2012 Japanese GP (Suzuka) - Oct 7th

steelmaker83 said:Oh yeah, and it’s hilarious how you haters finally crawled out of your caves... lol...

You guys spent three years eating dust, and now you’re all jumping down my throat the second there’s even a hint that Alonso might have made a tiny mistake...

Lol...

I’m not hating on anyone; I post for every single race. The only reason I even bother typing is because you lot refuse to acknowledge what's right in front of you. If a few of you didn't spend all your time blaming everyone else for your hero's blunders, I wouldn't have anything to say. Honestly, just stay quiet instead of embarrassing yourselves, and nobody would even mention Alonso.

Exactly. Generally speaking, I find it a shame when championships are decided by factors outside the control of the drivers actually fighting for the title—mechanical failures and all that—but hey, shit happens. That's just the nature of the sport. Sometimes collisions are inevitable, especially right at the start, where it often reaches a point where nobody is strictly at fault when cars touch or bump. As for the conspiracy theories, they honestly make me laugh—like that nonsense from a few pages back claiming Kimi Räikkönen was intentionally forcing him off. In my view, Fernando Alonso is a fair driver who avoids unnecessary contact, but let's be real: Kimi isn't some reckless amateur either; most of the time, he’s the one braking early just to avoid a wreck.

Kenneth Edwards said:Alonso squeezed Kimi to the side, but he left just enough room so Kimi didn't end up in the dirt—his left tire was right on the edge of the pavement. Right before hitting the turn, Alonso actually drifted toward the middle of the track, but then Jenson Button lunged up on his right side, forcing him back to the left. It was a bit much; Button wasn't even that close. Kimi managed to dodge him, but he clipped the grass in the process. The car wobbled for a second, and while he was trying to get it under control, he slammed right into Alonso's rear left tire.
Honestly, it was just a typical racing incident. If you really want to pin the blame on someone, I guess it’s more or less Alonso's fault.

I’m with you on everything except that last part. 👍
It was just a racing incident, plain and simple. No one's at fault here. Alonso ended up getting the short end of the stick, and that’s just how it goes. It’ll probably cost him the championship, which sucks, but it is what it is. Trying to pin this on Kimi is just stupid.

Michael Lee4 said:The issue? It’s probably just because you're a Ferrari fan... honestly, once you root for them, you become totally blind to the obvious 😁

Objectivity and Ferrari fans... yeah, right

They’ll defend their driver to the death no matter what happens—guilty or innocent—even if we're talking about Fernando "I'll drive for anyone as long as they aren't wearing red" Alonso

Anyway, why is everyone freaking out so much? At this rate, Alonso is just going to breeze through this like he always does and take home the championship...

Douglas Parker61 said:I agree with everything except that last part. 👍
This was just a racing incident through and through. No one's at fault. Alonso came out on top, and that’s how it goes. It'll probably cost him the championship, which sucks, but it is what it is. Blaming Kimi is just nonsense.

Exactly!
How much effort would it have even taken to avoid this? Just a tiny bit of throttle control.

Roger Wright94 said:Man, I am just absolutely livid with this Lotus crew. Is there anyone else here who actually has a brain?
First you’ve got that total predator who clearly hasn't learned a thing, and now today we have this absolute clown getting the championship leader knocked out in the very first race.
I mean, what was Kimi even thinking trying to force it down the left side today? He was obviously slower. Like, what was going through his head, if anything at all?
And Alonso was just clinical. Pure perfection. He wasn't pushing him; he was just faster, and there was simply no room on the right because the track narrowed up. Kimi just caught some spray once Alonso had already pulled way ahead. I don't see a single millimeter of error there. I'm just fuming. Honestly, my head is spinning.

Look, I really do feel for people who go all out rooting for their favorites, I truly do, but maybe a tiny grain of objectivity wouldn't hurt you guys. Between Alonso aggressively hogging the left side, forcing Kimi off into the grass, and then that twitch when Button was on his left...
For crying out loud, this isn't some private testing track in Detroit where everyone is supposed to move out of his way.

Honestly, I think Kimi is the one to blame here. He just went in headfirst without thinking, trying to squeeze through where there was zero room to move. That corner is tight, and once he realized he didn't have enough speed to clear it before the turn—especially seeing Jenson Button coming up on Alonso's right side—he should've just backed off a bit. Instead, he went full stubborn mode and tried to force it, and well, boom. Alonso had every right to hold his line because Kimi simply didn't have the overlap to force him to move right or leave space. Kimi basically caused the collision himself. That said, I don't think he deserves a penalty. It’s the start of the race, first corner madness, and he isn't exactly the type of driver who usually goes rogue like this. Still, plenty of other guys have already picked up penalties for being just as reckless or overly optimistic...

