2014 Belgian GP (Spa-Francorchamps) - August 24th

stormybadger8 said:By the way, all the mechanics have to clear the track 15 seconds before the lights go out and the cars actually take off...

This was some straight-up, impossible levels of brown-nosing toward Ferrari and Zalons.
After they stripped Ricciardo of those points, it’s easily the most controversial call of the season—only a 5-second penalty. 🤣

Letterer’s massive reality check ended exactly how everyone expected. One single lap. 🤣

GET KAMUI BACK IN THE SEAT ALREADY!

So why is Lotterer such a massive fraud all of a sudden?

This forum is seriously unhinged.

John Phillips82 said:So now suddenly Lotterer is some massive fraud?

This entire forum needs serious psychiatric help.

Good grief, there’s so much of this lately—and honestly, you’ve got a point here.
If I had to guess, about 50 percent of the people hanging out on this wrecked forum are probably on the exact same long-term therapy regimen.

Joshua Scott said:Look, I know you can't stand Lewis Hamilton, but this was totally on Rosberg. Honestly—I'm convinced if anyone else was in that spot, they wouldn't have pushed it that far, especially not a teammate. It's a different story when you consider Rosberg hasn't exactly been able to match Hamilton's pace on track lately—so he's basically playing muscle to prove to the crew he won't just whine anymore, even if it means potentially screwing over both of them. Truth be told, I bet once he realized he might clip his wing against Hamilton's tire, he just committed to it. Besides, if he hadn't overtaken him, he probably would've lost anyway by spinning out. But pulling that move on your own teammate during Lap 2? That's just morbid. If he actually had the pace, he should've waited for a real chance.

The only thing I'll give you is that I'm happy for Kimi. If he actually helps with the car's development through his feedback—and if that leads to him being able to slap Fernando Alonso around—then yeah, he’s definitely got what it takes.

You're contradicting yourself. First you call it Rosberg's mistake, then you go ahead and blame him. A "mistake" is exactly what clears Rosberg of the charge.

But we aren't talking about a mistake here. This is some calculated, sneaky provocation to force a collision so Rosberg walks away with the points and zero proof of fault.

Calling it a mistake is a joke. This is a masterpiece. Purely malicious, sure—but a masterpiece that's going to hand him the championship on a silver platter.

Roger Wright94 said:Lewis really needs to realize he’d be better off just backing off a bit—like in that situation yesterday, for instance.

Nico Rosberg wasn't ahead of Lewis at any point there, plus Lewis had the inside line on the corner. How exactly was he supposed to back off?

Joshua Scott said:I know you aren't a fan of Lewis Hamilton, but this is on Rosberg. Look, I'm convinced that if anyone else was in that position, they wouldn't have pushed it that far—especially not someone in the same team. Then there's the whole issue of how Rosberg has struggled to match Hamilton on track, so he’s clearly trying to flex for the crew to show he isn't just going to sit there whining, even if it means potentially screwing over both of them. Honestly, I bet the moment he realized he might clip Hamilton's tire with his wing, he decided to go for it anyway. Besides, if he hadn't overtaken him, he might have lost the spot by running wide. But pulling a move like that in Lap 2 against your own teammate is just morbid. If he actually had the pace, there would have been plenty of other chances.

Otherwise, the only thing I agree with you on is that I'm happy for Kimi. If he can contribute meaningfully to the car's development moving forward, he’s got the talent to give Fernando Alonso a run for his money.

Here's how I see it:
Nico Rosberg
The odds of causing major damage in a quasi-intentional collision were way higher for Rosberg. We've seen plenty of times where contact only results in a broken wing rather than a punctured tire. Now, maybe the guy is just a sniper.
The contact was slight, thin, and incredibly brief. It was definitely something he could have avoided if he had even a shred of willpower.
Rosberg could have easily nudged slightly harder or just drifted an inch to the left.
He made that steering maneuver—first left, then right. It could be a line correction or stabilization, but that specific flick to the right could be anything.
What I'm saying is, with a tiny bit of effort, he could've avoided the contact entirely.
Or maybe he thought he could squeeze through without touching at all, just a close shave.

