surely 10 million dollars is loose change for a billionaire.
surely 10 million dollars is loose change for a billionaire.
If everything you own in the world is worth £1000, then £10 would be quite a lot to you. (assuming the girly, modern billion, and not the manly British billion)
There was a story in the papers here (Bangalore) a couple of days ago about an engineer at Kingfisher Airlines who, like many, had not been paid for 5 months. He committed suicide. Mallaya did not even bother to offer his condolences to the engineer's wife. Remember that next time you see his smug face on the pitwall.
He has been stringing on the airline regulator who have been reluctant to act as they do not seem to want to bring a big name down, but that has just made the situation worse.
He has been stringing on the airline regulator who have been reluctant to act as they do not seem to want to bring a big name down, but that has just made the situation worse.
You mean this face?
How am I not surprised at that? 
Sebastian Vettel not yet a great says Sir Jackie Stewart:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/19969175
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/19969175
It might be this inner feeling he has himself that is driving him away from Newey by taking Ferrari from Fernando Alonso, like Senna did to Prost at McLaren. I don't think Vettel has quite reached the great status like Jim Clark, Sir Stirling Moss, Ayrton Senna - the big league greats.
Fernando's fight to the title this year has been a tremendous effort of guile, consistency and being able to drive the car at 100% lap after lap. Vettel gets more rear downforce as Red Bull have improved and just like 2010 when he got better exhaust blown diffusers he overtakes his team mate in the standings the wins races easily.
Where's his defining moment - like Mansell and Piquet at Silverstone in 1987? He could get it yet, but the my mountain of F1 greatness is a little steeper than some people's perhaps?
Fernando's fight to the title this year has been a tremendous effort of guile, consistency and being able to drive the car at 100% lap after lap. Vettel gets more rear downforce as Red Bull have improved and just like 2010 when he got better exhaust blown diffusers he overtakes his team mate in the standings the wins races easily.
Where's his defining moment - like Mansell and Piquet at Silverstone in 1987? He could get it yet, but the my mountain of F1 greatness is a little steeper than some people's perhaps?
I think its fair to say that he hasnt been in a position where he has to take on a fellow great in the same car, or overcome a great driver who is in a better car. I think he could/will prove that he can later in his career but he hasnt achieved that yet. So as a driving great, the question marks are still there. But then again comparing him to Nigel Mansell is probably a bit of an insult to what Vettel has already achieved, never mind what he will in the future.
I wouldnt put him as an all time great the same way I think Alonso has already proved that, no. But that argument will be harder to argue against if he becomes a 3 time consecutive world champion, regardless of machinery its still a feat that only 2 men before him have achieved.
I wouldnt put him as an all time great the same way I think Alonso has already proved that, no. But that argument will be harder to argue against if he becomes a 3 time consecutive world champion, regardless of machinery its still a feat that only 2 men before him have achieved.
goddammit NJ rescheduled to 2014 :| wanted to go as it was near my birthday
True. But that is not the standard to be applied when judging whether someone is "great" or not. If you did, some of the established "greats" won't make the cut.
With the exception of proven cheaters, history judges sporting heroes by what they won, not how they won. If Vettel wins three WDCs and joins that very exclusive group, then he will rightly be a "great".
But being a 3 time WDC doesn't make him better than Clark, just like it didn't with Piquet.
(I wasn't comparing him to Mansell, and I never liked him, but it was a good example of a game changing moment in the sport).
It just depends on how you define great. If that definition to you covers say 5 drivers from all time then Vettel isn't there yet.
(I wasn't comparing him to Mansell, and I never liked him, but it was a good example of a game changing moment in the sport).
It just depends on how you define great. If that definition to you covers say 5 drivers from all time then Vettel isn't there yet.
True, but if you base it on what they won rather than how they won someone like Piquet would be rated in the same sort of league as Senna, Prost, Stewart etc which they arent. To a large extent, it is based how you win.
But yeah, I think what Storm Cloud said is probably true. But to be regarded as a great then its hard to argue that someone is a great when atleast publicly it seems that other drivers snub Vettel to rate someone like Alonso above him. Part of that is banter I suppose. I'm sure he will become a great in the future, I expect him to be a 3 time champion at the end of this season, so he has time to have a less successful period and still come back from that(like Alonso after Mclaren 07, or Schumacher after Benetton) so I'm sure he has a lot of success coming his way.
Comparing great drivers from different decades is like comparing an intelligent human 3000 years ago with an intelligent human today. It just doesn't work, I'm not saying the human 3000 years ago is dumber or smarter but more intelligent in different areas.
I know, horrible example but lets say a driver from 1970 at the age of 25 took a time machine and drove one of todays cars I think he would be way off.
I know, horrible example but lets say a driver from 1970 at the age of 25 took a time machine and drove one of todays cars I think he would be way off.