Man, Fernando hit the nail on the head when he said this crap just happens—one day it's him, the next it's someone else entirely. I'm pretty sure the championship is already out of reach though, and honestly, it sucks that Sebastian Vettel is the one who's gonna miss out. At least Felipe Massa gave us a little win to smile about, even if his decent finish doesn't actually change much for the standings, but hey, maybe it gives him that extra spark to go all out in these final races and try to help the team out, because god knows we need someone stepping up right now.

The American fans 🙏🙏🙏

Kamui Kobayashi 🙏🙏🙏

Edward Howard2 said:I mean, if you ask me, Kimi is the one at fault here because he basically tried to force his way through a gap that just wasn't there, which was pretty reckless if you think about it. That turn is super tight, and once Kimi realized he didn't have enough momentum to clear it before the corner—especially seeing Jenson Button looming on Alonso's right side—he really should have just backed off a bit. Instead, he decided to go full tilt and head straight for the wall, just hoping for the best, I guess. Honestly, Alonso had every right to hold his line since there was zero chance Kimi was going to make the pass, and Kimi hadn't even gained enough ground to force Alonso to move over or give him space on the inside. So yeah, Kimi basically caused the collision, but personally, I don't think he deserves a penalty. It happened right at the start during that first turn, and he isn't exactly the type of driver who's always out there causing chaos like this, though I suppose plenty of other drivers have already been slapped with penalties for being just as stubborn or overly optimistic as he was.

So, I guess even the big-shot F1 experts have finally agreed that Kimi isn't the one to blame here, which is something, I suppose. But honestly, you just know the usual suspects on these random message boards are going to start acting like they’re the ultimate authorities on the sport, probably trying to tear down everything we know about modern racing with their supposed "expertise."
🙏🙏
*claps*

darkmarlin16 said:I mean, honestly, I think the championship is basically a lost cause at this point, and man, it’s just a real shame that it's going to be Sebastian Vettel left holding the bag.

I guess you guys have already started with... 🙂 I mean, there’s still a whole bunch of stuff left to play out, I guess, and besides, Felipe Massa basically proved that the car isn't quite as bad as everyone was making it out to be... maybe.

Total justice for Alonso and those little underachievers over at Ferrari!!!

Jack Kelly5 said:You guys are already jumping the gun on 🙂 even though there’s still a massive amount of variables out there, plus Felipe Massa basically proved the car isn't nearly as bad as the media keeps making it out to be...

Honestly, that's just the reality of the situation, and frankly, it's nothing short of a miracle that Fernando Alonso is still sitting pretty at the top of the championship standings.

darkmarlin16 said:Look, Fernando made a fair point—bad luck happens, and today it's him, tomorrow it's someone else. I think the championship is likely out of reach now, and it's a shame that Vettel will be the one to miss out. At least Massa gave us a little boost; even if his solid finish doesn't change much, maybe it gives him the momentum to go all out in these final races. We really need that kind of energy right now.

I feel like Fernando was actually getting a bit repetitive today with that "today me, tomorrow someone else" line. In reality, he was implying that the "someone else" is Vettel.
Championships are rarely won just because others make mistakes or fail to finish their races. I really hope he and the Ferrari fans focus on how to actually improve this Ferrari so it can actually challenge for the front row.

darkmarlin16 said:It’s pretty much how things stand, and honestly, it’s kind of a miracle that Fernando is still sitting at the top of the championship standings.

I mean, the season is just incredibly long, you know? Everyone goes through those inevitable highs and lows. I guess Alonso has put together a massive amount of great races, though he definitely caught a few breaks when other guys had bad luck.
There is still so much left to play out, probably way too much to be making any final calls this early on.

Kimi's blood on the crash site🤣🤣🤣

absolutely horrific🤣🤣🤣😢

Up until this very moment, I’ve been rooting for Alonso (well, he's the lesser of two evils, right?), but this whole stunt where he claims Ferrari is completely incompetent and suggests Massa just got lucky?🤣 It's just UNBELIEVABLE.🙄

I can’t quite recall him ever saying that everything about Ferrari was a disaster... This whole situation involving Mass feels a bit unsportsmanlike, but I suppose it is what it is.

Roger Wright94 said:Exactly!
How much effort would it have taken to avoid this? Just ease off the pedal a bit.

