2010 British GP - Silverstone (July 11)

That was a hell of a race.
I mean, it’s pretty much what you expect when the legend Fernando Alonso decides to slap everyone else around while driving that red bucket they call a Ferrari. Honestly, I guess we might never know how much better things would be for Ferrari if he hadn't been dragging them along with that extra half-second per lap he was pulling out of nowhere. 😁
Major props to Mark Webber, though.
Kind of a bummer for Robert Kubica, I suppose.
Good on Vitaly Petrov, too, since he left all those total junk heaps trailing in his wake.
And shoutout to Michael Schumacher for basically making Nico Rosberg look like an amateur again.
😁

And honestly, what's even the point of having a track if you can't overtake someone unless you're two seconds faster...👎👎👎

Look, I’m pretty much anything except a fan of McLaren, to put it mildly. But saying anyone other than Lewis Hamilton or Jenson Button deserves the title this season? Please. Take Fernando Alonso, for example—he does all this dramatic zig-zagging just to "show intent" when he's trying to pass a Toro Rosso, a Force India, or a Virgin, but by the end, that overtake has taken twenty laps. And he ended up stuck behind a Virgin because he completely botched qualifying or the start. Then you’ve got Vettel, who usually ends up in a wall or a wrecked car whenever he actually tries to pass someone. Or Webber, who drives like a god... every third race. Give me a break. Only those two Brits are consistent and actually delivering. Button drives like a total amateur but never messes up the strategy, even if he is slightly slower, and Lewis drives like an absolute maniac—hitting the wall now and then—but he racks up more points. Bottom line: Webber is a cool guy, and props to him, but let's be real, his championship potential is about as high as Felipe Massa's. In that light, arguing over whether he or Vettel is the bigger loser is pointless since neither one is a real factor, other than being annoying obstacles for the McLarens on their way to winning everything.

It feels like we did something terrible to deserve getting screwed over by fate like this every single time.

Poor Mark Webber 🙂 they’re just bullying him at this point, it's pathetic 🙂

Every single race, they order him to just stay out of Sebastian Vettel's way 👎
this little Sebastian Vettel guy pushes him straight into the grass every damn time 👎
He even got slammed by Sebastian Vettel right into Heikki Kovalainen's car 👎
On top of that, they give him some junk pile of a car so he can't even qualify for anything better than 20th 😢

It's honestly tragic how Red Bull treats him 😢

Seriously, what kind of bullying is this? It’s not even normal. What a terrible team 👎

Roger Wright94 said:Like we did something wrong to deserve getting screwed over by God every single time.

That’s just standard Ferrari, except back when Michael Schumacher was running things.

stormybadger8 said:Poor Mark Webber 🙂 just getting bullied by his own team, it's pathetic 🙂

Every single race they order him to stay out of Sebastian Vettel's way.👎
That little Sebastian Vettel pushes him right off the track into the grass every damn time.👎
Even had Sebastian Vettel slam him into Heikki Kovalainen's car once.👎
On top of that, they give him such a junk car he can't even qualify, finishing like 20th.😢

It’s honestly terrible how Red Bull treats him.😢

What kind of bullying is this? It's not normal. A disgraceful team.👎

I don't feel bad for him. You're just another slynomad32. Now you can whine along with everyone else.

I said it right after Turkey—if I were the Team Principal, I'd hand that guy a red card immediately. Forget the money and the title.

slydrifter39 said:Look, I’m anything but a McLaren fan, to put it mildly, but saying anyone other than Lewis Hamilton or Jenson Button deserves the title this season is just wild. Take Fernando Alonso, for example; he does all this dramatic zig-zagging left and right to "show his intent" while trying to muscle past a Toro Rosso, a Force India, or a Virgin, but the whole overtake ends up dragging on for twenty laps. And let’s be real, he only ended up stuck behind a Virgin because he completely botched his qualifying or the start. Then you’ve got Vettel, who usually ends up in a wall or crashing into whoever he’s trying to pass. Or Mark Webber, who drives like a god once every three races. Give me a break. These two Englishmen are the only ones showing any consistency and actually giving it their all—even if Jenson Button drives a bit too politely and never messes up the strategy, even if he is slightly slower, and Lewis drives with a bit of flair, occasionally hitting a wall here and there, but still racking up more wins. Basically, what I'm getting at is that while Webber is a great guy, he's got about as much championship potential as Felipe Massa. In that light, arguing over whether he or Vettel is the bigger disappointment is pointless, since neither of them is a real factor except for being a constant nuisance to the McLarens' winning streak.

I’ve become way too addicted to Facebook and I genuinely miss having a "like" button.
If this forum had one, I would definitely be hitting that "like" button on this post! 👍 🙏

Roger Wright94 said:I don't feel bad for you. You're a Ferrari owner too. Now suck it up.

Back when we were in Turkey, I said if I were the Team Principal, I’d give that guy a straight red card. Forget the money and forget the title.

