Started by Ryan Gomez4 · · 👁 22 views · 241 replies
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Arthur Roberts12 said:http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2010/03/1...-fastest-laps/
Vettel isn't even in the top 50 fastest laps.
Morgan Murphy7 said:Aaaaaaaah, come on! Give the floor to stormybadger8. 🙏
This is killing me. 😁
Arthur Roberts12 said:And it’s not stupid. It's obvious Fernando Alonso would take another shot at it, just as clear as night follows day.
Second thing: you're forgetting who we're talking about. He's arguably the best driver on the grid right now.
stormybadger8 said:how strange 🤷
you can see his top speed is the lowest; honestly, it’s even lower than all the new drivers and teams 😲
it looks to me like there was a minor engine issue right from the start, or maybe it's just the result of those last 15 laps 🤷
but finishing the race with the slowest car on the grid—without a single lap in the top 50 at 4th place—is priceless 😁
that's easy, just send a case of beer via DHL and you'll see me kicking something for a while 😬
Roger Wright94 said:I’m inclined to agree. You never truly know what might happen.
Regardless of what stormybadger8 says, Fernando Alonso drove a flawless race. He pulled off that pass on Felipe Massa at exactly the right moment, stayed glued to Sebastian Vettel's gearbox the entire time, and capitalized perfectly when the opportunity presented itself.
How many others could pull that off with the same level of efficiency if they were in his shoes? Honestly, I think very few.
We shouldn't exaggerate, but we certainly can't downplay his role in that victory.
silvercobra68 said:Honestly, you clearly don't get how this works. Vettel's lap times aren't appearing in the top 50 because the fastest laps—under this new system where they stop letting people fuel up just to chase times—usually happen right at the end when the cars are light... and Vettel was struggling during the closing stages. Maybe stick to watching football or something a bit more straightforward instead of F1...
silvercobra68 said:Fernando Alonso had a solid race right from the jump, especially after those first two turns when he muscled past Felipe Massa. If he hadn't pulled that off, Massa would have taken it. That’s precisely why Alonso is the premier driver of this era... he capitalizes on every single opening handed to him. Even if it's just a sliver of an opportunity—as the old saying goes—he takes it. Most of the current grid wouldn't have the nerve... out of everyone running today, Lewis Hamilton is the only one who truly compares. The rest? They're just water, my friend. Pure water.
Especially Vettel, who hasn't actually overtaken anyone significant... ever. Just look back at Los Angeles last year and how he got stuck behind Massa, or even the Las Vegas Grand Prix last year where he was trapped behind someone else. That’s why he lost the championship, not because of the Renault engines. If Alonso had been in a Red Bull back in 2009, he would have secured the title. Guaranteed...
Besides, in Turkey, Vettel practically handed the win over to Jenson Button on a silver platter. So, stormybadger8, stop talking nonsense and face reality. Vettel is good—actually, very good—but he isn't elite. Jenson Button is also highly capable. They both hover around the same level... both are soft drivers...
silvercobra68 said:Fernando Alonso had a great race right at the start, especially after those first two turns when he cleared Felipe Massa. If he hadn't won, Felipe Massa would have. That’s why Alonso is the best driver out there right now—he takes every single opening he gets.
stormyviper11 said:No one in the top-tier teams is an average driver; they are all elite, and at this level, everything comes down to the fine margins. The detail that decides things—both in the short term and especially over the long haul—is what Americans might call "killer instinct." It’s that innate ability to capitalize on every single opening, whether it’s on the track or when fighting for dominance within the team itself. Of the drivers out there today, three certainly possess it: Schumacher, Alonso, and Hamilton. Button and Webber lack it, though Button, much like Damon Hill or Mika Hakkinen back in the day, is a driver of supreme consistency and pace when the car is right, capable of a title if the stars align. As for Vettel and Rosberg, it’s harder to judge; I actually find it more likely that Rosberg has it in his DNA. Vettel possesses god-given talent and raw speed, but it remains questionable whether he has enough ruthlessness to turn that into sustained dominance or to mold the team entirely around his own needs.
Felipe Massa is the ultimate enigma in this regard. At times, he shows flashes of true greatness; at others, he simply folds. I deeply respect how he has visibly improved season after season, but he's facing an uphill battle now. Part of it is just bad luck—we often see drivers returning to the spotlight only to lose that razor-thin edge of speed or that final ounce of decisiveness. But more importantly, it’s about his role within the team. He started as a pure number two driver whom nobody expected much from, then fought his way into a leadership role, albeit with the lukewarm support of a teammate who didn't seem particularly invested. Now, he has Alonso breathing down his neck—someone who, just like him, will live and breathe the team, spending every waking hour at the factory working on development. Massa has to elevate himself to a level he hasn't quite reached yet, and whether he’s actually capable of doing that—if he doesn't want to settle for being the second driver—is the big question.
stormyviper11 said:Nobody driving for the top-tier teams is just some average Joe; they are all world-class, and at that level, everything comes down to the tiniest margins. To my mind, the deciding factor—both in the heat of the moment and over the course of a full season—is what Americans might call that "killer instinct." It’s that raw ability to seize every single opening, whether you're fighting for a position on the track or asserting dominance within your own garage. Looking at the current lineup, three drivers definitely possess that edge: Schumacher, Alonso, and Hamilton. On the other hand, Button and Webber seem to lack it. Though, I should note that Button, much like Damon Hill or Mika Hakkinen in their prime, is an incredibly reliable and fast driver when the car is right; if things align, he’s absolutely capable of a championship. As for Vettel and Rosberg, it’s a bit harder to call. I actually suspect Rosberg might have it more naturally in his DNA. Vettel possesses god-given talent and sheer speed, but I wonder if he has enough ruthlessness to turn that talent into sustained dominance—to truly mold the team around his own vision.
