Donkey of the Race - Singapore

[steveaki13]

:)

[dj_bytedisaster]

Has to go to Merc for blatantly fixing an ¨ electronic problem¨. Yeah, sure all our multi-million buck cars break catastrophically by being stationary over night.

[Zico]

Has to go to Merc for blatantly fixing an ¨ electronic problem¨. Yeah, sure all our multi-million buck cars break catastrophically by being stationary over night.

Yeah, its a fix, Nicos car was obviously tampered with last night. Ze Germans obviously want their Brit driver to win the WDC. Hmmm...

[Bagwan]

Donkey Merc for no DRS , and no clutch , and two gears at a time , and no hybrid power , and a big ol' bag of neutrals at the end .
We could have seen a good battle throughout , not just at the end .

Good job to Lewis for , after all the smiles from everyone , remembering to mention that they would have preferred a one-two .

[truefan72]

Yeah, its a fix, Nicos car was obviously tampered with last night. Ze Germans obviously want their Brit driver to win the WDC. Hmmm...

lol @DJ
I don't recall him saying the same thing when hamilton's car was the one with the problems

[dj_bytedisaster]

Thing is. Lewis must win. Merc team is anwerable to Merc board of directors, which includes trade union representatives. They are going to ask uncomfortable questions about hiring Lewis for a bazillian bucks when Nico can do the job for half the money.

[longisland]

Sauber for having 2 cars retired in the race. Williams for their over optimistic strategy on Bottas. Vergne for getting 2 penalties in a race. Honorary mention for Kimi sleeping behind Bottas

[A FONDO]

No donkeys on the track, but outside - clearly the Mercs team!

[Tazio]

Kimi, getting mugged by Frenchie Vergne :laugh:

[airshifter]

Thing is. Lewis must win. Merc team is anwerable to Merc board of directors, which includes trade union representatives. They are going to ask uncomfortable questions about hiring Lewis for a bazillian bucks when Nico can do the job for half the money.

The thing is, the board of directors probably won't believe in any crazy conspiracy theories. They should probably be more concerned as to why both cars have had reliability problems, especially considering they could lose pace and still be the fastest cars on track.

[airshifter]

Kimi, getting mugged by Frenchie Vergne :laugh:

That penalty must have really pissed off Vergne. He blew by both Kimi and Valteri pretty quick.

[Doc Austin]

What? No votes for Pastor?

[steveaki13]

Mercedes - Far to many issues this season when they could have had every race 1-2 and today Rosberg had about 4 problems in one.

Sauber - Yet again slow and unreliable.

* As a side note. I really do not want to see this Championship now decided by a failure. I hope so much that Mercedes sort their problems out and Nico & Lewis can both finish every race from now on.

2 v 3 failures is still in favour of Nico but from now on we want on track battles all the way. Fingers crossed

[Tazio]

I hope so much that Mercedes sort their problems out and Nico & Lewis can both finish every race from now on.


Get use to disappointment ;)

[steveaki13]

I dare say one or maybe both will retire again, I just hope it evens out. It would be an anti climatic season if it was over because an engine failed.

Although if it does, that is one of those things and we except it.

[Tazio]

I dare say that one of the two Mercedes drivers loses and his fanboys get very butt hurt :p:

[steveaki13]

I dare say that one of the two Mercedes drivers loses and his fanboys get very butt hurt :p:

DJ is that you :p

[dj_bytedisaster]

The thing is, the board of directors probably won't believe in any crazy conspiracy theories. They should probably be more concerned as to why both cars have had reliability problems, especially considering they could lose pace and still be the fastest cars on track.

So you expected that Nico hits trouble whenever he opens more than a 20 point lead? He got lucky in AUS and then 'suddenly' delivers four lacklustre races. He opens a 20+ gap again and has a box full o' neutrals in Silverstone. Another 20 point gap after Spa, deliberately chucks the race win as per instruction (confirmed by two different sources within Mercedes) and now the car breaks catastrophically by being in parc fermé over night. Yeah, all just coincidence.
They want Lewis to win this year, get rid of him in favor of a cheaper driver afterwards. Most likely Wehrlein going to take his spot and the two trade union chaps on the board will be happy.

