Some time has passed since the end of the Brazilian GP and the whole yellow flag incident. A bit of a spectacle since: what was a completely legitimate question raised and argued by fans turned into a cause celebre for the F1 establishment, all the way up to El Supremo Bernie.
Ecclestone's view that "Flag-gate" was "ridiculous" is perhaps understandable coming from the man who takes credit for yet another exciting season finale and a nail biter for Red Bull and Ferrari fans. However, what's really ridiculous is that with all its high tech gear and telemetry, F1 did not immediately come out and put the matter to rest. Do not question our judgement, get off our lawn!
Ridiculous was watching establishment motorsport media work the flag issue into a global controversy after it had been already raised and solved, not by them but by, as notorious gatekeeper/grumpy old man Joe Saward calls them, "Internet people".
Frankly, had these "real journalists" managed to raise their noses from the free shrimp buffet in the various hospitality suites and bothered to sit down to go through laps in question frame by frame as "internet people" had done, they could have also put this very legitimate question to bed within 24 hours and not get Bernie upset. We don't question F1's judgement (and we like free shrimp), get off our lawn.
Frankly, had these "real journalists" managed to raise their noses from the free shrimp buffet in the various hospitality suites and bothered to sit down to go through laps in question frame by frame as "internet people" had done, they could have also put this very legitimate question to bed within 24 hours and not get Bernie upset. We don't question F1's judgement (and we like free shrimp), get off our lawn.
Another one who got all in a bundle recently was Luca di Montezemolo who, with trademark class, called Ecclestone a senile old coot. di Montezemolo, not exactly a spring chicken himself at 65, was then verbally kung fu'd by the 82 year old Ecclestone who brought up "88 year old Enzo Ferrari when Luca was a young 40"...
It's actually MY lawn, now get off it!.
It's actually MY lawn, now get off it!.
Not a good week for Monty, that on the heels of Ferrari's official request for a "clarification" on the flag issue. Bad form that, had they looked in on those "internet people" they would have saved themselves yet another PR mistake.
More grumpy old man checking in: 68 year old Dieter Mateschitz came out accusing Alonso for being a sore loser. Frankly, all year long we heard Red Bull whining about being victims and when your star driver takes blames F1 weakest driver and team for his own inability to manage traffic as Vettel did in Austin....
He just forgot now get off his red lawn.
He just forgot now get off his red lawn.
Someone had mentioned how F1 needs a younger audience, perhaps it should quit telling outsiders to get off their lawn...
The Race:
All season we were told Alonso and Ferrari were lucky and chance was why he found himself in a position to fight for the championship at all. Maybe, chance is certainly a part of racing as it was in Brazil for Vettel. For all the griping about bad luck and Senna doing thing to him, Vettel was quite lucky to drive away from a collision he caused on the fist lap, lucky when after gambling on a set of option tires for his second stop, the skyes opened up on his out lap. Fortunately for Seb, Hulkenberg lost it making a move on Hamilton for the lead and the Safety Car was deployed. Vettel struggled around just that one laps and came in for wets. The pit stop was chaotic but he lost little time compared to being out in the pouring rain on slicks. Champions do make the most of luck, no need to pretend it does not exist.
The title was Vettel's to lose and he nearly did, which made it exciting to watch for fans, Red Bull did a superb job again exploiting the regulations to the maximum.F1 put on a good show yet again and moves ahead to a new season minus bendy noses and hopefully a new better form of coverage in the US from F1 new broadcaster, NBC.Hero to zero award goes to Nico Hulkenberg. One mistake is all it took, and just when everyone was saying he should have been the one to take Lewis' seat at Mclaren next year.
One final word about the man who kicked everyone's butt in Brazil: Jenson Button. His drive on slicks when everyone else was reaching for wets was, to say the least, spectacular.
Well done Gentleman Jenson!
Well done Gentleman Jenson!
Ah so your the "Internet People" that Joe whines about :)
ReplyDeleteBecause yer not at every race therefore you have no right to comment or some equally stoopid old media idea. I have always lost respect for anyone that tries to make themselves look better by slagging off their competition, it's childish and sad.
Congratulations Axis on a job very well done, best online coverage of what I'm sure will go down in history as one of the greatest season's F1 has seen.
Thanks from this F1 Fan
Excellent write-up!
ReplyDeleteLove your coverage and commentary, always eagerly away the ex sums.... But in this case the ex sum goes black just around 4 minutes in, after a ?Toys R Us commercial?!? What's happening?
ReplyDeleteWHAT IS WITH THE SHRIMP?
ReplyDeleteDo we need to take a trip to Costco in one of your sweet rides? I'll fill the entire luggage compartment with fresh shrimp if you can find another way to dig at the establishment, just this once.
You have valid points but it's kinda weird you go after the shrimp buffet well-connected F1 peeps have access to. I mean, they spend tens of thousands of dollars to actually be at every race on the schedule so they've got to save money somehow.
Just sayin. Maybe you don't need to worry so much about F1 when you've got such a wide array of other motorsport items to report on. I wouldn't take it too personally given the other regular targets of 'Old man Ire' such as a certain fanatic site that propagates the noise. Don't step into this realm, especially when you could probably sponsor actual on-site reporting from a good number of these races.
Great article apart from the pathetic Ferrari flag waving. If Ferrari had won and McLaren started linking YouTube videos to get the win overturned, YOU WOULD BE OUTRAGED!!!
ReplyDeleteFerrari is successful, mysterious, sexy and exciting but they're undoubtedly the least classy team in motorsports.
They try to get technologies they haven't thought of banned, infiltrate the FIA, throw their weight around every offseason for regulations that favor their development, they bitch, they whine, they attack anyone who criticizes them much the same way scientology or Al Qaeda does.
Great cars, successful history, lots of glitz but completely lacking in morals or scruples. You know it to be true AC.
I'm always amazed by the irrational derangement of Ferrari haters... So you are saying Ferrari did what with YouTube videos? Whatever your delusional views may be, rest assured that Axis put the case to rest not to mention criticized both Ferrari and it's president in this very article which perhaps you did not read.
DeleteI normally enjoy reading Joe's blog, it's interesting and educational. However, his attitude to these events has been pretty disappointing. I put several comments on which he basically replied saying f1 knows best, go away. He seems to be part of the establishment in this case and dismissing f1 fans point of view as uneducated.
ReplyDeletewow, I just went to look through the comments there, Well, what do you expect with someone who charges money to have "fans" talk to him. Wonder how those "An audience with Joe" events are working out? "So tell me Joe...." "Sod off you wanker, how dare you ask me!"
DeleteOy Vey