2014 Austrian GP Thread

[steveaki13]

Sorry Guys but I havent had time to compile the normal opening post that I enjoy.

Note sure anyone will care. :p

Anyway I thought we should start it as Quali is only 12 or so hours away.

I am loving F1 back at the A1 ring. From what I saw it looks the same layout and that drivers were struggling.

I also heard them say Artifical sparks are being created. :rolleyes: Brother I heard it all now.

[TheFamousEccles]

I care :kiss::spinhead:

[rjbetty]

I miss the usual post too. I've been waiting all week.

[Tazio]

Note sure anyone will care. :p



I am loving F1 back at the A1 ring. From what I saw it looks the same layout and that drivers were struggling.

I also heard them say Artifical sparks are being created. :rolleyes: Brother I heard it all now.
You and me both brutha'

[Tazio]

Plus why did they put it on Kimi's car?

[andyone]

I miss the usual post too. I've been waiting all week.
same here i miss that post too.. and i have been looking for this for weeks.

[steveaki13]

Hi Guys. I have been watching so much football and have been out and about, so didn't get time to open the thread with the normal stats post.

So back by popular demand :p (or 3 posts anyway)

Its great to be back at the A1 Ring IMO, It always has had an almost karting track feel and normally produced really exciting racing.

Drivers Championship after 6 Rounds



No.
Name
Points


1
Nico Rosberg
140


2
Lewis Hamilton
118


3
Daniel Ricciardo
79


4
Fernando Alonso
69


5
Sebastian Vettel
60


6
Nico Hulkenberg
57


7
Jenson Button
43


8
Valterri Bottas
40


9
Kevin Magnussen
23


10
Sergio Perez
20


11
Felipe Massa
18


12
Kimi Raikkonen
18


13
Romain Grosjean
8


14
Jean Eric Vergne
8


15
Dani Kyvat
4


16
Jules Bianchi
2


17
Marcus Ericsson
0


18
Adrian Sutil
0


19
Esteban Gutierrez
0


20
Max Chilton
0


21
Kamui Kobayashi
0


22
Pastor Maldonado
0



Constructors Championship after 6 Rounds



1
Mercedes
258


2
Red Bull
139


3
Ferrari
87


4
Force India
77


5
Mclaren
66


6
Williams
58


7
Toro Rosso
12


8
Lotus
8


9
Marussia
2


10
Sauber
0


11
Caterham
0



http://www.trackpedia.com/mediawiki/images/3/38/Circuit_A1_Ring.png
2014 Austrian GP, A1 Ring

20th-22nd June 2014

71 Laps

Times are Local and (UK times). (Sorry about that :vampire: )

FP1: 10:00am-11:30am (9:00am-10:30am)
FP2: 14:00pm-15:30pm (13:00pm-14:30pm)

FP3: 11:00-12:00pm (10:00-11:00am)
Quali: 14:00pm (13:00pm)

Race: 14:00pm (13:00pm)

Previous Winners at A1 Ring

1997: Jacques Villeneuve - Williams
1998: Mika Hakkinen - Mclaren
1999: Eddie Irvine - Ferrari
2000: Mika Hakkinen- Mclaren
2001: David Coulthard - Mclaren
2002: Michael Schumacher - Ferrari
2003: Michael Schumacher - Ferrari

Most Wins
M. Schumacher - 2 wins
Hakkinen- 2 wins
Coulthard - 1 win
Irvine - 1 win
Villeneuve - 1 win

Ferrari - 3 wins
Mclaren - 3 wins
Williams - 1 win

* There are only 4 drivers I make it have driven in an F1 race around here. The old boys Button, Alonso, Kimi & Felipe.

So sorry about its lateness but hope you enjoyed it.

[Tazio]

:stareup: Thanks meat!! :devil:

[Tazio]

It's almost quali time, who's watching and what will the top 10 grid look like?

[Koz]

I think top 5 will be Merc powered.

[dj_bytedisaster]

Good grief that Sauber is bad - eliminated with the Marussias and Caterhams - welcome to rock bottom...

[Tazio]

yup!

[Tazio]

I think top 5 will be Merc powered.

Probably but I'm hoping Fred can get there or there abouts. :(

[Koz]

Damn! Fred!! Very lucky.

[Koz]

OMG Vettel out.

[Tazio]

Glad Kimi got through to q3 :)

[Tazio]

Button's washed up! :dozey:

[dj_bytedisaster]

OMG Vettel out.

Considering how close it was from 5 to 15 everybody could have missed. RIC also barely made it and was beaten by Kvyat. The RB seems rather useless in Austria

[Koz]

Considering how close it was from 5 to 15 everybody could have missed. RIC also barely made it and was beaten by Kvyat. The RB seems rather useless in Austria

Yeah, but he was out qualified again.

Awesome job by Kvyat too.

[dj_bytedisaster]

Yeah, but he was out qualified again.

Awesome job by Kvyat too.

He will be outqualified for most of the season. Danny has always been a bit sharper on saturday than sunday.

[Koz]

OMG did Hamilton just choke?!

[dj_bytedisaster]

Oops, there'll be rivers cried in Blighty tonight - and yay for Felipe baby :D

[Koz]

Stupid stupid brake by wire!

Massa!! :D

[Tazio]

Fred put the Ferrari dog on row two briliant, Kimi is oficially Fred's bitch. Felipe Baggie ;)

[pino]

Amazing Felipe, so happy for him !!! :up:

[N4D13]

I'm actually kinda gutted for Bottas. The guy deserved to earn his maiden pole, I think. But of course, Massa pulled off a faster lap, so you could say that he deserved it more. :P

[Zico]

Incredible! Did I just hear some glass tinkle?.. a bottle smashing perhaps? I'd never have dreamed of a Williams front row lock out.. wow! Exciting times!

[Koz]

Doesn't matter. Williams.

I hope tomorrow they don't do stupid pitstop / strategy.

We need a Williams win damn it!

[Bagwan]

Fred put the Ferrari dog on row two briliant, Kimi is oficially Fred's bitch. Felipe Baggie ;)

Fast Flip was fast today , tazzy bear , but tomorrow , at the first turn , Fred will slide up the inside , as Flip defends against his uppity team mate .

[Tazio]

Wouldn't surprise me old friend, but I think Williams will get away well because they get heat into their tires faster than most others, but suffer with rear tire degradation. Plus Felipe is soft compared to Fred, and I think it is time I clarify something that we have been at odds about. Felipe is murderously fast on his day, he is Fast Felipe, however he is a little soft, and inconsistant. I still like to pull for him,(not as much I pull for the vastly superior Fred)! :)
BTW Stick a fork in the Boss, Nico will punk him for the WDC.

