US Grand Prix (Indianapolis) 10.07.2012

Jason Campbell70 said:How convenient... they only look at Vettel's last three seasons, yet they judge Alonso based on his entire career. 😍

Critics might ask—what about Vettel's results before Red Bull? 🍿

Look at the big picture. You have to judge them by their entire career, both in the first race and the second. ☕

Jason Campbell70 said:How convenient... they only look at Vettel's last three seasons, yet they judge Alonso based on his entire career. 😍

Critics might ask—what about Vettel's results before Red Bull? 🍿

Maybe let the actual F1 journalists handle the questions, instead of people who clearly don't have a clue about Formula 1.☕
F1 journalists might actually want to ask themselves—is it really possible for people to be this clueless? Like, how do you not even know that Formula 1 didn't even race in Indianapolis during the 2007 and 2008 seasons? 🍿

William Bennett53 said:I’m anticipating the most stunning grid girls of the entire season once we hit 🙏
Singapore. ☕Quite sincerely, I am hoping for one of two outcomes: either a victory over Lewis Hamilton—which would be the superior result—or seeing Fernando Alonso extend his lead in the standings, which, while less ideal, remains a perfectly acceptable alternative.
Of course, my ultimate wish would be to see a win for Kim-esque, while watching Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, and Lewis Hamilton all finish outside of the points, though I fear such a scenario is highly unlikely. 😁

I hope you realize those two options aren't actually mutually exclusive. In fact, they’d likely both happen at once if that alternator decided to pack it in again. 😬

William Bennett53 said:I’m anticipating the most stunning grid girls of the entire season once we hit 🙏
Singapore. ☕Quite sincerely, I am hoping for one of two outcomes: either a victory over Lewis Hamilton—which would be the superior result—or seeing Fernando Alonso extend his lead in the standings, which, while less ideal, remains a perfectly acceptable alternative.
Of course, my ultimate wish would be to see a win for Kim-esque, while watching Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, and Lewis Hamilton all finish outside of the points, though I fear such a scenario is highly unlikely. 😁

It’s mostly a pipe dream, but we've seen enough wild swings and total meltdowns this year to know that anything can happen—even if it feels like a long shot.

Amanda Kelly said:I hope you realize those two options aren't actually mutually exclusive. In fact, they’d likely both happen at once if that alternator decided to pack it in again. 😬

It’s mostly a pipe dream, but we've seen enough wild swings and total meltdowns this year to know that anything can happen—even if it feels like a long shot.

Unlikely.😁
From what I’ve heard, Red Bull is running last year's alternators right now (they pulled them from the Red Bull RB7 and shoved them into the Red Bull RB8). They haven't got many miles on them and haven't caused any issues yet... I think I saw it reported on CNN🤔
Plus, if they survived Singapore—where it was boiling hot and they spent ages crawling under the SC during a two-hour race—I doubt they're about to give up now.🙂
The real question is how many of those old units they actually have left in stock and if it'll carry them through the rest of the season.🤷

I’d suggest my favorite team just lend those poor souls over at Red Bull their own flawless alternators for the rest of the season. It's pretty clear they can't fix the issue themselves, and I really don't want to hear them whining after Alonso clinches the title about how they lost everything because of faulty parts or some supposed Italian conspiracy. 😁

I'm actually in a decent mood for once. When is that race in Japan finally happening!?
Watching these races from a horizontal position is doing wonders for my spirits (not that I watch the others any differently). Might even order some takeout straight to the couch or bed. 😂

stormybadger8 said:Look at the big picture. You have to judge them by their entire career, both in the first race and the second. ☕

Maybe let the actual F1 journalists handle the questions, instead of people who clearly don't have a clue about Formula 1.☕
F1 journalists might actually want to ask themselves—is it really possible for people to be this clueless? Like, how do you not even know that Formula 1 didn't even race in Indianapolis during the 2007 and 2008 seasons? 🍿

So, Vettel's "entire career." Or should I say, three races won while driving the fastest car on the grid?
Alonso’s entire career? It's three times longer than anyone else's, and he's outclassed everyone in just about everything.

Yeah, it’s a fair comparison. No doubt about it. 🙂

Amanda Kelly said:I’d suggest my favorite team just lend those poor souls over at Red Bull their own flawless alternators for the rest of the season. It's pretty clear they can't fix the issue themselves, and I really don't want to hear them whining after Alonso clinches the title about how they lost everything because of faulty parts or some supposed Italian conspiracy. 😁

I'm actually in a decent mood for once. When is that race in Japan finally happening!?
Watching these races from a horizontal position is doing wonders for my spirits (not that I watch the others any differently). Might even order some takeout straight to the couch or bed. 😂

Personally, I prefer the morning races... I've always been a morning person.

Who actually watches races lying down?😁
I spend about 70% of the race sitting, then 30% standing up—usually during the start or when something interesting happens on track. And in my experience, "something interesting" usually just means Alonso doing his thing. 🙂

Yeah, morning races. 🙄

Only Australia seems worth it, just to shake things off after the winter break. The rest? Not nearly as appealing to watch. It all comes down to the schedule.