And why was Kimi supposed to back off? Alonso gave him plenty of room, so he had zero reason to yield. The mess happened when Alonso spotted Button right next to him and jerked left. Kimi couldn't have seen that coming—he ended up off in the grass, lost control, and ended up puncturing Alonso's tire.

Edward Howard2 said:Kimi's the one to blame for this mess because he... He stupidly tried to go through where there was no way through.That corner is just too tight. Once Kimi realized he didn't have enough speed to pull off the pass before hitting the turn, it was game over. Plus, he probably saw Button coming up on Alonso's right side.He just needed to chill out a bit instead of being so stubborn and running headfirst into a wall. Alonso had every right to shut the door on him; there was zero chance Kimi was getting past there. Kimi didn't hold his line well enough to force Lonzo to move over and give him space on the right. Kimi caused that crash.Nah, I don't think he deserves a penalty. It happened right at the start during turn one, and he isn't exactly the type to go looking for trouble like that. Most other drivers have already picked up penalties today just for being reckless or too stubborn for their own good.

If I were a mod on this forum, I’d be getting permabanned, for real. 🤣

This is absolutely ridiculous. 🙏 I can't even wrap my head around how someone could actually believe this. I'm assuming he's just trolling. If he's being serious, then I'm genuinely speechless.

That Button part was top tier. 🤣 🤣 🤣

Jose James44 said:.. man, Matt Damon really lucked out🤣. UNBELIEVABLE.🙄

Raymond Anderson4 said:...that whole thing with Matt Damon was a bit unsportsmanlike, I guess, but whatever happens, happens.

I mean, when Kimi says he just doesn't care about anyone else, or if he stays quiet after pulling some crazy stunt on the track, everyone calls him this arrogant jerk, or a total tool, or an ego-driven prick...
But then when Alonso pulls that kind of crap regarding his own teammate, suddenly it’s just... well... maybe a little unsportsmanlike, but you know how it goes.
🙄😁

Michael Lee4 said:Go ahead, download an analysis from Sky. They’ve got those multi-angle camera setups and computer animations that circle the car perfectly. Once you see that footage, you'll get a crystal clear view of exactly what kind of line Alonso was taking...

Hey there, NASCAR fans! I’ve been following racing for over 30 years now, so I definitely caught the action this morning. People are debating whether Kimi or Alonso is actually at fault here—though in my book, that's just how things go down in motorsports. But honestly, the bigger question is: what on earth was Alonso thinking!? He’s sitting on a solid 30-point lead, and he decides to dive headfirst into a fight with Kimi? That guy simply will not budge, and frankly, he couldn't care less who you are or if you're fighting for the championship! If he had just given him the space, he probably would have finished the race and walked away with some points.

Jack Kelly5 said:Even if the entire NASCAR establishment agrees that Kimi isn't to blame, this forum will still find some self-proclaimed experts ready to tear down everything we know about modern racing with their "expert" opinions.
🙏🙏
Clap!

I mean, seriously, why should I even listen to what some random person says and just take it as gospel? I’ve got two perfectly good eyes right here, and I can judge the situation for myself. Whose opinion am I actually supposed to care about?
So, I was just reading some takes from those British commentators, and man, they are really out here swinging! They’re actually claiming that Vettel stands as the seventh greatest driver to ever grace the track—somehow ranking him above Alonso. And get this: they’re even arguing that Stirling Moss, despite never having snagged a single championship title, somehow holds more weight than legends like Jackie Stewart or Niki Lauda. It’s wild how much debate these guys can stir up, right? Just one of those crazy opinions that makes you stop and wonder what they're actually watching.
Or should we just take Miljenko's word for it? He’s out here claiming Hamilton is the third-best driver to ever grace a track, basically saying that both Hamilton and Vettel sit higher on the throne than Prost or Schumacher. What do you guys think? Is he onto something or just talking nonsense?
Or should we just cater to those Alonso haters who spend their entire day waiting for him to open his mouth just so they can flood the comments with emojis? 🙂 It’s such a joke when people start acting like little babies. Like, if Lewis starts whining on the team radio because Charles is holding him up during the third practice session at Indianapolis—yeah, we know, it's just a practice session—then suddenly those same people are the first ones to cry foul. It's pure hypocrisy. 🙂 Sending some love to Alonso! Seriously, why the sudden silence from everyone else? It’s funny how "objectivity" and "expert knowledge" seem to vanish the second things get interesting around here. Just goes to show, right?
Who exactly is this global NASCAR legend you’re talking about? Like, why on earth should I take their word as gospel just because they have an opinion?