🙂Honestly, you shouldn't even care. This doesn't bother me at all. I saw this coming last year. It wouldn't matter who they signed; even if you put the two best drivers on the grid, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, in that car, they'd still fail. Christian Horner is just a disaster, and the entire management is a mess. They were terrible last year, they're terrible this year, and they'll be terrible next year.🤦

Instead of throwing money at nonsense, Mathezić should have hired a real Team Principal and a proper strategist. He actually had one once, but he messed things up by getting tied to Berger, which tanked the STR—even if those guys are performing okay—but he absolutely trashed Red Bull in the process.

The worst part is how this will totally kill Sebastian Vettel's natural talent. They're going to turn him into a driver like Felipe Massa or Rubens Ferrari.😢

Ferrari is exactly the same way. You can't tell what's worse: the management or their "genius" driver selection. They take a lightning-fast champion and a born phenomenon and swap them for some mediocre guy who makes constant mistakes and an embarrassingly bad number two driver, all for a massive paycheck.

If you ask me, it's entirely the team's fault. It's unbelievable how suddenly Alonso started making mistakes; he's probably made more errors this season than in his entire career.😕 And it's like Massa doesn't even exist.🤷

Really weird stuff.🤷div>

stormybadger8 said:it's like Mass doesn't even exist anymore🤷

but honestly, it’s pretty damn weird🤷

maybe you finally get why Mass looked so much "better" last season☕

It feels like we just go through the motions, copy-pasting the same tired arguments after every single race 🤣🤣

Douglas Parker61 said:You've got it wrong; we just can't stand Kmica and Mark Webber.😂

Well, good luck to you... you're already in deep trouble.☕

I’m just gonna weigh in on the whole mess over at Red Bull.
Look, I don't think the team or Christian Horner are actually to blame for the friction between their drivers.
Sure, maybe Horner isn't exactly the "top-tier" type of guy you'd want running a massive operation long-term, but let’s be real—this kind of drama happens in Formula 1 all the time and there's nothing you can do about it. Even the heavy hitters—think McLaren or Williams—have dealt with this exact same headache, so why would Red Bull be any different?
If you ask me, it’s pretty simple: you end up with two drivers who are basically neck-and-neck in terms of talent right now, and suddenly everything goes to hell.
I’ve always been a fan of how Ferrari handles things—you know, having a clear number one and number two driver. It’s honestly what’s best for the team. You get these certain moralists popping up every time a team order is called during a race, whining that it’s "not in the spirit of the sport" or lacks "fair play," but they’re forgetting one glaringly obvious fact: Formula 1 isn't some charity competition based on fair play.
Even Flavio used to run things that way. As far as I'm concerned, it's the smartest way to handle business in F1.
On another note, props to Mark Webber—he sees an opening and he’s trying to grab it while he can. He clearly knows he won't be getting a second shot at this... which is why I don't quite buy his whining about not signing a contract extension because he "didn't know what was coming." I mean, where else is he going to go? Who is even fighting for his services? Maybe Lotus or HRT?

Oh, and by the way, the penalty for Alonso is totally justified... that kind of driving is unacceptable, period.
But—and I said this after the last race too—the penalty itself is overkill. It's way too harsh. I'll say it again: a penalty should fit the crime. For what he did, a 5 to 10-second penalty (depending on where Robert Kubica ended up) would have been plenty, since Alonso only took out Kubica... and honestly, they should have handed that out after the race was over.

Someone mentioned earlier that McLaren is the only team truly deserving of the title this season, and honestly, I have to agree. Right now, Red Bull is acting like a bull in a china shop, Ferrari is performing well below anyone's expectations, and I won't even dignify Mercedes or Renault with a mention... If we’re talking fan favorites among the serious contenders, I’d personally love to see either Jenson Button or Mark Webber take the crown. If we weren't forced to deal with reality, the favorites would probably be the Renault drivers or Kamui Kobayashi, but when you look at who actually deserves it, McLaren and their drivers are the ones showing the most maturity right now.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/85244

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I was actually pretty relieved when the Safety Car came out. It bunched everyone up and saved me from having to hunt down backmarkers. When you're leading, you're constantly looking over your shoulder, praying a slower car doesn't miss you. We all saw how messy things got in Valencia when a fast car clips a slow one.

Man, what a nightmare. You seriously need some kind of superpower to overtake a car that's five seconds slower, especially when they're actively dodging you on the track. 🤣🤣🤣

That’s just how McLaren handles things—with such grace and elegance 😁

"Jenson, sorry buddy—we totally missed removing a cooling cover from the air intake"

Joshua Newman2 said:As a fan, if we're looking at the serious contenders, I’d love to see either Button or Webber take the title.

I'm with you. And I’ll put Button first because he’s just getting cooler by the day. 🙂

Just wanted to drop my two cents on Alonso and everything that went down during this race.