[AndyL]

Felipe baby :D
Loving those shots of the Williams garage after the pole.

We have some race to look forward to tomorrow. Williams could suffer from their heavy tyre usage as they did last time, and Mercedes have great pace on the prime tyre, so you've got to think Rosberg is favourite for the win. But Frank Williams seems confident he has a race-winning car here so you never know! And with Hamilton starting 9th we could really see what that Mercedes is capable of.

[Bagwan]

Wouldn't surprise me old friend, but I think Williams will get away well because they get heat into their tires faster than most others, but suffer with rear tire degradation. Plus Felipe is soft compared to Fred, and I think it is time I clarify something that we have been at odds about. Felipe is murderously fast on his day, he is Fast Felipe, however he is a little soft, and inconsistant. I still like to pull for him,(not as much I pull for the vastly superior Fred)! :)
BTW Stick a fork in the Boss, Nico will punk him for the WDC.

Soft Flip won't get a chance to torture the tires , tazmo .

There aint no need to clarify nuthin' .
He'll be in third before the end of the first lap , and whining , that he's faster .
That is , if he makes it through the first turn .

Hell , tazzy , I'd like to root for the guy .
My son has a signed hat from back in '04 in Montreal , and he's the only one of the current crop that I've met .

But , he's such a wuss .
Even as an underdog , and I almost always root , at least a little for the underdog , I found it hard , what with his lower lip hanging so far down when he got whipped .
He was always like a beaten dog , not an underdog .

But , that said , I'm happy he's put a Williams back on pole , and seemingly doing a great of mentoring Bottas .
I just can't help but wonder what kind of speed wobble that lower lip might have gone into , had he been beaten by his team mate to pole , because it would still have been a great day for Frank , but crushing for soft Flip .

[Tazio]

I think Felipe will easily lead the first lap, and find it hard to understand your logic, because he has been a very fast starter, which may be down to the fact that is is such a light tiny little shit, I want to let the forum know here and now that I am questioning your honor if you will not put at least a sig bet on Felipe's classification after the completion of the first lap, dude.

[steveaki13]

Wow.

Just caught up with Quali after being out in the sun for a while.

Cant believe what I just watched

It is great to see a Williams front row again. First time since Monty and Little Shoe.

I really hope they can win tomorrow. It would be great.

As for Nico, do we know why he failed to do anything on his second lap? Was he just slower or make a mistake.

Looking forward to seeing Hamilton come back through the field after that strange incident.

[Koz]

Nico said he slowed down because of Lewis' incident.

[Bagwan]

I think Felipe will easily lead the first lap, and find it hard to understand your logic, because he has been a very fast starter, which may be down to the fact that is is such a light tiny little shit, I want to let the forum know here and now that I am questioning your honor if you will not put at least a sig bet on Felipe's classification after the completion of the first lap, dude.

Yer on , Mr. Bear !

The tiny little soft sh!t certainly won't be first at the end of the lap , so is that all you want out of this ?
Or , do you want me further out on a limb than that ?

How's about I say he'll be third or worse ?
That's a pretty sure bet .

I aint afraid of no sig bet , bubba .

[Tazio]

Yer on , Mr. Bear !

The tiny little soft sh!t certainly won't be first at the end of the lap , so is that all you want out of this ?
Or , do you want me further out on a limb than that ?

How's about I say he'll be third or worse ?
That's a pretty sure bet .

I aint afraid of no sig bet , bubba .third after the first lap .... I have to take that wager Good luck amigo :bandit:

[Baljeet Singh Marwah]

Hi guys am new to the forum, an avid kimi fan, tough times for us but hey hey hey none of his laps were disqualified...really love this track!

[pino]

Hi guys am new to the forum, an avid kimi fan, tough times for us but hey hey hey none of his laps were disqualified...really love this track!

Welcome ! :)

[Baljeet Singh Marwah]

Thanks :)

[steveaki13]

Hi guys am new to the forum, an avid kimi fan, tough times for us but hey hey hey none of his laps were disqualified...really love this track!

Hi.

Welcome aboard. :wave:

How and when did you become a Kimi fan?

[Baljeet Singh Marwah]

Thanks brother
I started following the sport when he was in his last mclaren years...saw him overtake fisi on last lap in Japan and been his fan ever since. :)

[Bagwan]

third after the first lap .... I have to take that wager Good luck amigo :bandit:

Or worse , Tazzy , or worse .
I'll think up a good one for you .
It won't hurt too much .

[Tazio]

Or worse , Tazzy , or worse .
I'll think up a good one for you .
It won't hurt too much .

Oh no!!! Scary Movie. :dozey:

[dj_bytedisaster]

Do you guys ever sleep?

[Tazio]

Thanks brother
I started following the sport when he was in his last mclaren years...saw him overtake fisi on last lap in Japan and been his fan ever since. :)Remember in 2008 when Kimi had to ride bitch for Felipe because Felipe was the one fighting for the WDC, and Kimi could only try to help his master (that year), bro'? ;) :sailor:

[airshifter]

Remember in 2008 when Kimi had to ride bitch for Felipe because Felipe was the one fighting for the WDC, and Kimi could only try to help his master (that year), bro'? ;) :sailor:

Wasn't that the year after Hamilton beat Fred in equal cars with neither driver helping the other in the WDC? Or was that the year after the last title for Ferrari? I forget?

Based on you thinking Nico will win the title Nico > Fred? :laugh:






Great to see Williams do so well. I was really pulling for Bottas to get a first pole, but if he had to lose it to anyone surely Felipe could use the positive of the pole too.

I don't think Felipe and Bottas will fade that fast, as there isn't much room to squeak by. Fred does get some lightning starts, but I think beyond the acceleration event through the first couple of corners passing is going to be hard.

Excellent job by Kvyat, Magnusson, and Perez as well. Some of the underdogs are sure cutting some fast laps.


I'm still confused by the Perez penalty after the appeal. They gave him the penalty based on moving in the braking zone, but video clearly showed he was not on the brakes and at 100% throttle when he got hit. They must mean the zone before the breaking zone?

I'm also very on the fence about the enforcement of the track limits during qually. They either need to enforce track limits all the time and figure out penalties, or not enforce them IMO. Based on the onboard shots, at least several drivers went four wheels off and had times still used. Quite a few also appeared to go four wheels off on turn 7 without penalty. For an extreme example Alonso bounced off that road off the track in Q2, but the time counted even though all wheels were clearnly in the dirt and at least a foot off the track limits!