Lewis Hamilton
Between those two corners, Hamilton decided to take the straightest line possible, refusing to give Rosberg—who he definitely knew was breathing down his neck—even a millimeter of his ideal space.
And he could have prevented it. He could have drifted a couple of inches to the right and likely still come out leading after the second (left-hand) corner.

So, it was mutual stubbornness, and Lewis Hamilton ended up being the one who took the hit.
My logic is that he should have been the more cautious one. Purely out of selfishness. He's the one chasing; he's the one who needs the points.

As for me, I couldn't care less. I'm just here for the drama. Their dirty laundry is entertaining now, and I expect it'll stay that way.
If I were their boss, I'd penalize both of them. They brought massive negative publicity to the team, turned the garage atmosphere toxic, and threw away (yet another) win in a dominant car.

Then again, maybe those ten centimeters of contact really were just a total fluke. Which, for God's sake, is what most spectators were expecting anyway.

John Phillips82 said:Since when did Lotterer become some massive fraud?

This entire forum is straight-up unhinged.

Look, I’m being subjective here. I'm pulling for Kamui Kobayashi. 😁

Pilatus... Asks:
And somehow, Lewis Hamilton is handling all this with total grace...

And there are the tears... 😢

Roger Wright94 said:Ferrari fans...

This is Kimi Räikkönen's best finish of the year... I just hope it wasn't a one-hit wonder.

Fernando Alonso remains the only driver to have scored points in all 12 races this season, in my opinion. It says something about the car, certainly, but it definitely speaks volumes about the driver too...

Kimi Räikkönen mentioned in Canada that the car feels better; if qualifying hadn't gone sideways, they might have been looking at a podium spot. Same goes for Fernando Alonso—if you strip away yesterday's penalty and all that chaos, he would've been right there in the mix...

The best news from this weekend has to be the confirmation that they’re both staying on for next year. Allison mentioned he's designing a car that will suit both of them equally...

Now to try this at home without making a complete fool of myself... 🙂

Robert Cox46 said:Nico Rosberg wasn't ahead of Lewis at any point + Lewis had the inside line on the corner. How was he supposed to give way?

When exactly was Fernando Alonso ever ahead of Kevin Magnussen, and why does it even matter if he was or wasn't?😍

Here, think about it.

stormybadger8 said:That’s a solid race, provided you have the guts to dive right into the drivers who just passed you, much like a Pastor Maldonado outburst. 🤣
That has to be a masterful race. 🙏🤣

coastalwolf6 said:Do you have a GIF or a video?

Anyone there?

Timothy Castillo6 said:With that new software update, he actually shaved a second off Ricciardo, who was struggling on trashed tires during those last nine laps. 😂

Not exactly a miracle, considering he barely touched the track during practice because of that PU failure.
So yeah, zero chance to dial in the setup, plus he’s basically driving a Frankenstein car cobbled together from old PU components that have already seen better days...

Beyond that, there were just fundamental issues with the car. There's no way everything was fine if he was bleeding that much time in Sector 2 while somehow staying right on Ricciardo's heels in Sectors 1 and 3.

Looking at this gif, it honestly looks like the wheels made contact first

Roger Wright94 said:Ferrari fans

This is Kimi's best finish of the year! I really hope it wasn't just a one-off flash in the pan.

And Fernando Alonso is still the only driver with points from all 12 races this season, IMO. That says a lot about the car, but it certainly speaks volumes about the driver too.

As for the car... Ferrari has a solid machine, especially coming out of the summer break... Kimi really squeezed every bit of potential out of it during this race, unlike Zalon...

George Ramos15 said:Don't even bother trying to argue with me. You've never been able to string a coherent sentence together, and I highly doubt you'll start now.....

😂 Is it really your fault that your favorite driver struck out? Look, I respect Kimi Räikkönen. He showed exactly how to drive a solid race today, which is a far cry from Zalon, who couldn't get through the laps without throwing a tantrum...😁

Joshua Scott said:I know you aren't exactly a Lewis Hamilton fan, but this is on Rosberg. Honestly, I’m convinced that if anyone else had been in that spot, they wouldn't have pushed it that far—especially not someone sharing the same garage. There's also the side of it where Rosberg hasn't quite matched Lewis on track lately, so maybe he was just trying to flex his muscles to show the team he isn't going to roll over. He might have even decided to pull that move the moment he realized his wing might clip Lewis's tire. Then again, if he hadn't overtaken him, he might have lost everything by spinning out. But pulling a move like that in Lap 2 against your own teammate? That’s just morbid. If he actually had the pace, there would have been plenty of other chances.

