2012 Japanese GP (Suzuka) - Oct 7th

Gary Smith66 said:I just wanted to point out how ridiculous it is to claim that Alonso swept the championship just because of "luck."
If we’re following that logic, then that same "luck" is what supposedly dragged Vettel right back into the fight during those last two races.

Yeah... I mean, F1 history is basically just one giant soap opera, isn't it? Who knows how much of it feels scripted sometimes.
But honestly, if Kimi pulls off a win tomorrow while Vettel, Alonso, and Lewis Hamilton all walk away empty-handed, we're probably looking at a brand new season-long thriller.
😬

Gary Smith66 said:What can you even say about Vettel's shot at the title? Hamilton’s car is a wreck after last race, and today, everyone actually in the hunt is either facing penalties or had their qualifying totally trashed because of Kimi Räikkönen.🙏

If Lewis Hamilton's car hadn't crapped out on him, Alonso would've taken the win in Singapore.😁
If Kimi hadn't spun out, Alonso would've walked away with pole. 🙂
🤣🤣🤣

What does that even have to do with the points gap between Vettel and Alonso?😕
If Lewis Hamilton and Pastor Maldonado hadn't pulled out of Singapore, the gap might have been exactly the same—or maybe even smaller, depending on whether Vettel managed to overtake Hamilton or not.

If Kimi had actually been allowed to pull that lap without Jenson Button getting hit with a penalty, and if Lewis Hamilton had driven like his McLaren car was actually capable of performing, we probably would have seen an even bigger gap right at the start.
Let's face it: both McLaren and Lotus were faster than Ferrari today. Even Sauber was right up there, keeping pace with Ferrari.
So what if that actually happens? Big deal.

Gary Smith66 said:After Singapore, it’s pretty damn obvious who the refs are playing favorites for in this title fight. ☕

Thank God.🙂

Our time has finally come...😍

fadedwalker18 said:Grid:

3. Kamui Kobayashi
4. Romain Grosjean
5. Sergio Perez

Does this lineup ring a bell for anyone else? 😁

I think you realize what kind of chaos that specific combination could trigger, though I truly hope we don't see it play out😁.
Besides, the Lotus is showing real pace and Romain is driving fast... with a clean start, he could easily fight for a podium.

Look, it’s not exactly a game-changer for this specific race, but I’ve been wondering about the technicalities: Felipe Massa finished 11th and missed out on Q3. However, once Hulkmann's penalty was applied, he effectively bumped up into tenth. Does that mean he gets to choose his tires now, just like everyone else who didn't make it into Q3? I assume he does, but with the way the FIA operates, you can never be entirely certain. If my assumption holds, Massa finds himself in an enviable spot: he starts ahead of where he actually qualified, he hasn't burned through a set of softs in Q3, and he earns the right to pick his starting compound. If he manages a clean getaway and can jump one of those heavy hitters ahead of him—say, someone from McLaren, Kimi Räikkönen, or Fernando Alonso—he might actually have a legitimate shot at proving his worth to the team tomorrow. ☕

Felipe Massa is sitting in a killer spot right now...
He might actually have a shot at the podium—or even the win—if the tire degradation gets ugly out there...

He’ll definitely go with either two stops or three lightning-fast sprints...
Ferrari was the fastest car in the race simulations anyway, and Massa was leading the pack.😳

Raymond Anderson4 said:You definitely realize you're flirting with disaster with that combo, but I really hope it doesn't play out that way.😁.
Besides, the Lotus is quick and Roman is fast... if he gets a decent start, he could easily grab a podium spot.

I hear you... 😁
Still, I'm crossing my fingers that things don't go south like that.

Seeing Kamui take the win would honestly make my day.😁

The director running this feed through Creator is an absolute clown.
Why on earth is he keeping the camera glued to Kimi while the pit crew is finishing up that final lap? There’s way more interesting stuff happening elsewhere.
He probably thinks Kimi is Kimi Japanese.

Remember that old joke going around? That FOM only actually puts effort into the broadcast when they're at Indianapolis. 🤔
Feels like we're just dealing with some local director here.😁

If only they'd put this broadcast on every channel. 😉

Massa gets to call the shots on the tire strategy.

stormybadger8 said:I remember back in the day everyone used to gossip about how FOM didn't handle anything except the broadcast from Indianapolis 🤔
It feels like it was just some local director running the show 😁

so basically the exact same feed ended up on every other TV station out there 😉

But starting this year, FOM is actually handling the broadcast from the USA too, so now the only one that isn't totally underwhelming is the one from Monaco

stormybadger8 said:Ferrari was actually the fastest during race simulations, specifically Massa😳

Looking at the race simulations, Grosjean was actually the quickest. Kimi was running on an entirely different program testing the rear wing and livery, while Kamui followed with a slight gap to Massa, and then Vettel. It’s highly unlikely that Ferrari will be slow here. Barring some unpredictable chaos—an alternator failure, a sudden downpour, or a massive pile-up—it's hard to see anyone taking this race away from Vettel...