[Tazio]

Based on you thinking Nico will win the title Nico > Fred?









Sorry dukie, your (petty) freakin' logic is flawed? :confused: :dummy:

So weak dude!


Let's ride!


http://i2.wp.com/www.asphaltandrubber.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/2012-MV-Agusta-Brutale-675-19.jpg

[TheFamousEccles]

Mmmm, that thing gives me the horn! Actually, any MV Augusta causes stirrings in the nethers for me. It's an issue I'm yet to get over...

[donKey jote]

hay gurlz :wave:

enjoy the race... I'll be sitting in a truck at our tracks keeping an eye on the telemetry from our guests at the driving event for the stoopid world cup. Whoever timed it to start with the F1 deserves to be handed over to Billy's missus for a good spanking or two :mad: :devil:

[Bagwan]

Oh no!!! Scary Movie. :dozey:

Sucker .
I'm gonna win that bet .
It's my birthday today .

[steveaki13]

Sucker .
I'm gonna win that bet .
It's my birthday today .

Happy Birthday Bagwan.

[steveaki13]

....and by the way.

Morning Guys, Gurlz and Donkey's :wave:

[Tazio]

@air', and also Newbie Singh. I really like Kimi's style, I had a similar attitude when I played Baseball, but he is in way over his head right now because he is not as adaptable as Fred to a nervous car, either was Felipe.
I just always feel like I have to push back when the Kimi bandwagon gets going because from a fans perspective I'm only interested in Kimi the driver not his personality and I really hope he does better. As of right now he is not only having problems with a nervous car. I think the latest turbo, and electronic (especially brake by wire) features of this year’s cars have caught him out a little which is the .6 degrees of separation :angel: :dork: between him and Fred at Ferrari this season. That’s a shame for a guy that has as much pure speed as Kim, but an advantage to the likes of Zo who is much more adaptable, as well as being fast, whether he is a jerk or not. Go Kimi! Go Fred!
May the forza be with them both!! ;)

[Tazio]

Morning dawgs! do you think Felipe will hold onto at least second place buy the end of the first lap so I can win my bet with Baggie? :rolleyes:

[steveaki13]

Morning dawgs! do you think Felipe will hold onto at least second place buy the end of the first lap so I can win my bet with Baggie? :rolleyes:

Felipe will have spun, crashed or melted down by the start of lap 2. :D

Anyone think Lewis's lock up yesterday was a similar thing to Heidfeld's back in 2002 when he wiped Sato out?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_rZbnPbYnI

[veeten]

No. ;) :p:

[Koz]

It's my birthday today .

Happy Birthday!!

[Tazio]

Sucker .
I'm gonna win that bet .
It's my birthday today .
Happy Birthday suit dawg! ;)

[Tazio]

I wish Fred or Kimi could give you the present you would really dig!

[veeten]

Roll off lap.

[Koz]

Felepe Baby:

http://sd.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/i/keep-calm-and-stay-a-princess.png

[veeten]

And here we... GOOOOOOOO!!!! :D

[Tazio]

You're going to eat those words!

[steveaki13]

Lewis with a great start. Bottas passing Rosberg back.

[steveaki13]

damn Felipe. How you so fast and composed. :confused:

[steveaki13]

Oh Seb

[veeten]

Oh WOW!!! Vettel!

[Tazio]

Sorry Baggie! :pimp:

[Tazio]

Great start by The Boss!

[veeten]

Software glitch for RBR.

[Tazio]

Ham's rears look awful! :eek:

[steveaki13]

Williams are plain quicker on super soft.

[steveaki13]

Williams & Lewis not pitting. :eek:

[Koz]

One of the Williams should have pit...

[Koz]

And that's what happens when the princess doesn't stay calm.

[steveaki13]

Stoopid Williams as Donkey would say.

[steveaki13]

2.1 second pit stop for Williams

[steveaki13]

Everything working beautifully for Nico Rosberg. Leads the race and gained on Lewis.

[Tazio]

Checo baby :p:

[steveaki13]

Amazing Pace from Perez. I thought he would be passed by all these quite quick.

[N4D13]

Amazing Pace from Perez. I thought he would be passed by all these quite quick.
But the FIA haven't been bold enough. Let's remove these two DRS zones, passing here is easy enough already! :P

[steveaki13]

I don't know if Lewis arrives in his pits too fast, but his stops are always a chunk slower than Nico'.

[Tazio]

Amazing Pace from Perez. I thought he would be passed by all these quite quick.

He's my hero of the race because Fred is turning the fastest laps currently!

[veeten]

Kyvat tyre go 'pop'...

[steveaki13]

Kyvat in trouble and out with no brakes.

[steveaki13]

Not working for Lewis, losing time again.

[veeten]

Perez' tyres giving up the ghost...

[Tazio]

These two again!

[steveaki13]

Rosberg a bit slow along the back straight?

[veeten]

'Golden boy' is falling down today...

[Tazio]

Seb has turned into a caricature of himself! :sailor:

[Tazio]

Ba-bye :wave:

[veeten]

Race over for Seb. Pack it up, boy...

[longisland]

This is a really miserable day for Red Bull. 2 cars retire in home GP.

[AndyL]

Nico gets "HPP1 push hard now."
Lewis gets "Hammer time!"

[steveaki13]

Lewis again losing buckets of time in the pits??? 4.0 seconds.

Everytime. Its strange.

[steveaki13]

Everything seems to go for Nico at the moment.

[steveaki13]

Lewis needs to pass Nico really, otherwise Nico is good enough to win this title easily.

[Tazio]

Yup!

[steveaki13]

Mercedes & Williams had a good race early on, but actually the two Mercedes appear to be holding station at the moment.

[longisland]

Bulls day getting bad to worse, Vergne is out. Finally, Massa can freely race Fred

[steveaki13]

Well done to Nico. Sadly I fear Nico may run away with the Championship now. Lewis keeps making errors and finishing second for whatever reason.

I hope he can put up a fight to the end.

[Tazio]

Finally, Massa can freely race Fred

Yeah, he no longer has to be made a complete fool by Fred for being so much slower in equal machinery, its Kimi’s turn!

[Tazio]

Well done Nico, The Boss is in a heap 'o trouble!

[The Black Knight]

Good race. Can anyone answer me this question, why is it that Hamilton's pitstops are always slower then Rosberg's? I think he would have had Rosberg today were it not for his extra long pitstops. It's something I have noticed over the year, Hamilton is always losing a second or so to Rosberg in the pits.