[steveaki13]

So you expected that Nico hits trouble whenever he opens more than a 20 point lead? He got lucky in AUS and then 'suddenly' delivers four lacklustre races. He opens a 20+ gap again and has a box full o' neutrals in Silverstone. Another 20 point gap after Spa, deliberately chucks the race win as per instruction (confirmed by two different sources within Mercedes) and now the car breaks catastrophically by being in parc fermé over night. Yeah, all just coincidence.
They want Lewis to win this year, get rid of him in favor of a cheaper driver afterwards. Most likely Wehrlein going to take his spot and the two trade union chaps on the board will be happy.

So you believe Hamilton will leave Mercedes for 2015?

[anfield5]

Caterham for having no brakes on the warm-up lap - excellent effort, trumped by Merc for having no anything.

Kimi - (was he even there at all). Hopefully Bianchi or someone like Grosjean will do better at Ferrari next year

[dj_bytedisaster]

So you believe Hamilton will leave Mercedes for 2015?

Yes

[airshifter]

So you expected that Nico hits trouble whenever he opens more than a 20 point lead? He got lucky in AUS and then 'suddenly' delivers four lacklustre races. He opens a 20+ gap again and has a box full o' neutrals in Silverstone. Another 20 point gap after Spa, deliberately chucks the race win as per instruction (confirmed by two different sources within Mercedes) and now the car breaks catastrophically by being in parc fermé over night. Yeah, all just coincidence.
They want Lewis to win this year, get rid of him in favor of a cheaper driver afterwards. Most likely Wehrlein going to take his spot and the two trade union chaps on the board will be happy.


Some people think man never went to the moon too.

I think the same thing I thought when Webbers RB had a lot more issues than Sebastians did. Bad luck, crew issues, etc. Not conspiracy theories. Every time both cars are together, Lewis wins on track. Other than the cut tire which IMO was as least partially Lewis' fault, he's the better driver on track.

The only way I see Lewis not being on the team next year is if McLaren come up with enough Honda money to make him think the grass will be greener over at that team.




Is there also a conspiracy theory attached to why Vettel beat Daniel this last race?

[The Black Knight]

Some people think man never went to the moon too.

I think the same thing I thought when Webbers RB had a lot more issues than Sebastians did. Bad luck, crew issues, etc. Not conspiracy theories. Every time both cars are together, Lewis wins on track. Other than the cut tire which IMO was as least partially Lewis' fault, he's the better driver on track.

The only way I see Lewis not being on the team next year is if McLaren come up with enough Honda money to make him think the grass will be greener over at that team.




Is there also a conspiracy theory attached to why Vettel beat Daniel this last race?

Yeah, to be honest, I can't see Lewis being anywhere other than Mercedes next year. For 2016 that might change alright.

It may be that Mercedes would rather Lewis win the championship now. What they really want is a marketable driver to be WDC and Nico isn't marketable now that everyone knows his true colors.

My donkey of the race would probably be Maldonado, just because he's always a donkey. No other donkey really springs to mind from this one.

I'd nominate the FIA for still not changing those ridiculous safety car rules of lapped cars having to unlap themselves before racing gets underway again. Fall to the back of the pack as Brundle says.

[Eau Rouge]

Eddie Jordan. Is it just me or is he really annoying? And if you are going to do the podium interviews get your facts right! LH has led before so this isn't the first time. What an idiot.

[The Black Knight]

Eddie Jordan. Is it just me or is he really annoying? And if you are going to do the podium interviews get your facts right! LH has led before so this isn't the first time. What an idiot.

He is really annoying. Really, really annoying. He is grand in BBC but every time I see him on the podium I just want to bate him out of his weird little pants :p

[steveaki13]

Fall to the back of the pack as Brundle says.

To sound like a smart guy :p I have always stated that ever since it first came in. I always felt either leave them there or let them stay lapped and fall to the tail of the snake. Its only ever 2 or 3 cars mostly so have them drive through the pits while the snake goes past.

Or even just fall to the back of the snake.