First off, the big thing: personally, I don't have any complaints. Yeah, the start was rough, and that basically killed his chances right out of the gate. I’m not trying to brush that mistake under the rug because the consequences were huge, but I’m treating it as a given when looking at the rest of the drama people are obsessing over.

Regarding the move on Kubica, it seems fine to me. The penalty makes sense—it feels principled, and hopefully, they stick to that standard—but so does Alonso's reaction.
I’m not trying to make excuses for Alonso (not that I need to, since I’m fine with him), but I think in that moment, he genuinely believed he could pull it off without getting flagged. He didn't feel responsible for how things unfolded. It was a rational call from an experienced driver. Again, I'm not holding it against him.
The sudden Safety Car was just bad luck, and don't even get me started on Kubica having to retire...

All in all, it was incredibly frustrating to watch, but I’ve got nothing against my team or our driver. Based on what we saw on track, Alonso really deserved a podium finish.

wiredtiger8 said:I’m just going to address the situation at Red Bull.
I don't think the crew or Christian Horner are to blame for what happened between their drivers.
Sure, maybe Horner isn't exactly the "top-tier" type to run a team this size, but this kind of drama happens in Formula 1 all the time. There's nothing you can do about it. Even powerhouse teams with heavy-hitting bosses (like McLaren or Williams) deal with this, so why wouldn't Red Bull?
In my book, it just happens when you pair two drivers who end up being pretty much identical in skill level—and then everything goes to hell.
I’ve always been a fan of the Ferrari approach with a designated Number 1 and Number 2. It’s ultimately what’s best for the team. You get these certain moralists popping up whenever team orders are actually used when the race calls for it, whining that it’s "not the spirit of the sport" or "not fair play." They forget one simple fact: Formula 1 isn't a competition in fair play.
Even Flavio used to run things that way. To me, it’s the smartest solution in the sport.
Anyway, props to Mark Webber—he sees an opening and he’s trying to grab it while he can. He clearly knows he won't be getting a second shot... which makes his claim that he wouldn't have signed if he knew what was coming a bit hard to swallow. And where else would he go? Who else is even fighting over him? Maybe Lotus or HRT...

Oh, and Alonso’s penalty? Absolutely justified. That’s just not allowed, period.
But I’ll say it again, just like last race: the penalty DOESN'T fit the crime. It’s overkill. I'm telling you, a penalty should actually match the infraction. For what happened, a 5-10 second penalty (depending on where Robert Kubica ended up) would have been plenty, since Alonso only took out Kubica... and it should have been handed down after the race.

How is Horner not to blame? He, Helmut Marko, and that entire crew are to blame. Honestly, they completely screwed up after Turkey.

If they thought Webber was at fault, then fine—say it loud and clear and penalize him.
If they thought Vettel was at fault, it's the same thing.
If they thought it was just a standard racing incident, they should have just said so and moved on.
If they didn't, they should have kept their mouths shut instead of all this back-and-forth nonsense about how it was a little bit this or a little bit that, or how both guys were at fault.

Same goes for this stupid wing issue. You can talk about "massive progress" all you want, but if they wanted to be honest, they should have just stripped the wing off Marko's car and put the old one back on. If not, they should have just been upfront and said Vettel is our guy and our title contender.☕

With all this crap, screw both of them; they're just making their own mess.

As a driver, Webber is basically nothing. Vettel has the talent and the raw speed, but he lacks the brains and definitely doesn't have the experience to finish races cleanly and rack up points like Jenson Button does. Honestly, moving to Red Bull and jumping into a top-tier car looks more like a step backward for his driving rather than a step forward.😢 The whole thing looks worse than before. They're just ruining him, trying to build him up into some massive superstar (which he definitely hasn't earned yet) instead of backing him up when it matters. Screw a team like that. Either pick a Number 1 and a Number 2 or stop screwing around. This indecision is doing more harm than good.👎

stormybadger8 said:Mark Webber just isn't on that level—it's hard to argue against it. Sebastian Vettel clearly has the raw speed and talent, but he lacks the maturity and the seasoning. Honestly, seeing him jump over to Red Bull Racing feels less like a promotion and more like a step backward in terms of his overall progression.😢 It all looks a bit messy right now—they're trying to manufacture this massive superstar out of him, even though he hasn't earned that status yet, instead of actually supporting his development. It’s frustrating to watch a team fail to commit to a clear Number 1 and Number 2 hierarchy; it's doing him more harm than good.👎

If Vettel truly possessed the level of talent they claim, things would have stabilized by now.

He's far from being a rookie, and while Webber might not be considered an elite tier driver either, Vettel still hasn't managed to hold his own against him.

Think back to 2007 with Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso—Lewis was practically a newcomer stepping into a car alongside a reigning world champion, and despite much higher stakes and tension, Hamilton was able to push back against Alonso quite effectively, all without any of the unnecessary drama on the track.