[AndyL]

Good race. Can anyone answer me this question, why is it that Hamilton's pitstops are always slower then Rosberg's? I think he would have had Rosberg today were it not for his extra long pitstops. It's something I have noticed over the year, Hamilton is always losing a second or so to Rosberg in the pits.

Mark Webber wants to know that too :)

[steveaki13]

Good race. Can anyone answer me this question, why is it that Hamilton's pitstops are always slower then Rosberg's? I think he would have had Rosberg today were it not for his extra long pitstops. It's something I have noticed over the year, Hamilton is always losing a second or so to Rosberg in the pits.

Its also 0.5-1.0 second slower in at least 75% of pitstops it seems.

Whether its Lewis not stopping in a slightly wrong place or something else I don't know. Its certainly a fact though.

[Tazio]

Sucker .
I'm gonna win that bet .
You owe me big time dukie!

[The Black Knight]

Its also 0.5-1.0 second slower in at least 75% of pitstops it seems.

Whether its Lewis not stopping in a slightly wrong place or something else I don't know. Its certainly a fact though.

Yeah it's getting a bit suspicious now. German team and the German driver always gets the better pitstops. Strange, eh?

[rjbetty]

Yeah it's getting a bit suspicious now. German team and the German driver always gets the better pitstops. Strange, eh?

I've noticed this too Knight, though I think Nico did have a slower stop in Canada. But I think that was just a mistake by the team...

[dj_bytedisaster]

Yeah it's getting a bit suspicious now. German team and the German driver always gets the better pitstops. Strange, eh?

The only strange thing is your paranoia. Yeah, let's pay bazillions of dollars to hire Lewis, so we can shaft him. What have you been smoking?

[rjbetty]

The only strange thing is your paranoia. Yeah, let's pay bazillions of dollars to hire Lewis, so we can shaft him. What have you been smoking?

To be fair, you would say the same thing if it was the other way round, or with Vettel I'm sure. And maybe only after happening one time. I will give the benefit of the doubt a little longer, but if it happens more than one time in the next few races, I think it would not be unreasonable to at least ask the question, even if it does then turn out to be wrong.

[Bagwan]

Sorry Baggie! :pimp:

Ah , Tazzy , you got lucky this time !

It didn't take long for him to drop down , but I guess I got a little too cocky with my prediction , owing to the Bday status .
But , alas , the universe doesn't always reward those who push the limits .

By the way , thanks for all the good wishes on my day , you guys .
It's started off pretty well , with a GP to watch .

Now , I think I'll wander down the street and have a plate of eggs Benedict whilst my buddy Taz thinks up a good sig for me .

By the way , Tazzy-Bear , how long do I have to wear the clown suit ?
We never clarified that .

[Tazio]

The only strange thing is your paranoia. Yeah, let's pay bazillions of dollars to hire Lewis, so we can shaft him. What have you been smoking?Yup, The Boss threw this race away in quali, and had bad luck in the pits, Shit happens dudes!

[rjbetty]

Anyway, with Bottas 3rd, Magnussen 7th and Ricciardo only 8th, I'm hoping for a good result in FGP today. :smokin:

[dj_bytedisaster]

To be fair, you would say the same thing if it was the other way round, or with Vettel I'm sure. And maybe only after happening one time. I will give the benefit of the doubt a little longer, but if it happens more than one time in the next few races, I think it would not be unreasonable to at least ask the question, even if it does then turn out to be wrong.

If you were a German team that prefers its German driver. Would you have hired a world champion to be his team mate or would you have hired someone solid like Hülkenberg, who gets the job done with the added benefit that you wouldn't need to meddle with results because he's German, too? Merc wouldn't have shelled out millions for Lewis if they wanted him to lose. That doesn't make the least bit of sense. Not even with 10 beer in the system.
And why did they 'let' Lewis win four in a row earlier in the season?

[rjbetty]

If you were a German team that prefers its German driver. Would you have hired a world champion to be his team mate or would you have hired someone solid like Hüleknberg, who gets the job done with the added benefit that you wouldn't need to meddle with results? Merc wouldn't have shelled out millions for Lewis if they wanted him to lose. That doesn't make the least bit of sense. Not even with 10 beer in the system.

I hope that's true. I'm not crying foul yet, but I realised years ago, people in F1 are really funny sometimes, like dodgy. I learned this with Flav and still don't feel quite right about Fisi's 2005 after all these years. Even though before the season I already understood fair chances for both/WDC etc, it just seems that funny stuff goes on sometimes, that seems to defy what you'd think is sensible and logical.

I already am convinced and have been before the season that Nico is going to win this year's championship (though briefly forgetting this after Lewis' flurry of wins) - call it a... hunch I've had. I think that's why I'm being more laid back and resigned to things.


Edit: I'm not saying Toto and Mercedes did do anything dodgy, but IF they had, I guess it would be ok as long as Lewis is still 2nd? If slower pit stops continue to occur for Lewis though, I will not blame anyone for having questions.

As for 2005, I gave the benefit of the doubt for a looong time. Even after Canada which was very harsh, I still chose to believe Fisi was just insanely unlucky compared to his team-mate. I know I would have been seen as a sore loser in 2005. But in 2006 I am convinced both were given equal chance and affection, and Alonso simply beat Fisi fair and square as I always expected for 2006, though Fisi underperformed.

[Tazio]

By the way , Tazzy-Bear , how long do I have to wear the clown suit ?
We never clarified that .

TBH Baggie I think I was either too polluted, or hung over from a good beer-fest. I've been drinking mainly Newcastle on my well dissevered weekend (you know we're a hard working lot over here compared to....well you know who ;) and chat stupid with the boyz and Gadji during the soccer matches on this forum) to understand that we were betting anything of substance. :confused: So Forget About It. Happy B-day mate!

[dj_bytedisaster]

Edit: I'm not saying Toto and Mercedes did do anything dodgy, but IF they had, I guess it would be ok as long as Lewis is still 2nd? If slower pit stops continue to occur for Lewis though, I will not blame anyone for having questions.


Have you considered the possibility that Lewis might have a part in this? Rosberg usually drives into the pits quite smoothly, while Lewis hurls in like his hair's on fire. Agressive is not always the best approach in F1.

[rjbetty]

Have you considered the possibility that Lewis might have a part in this? Rosberg usually drives into the pits quite smoothly, while Lewis hurls in like his hair's on fire. Agressive is not always the best approach in F1.

