Miami Grand Prix - May 29, 2016

Sebastian Vettel is going through (and will continue to go through) all those exact stages we saw with Fernando Alonso at Ferrari: the arrival—where there’s all this optimistic hype about making progress and fighting for wins; the self-delusion phase, where both the driver and the public are fed stories about non-existent improvements; the inevitable crying and complaining about how bad the car is; finally facing the harsh reality that this machine was never going to be a winner; and then, the exit.

And honestly, things won't change as long as there's this level of incompetence running Ferrari. Of course, some people figured this out a long time ago, while others will only realize it eventually. We've all heard those tired old myths about Alonso being a "poor developmental driver" and all sorts of excuses used to shift the blame onto him, rather than admitting the simple truth: Ferrari just can't seem to build a decent car.

neonfox65 said:You've got to be kidding me...🤣

Tibi isn't pulling your leg, it was actually Sebastian Vettel... he really did say that. 🙂

That’ll definitely make people like Tibi happy 🤣

Red Bull might actually snatch pole position, while the Ferkan crew settles for somewhere around fifth or sixth...

If Red Bull Racing actually manages to outqualify Ferrari, I’ll eat my hat... 🤣

Go ahead and comfort yourself if you want, but it doesn't change the reality: Lojzek's ceiling is maybe a point or two at best.🙂

stormybadger8 said:You can congratulate yourself all you want, but that doesn't change the reality: Lojzek's ceiling is a point or two at best. 🙂

It doesn't change the reality that Lojzek had enough pace in that Ferrari to win outright. He wasn't just winning; he was legitimately contending for the championship. Sebastian Vettel isn't going to be interested in watching that same story play out again. Furthermore, Lojzek was significantly more convincing when facing off against Kimi Räikkönen—way more convincing, actually—which really says it all.

Daniel Ricciardo is quite simply the best driver in Formula 1 right now. He could step into any car, at any time, and outperform whoever is sitting in it. It’s an objective fact. Last year, Daniil Kvyat finished ahead of him due to pure circumstance—much like how Kimi Räikkönen is currently outperforming Sebastian Vettel. Both men are significantly better drivers than the standings suggest. The championship table is largely meaningless. It wasn't meaningful back when Jenson Button was beating Lewis Hamilton, either. This happens constantly in the history of the sport. You see much lesser drivers finishing ahead of elite talents all the time. It always comes down to a web of circumstances: mechanical failures, penalties, sheer luck. It is what it is.

Do you all actually understand what Gajs was trying to say there?

What is even the point of a points system if it doesn't actually matter and everyone already knows who the superior driver is? 🙂
I honestly think we should just switch to a public voting system like they have at the Eurovision Song Contest; forget the points altogether... 🙂

Richard Ross11 said:What is the point of scoring if it means nothing and everyone already knows who's superior? 🙂
I suppose we should just switch to a voting system like the Eurovision Song Contest; forget the points. 🙂

You missed my point. Having more points doesn't inherently make someone a better driver; sometimes it's just how the math happens to shake out. Look at Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg this year, or Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel. It isn't exactly difficult to grasp. I realize there are different types of people here, some more limited than others, but I cannot fathom why this is so hard to understand.

mellowtiger83 said:You missed my point. Just because someone ends up with more points doesn't necessarily mean they're the superior driver; sometimes, it's just how the luck of the draw falls. Take this year's situation with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, or Kimi Räikkönen versus Sebastian Vettel—it's really not that complicated to grasp. I know there are all sorts of limited perspectives out there, but I truly cannot fathom why this is so difficult to understand.

And so, you feel the sudden urge to get a little condescending? 🙂

First off, maybe brush up on your basic grammar. You don't write "cannot" as one word in that context; it's two separate words. It's a simple negation, you know... 🙂

Secondly, you didn't misunderstand me. At the end of the day, at the end of the month, or at the end of the season, nothing actually matters except the points earned... that's the only thing that gets recorded in history, while everything else is just noise... who cares about the opinion of some random forum user, journalist, or whoever else...
but then again, as you said, "there are all sorts of limited people" out there... 🙂

Richard Ross11 said:Then what’s even the point of the points system if it doesn't mean anything and everyone already knows who's better anyway? 🙂
Honestly, let's just bring in a voting system like the Eurovision Song Contest. Screw the current scoring. 🙂

We’re heading straight toward it, more and more every day...
I’m just sitting here waiting for the day Bernie and his crew decide to start awarding points based on how much "artistic flair" a driver shows.

What’s even more pathetic? We’ll probably start getting points for Facebook likes before we ever see them awarded for things like Free Lap, Pit Position, or anything actually meaningful.

