2013 Canadian GP - Montreal (June 9)

I honestly don't get why Ferrari can't find their rhythm during qualifying. It’s obvious they have the raw pace, but they just seem to need way too many laps before the car actually starts working correctly.

Vettel seems to be going through the motions lately. I can't help but feel a nagging sense of dread, fearing he might stumble into another disaster similar to what we witnessed back in 2011. But then again, what else can one truly expect from a driver of his caliber?

Alonso, the maestro, what a drive! 🙏
It was undoubtedly his finest performance of the season; had he not squandered those precious seconds at the start, we would have witnessed a magnificent showdown between Seb and Alonso.

Though, I must admit, there is a certain satisfaction in seeing the crowd turn on Seb. It matters little if he has Newey in his corner or all the luck in the world when, quite simply, he is spoiled... and frankly, that kind of attitude doesn't fly with the common man. ☕

Jason Campbell70 said:Lewis has that Southern mentality—aggressive, incredibly fast. He’s easily five or six classes above Vettel.
Besides, you only have to look at how fans across the globe react.

Ferrari's Balotelli.
Hamilton, we're waiting for you with open arms.

I'm asking again, though—where does Alonso go if Lujo comes along?

David Anderson72 said:Obviously he's the better driver compared to Vettel, but Kimi is my guy through and through—I just can't see myself rooting for a Mercedes driver, even if he were sitting in a red car. Nando and Kimi would be a dream team, exactly what most fans actually want.

Do you honestly think Kimi would ever play second fiddle to anyone? 🤣

Get real. A truly top-tier driver isn't stepping into Ferrari until Alonso leaves. And once he's there, he'll likely stay until retirement. You simply don't put two absolute superstars in the same Ferrari.

Massa has zero reason to move as long as they have a decent car—which he proved today. If they do replace him, it won't be someone elite; it'll be some second-tier driver meant to support the lead driver and farm points.

Douglas Adams15 said:Exactly.
That gave Massa another point, too. Congrats to the winner. Again. I’m honestly just counting down the days until we fix our qualifying setup so Plačko can actually show some teeth. The car isn't actually that bad, though—Massa jumped ahead eight spots, and he still had to clear both Webber and Hamilton on track. We aren't even counting Bottas.

Ferrari has speed, but it's inconsistent race pace. It shows up sometimes and disappears the next, depending entirely on the track temperature.
Today, with a full tank, the pace was sluggish. As the race progressed, things started looking better... but they just can't seem to shake these growing pains.
Plus, Massa was busy overtaking TR, Sauber, and Williams... so Massa's pace isn't really the best indicator given who he was fighting. Even during those brief moments where he had clear air for a few laps, he was actually slower than Fernand.

Jason Campbell70 said:Fernando "maestro" Fernando. 🙏🙏🙏

What's with all those supposed little signs?

Richard Vaughn62 said:I’m asking again, where does Alonso end up if Lujo joins?

Do you honestly think Kimi would ever play second fiddle to anyone? 🤣

Let’s be realistic here: a top-tier driver isn't moving to Ferrari until Alonso is out the door. And honestly, he'll probably stay there until retirement. You simply won't see two elite drivers sharing a seat at Ferrari.

Massa doesn't give them any reason to make a change as long as the car remains competitive. He proved that today. If they do decide to swap him out, it'll be for someone from a different tier—someone there to support the lead driver and secure points.

That whole strategy is flawed. They'll never clinch the Constructors' Championship that way. Besides, winning individual titles would actually be easier if they had another world-class driver who was more competitive than Massa. It would also mean the competition picks up fewer points overall.

Richard Walker38 said:By the way, if McLaren keeps this up, they'll have drivers in the top 10 by the end of the season—basically a freaking miracle at this point.🤦

Honestly, today was a complete disaster for McLaren... just a straight-up train wreck.🙂 🙂

I find myself utterly perplexed by Mark Weber; he clings to the Ferrari only to spend several laps trailing by seven seconds, only to suddenly snatch the fastest lap of the race just before the checkered flag
.
Where on earth did that missing pace vanish to, if not to resurface at the very end to clock the best lap of the race? Was it a sudden shift in the engine mapping, or perhaps some other technical adjustment...
.
Vettel, however, remains relentless. If he maintains this level of consistency, he is well on his way to shattering the record for total points scored in a single season. It is as if the ghosts of failure simply refuse to touch him; even if he were driving through the infield grass, he would still somehow emerge unscathed. It is truly something quite extraordinary 🤣

darkmarlin16 said:What's with the supposed signs?

Because there is only one true maestro.

Since Lewis usually eats through tires like there's no tomorrow, he actually drove beautifully today! Even though he slipped from 2nd to 3rd, he’s clearly finding his rhythm—and Mercedes is finally showing some consistency throughout the race instead of that usual "falling off a cliff" sensation.
And if he’s this impressive while struggling with brakes that seem to have a mind of their own, imagine what your idols will do once he actually gets a decent set installed. ☕

'Just let me drive, man!'