Ok it could be, if he pits aggresively. Maybe he can study Nico´s data to improve, as I think Lewis is owed a favour here. ;)

[dj_bytedisaster]

Ok it could be, if he pits aggresively. Maybe he can study Nico´s data to improve, as I think Lewis is owed a favour here. ;)

Why? ;)

[AndyL]

Ted is reporting on Sky that on Lewis's first stop, he stopped slightly over his marks; and on the second stop, there was some damage to the cake tin (brake shroud), apparently the same as Rosberg had earlier in the season, which caused a slower wheel change.

[Tazio]

Why? ;)Please excuse me but some people are going mental over these slower pitstops. A Sky broadcaster explained in the after-race that The Boss also has been consistantly much slower to react when the stop is over. I think Nico is just slightly more relaxed than The Boss, and I think they're both shittin' bricks.
I say Fred, and Kimi would both F**k those dudes up in those rigs, especially Kimi (and Fred :p:) Hamilton had a beautiful start to the race but he lost it Saturday, cardinal sin. :dozey:

[steveaki13]

Please excuse me but some people are going mental over these slower pitstops. A Sky broadcaster explained in the after-race that The Boss also has been consistantly much slower to react when the stop is over. I think Nico is just slightly more relaxed than The Boss, and I think they're both shittin' bricks.
I say Fred, and Kimi would both F**k those dudes up in those cars, especially Kimi (and Fred :p:) Hamilton had a beautiful start to the race but he lost it Saturday, cardinal sin. :dozey:

Boss hater :p

[rjbetty]

Why? ;)

Well I think Lewis's data helped out Nico's starts, plus I'd expect Nico has learned more about how to drive faster generally from Lewis' data than vice versa.

[steveaki13]

Well I think Lewis's data helped out Nico's starts, plus I'd expect Nico has learned more about how to drive faster generally from Lewis' data than vice versa.

Boss fanboy :p;)

[Tazio]

Boss hater :pI love The Boss :confused: :love:

[dj_bytedisaster]

Well I think Lewis's data helped out Nico's starts, plus I'd expect Nico has learned more about how to drive faster generally from Lewis' data than vice versa.

That's your opinion. You don't exactly have the facts to back it up, do you?

[Tazio]

They race is on the track, and if The Boss could have qualified on the first row he could have used a lot less rubber coming through from 9th and had better tyres later. That was his own fault, and if he started second he may have still gotten whupped, but I don't think so on this kind of short-ish track. although I think it fits Kimi's style in a decent car more than anyone else (except fred :p:)

[henners88]

I didn't watch this race mainly due to the glorious weather we've had in the UK this weekend. It's so rare you can't really spend it watching tv. I worked the result out when I heard the German national anthem playing on a neighbours tv lol. Sounded like a good race and pleased Hamilton salvaged a poor qualifying. Football on tonight so i'll catch up on this in the week. Laters mates :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

[steveaki13]

I didn't watch this race mainly due to the glorious weather we've had in the UK this weekend. It's so rare you can't really spend it watching tv. I worked the result out when I heard the German national anthem playing on a neighbours tv lol. Sounded like a good race and pleased Hamilton salvaged a poor qualifying. Football on tonight so i'll catch up on this in the week. Laters mates :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

:wave:

[Tazio]

I didn't watch this race mainly due to the glorious weather we've had in the UK this weekend. It's so rare you can't really spend it watching tv. I worked the result out when I heard the German national anthem playing on a neighbours tv lol. Sounded like a good race and pleased Hamilton salvaged a poor qualifying. Football on tonight so i'll catch up on this in the week. Laters mates :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

I think they both sort of drove like crap although Lewis was faster. But as you say he lost the race yesterday, and it shows to me (admittedly in retrospect) that he should not have put himself in p9 for the start of the race. Maybe it was a mechanical issue. This was a big loss in a fight with a freakin' guy that will take second if you just whup him becausev you have more talent! and the best car :mark:

[airshifter]

@air', and also Newbie Singh. I really like Kimi's style, I had a similar attitude when I played Baseball, but he is in way over his head right now because he is not as adaptable as Fred to a nervous car, either was Felipe.
I just always feel like I have to push back when the Kimi bandwagon gets going because from a fans perspective I'm only interested in Kimi the driver not his personality and I really hope he does better. As of right now he is not only having problems with a nervous car. I think the latest turbo, and electronic (especially brake by wire) features of this year’s cars have caught him out a little which is the .6 degrees of separation :angel: :dork: between him and Fred at Ferrari this season. That’s a shame for a guy that has as much pure speed as Kim, but an advantage to the likes of Zo who is much more adaptable, as well as being fast, whether he is a jerk or not. Go Kimi! Go Fred!
May the forza be with them both!! ;)

You take all this far too seriously Taz... that's why I poke. If you keep taking it seriously I might have to change my sig in honor of Ferrari's last world champ! :laugh:

But I agree with your above, Fred is adapting to the pig much better. I think driver style helps him, as he was always OK with understeer more than Kimi. His titles were won in a Renault that looked to understeer quite a lot with his setup. But there is no denial by me that Fred is kicking Kimi's butt right now. The sad thing is that neither driver has much chance to really do much better, as the powerplant on the Ferrari is as bad or worse than the handling. Felipe was pulling 8-10 MPH on the straights even when Fred made it into DRS range.

I was just hoping Kimi could hassle him enough to get the head games and fireworks started. That's not even close to happening right now.





Overall a very predictable race for me. Perez and Lewis made the best of poor starting positions, Valterri and Ricciardo showed they never give up, Fred drove the wheels off the pig, and Felipe proves to be soft in race conditions. As much as I'd like to see him up his form, Felipe has never been the same since his accident.

To me one of the only things about the race I really found exciting was the fact that Mercedes are showing that the car does have a weak point, being the braking system in integration with the harvesting/ERS/bells and whistles. This is two races in a row now where they either had problems, or at a bare minimum had to spend a lot of time managing brakes. It's a very small crack in the overall car, but it gives the other teams something to attempt to exploit. US coverage reported Lewis losing straight line speed after being told to manage brakes, and the theory was to reduce the end of straight braking force required.

It's also interesting that they have the high tech digital readout of brake bias, and I wonder if due to this they have just managed to get the most out of the brakes and at times push over the limits.

If this keeps up with Mercedes the other teams might catch up some, but I think the fight with Nico and Lewis will be more in qually and strategy than out and out on track fights. And that's a shame, because Nico has shown to be a better driver than I thought, and we know he and Lewis can scrap on track.



Even though they both lost positions, great to see two Williams cars at the front of the grid. That hasn't taken place since Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya did it in 2004. And Felipe hasn't had a pole since Brazil 2008, where he scored pole, fast lap, and race win only to lose the title by 1 point to Lewis. Great job to Williams, and a needed boost and confidence builder for both drivers!