On another note, you're the only one I agree with regarding Kimi. I'm happy for him. If he can contribute meaningfully to the car's development through his feedback, and if that actually translates to something, he might just give Fernando Alonso a run for his money. He’s got the talent in him.

Listen, "on purpose"? How is he supposed to do that on purpose? Sure, it was way too aggressive, but it wasn't intentional... I’m actually glad someone is finally teaching Lewis a lesson. He’s had much more aggressive outbursts in the past where everyone else ended up off the track while he stayed clean, yet no one calls him out... I'm sure it wasn't on purpose...

cosmiccyclist8 said:It looks like the wheels might have touched first in that GIF, I guess.

I guess maybe Rosberg's car just jerked left and then snapped back to the right. 😉

Anyway... hitting that corner from that position on the outside during braking? There’s zero chance. Releasing the brakes halfway through just to cook something on the outside... I guess that's just pure stubbornness.

I wonder what kind of mental diagnosis the crowd would slap on Lewis Hamilton if he had actually done what Rosberg did. 🤣

Timothy Castillo6 said:That massive stunt by André Lotterer ended exactly where it was supposed to. One lap. 🤣

WE NEED KAMUI BACK!

And why call it a stunt, God help us...? The guy is just adapting and getting used to an F1 car. He wasn't bad at all...

ruggedhawk20 said:You're contradicting yourself. First you say it was Rosberg's mistake, then you accuse him. But a mistake is exactly what clears Rosberg.

But this isn't about a mistake. This is about a cunning provocation to cause a collision so he can snatch points right out of Rosberg's pocket, leaving no proof of fault.

It's far from a simple error. It's a masterpiece. Malicious, certainly, but a masterpiece that will hand him the championship title.

It would be nice to see him win a championship as an intelligent driver for once...

stormybadger8 said:Which isn't really surprising given he barely drove any practice sessions because of that PU failure.
So, there was zero chance to dial in the car's setup, and on top of that, he was in a car cobbled together from old PU components that had already seen a few races...

Beyond that, something was fundamentally wrong with the car. There's no way everything was fine when he was losing that much time in Sector 2 while being mostly faster than or equal to Ricciardo in Sectors 1 and 3...

Well, that might be part of it, but you know how hard it is to set up a car for Indianapolis Motor Speedway... And again, Mercedes-Benz clearly had the best setup... You also have to consider that conversation (I think it was with Helmut Marko, after weighing in) at the end, where he mentioned having pretty heavy vibrations after driving 70% of the race—right on the edge of being undriveable. Plus, it was the end of the race, so there was no need to push those final laps; he wasn't under threat anyway...

A friend was just telling me that Ted Kravitz mentioned Sebastian Vettel ended up running Ricciardo's setup because a technical glitch with his car on Friday prevented him from getting any actual race simulations in. Does that explain why we saw such significant tire degradation in Vettel's case, as well as that sluggish race pace? Has anyone actually looked into the data to confirm if this is the case?

graniteharbor502 said:A buddy told me Ted Kravitz mentioned Vettel was running Ricciardo's setup because a car issue on Friday killed his chance at a race simulation. That would explain why Vettel's tires were shredding faster and why his race pace looked so sluggish. Anyone actually catch him saying this?

Yep Ted said it...
But you don't need to be a genius to figure that out. 😁

God, Vettel didn't even run Free Practice 2, which is basically the whole point of that session—dialing in the race setup...
Plus, he barely did anything in Free Practice 1 (only 11 laps) and then just ten laps in Free Practice 3... compared to Ricciardo, who put in 44 laps total during practice.

And since these cars are completely new and totally unknown, he pretty much had zero choice but to copy Ricciardo's setup...
Last year's data probably wasn't worth a damn when it comes to things like brake-by-wire settings or how to manage battery deployment and all that.