Richard Ross11 said:So, you feel the need to take a little jab at me? 🙂

First off, try picking up a grammar book. It’s "cannot," not "cannot"—two separate words. Basic negation. You should look into it. 🙂

Second, you completely missed my point. At the end of the day—whether it's the end of the week, the month, or the season—nothing matters except the points on the table. That's the only thing that actually counts. Everything else is just noise. I don't give a damn about the opinion of some random forum user, a journalist, or any other idiot out there...
but as you put it, "there are all kinds of limited people out there"... 🙂

Obviously. That's why champions exist and frauds don't. Regardless of what anyone writes, we know the truth. Those who matter, know. Those who don't, can just go use Google.

mellowtiger83 said:It doesn’t change the fact that Lojzek joined this Ferrari specifically to win, and he actually did—he fought for titles. Vettel isn't going to buy that story. Plus, Lojzek was way, way more convincing against Kimi. That says a lot.

Yeah, Lojzek would’ve been winning just like he was back in 2014. 😉
The days when Lojzek was in peak form and actually capable of winning are long gone...
It sucks, but honestly, his comeback to Mercedes put him right on Grandpa's level.

As far as Kimi goes, both Lojzek and Vettel are basically irrelevant compared to the man himself. Neither Alonso nor Vettel looked particularly impressive against Kimi last year either...
The thing is, Kimi was absolutely terrible—nothing more. Comparing drivers then is like comparing a guy who's wasted drunk to someone actually prepped for a race and asking who runs the 100m faster.
This season, Kimi finally looks like himself again; everything before this was, frankly, a coma.

Whatever, the standings don't mean a damn thing.
Ricciardo is primarily a Red Bull marketing tool. Every driver in Formula 1 is talented, especially those coming out of the Red Bull Academy—no debate there...
But Ricciardo wasn't actually any better than Vergne; he just landed at Red Bull because the higher-ups found the Australian market interesting. 🙂
And look at Vergne now—it's the same deal as Sainz vs. Max. Max isn't even significantly better, but he lands at Red Bull and suddenly, magically, Ricciardo is washed.
And let's not forget that Daniil Kvyat accidentally absolutely smoked Ricciardo when they were teammates. It was a total blowout, even worse than Alonso vs. Kimi. 😉
I'm pretty sure if Kvyat had stayed at Red Bull, he would've accidentally finished the season being better than Ricciardo too.

Unbelievable....

Richard Ross11 said:So, you just feel the need to be insulting, do you? 🙂

First off, maybe pick up a grammar book. It's "cannot," not "cannot"—you separate the negation from the verb. Basic literacy, really. 🙂

Second, you completely missed my point. At the end of the day—whether it’s the end of the week, month, or season—nothing matters except the points on the board. That is the only thing that sticks; everything else is just noise. I couldn't care less about the opinion of some random forum user, a journalist, or any other critic...
but then again, as you put it, "there are all kinds of limited people out there"... 🙂

Exactly. Let's just fast-forward to the end of the season and look at the standings. We can see how Eddie Irvine absolutely dismantled Michael Schumacher one year while driving the exact same car. That should be enough to dismantle your little logic regarding points and championship standings.

I think a single example is plenty. So, myself and all the other "stupid" forum users will go ahead and conclude that Schumacher was the inferior driver that year and got smoked.

Richard Ross11 said:So, you feel the need to take a little jab? 🙂

First, perhaps brush up on basic grammar; "cannot" is two distinct words, not one fused together. It’s a simple matter of negation... 🙂

Second, you missed my point entirely. At the end of the day—be it a race, a month, or an entire season—nothing matters except the points on the scoreboard. That is the only thing recorded; everything else is just noise. One shouldn't concern themselves with the opinions of random forum users, journalists, or any other bystander...
but as you noted, "there are all sorts of limited people out there"... 🙂

Grammar expert🙏 Take a look at yourself.🤦

mellowtiger83 said:Exactly. Let's just skip to the end of the season and check the standings. When we see that Eddie Irvine absolutely smoked Michael Schumacher one year while driving the exact same car, that should pretty much dismantle your little theories on points and championship logic.

I think one example is plenty. So, me and all the other "idiot" forum users will just go ahead and conclude that Schumacher was the inferior driver and got totally wrecked.

He definitely wrecked him. 🙂🤣
Your comparison is off by a factor of 🤦 x 100...
Eddie didn't even have double the points, and he actually ran twice as many races that season...

Look, you can lie until you're blue in the face, but you'll never beat the fact that Lewis Hamilton got outdone by Jenson Button...
Just like Lojzek fans can't ignore the fact that Lojzek got beaten by Hamilton, Button, and even that Marques guy...
And hey, even I can't argue with the fact that Sebastian Vettel got beaten by Daniel Ricciardo.
We can all sit here yapping until judgment day, but the numbers don't lie.
That doesn't mean Button is a better driver than Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso, but he did beat them on points, plain and simple...
It’s the same as saying Daniel Ricciardo isn't better than Sebastian Vettel, even though he beat him on points. ☕

Comparing Eddie to Michael Schumacher is basically 🤦 squared...
Because Michael didn't even finish half that season, so it has zero relevance to any of these other situations...

It appears that Ferrari has finally found its rhythm; Sebastian Vettel managed to secure the top spot during the final practice session, wouldn't you agree?

Just what we expected