The F1 Thread 2014 Season

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Basically he needs his car not to fail.

Car survives = Hamilton WDC. The Merc is too dominant to finish worse than second, even if he qualified dead last.
 
Yeah, I can't see Hamilton not winning.

A season to forget IMO.
 
why ? because Hamilton looks like winning the WC.
The season has been pretty good on the whole, it was expected to be a battle between the 2 Merc's from the start.

Nah, not that. I personally thought it was boring, take out the drama between Nico and Lewis then nothing interesting happened this season.

Besides a few races, the racing overall hasn't been kinda boring, I even skipped a few races this season. Though I know a few people enjoyed this season, which is fair enough.
 
Nah, not that. I personally thought it was boring, take out the drama between Nico and Lewis then nothing interesting happened this season.

Besides a few races, the racing overall hasn't been kinda boring, I even skipped a few races this season. Though I know a few people enjoyed this season, which is fair enough.
fair points well made.
 
Looks like the McLaren interim car avec Honda engine will be running at Silverstone tomorrow ("filming" day :lol:) - http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/116751

Excellent that it's ready to run, will be very beneficial to run some system checks on it prior to running at the Abu Dhabi test (which itself wasn't seen as definitely happening a few weeks back). Promising from Honda so far, as long as it doesn't turn out to be a Renault-level turd tomorrow.
 
Bianchi out of coma.

He remains unconscious and in critical condition.


Surely this is a positive?
 
Is that the difference then, breathing unaided?

Encouraging news for sure, hope he continues to improve.
 
I'd imagine they are on a respirator when in induced coma's anyway, the fact they have determined he can now be taken off that and is breathing on his own is a pretty big step. Obviously the situation is still critical but from what I've read that is an important hump to get over with brain injuries, some never do.
 
Great that he's back in France, staying in Japan must have been tough for his family.
 
Ferrari failed Fernando Alonso. Vettel wont fair any better if the car is not significantly improved. Fernando can drive the wheels off an average car(and he nearly drove one to a world title whilst at Maranello). This is a skill I am not convinced Sebastian has(even Lewis for that matter). If the Ferrari is average next season,I dont expect Vettel to elevate the car's output like Alonso could. Fernando like Mike Webber started out at Minardi, and this is where I bealive he developed this ability.
 
Ferrari failed Fernando Alonso. Vettel wont fair any better if the car is not significantly improved. Fernando can drive the wheels off an average car(and he nearly drove one to a world title whilst at Maranello). This is a skill I am not convinced Sebastian has(even Lewis for that matter). If the Ferrari is average next season,I dont expect Vettel to elevate the car's output like Alonso could. Fernando like Mike Webber started out at Minardi, and this is where I bealive he developed this ability.
Well, Minardi became Toro Rosso after Red Bull bought them and Vettel's performances in that team, especially in the second half of 2008, were damn impressive. Of course it was a better car than what Alonso had during his time at Minardi, but it was far from a competitive car. Winning a race and finishing 8th in the championship, way ahead of Webber in the Red Bull was a fantastic result for someone of his age. I don't see what Alonso could have learned in his one year at Minardi that Vettel couldn't in his 18 months at Toro Rosso.

I don't really like Vettel, but I'm looking forward to see him give it a shot at Ferrari. It's easily the biggest challenge in F1 at the moment and I honestly believe he's a bit underrated by many fans. He's too often unfairly labeled as someone who can only win races when he has the best car, which simply isn't true.
 
Well, Minardi became Toro Rosso after Red Bull bought them and Vettel's performances in that team, especially in the second half of 2008, were damn impressive. Of course it was a better car than what Alonso had during his time at Minardi, but it was far from a competitive car. Winning a race and finishing 8th in the championship, way ahead of Webber in the Red Bull was a fantastic result for someone of his age. I don't see what Alonso could have learned in his one year at Minardi that Vettel couldn't in his 18 months at Toro Rosso.

I don't really like Vettel, but I'm looking forward to see him give it a shot at Ferrari. It's easily the biggest challenge in F1 at the moment and I honestly believe he's a bit underrated by many fans. He's too often unfairly labeled as someone who can only win races when he has the best car, which simply isn't true.
We'll see.
 
The current vettel seems to get pissed off with an above average car. Can't see him doing well at Ferrari unless they have a new engine up their sleeves. Alonso has been very impressive there and a true team player which I did not expect.
 
He really should have grabbed a championship from 2010 or 2012, just didn't happen for him one way or another. Does feel like since he left Renault the first time he's been chasing it rather than dictating it, his career might have been very different had he not joined McLaren.