[airshifter]

I think they both sort of drove like crap although Lewis was faster. But as you say he lost the race yesterday, and it shows to me (admittedly in retrospect) that he should not have put himself in p9 for the start of the race. Maybe it was a mechanical issue. This was a big loss in a fight with a freakin' guy that will take second if you just whup him becausev you have more talent! and the best car :mark:

I didn't think either of them drove bad, and from radio transmissions both seemed to be managing the car more. Lewis had pace at the end but his qually no doubt hurt him. Hard to say who would have come out on top if neither had to worry about the cars. It was interesting that Mercedes put them both on the same engine maps at the end of the race, and mirrored the use of the overtake button. But I think Nico showed that despite trying to fool us, deep down he knows Lewis is fast. He was calling for the use of that overtake button really quick when Lewis started reeling him in.

I still think that barring car issues, Lewis will overcome by the end of the year. I've gained much more respect for Nico after some good on track battling, but I don't think he is of quite the same caliber if they are allowed to run hard.

[Tazio]

You take all this far too seriously Taz... that's why I poke. If you keep taking it seriously I might have to change my sig in honor of Ferrari's last world champ! :laugh:

But I agree with your above, Fred is adapting to the pig much better. I think driver style helps him, as he was always OK with understeer more than Kimi. His titles were won in a Renault that looked to understeer quite a lot with his setup. But there is no denial by me that Fred is kicking Kimi's butt right now. The sad thing is that neither driver has much chance to really do much better, as the powerplant on the Ferrari is as bad or worse than the handling. Felipe was pulling 8-10 MPH on the straights even when Fred made it into DRS range.

I was just hoping Kimi could hassle him enough to get the head games and fireworks started. That's not even close to happening right now.





Overall a very predictable race for me. Perez and Lewis made the best of poor starting positions, Valterri and Ricciardo showed they never give up, Fred drove the wheels off the pig, and Felipe proves to be soft in race conditions. As much as I'd like to see him up his form, Felipe has never been the same since his accident.

To me one of the only things about the race I really found exciting was the fact that Mercedes are showing that the car does have a weak point, being the braking system in integration with the harvesting/ERS/bells and whistles. This is two races in a row now where they either had problems, or at a bare minimum had to spend a lot of time managing brakes. It's a very small crack in the overall car, but it gives the other teams something to attempt to exploit. US coverage reported Lewis losing straight line speed after being told to manage brakes, and the theory was to reduce the end of straight braking force required.

It's also interesting that they have the high tech digital readout of brake bias, and I wonder if due to this they have just managed to get the most out of the brakes and at times push over the limits.

If this keeps up with Mercedes the other teams might catch up some, but I think the fight with Nico and Lewis will be more in qually and strategy than out and out on track fights. And that's a shame, because Nico has shown to be a better driver than I thought, and we know he and Lewis can scrap on track.



Even though they both lost positions, great to see two Williams cars at the front of the grid. That hasn't taken place since Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya did it in 2004. And Felipe hasn't had a pole since Brazil 2008, where he scored pole, fast lap, and race win only to lose the title by 1 point to Lewis. Great job to Williams, and a needed boost and confidence builder for both drivers!

Good stuff air' but this whole Fred Kimi Lewis Nico deal is ....like I love Nico and Lewis but I can't help thinking that Kimi, Fred, even Danny Boy are better than Nico and capable of consistently beating The Boss at this point in his career if they drove the Mercedes rig. Even Vettel maybe. Hamilton is choking for no ngood reason against a guy who is oinly the equal of Button at best, which ain't bad!

[airshifter]

Good stuff air' but this whole Fred Kimi Lewis Nico deal is ....like I love Nico and Lewis but I can't help thinking that Kimi, Fred, even Danny Boy are better than Nico and capable of consistently beating The Boss at this point in his career if they drove the Mercedes rig. Even Vettel maybe. Hamilton is choking for no ngood reason against a guy who is oinly the equal of Button at best, which ain't bad!

Hard to say Taz. Thought I'd like to think the same, it's been 6 and 7 years respectively since either Kimi or Fred have won a WDC. The titles they earned were not with bad cars, nor has the title of anyone else been won with a crappy car in many years IMO. And though it was after a break, Nico came out on top of a 7 time world champ. Granted Schumacher had probably slipped since his best, but so have Fred and Kimi most likely, and these young drivers are still hungry and on their game.

There is a lot of talent in the current field, and overall I think the drivers are more capable then they were in years gone by. Combined with the gimmicks of DRS, now overtake buttons, crazy mapping, tire regs, etc it's become more about race management and adapting to the car vs the old days of just being as fast as you could be with that car.

Even if you could give them all the same car, it would suit certain driving styles better, and thus remove some of the advantage for certain drivers.

I'd say the Mercedes advantage is currently very good, but dominance has been part of Formula 1 for many, many seasons. We just won't know until they get in the same car, and then only maybe. Nico beat MS, and Lewis beat Fred, Felipe beat Kimi, and now Ricciardo is beating Seb. Who is really the top driver?

[Garry Walker]

Good stuff air' but this whole Fred Kimi Lewis Nico deal is ....like I love Nico and Lewis but I can't help thinking that Kimi, Fred, even Danny Boy are better than Nico and capable of consistently beating The Boss at this point in his career if they drove the Mercedes rig. Even Vettel maybe. Hamilton is choking for no ngood reason against a guy who is oinly the equal of Button at best, which ain't bad!
Ricciardo better than Rosberg? Based on what? What has Ricciardo done? He was slightly faster than Vergne, so is Kvyat. Beating mr.fluke vettel is hardly a miracle either. None of those guys is special. I would rate Rosberg far ahead of those guys, at least he managed to take on Schumacher in equal cars and beat him.

[Tazio]

Ricciardo better than Rosberg? Based on what? What has Ricciardo done? He was slightly faster than Vergne, so is Kvyat. Beating mr.fluke vettel is hardly a miracle either. None of those guys is special. I would rate Rosberg far ahead of those guys, at least he managed to take on Schumacher in equal cars and beat him.

Alonso would beat Nico senseless in that rig, and everyone in the paddock knows it Gary. BTW welcome back my man!

[Whyzars]

To me one of the only things about the race I really found exciting was the fact that Mercedes are showing that the car does have a weak point, being the braking system in integration with the harvesting/ERS/bells and whistles. This is two races in a row now where they either had problems, or at a bare minimum had to spend a lot of time managing brakes. It's a very small crack in the overall car, but it gives the other teams something to attempt to exploit. US coverage reported Lewis losing straight line speed after being told to manage brakes, and the theory was to reduce the end of straight braking force required.

