2012 Japanese GP (Suzuka) - Oct 7th

I didn't catch much of the action 🤦

But look, Vettel played this perfectly. He anticipated the whole race strategy, and now he's sitting at -4, which means the entire field is wide open again. It’s great to see those results from Mass and especially Kamuij 😍.

Roger Wright94 said:A flawless drive and a win for Vettel, just as I anticipated.

Honestly, I am absolutely livid with this Lotus crew. Is anyone else seeing this madness?
First, you have that reckless driver who clearly hasn't learned a thing, and now this absolute clown knocks the championship leader out in the very first turn.

What on earth was Kimi thinking today by forcing the line on the left, since he was clearly losing pace ? What was his thought process there, if he even had one?

Alonso was clinical. He wasn't pushing him; he was simply faster, and the track narrowed, leaving no room on the right. Kimi only caught spray once Alonso had already pulled well ahead. I don't see a single mistake from him.
I'm fuming. I feel like hitting my head against a wall.

Oh, Kimi... what were you thinking? 🤦

Such a massive disappointment for Fernando Alonso... truly Velikaaaaaaaaa... I know I sound pathetic, but this could have been a turning point for the championship. Where is Ferrari going to find the speed to let the Spaniard go toe-to-toe with Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull for the final five races of the season? 🤷

The championship is basically decided at this point...

🤦 🤦

Roger Wright94 said:Flawless drive and a win for Vettel, just like I expected.

Honestly, I'm losing my mind over this Lotus crew. Anyone else seeing this?
First you've got that wrecking ball who clearly hasn't learned a thing, and now this absolute clown knocks the championship leader out in the very first turn.

What was Kimi even thinking trying to force it on the left side today? He was obviously slower. Was there actually a thought process happening there at all?

Alonso was pure class. He wasn't pushing him; he was just faster, and there was no room on the right because the track narrowed. Kimi only caught spray once Alonso was already well ahead. I don't see a single mistake.
I'm fuming. I need to go grab a drink and cool off.

Yeah, right... go cool off, then come back and watch this http://videa.hu/videok/sport/f1-2012...d87Sb3Ibg51vQP

The track narrowed? Yeah, sure, pull the other one. 🤣

Alonso was bullying Kimi the whole time. From the moment they crossed over, it was constant pressure.

Fine then... I guess we should just pass a rule that everyone has to get out of the way for the championship leader (provided he's driving a Ferrari and his name is Alonso). Better yet, let's just start the race based on the standings and give a one-second gap for every point of difference on the starting grid.

Austin Evans said:Kobayashi! 🙏

As for everything else... man, I really find myself missing the era of Hakkinen, Schumacher, Irvine, Frentzen, and Villeneuve. It feels like today's drivers aren't quite cutting it in such a gritty, high-stakes sport. Is it just me, or was there something fundamentally different about the grit back then? 🙄

Which is why I’m finding myself drawn more and more to hockey lately. 😬

Michael Lee4
And don't you dare forget to mention that Grosjean absolutely has to pit for his start.
He should probably roll out at least 30 seconds after everyone else has cleared the first quarter of the opening lap.

Tyler Bennett5 said:Honestly, I’m just relieved to see Maldonado finally cracking the points. It feels like he's finally proving
to everyone that he's moved past that whole era of clashing with Grosjean and can actually finish a few races
in a row without getting tangled up with anyone else on the track.

👍

Tyler Bennett5 said:And don't forget to mention that Grosjean will definitely be starting from the pit lane.
At least 30 seconds after everyone else clears the first corner.

Send Grožjan out to play golf for the rest of the season.

Though he'd probably suck at that too.😬

mistybear87 said:👍

Huge congrats on the podium! It’s great to see things finally back where they belong in the team hierarchy.

Tyler Bennett5 said:Congrats on the podium! It’s good to see everything back in order within the team hierarchy.

Thanks, 😁
but for some reason, I just can't seem to fully enjoy a win. I suppose I'll have to work on my mindset before the season wraps up. 😁

Michael Lee4 said:If the track narrows... I'll get hurt 🤣

Look, from the start line until that first turn, the track is easily half as wide as the main straight. You can fit four cars side-by-side out there, but before that first corner, you’ve got room for maybe two at most. What exactly am I getting wrong?

Michael Lee4 said:Alonso has been shoving Kimi Raikkonen the entire time. Ever since they crossed over to this side, it's just constant pressure and bumping.

Did he leave enough room while they were racing side-by-side? Yes.
Did he force him off onto the grass? No.
Is he faster? Yes.

So what's the actual issue?

Michael Lee4 said:Oh, sure... I guess we should just pass a rule saying everyone has to clear the way for the championship leader (provided he's driving a red car and his name happens to be Alonso). Better yet, let's just set the starting grid based on the standings and give a one-second gap for every point of difference at the start.

We don't need any of that ridiculous circus you're suggesting.

All the "smart" drivers need to do is let him clear the first turn unscathed in whatever position he's currently holding.
After that, they'll have plenty of
to actually race and prove themselves. 186 miles

It’s basically a done deal at this point, Vettel is taking the championship

http://i8.aijaa.com/b/00604/11049199.jpg
click for image

Why did Fernando Alonso go after Kimi Raikkonen and push him out—especially when there was plenty of room on the other side?