I went from liking him to hating him to liking him again though, he was a bit of a pantomime villain in the middle there but nobody can deny the guys talent. Not the quickest driver but has an ability to always be in the hunt, always.
 
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He really should have grabbed a championship from 2010 or 2012, just didn't happen for him one way or another. Does feel like since he left Renault the first time he's been chasing it rather than dictating it, his career might have been very different had he not joined McLaren.

I went from liking him to hating him to liking him again though, he was a bit of a pantomime villain in the middle there but nobody can deny they guys talent. Not the quickest driver but has an ability to always be in the hunt, always.

Actually, I think he is. He's as quick as Hamilton, but with much better racecraft, in my opinion.
 
Actually, I think he is. He's as quick as Hamilton, but with much better racecraft, in my opinion.

Racecraft absolutely one of the best but so is Hamilton, madness to say "much better". Alonso is best "thinker" on the grid for me though, he chooses his battles so wisely that 9 times out of 10 he finishes ahead anyway and he demolishes teammates over a season.....although Raikkonen just hasn't got the grips with the new Formula so we have been kinda robbed of that fight.

He's in the top 5 for pace, absolutely but not the quickest, I don't think most F1 insiders or keen observers rank him as the fastest driver in F1. He's probably the most well rounded driver on the grid, he does everything well and nothing badly.
 
He's without doubt the best racing driver, regardless of whether he's the fastest in terms of raw one lap pace.

I've used this phrase before but watching him race it's like he's playing chess when others are playing checkers. He'll start a sequence of events which means he'll get past you in 6 corners, he just outfoxes everyone.

Fantastic driver.
 
I'd agree with that.

The great thing about him is if you isolate him and just watch his car he very rarely looks like he is pushing, he's quick without all the sliding or sawing at the wheel, its actually really strange to watch footage from him back in 2005/6 in the Renault as he just completely chucks the car into the corner with armfuls of lock and somehow it works, those cars must have had mega front ends on them and it was only really Alonso thats made them work consistently.

It is fascinating to watch him in races though, if he is like 3rd in the pack behind a slower car I always think to myself when this plays out Alonso will be ahead of them and if not then he will make a strategy call on the fly and get ahead, just that kind of driver.
 
I found an example of his style at Renault.



It really was quite a unique way of driving.........and I miss those sounds again.
 
Will certainly be weird seeing him in a McLaren again. Wonder how history would differ in an alternate universe where McLaren backed him as number 1 that season...
 
I'd agree with that.

The great thing about him is if you isolate him and just watch his car he very rarely looks like he is pushing, he's quick without all the sliding or sawing at the wheel, its actually really strange to watch footage from him back in 2005/6 in the Renault as he just completely chucks the car into the corner with armfuls of lock and somehow it works, those cars must have had mega front ends on them and it was only really Alonso thats made them work consistently.

It is fascinating to watch him in races though, if he is like 3rd in the pack behind a slower car I always think to myself when this plays out Alonso will be ahead of them and if not then he will make a strategy call on the fly and get ahead, just that kind of driver.
Bold reminds me of a race a few years ago where someone cut him up or did something can't remember exactly what, and they showed a reply of him driving for like half a lap at full page with his thumb on the radio button and he was shouting down the radio complaining :lol:
 
Bold reminds me of a race a few years ago where someone cut him up or did something can't remember exactly what, and they showed a reply of him driving for like half a lap at full page with his thumb on the radio button and he was shouting down the radio complaining :lol:

I think him and Vettel did most of this years Silverstone race like that :lol:
 
I think him and Vettel did most of this years Silverstone race like that :lol:
:lol:

The Vettel and Alonso moves have at least got me looking forward to next season, let's hope Ferrari and McLaren can both build a car that can compete.
 
Ferrari failed Fernando Alonso. Vettel wont fair any better if the car is not significantly improved. Fernando can drive the wheels off an average car(and he nearly drove one to a world title whilst at Maranello). This is a skill I am not convinced Sebastian has(even Lewis for that matter). If the Ferrari is average next season,I dont expect Vettel to elevate the car's output like Alonso could. Fernando like Mike Webber started out at Minardi, and this is where I bealive he developed this ability.
Yep, will be interesting to see how Vettel manages in a new car.
 
There is an interesting article on the BBC website about how Lewis and Nico grew up together.
 
Hope Button has a nice weekend.. Would be nice if he could finish off with a podium but it's looking unlikely after seeing practice runs.. Those Honda engines must be good,as I feel that is the only reason why Alonso is shifting from Ferrari..