It's also interesting that they have the high tech digital readout of brake bias, and I wonder if due to this they have just managed to get the most out of the brakes and at times push over the limits.

If this keeps up with Mercedes the other teams might catch up some, but I think the fight with Nico and Lewis will be more in qually and strategy than out and out on track fights. And that's a shame, because Nico has shown to be a better driver than I thought, and we know he and Lewis can scrap on track.




I believe that Canada was the last time we'll see the Mercedes pushed. They went for a "lap the field" result and the car broke. Now they should just plan for a tenth a lap over the field and take safe wins from here on.

Williams are not playing from this script though and might have given them a bit of a fright. They made short work of the Williams once the lights went out but I'm sure there were head scratching moments.

It was said early on that 2014 is 1988 over again. Interesting that McLaren-Honda were only beaten once in that year so we might be seeing it mirrored in more ways than one.

Look forward to 10 second, 1-2 wins for the rest of the season.

If commentators are to be believed, then the Mercedes was at 50% towards the end in Austria. The thing is a beast.

[Tazio]

Rosberg , at least he managed to take on Schumacher in equal cars and beat him. Mike was a tomato can after he made his come-back. An over the hill tomato can :laugh: Everyone abused him dukie!

[The Black Knight]

Have you considered the possibility that Lewis might have a part in this? Rosberg usually drives into the pits quite smoothly, while Lewis hurls in like his hair's on fire. Agressive is not always the best approach in F1.

This is quite a possibility that maybe he is over shooting his marker and if that is the case then yes it is his own fault but in general, I haven't noticed him overshooting his marker and I've watched out for it when replaying pit stops. There have been a few times the car has been sluggish to get away but generally it just seems to be bad pit work. Maybe there's a further explanation as to why this is happening to Lewis. In general, an aggressive approach into the pits is the quickest option but this is about the time he loses while stationary in the pits, not about his entry. There are three possibilities here that I can see

1) The pitcrew just aren't as quick with Lewis car as they are with Nico's which begs the question why?
2) Lewis is positioning his car incorrectly
3) 1&2 above.

Either way, Lewis needs to get it sorted as he's losing out in it. He lost a whole chunk of time in Bahrain in the pits if memory serves me correctly.

[Tazio]

If not for Perez being taken out of the race, that third in the constructors championship would have been gone today. And rightfully so.:grenade: That was after Canada dukie, and FI are still double digits behind Ferrari in WCC points after Austria, and rightfully so, even though their second highest point scorer isn't driving like a complete retard. If Kimi wasn't (driving like a complete retard) FI would have no chance to overhaul Ferrari, I guess his fanboyz/gurlz may still be correct in pre-season prognostications that Kimi will beat down Alonso. There is still hope for Kimi to pull his head out of his ass, and start whupping up on Fred, because Fred has only beaten Kimi every race this season. Eight on the trot and still counting.....
Oh spank!!!!!! Kimi=:monkee:=Kimi :arrows: :laugh:

[dj_bytedisaster]

This is quite a possibility that maybe he is over shooting his marker and if that is the case then yes it is his own fault but in general, I haven't noticed him overshooting his marker and I've watched out for it when replaying pit stops. There have been a few times the car has been sluggish to get away but generally it just seems to be bad pit work. Maybe there's a further explanation as to why this is happening to Lewis. In general, an aggressive approach into the pits is the quickest option but this is about the time he loses while stationary in the pits, not about his entry. There are three possibilities here that I can see

1) The pitcrew just aren't as quick with Lewis car as they are with Nico's which begs the question why?
2) Lewis is positioning his car incorrectly
3) 1&2 above.

Either way, Lewis needs to get it sorted as he's losing out in it. He lost a whole chunk of time in Bahrain in the pits if memory serves me correctly.

I suggest this (http://thejudge13.com/2014/06/23/daily-f1-news-and-comment-monday-23rd-june-2014/comment-page-1/)

It's a myth that Lewis is ALWAYS slower.

[driveace]

But just lately as happened yesterday Lewis was down nearly a second on both his pit stops .

[henners88]

Lewis did suggest he messed up his box entry and was looking into it with the team. Credit to the lad for taking it on the chin. A poor Saturday for Lewis, he needs to get his head back in the game. A good Sunday though and an impressive first lap. Had he not made errors himself, he would have been able to capitalise on some of Rosberg's errors by the looks of things. The championship is slipping away and he needs to up his game. I would hate to see him win the WDC by the double points rule as would be the same for anybody. The championship is close between the Merc drivers though and I can see it sealing the deal based on that or increasing an already large margin.

[Mark]

Nico is already a race in hand, so even at this stage the championship is getting beyond Lewis' reach, or beyond his DRS zone if you like ;). It would really take Rosberg to fail to finish a race that Hamilton wins before Hamilton will have any chance, and this is assuming he can overturn the performance deficit.

[Bagwan]

TBH Baggie I think I was either too polluted, or hung over from a good beer-fest. I've been drinking mainly Newcastle on my well dissevered weekend (you know we're a hard working lot over here compared to....well you know who ;) and chat stupid with the boyz and Gadji during the soccer matches on this forum) to understand that we were betting anything of substance. :confused: So Forget About It. Happy B-day mate!

Thanks for letting me off the hook , my friend .

But , I really didn't deserve it , after being so snotty .

You're getting as soft as wee soft Flip .
I'll see you at the next race , pal !

[henners88]

Nico is already a race in hand, so even at this stage the championship is getting beyond Lewis' reach, or beyond his DRS zone if you like ;). It would really take Rosberg to fail to finish a race that Hamilton wins before Hamilton will have any chance, and this is assuming he can overturn the performance deficit.
It wouldn't be out of the realms of possibility with some of the reliability issues Merc have faced. Admittedly Hamilton has had a slightly worse deal so far but Nico could find himself with power and braking problems at some point. Lewis has a lot of work to do if his team mate doesn't experience some of the bad luck and it would be more satisfying to see Lewis claw it back without.

[dj_bytedisaster]

It wouldn't be out of the realms of possibility with some of the reliability issues Merc have faced. Admittedly Hamilton has had a slightly worse deal so far but Nico could find himself with power and braking problems at some point. Lewis has a lot of work to do if his team mate doesn't experience some of the bad luck and it would be more satisfying to see Lewis claw it back without.