It’s a shame. Indianapolis is such a great track, and honestly, next Sunday morning should be a total spectacle.

And qualifying starts at 7 AM. 🙂

I can get behind that.

Jason Campbell70 said:So, Vettel's "entire career." Or should I say, three races won while driving the fastest car on the grid?
Alonso’s entire career? It's three times longer than anyone else's, and he's outclassed everyone in just about everything.

Yeah, it’s a fair comparison. No doubt about it. 🙂

Look, it's not Vettel's fault he's younger than Alonso.🤷

And no, the comparison isn't relevant.🤣
It would be a complete miss if I were talking about an average qualifying position at Indianapolis.
And if you actually think none of the cars from 2001-2006 or 2009-2011 were good enough to grab anything better than 5th place... well, save that nonsense for people who have never watched a single American F1 race in their lives.

So, yeah, Sebastian Vettel grabbed 3 PPs with the fastest car on the grid (his 3rd, 4th, and 5th seasons)...
Meanwhile, during a similar stretch in his career, Fernando Alonso took 11th (2004), 16th (2005), and 5th (2006) (his 3rd, 4th, and 5th seasons) in a car that also secured back-to-back Constructors' and Drivers' titles (2005-2006)... and both drivers had similar experience levels at the time.
His teammates in that same car and timeframe managed 9th (2004—Jacques Villeneuve had just jumped in), 3rd (2005—Giancarlo Fisichella), and 6th (2006—Giancarlo Fisichella).

The comparison is completely off base and totally irrelevant.🙂

In this comparison, Alonso actually holds the higher ground since we're looking at the best result.
Not the worst, not the average, but the absolute best qualifying result at Indianapolis.☕

A PP versus 5th place? That's not a small gap.☕
For qualifying, it’s massive.☕

Whatever the reason might be, I don't care... just keep it going.🙂

stormybadger8 said:Look, it's not Vettel's fault he's younger than Alonso.🤷

And no, the comparison isn't relevant.🤣
It would be a complete miss if I were talking about an average qualifying position at Indianapolis.
And if you actually think none of the cars from 2001-2006 or 2009-2011 were good enough to grab anything better than 5th place... well, save that nonsense for people who have never watched a single American F1 race in their lives.

So, yeah, Sebastian Vettel grabbed 3 PPs with the fastest car on the grid (his 3rd, 4th, and 5th seasons)...
Meanwhile, during a similar stretch in his career, Fernando Alonso took 11th (2004), 16th (2005), and 5th (2006) (his 3rd, 4th, and 5th seasons) in a car that also secured back-to-back Constructors' and Drivers' titles (2005-2006)... and both drivers had similar experience levels at the time.
His teammates in that same car and timeframe managed 9th (2004—Jacques Villeneuve had just jumped in), 3rd (2005—Giancarlo Fisichella), and 6th (2006—Giancarlo Fisichella).

The comparison is completely off base and totally irrelevant.🙂

In this comparison, Alonso actually holds the higher ground since we're looking at the best result.
Not the worst, not the average, but the absolute best qualifying result at Indianapolis.☕

A PP versus 5th place? That's not a small gap.☕
For qualifying, it’s massive.☕

Whatever the reason might be, I don't care... just keep it going.🙂

What a massive reach used to justify a direct comparison, weighing performance over three races against performance over nine.

What would it have looked like if the pressure hadn't crushed him🤣 🤣 🤣 ...and he had won last season too?

Forget Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher, and Ayrton Senna. 🙏 🙏 🙏
Three for three, man. 🙏 🙏 🙏

What does that "3/3" mean for the upcoming VN USA Japan? Nothing, obviously.

Jason Campbell70 said:What a massive reach used to justify a direct comparison, weighing performance over three races against performance over nine.

What would it have looked like if the pressure hadn't crushed him🤣 🤣 🤣 ...and he had won last season too?

Forget Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher, and Ayrton Senna. 🙏 🙏 🙏
Three for three, man. 🙏 🙏 🙏

What does that "3/3" mean for the upcoming VN USA Japan? Nothing, obviously.

You got lost again... it's 8, not 9... at least when it comes to Suzuki.☕

It’s not like it means nothing, either.😁
Sebastian Vettel bagged three PP wins—he even went 5 for 5 in the top ten at the USA Japan GP.🙂)
Lojzek hasn't even snagged a single PP, and he’s failed to crack the top ten in qualifying three times out of eight—all while driving a Suzuki. Honestly, he’s never really shined in qualifying anyway; his best result is a fifth-place finish.

So, if I’m being very, very, VERY optimistic... I’m expecting Lojzek to miss Q3 entirely, finish outside the points, and watch Sebastian Vettel take the win.😁
Let’s go. Four P4 finishes, Lojzek falling out of the top 10 four times, and ending up with a four-point gap. Typical. 👋

444😍

Even on a Suzuki, the only guy who can touch his win count and PP stats is Michael Schumacher.☕

There are a few legends out there on the same level as Zlettelk... but come next Monday, Grandpa's going to be the only one performing, while everyone else just falls off.
And you can take your opinion on Alain Prost and shove it. 😬One pole position and zero wins. At this rate, he's basically on the same level as Alonso in that Suzuki.😁
Looks like they’re pretty similar drivers... at least on this track.😬

Look, stormybadger8, your logic—which is basically our only shred of hope here—is that past performance at Suzuki is the ultimate predictor of future success at Suzuki. I mean, if the guy just happens to be a perfect fit for this specific track, sure, that makes sense.