Roger Wright94 said:What's the issue?

The issue? Probably just the fact that you root for Ferrari. That'll make you blind to anything obvious. 😁

It’s hilarious how every commentator overseas can see Kimi isn't at fault. Apparently, the only ones who think he's to blame are the forum trolls and, obviously, the Ferrari fans.

Go ahead, pull up an analysis from Sky with some multi-angle replays and computer graphics circling the car. Then you'll actually see the line Fernando Alonso was taking...

Fernando Alonso is finally finding his rhythm again... The issue with Kimi Raikkonen was that he stubbornly stuck to his line, even when there was absolutely no way to overtake. There was zero chance he could have made a move on the outside.

Just ease off the throttle a little bit.
Why on earth should Fernando move out of the way and create space just because the driver behind misjudged the gap and tried to force a pass where there simply wasn't any room?

As far as I'm concerned, the rules are pretty straightforward.
If the tip of your front wing reaches the centerline of the rear tire, the lead driver is obligated to give you room. If they don't, why should the lead driver be the one to move? Let him lift off the gas; he’s the one who went on that overly optimistic mission to overtake on the outside.

Michael Lee4, you really can't compare the Grosjean-Hamilton incident to what happened today.

Fernando Alonso squeezed Kimi Raikkonen to the side, but he actually left enough room so Kimi didn't end up flying off into the grass—his left tire was right on the edge of the pavement. Right before they hit the turn, Alonso even drifted toward the middle of the track a bit, but then Jenson Button closed in from his right, jerking him back toward the left (maybe a little too hard, since Button wasn't even *that* close). Kimi managed to dodge him, but he clipped the grass in the process, which made the car dance a bit, and before he could get it settled, he slammed right into the rear left tire of Alonso's car.
To me, it just looks like a standard racing incident where Alonso bears most of the blame.

Everyone’s looking at this completely wrong
Romain Grosjean and Kimi Raikkonen both had a job to do—Grosjean just totally botched it.
Basically, Grosjean was supposed to pick off Sebastian Vettel at the start, while Kimi was meant to hunt down Fernando Alonso so he could close that points gap to the leader.
But Grosjean messed up big time—he accidentally went after Mark Webber instead. I honestly think he didn't mean to, but man, those two Red Bulls look identical when you're moving that fast.😁

Raymond Anderson4 said:Fernando Alonso is getting back on track... Kimi Raikkonen's issue was being too stubborn about his line, especially in a spot where he couldn't pass anyway... there was zero chance he was going around the outside.

Just ease off the gas a bit.
Why on earth would Fernando move out of the way and give someone space just because the driver behind misjudged everything and tried to force a gap where none existed?

What "racing line" are we talking about at the start of the race? What are you guys even on about?

Why would Fernando move? Kimi is the one who didn't move, mostly because he had nowhere else to go. He drove right into him. Is it really that hard to watch this http://videa.hu/videok/sport/f1-2012...d87Sb3Ibg51vQP , shut your eyes, and stop looking for problems where nobody sees them except you blind fans?

Raymond Anderson4 said:Fernando Alonso is finding his rhythm again... Kimi Raikkonen's issue here was just being too stubborn about his line—specifically in a spot where overtaking him on the outside was basically impossible.

Just ease off the throttle a bit.
Why on earth would Fernando move over or give up space just because the guy behind misjudged the gap and tried to force an overtake where there simply wasn't any room?

To me, the rules are pretty straightforward.
If the tip of your front wing reaches the center of the lead car's rear tire, the driver in front is supposed to yield space. If they don't, why should the leader move? Let him lift—he’s the one who embarked on that overly optimistic attempt to pass on the outside.

Michael Lee4, you really can't compare the Grosjean-Hamilton situation to what happened today.

Didn't Alonso himself argue that you always have to leave racing room?...🙂
Seems like those rules don't apply when he's behind the wheel.🙂
Good old Fernando...

Pointless. It's just a standard racing incident without any need to throw Kimi Raikkonen under the bus.

Michael Lee4 said:What kind of racing line is that at the start? What are you guys even talking about?

Why would Fernando Alonso move out of anyone's way? It was Kimi Raikkonen who didn't move—mostly because he had nowhere else to go. He just got slammed. Is it really that hard to watch this http://videa.hu/videok/sport/f1-2012...d87Sb3Ibg51vQP , just accept reality, and stop hunting for drama where none exists except in the minds of you blind fans?

Give it a rest—apparently you have to leave space for Fernando Alonso, while everyone else gets the door slammed in their face.
He’s never the one at fault, is he?
Luckily it was Kimi Raikkonen who kept his cool; if it had been one of those usual crash-prone drivers, things would've been a lot messier.

Michael Lee4 said:What kind of racing line was that at the start? What are you guys even talking about?

Why on earth would Fernando move out of anyone's way? If anything, Kimi Raikkonen is the one who didn't budge, mostly because he had nowhere else to go. He just got slammed. Is it really that hard to watch this clip http://videa.hu/videok/sport/f1-2012...d87Sb3Ibg51vQP , take a breath, and stop looking for trouble where nobody else sees it except for you blind fans?

We really need to wait for the onboard footage from Kimi Raikkonen's car... that's what will actually confirm what happened.