David Anderson72 said:I don't really know, I've never been particularly interested in McLaren ☕ 😁

well, I've never been much of a Ferrari fan either...☕

The undisputed king of the track: Fernando maestro Alonso
After that pretty lackluster performance in Monaco, we finally saw the true maestro we know and love... totally aggressive... constantly hunting down the competition... he sliced past four drivers right on the asphalt, including three in seriously fast cars.
They squeezed out every bit of potential today, even if a win wasn't on the cards... Newey could have definitely found more speed if needed, but the crew absolutely lost their cool after that wall clip and all that sliding through the grass. They had to tell him to dial it back just a notch... because with a 15-20 second lead, the guy almost blew the whole thing by being way too reckless and impulsive...

I must confess, I find myself yearning to see an Adrian Newey-designed Red Bull Racing machine out on the track during a race; after all, his genius is what makes the spectacle worth watching in the first place.

Without a master conductor pulling the strings, racing would descend into sheer monotony. I am half-expecting Bernie Ecclestone to penalize the entire fanbase—most of them, at least—for their part in mocking Sebastian Vettel's predicament. How could a gentleman of his standing possibly allow such a display to occur?

Edward Howard2 said:A driver who leaves absolutely no room for doubt: Fernando Alonso, the maestro.
After that rather lackluster performance in Monaco, we finally witnessed the true master we’ve come to expect... he was aggressive, constantly pressing his advantage, and managed to slice through four different drivers right on the asphalt—three of whom were driving incredibly potent cars.
Everything was pushed to the absolute limit today, even if a win wasn't quite within reach... I suspect Adrian Newey could have engineered an even faster pace, but perhaps the team grew a bit too jittery following that heavy impact with the wall and those subsequent excursions onto the grass, leading them to advise him to dial back the tempo slightly... because with a lead of fifteen or twenty seconds, one might almost lose everything due to sheer recklessness and a lack of judgment...

To quote you directly:
"He has already demonstrated on several occasions that he lacks the capability to secure a victory in Canada, even when handed a dominant car from pole position.

So... the winner essentially imposes themselves upon the field...

[the maestro]

Because true originality simply cannot be cloned; for anything else, there is merely a poor imitation."

Brava! Once again, you have proven your point perfectly.

Edward Howard2 said:... Adrian Newey could have pushed even harder if he wanted to, but the whole team just lost their nerve after that massive crash into the wall followed by all that aimless wandering around the grass. They basically had to tell him to dial it back a notch... because when you're sitting on a 15-20 second lead, you can almost throw it all away just through pure recklessness and sheer stupidity...

Well, it makes sense, doesn't it? Newey clearly pulled back during the warm-up lap. I mean, once you've been burned once, you tend to play it safe from then on.

graniteharbor502 said:Let me quote you here:
"he's already shown more than once that he's totally incapable of winning in Canada even with a dominant car from pole position

so... the winner is pretty much obvious at this point...

[maestro]

since you just can't clone true originality, everything else is just a cheap knockoff"

Brava! You've really outdone yourself again.

Why didn't you quote my whole post where I actually nailed it by predicting he'd jump ahead of Rosberg, Bottas, Hamilton, and Webber...?

Seriously though, tell me—where can I find any of your predictions from before this Race started?

Yeah, I get it. It’s way easier to show up like some big-shot general after the battle is over and start pointing fingers like, "Oh, you missed this," or "You got that wrong..."

Brava, you haven't exactly proven anything.

Edward Howard2 said:Why on earth didn't you quote my entire previous post, where I quite accurately predicted they would skip over Nico Rosberg, Valtteri Bottas, Lewis Hamilton, and Mark Webber...?

Instead, why don't you tell me exactly where I could have read one single prediction of yours prior to this race taking place?

Oh, I understand the tactic, truly; it is certainly much easier to show up acting like a grand general once the battle has already been won, pointing your finger at everyone else and saying, "Look here, you missed this, or you failed there..."

Brava, you really haven't proven anything at all.

The reason is simple: before the lights even go out, I see a wide field of drivers and legitimate contenders for the win, whereas for you, it seems there is always only ever one.
And frankly, you consistently and unjustifiably downplay the current leader and three-time world champion.

graniteharbor502 said:Because, from my perspective, there are several drivers and contenders for the win before the lights even go out. For you, it always seems to boil down to just one single person.
And frankly, you’re unfairly dismissing the guy who’s currently leading the pack and holds three world titles.

Oh, come on, man... you're just wasting your breath here.

Going down the list:

Sebastian Vettel - A stellar weekend. Convincing and indisputable. Even with a massive lead, he kept pushing and hunting for the limit. He’s a real driver and a legitimate three-time champion.

Fernando Alonso - Drove brilliantly. It confirmed that Ferrari and Red Bull are on equal footing; they just need to fix their qualifying if they don't want Vettel to vanish into the distance.

Lewis Hamilton - Very good. Most importantly, he started managing his tires properly—the rest will follow naturally. Still, Mercedes-Benz is trailing quite a bit behind Red Bull Racing and Ferrari....

Mark Webber - If it weren't for Max van der Garde 🤷, he would have challenged Lewis Hamilton. Otherwise, a very solid performance.

Nico Rosberg - Much like Hamilton, he couldn't have done better given how this Mercedes-Benz compares to Red Bull Racing and Ferrari. Aside from that, he drove okay.

As for the others: Paul di Resta 🙏 Felipe Massa 🙏
Valtteri Bottas was a bit disappointing; I expected at least a single point. Such a shame.
McLaren 🤦
I feel particularly bad for Kimi Räikkönen. Just too many issues in one weekend to achieve anything significant.