Posts by steelmaker83

stormybadger8 said:Maybe it wasn't nerves, but he was definitely driving way below his actual level...
If he had been biting harder like he did during those last few laps at Silverstone, he might have actually stood a chance at a podium...

As for Lewis Hamilton, I'm with you—he's easily the weakest one out there right now.

And that’s exactly the point. You push when you can. If he could have pushed, he would have. We're just people watching on TV; we aren't in any position to claim we know why someone chooses to dig in or why they don't, or whether they even have the capacity to do so.

The best example of this was last year's Abu Dhabi and Fernando Alonso's pursuit of Kimi Raikkonen. Why was he chasing him then and risking the championship? Some people will claim he was playing it safe in places like the US or Korea... that's just nonsense. Either Alonso is an idiot who takes random risks, or the spectators are idiots for claiming he's calculating his moves.

Either way, somebody's an idiot.

stormybadger8 said:Go ahead and talk all you want, but don't forget how Lewis Hamilton played it at the end of the 2007 and 2008 seasons...
Then there's Webber in Korea and Abu Dhabi. After that, feel free to push whatever theory you want about how Marko set him up to hit a wall...
And of course, let's not forget how much trouble he caused behind the safety car. Though, to be fair, he absolutely killed it in those final races of the 2007 and 2012 seasons...
I don't even think I need to explain Jenson Button's second half of the 2009 season.

At the end of the day, the only ones who actually stayed cool and grit their teeth when the title fight got real over the last few seasons were Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen, and Massa.☕

Whether they're crying at home because the media or some fans hate them, or if they're just laughing the whole thing off—who cares?
What matters is what they show on the track when it actually counts.☕

Fernando Alonso didn't show composure in 2007 and 2012? I don't recall seeing any signs of nerves or restlessness from him. He drove both races equally mediocre, but I wouldn't say nervousness was the reason. In critical moments during both races, he stayed perfectly calm. The fact that Alonso generally struggles in Brazil is a completely different issue; he's never really shined there.

Actually, it seems to me that out of everyone on the grid, Alonso is the one with the coolest head. Besides, that's been his reputation since the start of his career.
Vettel definitely shares those traits and clearly functions well under pressure. Hamilton is obviously the weakest link among the elite drivers in that regard.
In fact, that—along with his frequent loss of focus—is Hamilton's biggest weakness. It's also the reason why he isn't the best driver in the world, even if he is arguably the fastest.

this has officially gone too far....

stormybadger8 said:I honestly get the feeling more and more drivers are just going to walk away from Formula 1 because of Goodyear, Bernie Ecclestone, and all that nonsense...

Call me crazy, but I feel like that's exactly why Michael Schumacher and Mark Webber left.
At the end of the day, both of them were pretty loud and clear about hating this artificial circus of tires, DRS, KERS, and all these gimmicks that basically kill actual racing...
What we end up with is a bunch of sudden performance swings, piles of overtakes, and "unpredictable" races (which is just code for chaotic), but when you look back at the full season, you might find maybe ten actual, legitimate duels or passes. Everything else feels less like racing and more like what Webber called "American wrestling"🙄

It won't happen. Regardless of anything, Formula 1 will always be the pinnacle of motorsports. This is where the massive money flows, and naturally, that's where drivers can earn the most, whether directly or indirectly.

Besides, there have always been backroom deals happening here. They've gone a step or two too far lately, sure, but the model still works. As for the hardcore fans, they make up a tiny percentage of the total viewership. Whatever we vent about on forums doesn't actually impact their entire business operation.

Vettel’s complaining about the cold, claiming there's zero grip...

Tomorrow, it’s going to be Mercedes and Red Bull fighting for the win, while Fernando settles for somewhere around 5th or 6th. I’m starting to worry that if we're looking at the championship standings, Fernando is already out of the running. It was obvious that the whole tire circus at the start played right into Lotus and Ferrari's hands, but now the momentum has completely shifted.

stormybadger8 said:Maybe Lewis Hamilton's cat took a massive dump on Fernando Alonso's Ferrari front wing, which would explain why his qualifying session was such a disaster...
I'm fully expecting some ridiculous excuse like that 😬

What was the problem? He drove as hard as he could. In fact, he went even further than that.

All in all, it’s a total mess.

Raymond Anderson4 said:Man, if Fernando’s car is really that bad that Nick Heidfeld is pulling half a second on him... I just can't buy it.
Actually, scratch that. Not half a second. My eyes were playing tricks on me...

What half a second? It looks to me like Fernando squeezed every last drop out of that thing.

comatose

Elizabeth Mendoza said:Look at how it sparks...

Just like old times....

graniteharbor502 said:Felipe Massa managed to clock a faster time than Jean-Éric Vergne, yet Fernando Alonso failed to outpace Daniel Ricciardo.

Pierre Gasly's performance was an absolute disaster.

