How cool that it was Fernando Alonso to win this race. He was so good in a mediocre car on Friday and so unlucky to have a the car break in qualifying. Ironically that bad luck set up his winning on Sunday but he drove like a double world champion, chose a risky strategy and it paid off, nobody was even close at the end.
Some shameful commentary from the usual suspects in the UK with GrandPrix.com going as far as ( with a face saving "some cynics suggest...") suggesting Renault ordered Piquet to crash into the wall. If you were following SpeedTV you also heard Peter WIndsor's bitchy comments about Alonso. Boiled down, Windsor bloviated that after he stopped on track on Saturday, Alonso made a big scene just as a sympathy ploy and meant to dis Renault. Funny thing is I used to respect Windsor, now he sees the world through the ham slices covering his eyes.
Nico Rosberg and Williams had a great one too. Rosberg came in second despite a 10 second stop and go penalty. Very impressive.
Hamilton showed maturity for once. Mclaren and Hamilton had no answer for Massa and looked like he may have had some issues with the rear tires. But they hung in there, made no mistakes and got the right brakes. In the final laps they had Lewis hold third rather than attack for second, the right move from Mclaren.
Now I know Hamilton lovers hate us because we point out things but, I could not help but notice that in the press conference Lewis first moaned about how Coulthard held him up and was really slow and ruined his race but then right after he praised DC for driving a great race. Right after again, he again lamented how passing was impossible but immediately gave the circuit top marks...I'm just saying..
And Ferrari? Ferrari blew the season Sunday. Perhaps the Pope can do something about Massa's season now but you would have to believe in miracles and that miracles can happen back to back.
Terrible for Felipe, he was by far the best in qualifying and nobody would have come close were it not for the Safety Car. Ferrari gave him a great car and Ferrari threw away everything. This automated traffic light had malfunctioned one way or another before, why use it again? I have yet to hear a convincing reason why it's better than the old, man with a stick.
As far as this business of "unsafe release" everyone is so scandalized about...well if the light worked as intended, Sutil would have gone by, there was no mistake there in that sense today.
Finally Raikkonen, I think it's time to stop making excuses for him. What happened today was either distraction or fatigue, either is unacceptable given his position. Sutil crashed, Piquet crashed...and Raikkonen? Sorry, not good enough. What happened to Raikkonen this year remains a mystery.
Singapore was exciting but for the wrong reasons, nobody wants to see races and championships decided because it takes ten minutes for marshals to clear a wreck. The track and the cars looked pretty under the lights but the circuit is what it is, another street track where these cars cannot pass.
Singapore Executive Summary from Axis of Oversteer.com Video on Vimeo.
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Good stuff, but no word on kubica, not even a little sympathy? Im so glad that Alonso won, and i caught the same inconsistency in hamiltons press interview.
ReplyDeleteGo Kubica and Kimi, boo hamilton!
Thanks
You're wrong on two points, Sutil did not just crash, Massa pulled out right in front of him and forced him into the wall. Second, there was plenty of passing, I watched ITV instead of speed and saw at least three cars pass the Trulli Train, as well as Hammy pass DC, and probably other passes i cant remember. I dont think ive seen so so many passes in a race this year. The layout of the track may not have been perfect for passing, but the bumpiness, extreme penalties for heavy fuel load and general driver fatigue made for alot of agressive racing and passing, maybe speed just missed it. As for the rest, yes Hammy is a jerk, Alonso deserved a win and the ferrari robo-lolly sucks (how does it see a driver coming up the pitlane? It doesnt, it just tries to kill Sutil) but maybe you should download the ITV coverage, this was one of the most exciting races ive ever seen.
ReplyDeletePS, thanks for the links to practice vids, I couldnt find it anywhere but here.
"hammy?" ...... ewww but yeah he looks like he is made of ham LOLOL
ReplyDeleteAlonso saved the day for otherwise a frustrating race with Massa's continued extreme tough luck with Ferrari making mistakes (I think they are just paying off the debt of a mistake-free decade with Scumi. Pact with the Devil?).
ReplyDeleteAgree on Raikkonen. There are no more excuses... surprising how such a great driver can fade away in just one season...
What's the difference between God and Hamilton?
God doesn't believe he is Hamilton!
It was more like Dutil saw Massa pull back on track and panicked ... in any case it's amazing, yet another Ferrari/Sutil incident.
ReplyDeleteAs far as passing, you're right, maybe I was a bit too harsh, it's better than Valencia or the Hungaroring and Catalunya for that matter. But if there had been no SC you would have seen the usual train.
Good job Alonso! I missed the Windsor comments. Poor taste Windsor.
ReplyDeleteWindsor has gone into "full clown" mode. I think even the other commentators on Speed were taken aback by that comment.
ReplyDeleteMassa needs to go back to Brazil and get some macumba for the next three races.
Windsor is getting a little bitter in his old age. i've officially lost respect for him altogether. and will someone please tell Hobbs on SPEED that there are teams other than McLaren and drivers other than Ham on the track? every word out of his mouth is about one or the other.
ReplyDeleteshame about Massa. the Reds really screwed it up for him. glad for Alonso because it wasn't Ham, but he earned it either way.
get ready to canonize Lewis. i fear its over and he will bask in his glory, having been the only driver this year with enough "balls" to win the WDC. god, next season cant come soon enough.
finally, Kimi is out to lunch, a three martini lunch. he seems to be so disinterested in being in the fray. i understand that this years car doesn't suit him and he is unhappy with it, but suck it up, and rise to the challenge. its what you get paid all those millions of dollars. he has been the years biggest disappointment.
great job, AC.
Thanks for the comments on Windsor. They really do need to remove him . . . it is no wonder that he can't get too many drivers aside from Webber to talk to him.
ReplyDeleteFor my money he brings the entire broadcast down. His opinions are way out there, no doubt. His analysis is often laced with too much soap opera . . . as if F1 needs any embellishment from him! LOL!
I've noticed that someone must've finally said something to him in regard to his constant frothing over Hamilton . . . at least that has been in check a bit more than last year, when I thought at any moment Chris Hansen from "To Catch a Predator" was going to pop out from behind one of the cars.
Lets try not to give the track more credit then it deserves for passing opportunity. When Rosburg was stuck behind Trulli he was running in the 1:50's, but after he got around him he was running in the low 1:47's.
ReplyDeleteI dont care how you look at it, but when a car is 3 seconds faster then the on it is following, it should easily be able to overtake. Yes some if it is how the cars characteristics are, and how they are so areo dependent, but with any luck that will change next year :D
Also one overlooked feature of the track were the horribly placed Pit-In and Pit-Out locations. We are lucky there were no major problems from that situation.
Fantastic drive from Alonso. Well deserved win.
ReplyDeleteFerrari f'ed it up. Again. Poor Massa, he has performed flawlessly the last few races and has had 2 wins taken away from him due to team/car malfunctions :(
Kimi... who?
Looking tough for Massa, but my money is still on him,