Felipe Massa is the real enigma in this equation. At times, you see flashes of true greatness, and at other times, he seems to shrink under the pressure. I genuinely respect how much he has improved year after year, but he’s facing an uphill battle now. Part of that is just bad luck—history shows that drivers returning to the spotlight often lose a tiny fraction of their edge or that final ounce of decisiveness. But more importantly, it's about his role within the team. He started out as a pure number two driver that nobody expected much from, then fought his way up to become a leader, albeit one who had the total support of a teammate who wasn't interested in competing. Now, he has Fernando Alonso breathing down his neck—someone who, just like him, will live and breathe the team, spending every waking hour at the factory working on development. Massa has to step up to a level he hasn't reached yet, and whether he actually can depends entirely on whether he is willing to stop being just a secondary driver.
stormyviper11 said:Felipe Massa is the ultimate enigma. One minute he shows flashes of pure greatness, the next he just folds. I respect how much he improved year after year, but things are about to get brutal for him. Part of it is bad luck—it’s common for guys coming back from breaks to lose that edge or that final bit of grit. But mostly, it's his role in the team. He went from being the ignored second driver to trying to lead, all while dealing with a teammate who couldn't care less. Now he’s got Fernando Alonso breathing down his neck, someone who's going to be at the factory from dawn till dusk, obsessed with development. Massa has to step up to a level he hasn't hit yet, assuming he actually wants to be more than just a sidekick.
Bradley Nelson2 said:Felipe Massa is already way ahead of Rubens if we're looking at their careers at Ferrari. But what really sets Massa apart from the "they wouldn't let me win" Rubens crowd is how he actually used his time spent with Michael Schumacher to learn something... whereas Rubens just sat there losing to him, only to later successfully jack up his price and rating by playing the second driver role. I expect Nico Hulkenberg to be smoking him regularly in the second half of the season too. As for Rosberg, we don't even know if he's truly elite because his teammates were arguably weaker, but now that Schumacher is here, the rest of the season will show if Rosberg is actually world-class or just pretty good. Vettel is still young and has plenty of time to find his footing since he’s definitely going to be fast and get his shots. But the one driver this season could absolutely wreck any chance of a title fight is Robert Kubica. Renault can be fast right now, and if he doesn't deliver, I doubt he'll ever get another shot. Speaking of massive talents who seem unable to capitalize on their opportunities though, I'd definitely point to Adrian Sutil. My gut feeling is he's headed down that same path...
Michael Lee4 said:I don't see Massa as some big mystery... the guy knows what he's doing, but he blew his one shot at the top, and he isn't getting another one. He's not exactly a kid anymore either, and now that they've brought in a new "Schummi" type to the squad, he's basically just gonna be like Rubens Barrichello—your typical Brazilian driver, a total sweetheart, super emotional, a crybaby, someone you pat on the back, a glorified waterboy, and forever stuck in second place...
stormyviper11 said:Yeah, I agree that Massa made great use of his time alongside Schumacher, but I think a huge part of that gap was down to how open Schumacher was with him—almost acting as a mentor to ensure Massa would be his successor. I’ll never forget a comment Schumacher made back in the mid-nineties when he was mentally battling Damon Hill; in an attempt to crush anyone else's confidence, he mentioned being glad neither Mika Hakkinen nor Rubens Barrichello were in the Williams Racing seat, because if they were, winning the title would have been much harder. Later on, it turned out to be surprisingly easy to settle Rubens Barrichello down and turn him into a perfectly content number two driver—but who knows if things would have gone differently if Rubens Barrichello had been given the chance to lead a top-tier car earlier in his career? Hakkinen waited his turn and then absolutely seized the opportunity. It isn't impossible that Barrichello could have done the same under different circumstances. I get the feeling Schumacher's statement wasn't just talk; it was his way of neutralizing a potential threat by pulling them into Ferrari.
stormyviper11 said:I'm with you on Sergio Pérez. He's an incredibly likable guy, but clearly, the big team bosses know more than we casual fans do, which is why they keep him in NASCAR. Why they decided he isn't quite top-tier material, I couldn't tell you, but I suspect he'll just remain a "talented" filler for the smaller teams. He’s charming now, but Lewis Hamilton and Jarno Trulli were both like that early in their careers too. After another season or two, we'll stop hoping for greatness and start complaining that he's taking a seat away from the younger drivers. As for Robert Kubica, I sincerely hope he avoids that same fate, though it's certainly not impossible.