Jason Campbell70 said:You wait, and you wait, and you wait... only to miss out in the end. 😁

Depends on what you're waiting for. Let's say Seb is waiting for a birthday present. Is he actually going to see it? It would be nice if Fernando sent him some congratulations from the top of the podium in Silverstone, and then maybe one more time in Germany—since Fernando is such a generous guy.

After the well-deserved toast, he can just hand over the rest of the champagne as his gift.

These three-week breaks are dragging on way too long.....way too long...

swifttiger75 said:Everyone eventually finds themselves crossing over to the "dark side." City only remembers the Canadian Grand Prix and that qualifying incident with Lewis Hamilton. Fernando was being plenty "moral" during those moments. When championships are on the line, history proves everyone is willing to do whatever it takes.

I’m curious about a hypothetical: say Fernando Alonso moves to Red Bull Racing, while Sebastian Vettel heads to Ferrari. How would people view Alonso then? Who would you actually be rooting for?

You have to distinguish between two types of fans: those who simply follow a team, and those who follow a specific driver wherever they go.

Personally, I fall into the second group. I have teams I prefer and teams I don't, but from the very first Formula 1 race I watched, I identified with a driver, and that hasn't changed.

The only exception is TBF, who follows a driver but will ditch them the moment they join a hated team... which is inevitably what will happen.

graniteharbor502 said:Respect. It's actually refreshing to see an objective Ferrari fan on this forum for once.

There’s always going to be some blind fanatic somewhere. 😬

graniteharbor502 said:He was better during those last two races in 2012, but they had to sabotage him if Alonso was going to have any shot at the title. Essentially, after Germany, Alonso only had one more decent race, which was the one in India. The second half of the season cost him the championship. Now, I'd love for some Ferrari fan to explain to me how they were actually satisfied with Alonso during that latter part of the season.

Massa performed better in Korea, Brazil, and now—I can't recall that fourth race offhand. But regardless, in Korea and now, even if he had driven like Massa, he couldn't have done much better than his actual finish.

The only real setback was in Brazil, but I watched that race closely and Alonso was clearly pushing as hard as he could—that’s why he spun so many times—it just wasn't happening. Something strange was going on with the Ferrari development during those final few races. Clearly, the car either didn't suit him, or the updates simply failed to work.

graniteharbor502 said:Someone actually called me a troll. I’m always down for a debate. Regardless of how he picks them, he picks them. Given the level of competition he's dealing with, you have to give him credit.

And honestly, nobody is denying he deserves credit for that. My point is simply that he should probably wait until everything is laid out before jumping to such definitive conclusions.

stormybadger8 said:There’s a massive distinction between being better or just as good and simply having a car that doesn't constantly break down or force you into early retirements.🙄
Is anyone actually going to explain to the Ferrari fans how much better Felipe Massa was than Fernando Alonso during that stretch from Belgium to Japan back in 2012?🙄

You’re making things up again. Felipe Massa was only actually good—maybe even better than average—in exactly four races during 2012. That is nowhere near half a season. Looking back now, what happened was clearly the result of Ferrari rushing their development in a total panic. It’s obvious they kept throwing updates at Fernando Alonso that simply didn't work, all because they were desperate to snatch the championship at any cost.

stormybadger8 said:Who exactly are you talking about?🤷
And which kid is this that feels the need to constantly defend Alonso every single day when nobody is even attacking him?😕
Did anyone actually claim that Fernando Alonso did anything wrong or suggested he should be kicked out or whatever?🤷
Did I ever actually say Alonso was bad, or anything of the sort?
Good grief, he drove an absolute masterclass of a race. I don't see any reason to start playing defense when nobody was even attacking him in the first place.🤷

I'm talking about Valtteri Bottas. 🙂🙂🙂
Look at Valtteri Bottas. He basically played the perfect wingman for everyone from Mark Webber and Nico Rosberg to Fernando Alonso and Jean-Éric Vergne. He even managed to dodge any real contact with Sutcliffe—though if you don't know the story, he just sort of slipped away on his own. Then there's the track record with Kimi Räikkönen, Nico Hülkenberg, Sergio Pérez, and Jenson Button. It was a flawless run.
He plummeted through the standings like a stone because his car was an absolute disaster, but he fought back using pure driving skill. He did everything possible to stay competitive without ruining anyone else's race or making a single questionable move.

Lol. I can't manage to multi-quote right now, but I will eventually. Anyway, you’ve got at least three different posts here praising Bottas's absolute heroism during that first lap.

By the way, he dropped two spots on the launch and lost another one before the first lap was even over. To top it all off, he finished just two positions ahead of his teammate, who also managed to blow a pit stop penalty... quite the display of speed there.

graniteharbor502 said:Your contribution to this debate is truly unparalleled. If you really want to go down that road—that if women were men, maybe Fernando Alonso would have actually won something in a Ferrari—then sure, keep blaming luck or bad breaks.
Just a reminder: Sebastian Vettel took the last three championships. If anyone deserves some actual praise right now, it’s him. Anything else could easily be dismissed as trolling.

Everything else is just trolling?

Hmm...

It's not like Vettel cruised through those three titles with total dominance, leaving us nothing left to talk about...