But looking strictly at this season, Sebastian Vettel's chances of actually taking the win there are looking pretty slim.
If you ask me, it all comes down to qualifying. If Sebastian Vettel manages to grab the PP, he could easily pull off a win, and honestly, I think he will. But without that PP, Red Bull doesn't stand a chance in Indianapolis.

stormybadger8 As requested:
You got a little mixed up there again... It was 8, not 9... at least when it comes to Suzuki.☕

Well, look at that. For the first time in five or six years, you actually managed to catch me in an error. 🙂

stormybadger8 Asks:
So, being very, very, very... optimistic here: I’m expecting Lojzek to miss Q3, finish outside the points, and for Sebastian Vettel to take the win.😁
Let's go. Four PP, four exits from the top 10 for Lojzek, and a four-point gap. 👋

You’re being incredibly optimistic. 🙂
Ultimately, as a fan of Sebastian Vettel, what else is there left for you to do before the upcoming US GP?

Sebastian Vettel misses the win, and Fernando Alonso settles for a podium? What a disaster.
Sebastian Vettel wins, Fernando Alonso gets a podium—what a disaster.
Alonso winning? What a complete disaster.
Sebastian Vettel is pulling out? What a disaster.

Maybe a win for Sebastian Vettel and Alonso finishing off the podium—or even outside the points entirely? That’s really the only scenario that works for you.

Even if we look at putting Sebastian Vettel into some sort of logical winning combination... it just doesn't work.
It’s highly unlikely that we'll see Alonso pulling out. Would he really walk away now? Unlikely.

Optimism and hope... things you can't quite get a grip on, let alone bank on when you're chasing a world championship.

It’s a bit early to be calling the shots on the weather, but let’s see what the National Weather Service has to say.

There's a decent chance we'll see some rain, especially on Sunday.
Temperatures look like they'll stay relatively low.

Hmm....

stormybadger8 said:You got lost again... it's 8, not 9... at least when it comes to Suzuki.☕

It’s not like it means nothing, either.😁
Sebastian Vettel bagged three PP wins—he even went 5 for 5 in the top ten at the USA Japan GP.🙂)
Lojzek hasn't even snagged a single PP, and he’s failed to crack the top ten in qualifying three times out of eight—all while driving a Suzuki. Honestly, he’s never really shined in qualifying anyway; his best result is a fifth-place finish.

So, if I’m being very, very, VERY optimistic... I’m expecting Lojzek to miss Q3 entirely, finish outside the points, and watch Sebastian Vettel take the win.😁
Let’s go. Four P4 finishes, Lojzek falling out of the top 10 four times, and ending up with a four-point gap. Typical. 👋

444😍

Even on a Suzuki, the only guy who can touch his win count and PP stats is Michael Schumacher.☕

There are a few legends out there on the same level as Zlettelk... but come next Monday, Grandpa's going to be the only one performing, while everyone else just falls off.
And you can take your opinion on Alain Prost and shove it. 😬One pole position and zero wins. At this rate, he's basically on the same level as Alonso in that Suzuki.😁
Looks like they’re pretty similar drivers... at least on this track.😬

Are you actually aware that Alonso delivered one of the greatest drives in history at that Indianapolis circuit back in 2005? We’re talking about one of the most legendary displays of overtaking ever seen on that track.

Are you actually aware that back in 2006, Alonso took a win in that exact same Suzuki while starting from fifth? And are you even considering the fact that they ran race fuel during qualifying back then? Those results were about as reliable as bird droppings in a public park.

Drivers with similar styles... lol.

If anyone actually thrives at Indianapolis, it’s Fernando Alonso. Honestly, if I were in your shoes, I’d already be breaking out in a cold sweat. This time around, even a powerhouse like Red Bull isn't going to be enough to bail you out.

Sebastian Vettel's deficit is only going to widen once we wrap up at Indianapolis.

Indianapolis?

For instance, check this out:
1. Webber
2. Button
3. Hamilton
4. Raikkonen
5. Alonso watching
6. Sebastian Vettel
...

I'm totally with you on this one. ☕

Exactly—even Amanda Kelly mentioned that Webber could really find his stride again now that he isn't dealing with those constant threats from behind.

You better watch out. ☕

I’m expecting another absolute demolition—if we’re going to wreck them, we might as well go all the way 🙂

Jerry Rogers6 said:Exactly—even Amanda Kelly mentioned that Webber could really find his stride again now that he isn't dealing with those constant threats from behind.

You better watch out. ☕

Mark is essentially neutered until the start of next season....

I can hardly wait for Sunday 😁