I'm also hoping we finally see a decent result for Kamui. A win would be pure fantasy, but even a podium finish would be incredible. He just needs to prove he isn't a liability and secure his seat for next year.

Fair point, I completely blanked on Grosjean and Kamui...

The real question is how Massa pulls this off. He’s staring down a wall that he shouldn't even be close to on this track...
So, honestly? It's a long shot for him to do it alone. He’d probably just end up one spot behind Alonso... though who knows where Alonso actually lands😳

And yeah, unless things go sideways with the tires, I don't see anyone posing any real threat to Vettel...
Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if RB shoots itself in the foot again and some disaster involving Webber unfolds...
Everyone seems to have totally forgotten about him, but I have a feeling he could be a real wildcard in this race...

Can someone give me a quick rundown on the grid situation for tomorrow?
Is Button the only one sitting with a 5-place penalty?
Are both Saubers really starting ahead of Alonso? (That Sauber is a total wildcard).

One more thing I need to confirm: did everyone who made it into Q3 start on the exact same tire compound? (Not just the same type, but an identical set—trying to settle a debate over here).

Is there any info out there on everyone's tire allocation for tomorrow?
Everyone’s definitely got two new hard sets, but does anyone know how many people have fresh softs left?

stormybadger8 said:And obviously, nobody’s going to be a real threat to Sebastian Vettel unless things go sideways with the tires...
I wouldn't even be surprised if Red Bull shoots itself in the foot again and some nonsense involving Mark Webber happens...
He seems totally forgotten, but I have a feeling he could actually be a factor in this race...

I don't buy it. This is actually the perfect setup for Red Bull.

Roger Wright94 said:Could someone provide a brief summary of the final grid situation for tomorrow's start?
Is Jenson Button the only one facing a 5-place penalty?
Are both Sauber cars really starting ahead of Alonso? (That Sauber team is such an unpredictable beast).

I also need one more clarification: did everyone from the Fourth Quarter who completed their qualifying lap start on the exact same tire compounds used during that session? (I don't mean just having the same number of sets, but specifically using the same rubber—there is a bit of a debate going on here).

Is there any resource where I can check which specific tires everyone has available for tomorrow?
Everyone surely has two new sets of hards, but how many have fresh softs left?

Mass didn't actually drive in the Fourth Quarter; he just sat in P10 behind Hulk (who was also penalized for a gearbox change), so he likely has an extra set of softs. On top of that, he can choose whichever tires he wants for the start, while the others are stuck on the softs they used during the Fourth Quarter.

I'm just sitting here watching Kimi give an interview right now 🤣

Roger Wright94 said:Can someone give me a quick rundown of where things stand for tomorrow's start?
Is Jenson Button the only one sitting with a 5-place penalty?
Are both Saubers really starting ahead of Alonso? (That Sauber is a weird little thing).

One more thing—can anyone confirm if everyone from The Fourth Quarter who made the cut is starting on the exact same tire compound they used in qualifying? (Not just the same type, but the actual same set—having a heated debate over here).

Is there a breakdown somewhere showing who has what tires left for tomorrow?
Everyone definitely has two new hard sets, but how many actually have fresh softs?

http://www.formula1.com/results/season/2012/878/7101/
Looks like there might be more penalties coming...🤷

As for the tires, I haven't got a clue.🤷
As far as I know, nobody has fresh yellows except for Massa.🤔

Roger Wright94 said:No way. This is basically a dream scenario for Red Bull.

Honestly, nothing from Red Bull could ever really surprise me.😁
So yeah, I wouldn't be shocked at all if something like this happens...

darkmarlin16 said:I'm watching Kimi give an interview right now 🤣

I honestly don't find him funny anymore...
It feels like there's an entire army over at Autosport just worshipping everything he says or does.

He’s also become quite prickly lately... especially during interviews. Look, I get it—he isn't exactly the type who enjoys talking to the press, but he doesn't have to make it so incredibly obvious. It's like he wears his annoyance right on his sleeve.

Take what happened just now. He didn't seem to care at all that the others had to slow down through the turn because he went off track. I'm not saying he needs to sit there and cry about it, but a simple "That was an accident, I didn't mean to, sorry to the guys for the mess" would go a long way.
I really think he should stop trying so hard to push this image that he couldn't care less about anyone else.

Alright, we get it—you’re making a point, no need to overdo it.

Mark Webber will eventually step aside for Sebastian Vettel whenever necessary, acting just like a dutiful little assistant.

Raymond Anderson4 said:He isn't funny to me anymore...
There’s an entire army over at ESPN just bowing down to every single thing he says or does.

And he’s become so incredibly prickly lately... especially during interviews. Why can't he just speak normally like a regular person?

Take this latest situation where he clearly didn't care that everyone else had to slow down through the turn because he went off track... I'm not saying he needs to sit there and cry about it, but maybe offer a bit of accountability? A simple "my bad, I didn't mean to do that, sorry to the guys for causing the chaos."
In my opinion, he needs to stop constantly trying to push this narrative that he simply doesn't care about anyone else.

Only a complete idiot would say, "I don't care about the others."

But hey, that's how he finds his target audience for his marketing.