Difference is drivers then actually had a real fear to deal with, drivers now basically CAN'T die in the car.
So to say drivers from earlier were less intelligent is probably true because they drove not knowing if they'd die or not.
So to say drivers from earlier were less intelligent is probably true because they drove not knowing if they'd die or not.
Stewart pls. You had the most dominant car every season you won. That little Tyrrel was in league of it's own. Stewart and his french teammate would just fly away from everyone else, like RBR did last year. All of his championships are won in that team with double more points than other championship contenders or he DNFed most races and didn't win championship by a huge margin again. He came after Clark and battled whoevers when Rint died (who took the title even he was killed in mid season) before Lauda came to scene. So, what he is implying I don't know. I already rate Vettel higher than him even this season hasn't ended. If Vettel wins this title it's hard fought just as 2010 was.
Vettel, I mean I wanted to see him fail and he did in some races, but he is just relentless, proper German till the very end. He beat his rivals in straight fights, he made comebacks, executed wise strategies with the team and is by far the best qualifier of them all, all in this year. All well done to Alonso, but neither luck can be forever on his side, nor Ferrari can seem to stop fakin him up. If I was in Vettel's shoes I wouldn't be looking with glossy eyes at Ferrari from this past 3 years and they say you're only as good as your last race.
The relationship he has with Newey an Newey with him is amazing. I wouldn't be risking that for all matters. Sometimes I build a really nice setup and I find .2 or .3 just like that, then imagine if you've got a cool parts in your car that do that and the setup. Newey hadn't had something of that sort since Mika Hakkinen. Yeah, I'm sorry Iceman fans and DC fans. However, we forget how young Vettel is and how many years of F1 are ahead of him. Being 6 years younger than Alonso means he can go to Ferrari when Alonso retires from F1 if that is something he has to do in his lifetime.
Interestingly, RBR as a car is purposelessly built to be the quickest car in Vettel's hands over the course of the season. The most tracks are new tracks with shorter straights and more direction changes and mid speed corners than the old tracks. That's how the car is now built for 3 years in a row and I don't understand why other teams don't focus on that specific part. I mean what they do is copy something from RedBull when they see that they have to have it. Why not focus on what for RedBull is doing it and you might come up with even better solutions to the problem then.
Vettel, I mean I wanted to see him fail and he did in some races, but he is just relentless, proper German till the very end. He beat his rivals in straight fights, he made comebacks, executed wise strategies with the team and is by far the best qualifier of them all, all in this year. All well done to Alonso, but neither luck can be forever on his side, nor Ferrari can seem to stop fakin him up. If I was in Vettel's shoes I wouldn't be looking with glossy eyes at Ferrari from this past 3 years and they say you're only as good as your last race.
The relationship he has with Newey an Newey with him is amazing. I wouldn't be risking that for all matters. Sometimes I build a really nice setup and I find .2 or .3 just like that, then imagine if you've got a cool parts in your car that do that and the setup. Newey hadn't had something of that sort since Mika Hakkinen. Yeah, I'm sorry Iceman fans and DC fans. However, we forget how young Vettel is and how many years of F1 are ahead of him. Being 6 years younger than Alonso means he can go to Ferrari when Alonso retires from F1 if that is something he has to do in his lifetime.
Interestingly, RBR as a car is purposelessly built to be the quickest car in Vettel's hands over the course of the season. The most tracks are new tracks with shorter straights and more direction changes and mid speed corners than the old tracks. That's how the car is now built for 3 years in a row and I don't understand why other teams don't focus on that specific part. I mean what they do is copy something from RedBull when they see that they have to have it. Why not focus on what for RedBull is doing it and you might come up with even better solutions to the problem then.
If the choice was between Alonso and Vettel, I think picking Alonso is a no-brainer. His capability is unquestionable. I suspect that if Vettel was posed that question, he would probably pick Alonso too.
What is interesting is that Alonso was lauded as a great in 2006, even before his 2007 debacle and subsequent struggles at Renault and Ferrari. Perhaps it was because he was the one who - finally - downed Michael Schumacher. Vettel had a much more conventional rise to stardom compared to Alonso.
It hasn't been mentioned yet, but another absurdity that is often dragged up is that Vettel somehow didn't prove himself in a slow car. I wonder how some people come to this strange conclusion. Was 2008 such a long time ago? I'll do a comparison with Robert Kubica (incidentally my favourite driver in F1 during his active years), a driver who seems to be universally praised for his performances at BMW and Renault. At BMW, Kubica was paired with Heidfeld and could not establish definite superiority over him, despite being the favoured driver. Vettel has been paired with Webber for four seasons now and have so far beaten him without fail. In 2010, Kubica was praised for his results in the Renault, while Vettel outperformed Bourdais by a greater margin in 2008 than Kubica did against Petrov in 2010. So why the bias?
