Singapore GP (Marina Bay Street Circuit) - 09/22/2013

jadeseal7 said:Those two on the outside 🙏 🙏 Huge balls.

Lišo drove through there.
If any of them had tried to pull what he did in Monaco, they would've ended up kissing the wall sideways or with their rear end.

Roger Wright94 said:He really navigated that section with such precision.
If any other driver had attempted to handle that corner in Monaco the way he did, they would have ended up kissing the wall with their side or rear end.

It is truly quite baffling when someone dares to overtake on the track, only to find themselves being criticized for it afterward... And honestly, what could these overtakes possibly have to do with how Kimi Räikkönen drove back in Monaco??

It wouldn't have 🙂
Just like how Kimi shut out Sergio Perez, this team could've easily shut out Kimi too—and then, thanks to those biased refs, he'd be sitting out with a penalty...
Unless, of course, the guy doing the shutting isn't named Perez, Maldonado, or Grosjean 😬

stormybadger8 said:It’s hard to imagine they could have 🙂
Just like how Kimi shut down Sergio Perez, this team could have easily shut Kimi out right now—and if they had, I suspect those lovely stewards would have handed Kimi a penalty instead...
Unless, of course, the driver doing the blocking isn't someone like Perez, Maldonado, or Grosjean 😬

These aren't even comparable overtakes..☕ I mean, comparing that Sergio Perez "attempt" to overtake with what Kimi was doing..

Sergio went in there like a bull, just charging at Kimi—going all in and banking on the hope that Kimi would just back off and let him through. But the thing is, Sergio wasn't even halfway alongside Kimi's car.. he didn't stand a chance once Kimi decided to defend his line the way he did..

Back in Singapore, Kimi did everything strictly by the book.. if they had tried to squeeze him before they actually got alongside half the car, he might have avoided those potential collisions.. I suppose they just didn't expect Kimi to claim that space so quickly. Once he established himself where he was, he actually left them plenty of room to navigate the corners..

Everything was done perfectly..🙏 ☕

And honestly, handing out a penalty for "taxiing" is just total nonsense..☕

stormybadger8 said:How could they possibly have 🙂
Just as Kimi Räikkönen shut the door on Sergio Perez, this team could have just as easily shut the door on Kimi, and then, given how much the stewards seem to favor him, he would have likely walked away without a single penalty...
Unless, of course, the driver doing the closing isn't someone like Sergio Perez, Pastor Maldonado, or Romain Grosjean 😬

What are you even talking about? They absolutely closed him in: both Maldonado and Jenson Button squeezed the inside line, while Kimi took the outside path. As for what Sergio Perez did, well, that was nothing short of a kamikaze move.

swifttiger75 said:If you haven't felt bad about it, then you clearly watched and enjoyed his driving. Which basically means you've been following Formula 1 for a long time. That leads back to the idea that after all those years of watching, there might be something left for me to learn from you. Unfortunately, any further logical reasoning just hits a dead end in your case. 🙂

Luckily, Russia managed to stop a dominant Syria from attacking the USA! 😲

😂 What a conclusion... And what does your rant have to do with the last race? Absolutely nothing...☕

Roger Wright94 said:Everything here should have been phrased in the conditional tense.
In other words,
he could have watched,
he could have enjoyed himself,
he could have followed along,
he could have learned...

Yeah, and... I highly doubt you've even watched a race older than ten years ago... ☕

Maldonado has become as calm as a summer breeze; he’s stayed remarkably out of trouble this season without any major incidents.

Kimi is definitely the first name that comes to mind when discussing the race, naturally alongside Sebastian and Fernando.

Check out these photos of legendary drivers through the years, captured behind the wheel of their iconic cars.

Drew Bennett68 said:Here is a look at some legendary drivers through the years, sitting right in their cars.

The "Ferrari" taxi service.

🤣

Drew Bennett68 said:Maldonado’s been quiet as a mouse this season—hardly any drama from him lately.

Look, he's clearly stuck in no-man's land—way behind the top-tier teams, but still miles ahead of those backmarker outfits...
Maybe if he plays his cards right, he could snag a seat with Bottas and call it a day.🤷

nimblesurfer17 said:..at one point when he got to where he was, he gave them enough room to take the corners..
everything by the book..🙏 ☕

Clearly, you guys missed my point entirely.
It wasn't Kimi leaving them space; they left him space.
And honestly, I respect that move on their part. If they had just stayed a little more open instead of bunching up so hard to the right, we would've seen a collision that could have ended badly for anyone.
When you pull a move like Kimi did, you're basically putting your fate in the hands of the guy you're overtaking.
Brave? Sure. But it was tight, and he got lucky.

Michael Diaz4 said:😂 What kind of conclusion is that? And what does your writing style have to do with the last race? Absolutely nothing...☕

Michael, kid... I love it when you're dominant—like Ferrari or a ninja!

Roger Wright94 said:I think you guys missed my point entirely.
It wasn't that Kimi left them enough room; it was that they actually gave him space.
And honestly, I really respect that move on their part. If they had just stayed a bit more open—rather than bunching up so tightly to the right—there would have been contact, and who knows how that would have ended?
When you pull off a maneuver like Kimi did, you're essentially putting your fate in the hands of the person you're overtaking.
It was brave, sure, but it was also incredibly tight and frankly, quite lucky.

Exactly—it takes two to tango.

stormybadger8 said:Ionak is lightyears ahead of any serious contender, leaving teams like Marussia and those bottom-feeders way in the dust...
Maybe there's a slim chance of making a run at Bottas, but that’s about as far as it goes.🤷

Do you really think so? Personally, I'm inclined to believe he's finally cooled off.

