Circuit lap record = Vettel with some untouchable time, tracks no bad, but still a tilke shitodrom.


DISCUSS

Bottas is doing quite well in FP1. 10th with 10 mins left.

Heaps of people are either spinning or running wide in FP2... o.O

Which usually means it's a good track. I like them wide curbs. Cool track, for hotlapping at least.

Looks good if you're a Red Bull fan

The grand prix you mean, then yeah. Seems to me like Nando needs to work on his overtaking skills on some RedBulls if he wants the title.

Quote from BlueFlame :

tracks no bad, but still a tilke shitodrom

The second half is quite interresting, but sadly it gets ruined by the first half, which is basically 45 seconds of: straight - 2nd gear corner - flat out section - 2nd gear corner - 1.XX km flat out section - 2nd gear corner - another flat out section.

This is getting fairly repetitive, you see that same boring stuff in so many of Tilke's design. Most obvious examples are Yeongnam and Bahrain, or to a lesser extend, Abu Dhabi, Hockenheim, Sepang, etc.

Of course it's probably not all Tilke fault, maybe the FIA tells him that he MUST do it that way because they still belive that 2nd gear corner-long straight-2nd gear corners section are the best way to produce the oh-so-valued "overtaking". Or maybe there's some sort of penis-enlargement award for the promoters, included with having the Xth longest straight on the calendar.

Quote from Klouczech :

Narain

I wish one of the midfield team like Force India was allowed to take a risk and line-up a 3rd car backed by local sponsors driven by someone like Karun Chandhock.

No wonder why so few locals are going to bother, when their only man is pretty much doomed to the 12th and last row, because of his machinery!

So Massa passes in 10th, his only job now to give Alonso tow! C'mon I want to see grid Vettel, Alonso, Hamilton, Webber, Kimi!!!

Shows you how much people like him.

Aye, well done by McLaren, gratz Alonso hihi

Ferrari is too useless and it might be Alonso's fault somehow, I can't explain how, but it just might be his fault.

Fak u Red Bull, Finger WDC... What a shame.

I dno toki, u cant blame RedBull for being so good, Ferrari just keeps playing too safe and they should fire Dominecali or do something, anything, radical! Their approach is more boring than RBR's winning.

Alonso could have done a little better, maybe 1 position or 2 based on Massa's sector 1 time but I think the more worrying thing if you're an Alonso/Ferrari fan is that the gap between Alonso and Massa was the same like normal and Alonso's car has the updates and Massa's doesnt, afaik.

Unless it rains, Vettel has this champ in the bag. Fair play Vettel having the edge on Webber when the car is at its best to take the big points, coming strong when it matters is a sign of a champion but its not even going to be close. It's more likely that Vettel wins it with a round to spare than Alonso winning. Like Gary Anderson said on the BBC website, the Ferrari issue is worrying because its far from an easy/short term fix. Since the ban on testing, they have been on the backfoot and havent managed to solve it. being radical doesn't really solve fundamental issues, they have to take a step backwards to go forwards so maybe for 2014 they can do well again.

Mclaren did a good job, looked like they were struggling on Friday.

Quote from N I K I :

I dno toki, u cant blame RedBull for being so good, Ferrari just keeps playing too safe and they should fire Dominecali or do something, anything, radical! Their approach is more boring than RBR's winning.

I'm not blaming Red Bull. They found something again, they have the advantage right now. Guess they'll keep this form until the end of the season... I just dislike them. And even IF Ferrari rises again, I don't think it would be enough to beat RB.

Ferrari haven't been able to really out develop teams since the days of Rory Bryne, untill they find someone as good as Newey I doubt it will change.

Quote from Mustafur :

Ferrari haven't been able to really out develop teams since the days of Rory Bryne, untill they find someone as good as Newey I doubt it will change.

If they should really poach someone from Red Bull, it's Newey - not Vettel. IMO.

I don't think Newey would improve Ferrari, like he didn't make Mclaren winners for that long period in early 2000s. Red Bull are built around him, so his affect is seen better. But if Newey was in Ferrari, he wouldnt be making Red Bull stronger and Fernando would have won 2 championships minimum in the last 3 years(including this 1), so yeah. Good idea

Yeah, but he said he'll retire in RedBull, so sweat dreams haha. I've once said and I say it again Rory needs to stop consulting and start working in Ferrari again. If Dominicali can't make this happen, he needs to find someone else then, cos Costas replacement obviously sucks... which well as conservative as they are will not happen, so we're doomed to wait 2014 to see Ferrari engines bring them back to play.

RedBull reminds me of Williams from 1991 to 1996 when Williams was genius in electronics/aero department just as RBR is in aerodynamics now. Interestingly, Williams suddenly dropped off once Ferrari and McLaren cought up with them back then, but it took them what 6-7 years! Judging by that Ferrari and McLaren are doomed to keep slacking for next 2-3 years in aero department in best case, because obviously there are no free test runs like back then.

Only difference I see from RedBull to Williams from those days is that RedBull has a brilliant driver, whilst Williams just kept changing them after they lost their greats.

Quote from IsaacPrice :

I don't think Newey would improve Ferrari, like he didn't make Mclaren winners for that long period in early 2000s. Red Bull are built around him, so his affect is seen better. But if Newey was in Ferrari, he wouldnt be making Red Bull stronger and Fernando would have won 2 championships minimum in the last 3 years(including this 1), so yeah. Good idea

Thats because Ron Dennis is a control freak, Redbull basically gave Newey a team Tailor made for him to work his magic.

Either way i think too many people here are writing Vettel off as a Damon Hill or JV, But untill He teams up with either Lewis or Alonso no one is going to be happy.

I Personally think if Vettel went to Ferrari and was given Equal treatment he would have a field day in Qualifying, Alonso would Reel him in the races and it would be a tough in team battle, Im still unconvinced over Alonsos Qualifying ability though, Hamilton on his Rookie year got 6 Poles to Alonsos 2 back in 2007 which highlights to me a common trend when given a tough team mate, but to me those two in one Team seems like a Classic Senna vs Prost matchup.

:rolleyes:

race start in less than 5 mins.

I'm usually not the one to complain, but holy crap this is dull as hell.