The problem is that Lewis' luck is not just pure bad luck. The fact that his brake probs at Canada were terminal while Rosberg could nurse it home was based in Lewis' driving style. He uses a more rearward brake-bias. Another mysterium is his fuel-saving. Nothing is as useless as the extra fuel he has left at the end of the race. It means extra weight, extra strain on the tyres etc. Rosberg seems to have found a better compromise.

[Tazio]

I suggest this (http://thejudge13.com/2014/06/23/daily-f1-news-and-comment-monday-23rd-june-2014/comment-page-1/)

It's a myth that Lewis is ALWAYS slower.

Well played mate. I don't know why LH has lost the edge that was trending from race 2 through 5 when he won four on the trot, but I have to agree with the judge that some of the differences are just down to luck. Really sad in my opinion that so many have to resort to conspiracy theories, but that tends to happen in a one horse (constructor) race.
I like The Boss, and Nico, but the Anglo/Mafia are 'off the hook', with these accusations of favoring the Aryan just because Mercedes is a German brand. :angel:

[henners88]

He's had more than his fair share of pure bad luck though. Rosberg was in clear cooler air for much of the time in Canada when both cars lost power so over heating on Hamilton's car wasn't helped by being in the hot tow from Nico, despite Lewis trying everything the team asked him to try. I openly admit Lewis has made errors too, but one can't be compared without the other. Lewis needs to work with the team to over come the reliability issues he has faced and he also needs to work on not cracking under the pressure. Admittedly I think he's driven very well up until Saturday in Austria and I hope he has learned from that.

[Whyzars]

Well played mate. I don't know why LH has lost the edge that was trending from race 2 through 5 when he won four on the trot, but I have to agree with the judge that some of the differences are just down to luck. Really sad in my opinion that so many have to resort to conspiracy theories, but that tends to happen in a one horse (constructor) race.
I like The Boss, and Nico, but the Anglo/Mafia are 'off the hook', with these accusations of favoring the Aryan just because Mercedes is a German brand. :angel:


Conspiracy sells newspapers so it looks like column miles to me - with a bit of a gee up from Mark Webber (wonder if he'll be invited back?).

Lewis hasn't lost the edge just as Rosberg hasn't suddenly found a couple of tenths.


Monaco was won and lost in qualifying.

Neither of them had a brilliant Canada - their cars broke after lapping close to 2 seconds faster than the rest of the field - and it certainly looked to me that they were both sent out to find the limp-home point for their cars.

Austria could've gone either way.


Lewis has had 2 DNF's and Rosberg has had none. Lewis can come out and get pole at every circuit for the rest of the season and do nothing different to what he's been doing. Likewise Rosberg.

Mercedes is in the midst of a stunning season and I still believe that Hamilton has Rosberg's measure. If Rosberg goes on to win the WDC then Lewis will have made him earn every point just as Nico would be seen to have done for Lewis.



I read through that Judge page that DJ linked. I agree with Bernie on the white lines. I remember years ago, maybe it was at Imola, there was a new chicane that all the drivers were straight lining. To stop them the stewards put tyre rolls on each apex.

Those were the days.

Track is track. If its that important that cars don't run over a patch of it then put something in the way, solid or slippery, doesn't matter. The stewards in Austria were out of line taking qualifying times off drivers and could very well have cost Lewis the race when it all gets down to it.

Bernie has a pretty good handle on what works in F1 and what doesn't. He should be listened to more.

[Tazio]

Lewis hasn't lost the edge just as Rosberg hasn't suddenly found a couple of tenths.


Monaco was won and lost in qualifying.

So was Austria.
The Boss can't afford to choke like that anymore, Nico is too consistant, and if he was as fast as Lewis. he would be as good as Fred!! :confused: :sailor: :angel:

[AndyL]

So was Austria.

Most of the other races this season too. I think in every race so far the Mercedes that has been ahead at the first corner has finished the race ahead. Only a couple of those were reversals of qualifying positions off the start.

[Whyzars]

So was Austria.
The Boss can't afford to choke like that anymore, Nico is too consistant, and if he was as fast as Lewis. he would be as good as Fred!! :confused: :sailor: :angel:




I wouldn't call Rosberg consistent and wouldn't call Hamilton's qualifying effort in Austria a choke.

Hamilton had a run disallowed and an axle lock up.

Rosberg has had front rows in recent races but was just as likely to be on the second row early on and was on the second row in Austria.


They both have their hands on the WDC and I can see them both occupying the same space at the same time at least once. The makings of a great second half...

[Tazio]

:stareup: Let me rephrase my previous comment dukie. The Boss should have had a good banker, (possibly worth pole) but easily on the front two rows, however he threw it away by running wide on his first lap. He had no mechanical issues on that lap. His race was extremely compromised by starting p9. Even though he made the places up very rapidly, the choking of his banker caused him to take more out of his tires to catch Nico, thus pretty much compromising his race for the win. As opposed to starting row 1 or 2, he started on row 5, and has no one to blame but himself!

Choooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooke! ;)

If The Boss is going to come back and win the WDC he cannot afford to make these kinds of bonehead mistakes, period!
I wouldn't call Rosberg consistent and wouldn't call Hamilton's qualifying effort in Austria a choke.

Hamilton had a run disallowed

Another words he messed up his banker by going off track, that could be construed as choking IMWOT, but I don't want to split hairs. He screwed that lap up. :dozey:


Rosberg has had front rows in recent races but was just as likely to be on the second row early on and was on the second row in Austria. Well ahead of Lewis on the grid.. No?



can see them both occupying the same space at the same time at least once. This part I agree with, because Hamilton will have to go balls to the wall if he is to catch and beat Nico, and only a pussy would settle for second if he had equal tire life and systems functioning properly in the following races for the WDCC.
Someone is going to get bitchslapped (beside Kimi) :p:

[journeyman racer]

I think it's finely balanced for Hamilton atm. The deficit to Rosberg is big enough to require some time to catch up. But he showed earlier in the year that he can make it up. It was a good race from him that he could get 2nd (which is the par result), where it potentially could've got really bad for him.

I would look at the positives, if I were him. If he can make up the points, in say 5-7 races, it'd mean he done a job on Rosberg twice this season. But he'd have taken the title lead with very few races left, to his benefit. Both drivers would know has the psychological edge, even if it wasn't acknowledged by either. Just because he's had two mechanical breakdowns, you can't expect the Motor racing Gods to do the same to Rosberg later, or complain that Rosberg hasn't had any. He's got to put himself in position to take advantage if Rosberg does have some trouble, and not let it get anywhere near 50 points.

It'd be good for him that the next race is in Britain.