Drew Bennett68 said:I think he's calmed down.

I wouldn't bet on it...

There’s nothing left for him to go wild on right now...

And honestly, even if he does pull some nonsense at the end, nobody cares...
Sure, the cameras might catch it, but the director won't bother showing it, and the refs don't give a damn if he bumps into a Marussia here or there.
The problem is when he hits the big guys—then you've got drama. When he takes out Pastor and his crew, nobody gives a shit.😉

Roger Wright94 said:It seems I haven't quite managed to convey my point effectively to everyone here.
My contention isn't that Kimi failed to leave them enough room, but rather that they were the ones who yielded space to him.
And if I may say so, I truly respect that decision on their part; had they maintained a more open line instead of bunching up so tightly toward the right, we likely would have seen a collision with unpredictable consequences.
When you attempt a maneuver like the one Kimi executed, you essentially place your fate in the hands of the driver you are attempting to overtake.
It was certainly a gutsy move, though I must admit, it was also incredibly tight and a stroke of pure luck.

But isn't that simply the essence of almost every overtake? Is that not precisely why we find such joy in watching them unfold?

Speaking of Webber's rather reckless foray onto the track, I came across this truly harrowing footage from 1977:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e58_1268397788

Roger Wright94 said:I think you might have missed my point entirely.
It wasn't that Kimi left them enough room—it was that they actually gave him the space.
And honestly, I really respect that move on their part. If they had just stayed a bit more open instead of bunching up so tightly toward the right, we could have seen a collision that would have ended badly for everyone.
When you pull off a move like Kimi did, you’re essentially putting your fate in the hands of the driver you're overtaking.
It was bold, sure—but it was also incredibly tight and lucky.

Fair enough, I see what you're getting at now...
which is why I tried to highlight the difference between Perez's attempt at an overtake—if you can even call it that—and those moves Kimi made at the Singapore Grand Prix.
I suspect both Pastor and Jenson just assumed Kimi wouldn't have the guts to dive down the outside, thinking that holding the inside line would be plenty to keep him at bay.

But the part you just quoted refers to those moments when Kimi was already running parallel and they were hitting the corners together; in those spots, some drivers go full-throttle aggressive and shove anyone they're passing right off the track. Kimi, however, made sure there was enough room so nobody ended up in the gravel. He was aggressive enough to get the job done, yet respectful enough to keep things clean... a truly classy way to overtake.

nimblesurfer17, doesn't that "Kimi left enough room" line strike you as a little contradictory?
I think it’s actually the other way around. It’s the guy in front who decides whether he’s leaving enough room to pass or just shutting the door. He's the one calling the shots on whether that gap exists or not.😁

Look, obviously comparing Perez's mess in Monaco to Kimi's situation in Singapore isn't exactly apples to apples... mainly because the way these drivers actually behave on track is night and day.
Good grief, that’s exactly why the result ended up being completely different.😁
In Monaco, you’ve got two stubborn mules fighting it out, but in Singapore? You get drivers who actually know how to play nice.😉

It’s pretty obvious Perez went absolutely mental in Monaco. He squeezed in where there was zero room to breathe. Kimi didn't give him an inch, and then he basically boxed him in until the end. If we're looking for someone to blame here, let's be real—Perez was the one who left no space to work with.😉
While we were out here at the Singapore Grand Prix, Kimi noticed the gap left behind by the drivers ahead.😉 He took advantage of the gap, and none of those drivers ahead even bothered to shut the door while he was passing...

The truth is, they could have easily shut Kimi down, and things could have gone south fast.
Basically, any overtake requires both drivers to play ball, and honestly, who's actually behind the wheel makes all the difference.😉

Look, you’ve got Perez in Monaco acting like a total wild card, where he barely even cares if he walks away with points or nothing at all. Meanwhile, you've got actual championship contenders fighting for the title on the other side.
They obviously have to play it safe and shouldn't be diving into high-risk moves. Especially in places like Monaco or at the Miami Grand Prix Circuit—trying to overtake there is basically suicide since there isn't a single paved run-off area for half a mile.
When you finally crunch all the numbers, the truth is pretty clear: Kimi absolutely shut Perez down in Monaco and showed everyone who's boss. Alonso and Button didn't even stand a chance—they just cleared out of the way.
The points are in: Button grabs 8, Alonso takes 6, Kimi snags 1... and Perez walks away with nothing.

The result pretty much shows who was playing it smart when those points were on the line. It also sends a crystal-clear message to Perez about which drivers you can walk all over and which ones are going to absolutely deck you.😁
Sure, Alonso's and Button's move might be clever in the short term, but Kimi's play is way smarter for the long haul.😁

Look, you can pull a move like that with Button and not sweat it—you know he isn't going to force you off the track. You could even try it with Bottas. But pulling that with Maldonado? That was a massive gamble.

And honestly, the most entertaining thing is just comparing Webber back in the day to how he looks now.☕
Back when he had zero shot at winning anything or grabbing a trophy, he was a total wrecking ball. You’d just see him diving in and squeezing people out, exactly like Perez or Maldonado.
Whenever there’s actually a shot at a win or the championship, we get stuck with Webber, who basically drives like he’s still in a driver's ed course. He’s constantly obsessing over leaving enough room for someone trying to pass, or just failing to find an opening where one clearly exists.☕

Props to Vettel for an incredible drive, regardless of the absolute rocket he's piloting today.