bahrein GP Massa car speed was only 286Km/h in the end of the main lane.

Massa having to let Alonso passing is humiliating, why accept being second pilot!.
The local fans nicknamed Massa as Felipe Passa(pass Alonso), what badness...

[ltr317]

Surprinsing Massa car is fast again, precisely in Monza/Italy the fastest GP...
His car keep slow all this year, local sports sites informed in Bahrein GP Massa car speed was only 286Km/h in the end of the main lane.

Massa having to let Alonso passing is humiliating, why accept being second pilot!.
The local fans nicknamed Massa as Felipe Passa(pass Alonso), what badness...

It may be humiliating, but that's the way Ferrari wants it.  The team has always had a clear 1 and 2 driver.  Massa is slowly returning to the form he had before his unfortunate accident in Hungary, and can really help Alonso win this year's title.

[FullRangeMan]

It may be humiliating, but that's the way Ferrari wants it.  The team has always had a clear 1 and 2 driver.  Massa is slowly returning to the form he had before his unfortunate accident in Hungary, and can really help Alonso win this year's title.

I believe Massa is not this bad, the Alonso car was bad yesterday in the practice as he was 10º place at the grid, but the team repaired fast overnight and today it was at the usual speed again.
But with Massa car it is no this fast, also this F150 car was designed to Alonso driving style, which is different from Massa driving style.

[FullRangeMan]

F1 medical Dr.Sid Watkins passed away at 84.
RIP

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/102485

[ltr317]

F1 medical Dr.Sid Watkins passed away at 84.
RIP

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/102485

He was great for F1, instituting many innovative safety features that subsequently saved drivers' lives.  RIP.

[richidoo]

That's too bad.
RIP, and thanks, Dr. Sid, for your important contributions to the sport.