I think the whole F1 paddock and press are wary of having another German rise as a star figure in the sport, so shortly after Schumacher's (first) retirement. The fact he's got a fantastic team behind him is another detractor, even though Red Bull hasn't always been the fastest, especially in 2009 and 2012, nor the most reliable, as in 2010. Although I think crowning him as a "great" is premature, credit should be properly given. It's also interesting that the British and Spanish press seem to be the most vocal in downplaying his performance - the two nations who have their own drivers vying for the championship crown this year.
The reason he isn't considered a 'great' is his success has been coincided with the recognition of the genius of Adrian Newey. Alonos can win 'despite of the Ferrari' and Hamilton can win 'despite of his Mclaren team' (and it has to be recognised had McLaren not completely ****ing up at every available oppurtunity this year Hamilton would have had a healthy lead in the championship). Vettel wins 'because of newey'. That's just the general perception. And really it's all meaningless drivel to fill collumns in magazines.
No matter how much RBR is better than Ferrari/McLaren over past 3-4 years, if/when Vettel wins 3 consecutive titles there has to be something to the driver as well, in everyone's mind on this planet then. And then, again he might even win 4 straight champs, I mean goddamn of course he is a great. He's beating Alonso and this year it isn't so much because of the car. Vettel's car died 2 times, whilst Alonso crashed out twice, remember. When did Vettel crash out last time, 2010? 
Hulk took his time to get to know with the car, with the team and with F1 generally. Ever since he finished that process of his, his level is consistently higher than di Resta's. And he's far better in wet conditions than di Resta.
The move to Sauber has logic to it, as that team has been on podium 4 times whilst Force India hasn't done better than 4th all year long, baring in mind that we'll basically have the same cars next year. For 2014, let's see if he can take Webber's/Massa's seat so that I can favor him over Vettel/Alonso then.
Hulk took his time to get to know with the car, with the team and with F1 generally. Ever since he finished that process of his, his level is consistently higher than di Resta's. And he's far better in wet conditions than di Resta.
The move to Sauber has logic to it, as that team has been on podium 4 times whilst Force India hasn't done better than 4th all year long, baring in mind that we'll basically have the same cars next year. For 2014, let's see if he can take Webber's/Massa's seat so that I can favor him over Vettel/Alonso then.
It's hard to quantify Stewarts championships to Vettels because in Jackie's day cars actually broke down. In 1973 it would of been different had the Lotus been reliable.
It was the same for Hulk in 2010, it took him a while to get adjusted. Being out of the cockpit for a year wouldn't have helped. It truly was a laughable decision by Williams to keep Rubens Barrichello for another season and drop a younger more reliable driver.
ftfy
Don't be silly. Maldonado might be occasionally daft, but he has brought funds that Williams damn well need and has won them their first race in years. He could have had another podium in Singapore if the car hadn't let him down. Keeping Rubens who had started to lose the battle with Nico at the end of 2010, on a higher salary, was not bright.
Sauber sign Hulkenberg for 2013
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/103888
Interestingly it's only a one year deal, meaning he could be off to Ferrari for 2014
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/103888
Interestingly it's only a one year deal, meaning he could be off to Ferrari for 2014
Red Bull win, because Red Bull effectivly cheat. Lotus has the fastest 'effective' car within the scope of the rules. And even they arn't allowed to use 'legal' updates because they've been old that even a .5 advantage will see that 'legal' advance banned.
Red Bull use soft options that can't be officially brought to book, because there can be no definative proof.
Look at the timing values race after race. Free practice times invariable go to Mclaren, Ferrari, Lotus and Mercedes. They are your benchmark and when you look at their lap times it's only a few hundreths between them on any given sunday. Whilst Red Bull will continuously post sunday times .5 and above of a second faster than the competition.
They are known in the industry to cheat, the governing body knows they cheat. Lotus is arguable the first 'honest' team out there in the standings, and they are not allowed to become competative by honest means.
F1 is dying. F1 is rigged. Roll on V8 Supercars. At least they are actually racing, even if the politics is the same.
Red Bull use soft options that can't be officially brought to book, because there can be no definative proof.
Look at the timing values race after race. Free practice times invariable go to Mclaren, Ferrari, Lotus and Mercedes. They are your benchmark and when you look at their lap times it's only a few hundreths between them on any given sunday. Whilst Red Bull will continuously post sunday times .5 and above of a second faster than the competition.
They are known in the industry to cheat, the governing body knows they cheat. Lotus is arguable the first 'honest' team out there in the standings, and they are not allowed to become competative by honest means.
F1 is dying. F1 is rigged. Roll on V8 Supercars. At least they are actually racing, even if the politics is the same.
Formula One Season 2012
(1268 posts, started )
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