Instead we waste 3 racing laps

[Doc Austin]

It may be that Mercedes would rather Lewis win the championship now. What they really want is a marketable driver to be WDC and Nico isn't marketable now that everyone knows his true colors.

I understand your reasoning, but remember that Schumacher tried to crash Villeneuve, and even admitted it. No one seemed to care about that any more once he won the championship for Ferrari. Everyone was in love with the guy, and there was a legion of fans who defended his every dirty trick.

There was one time a guy (on this very forum) defended Schumacher swerving the whole width of the straight at Hakkkinen, pushing Mika onto the grass. Later the guy admitted he had not even seen the video. Some (if not even most) people make up their minds before they even know anything, and if Nico is champion, that's the way it will be for those people.

People don't care much if you torture kittens or eat baby ducks as long as you win. If Nico gets the championship, even if he crashes Lewis again to do it, there will be a hoard of people who will find a way to justify it and hail Nico as the next great thing.

Personally I think Nico would be a great champion (provided he wins by more points than he gained at Spa). The overwhelming majority of people don't even know what happened at Monoco or Spa, and
probably don't even care. They just want a winner to cheer for. Nico will be very marketable, no matter how he accomplishes it.



My donkey of the race would probably be Maldonado, just because he's always a donkey.

I'm betting he has clinched donkey of the year (if not decade) by now.

[Eau Rouge]

He is really annoying. Really, really annoying. He is grand in BBC but every time I see him on the podium I just want to bate him out of his weird little pants :p

good to see not just me then. He was a little too full of it on the podium and embarrassing. But I think I have seen worse. Brundle and DC are ok.

[journeyman racer]

I think the same thing I thought when Webbers RB had a lot more issues than Sebastians did.
Did it?...Really?...Are you sure?... You might want to review that.

[Duncan]

I understand your reasoning, but remember that Schumacher tried to crash Villeneuve, and even admitted it. No one seemed to care about that any more once he won the championship for Ferrari. Everyone was in love with the guy, and there was a legion of fans who defended his every dirty trick.

There was one time a guy (on this very forum) defended Schumacher swerving the whole width of the straight at Hakkkinen, pushing Mika onto the grass. Later the guy admitted he had not even seen the video. Some (if not even most) people make up their minds before they even know anything, and if Nico is champion, that's the way it will be for those people.


Sure, but even though Schumacher drove dirty on more than one occasion (remember Monaco '06?) he had many, many instances of inspired brilliance. I have much the same feelings about Ayrton Senna (Suzuka 1990. I still remember watching that one live...). Ayrton's sometimes letting his competitive adrenalin getting in the way of clean driving was more than overcome by his incredible talent. Like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQgP9nugt5I

Nico just doesn't have any major "hero" moments to point to.

[Jag_Warrior]

Thing is. Lewis must win. Merc team is anwerable to Merc board of directors, which includes trade union representatives. They are going to ask uncomfortable questions about hiring Lewis for a bazillian bucks when Nico can do the job for half the money.

Thing is, Nico can't win the Constructors by himself - and that's where the real money & power comes from... even though the fans tend to follow the WDC more. And once the other teams catch up (next year or whenever), will Nico be able to "do the job"? Mercedes has been in this game for a very long time. Lewis is a proven quantity, while there remains a question mark over Nico (good though he is). So my guess is, they want the absolute best driver pairing they can get. And right now, Lewis is probably one of the two or three drivers on anybody's "must have" list - and these guys get paid. I don't sense that Nico is on that list. Very good driver. But he's not on that short list, IMO.

[Jag_Warrior]

Eddie Jordan. Is it just me or is he really annoying? And if you are going to do the podium interviews get your facts right! LH has led before so this isn't the first time. What an idiot.

Hey now! When I get that unlimited personal loan from Bank of America, Eddie is going to run the F1 team that I'll be buying. We're going to suck in the races. But there are going to be busty babes all around the garage and our hospitality area is going to look like the Playboy Mansion!

To be honest, I really miss the quirky personalities that used to be around F1 - Eddie Jordan and Tom Walkinshaw among them. Yeah, they could be dodgy, crooked and annoying. But they brought a spice to the mix that we no longer have, what with all these stick-up-the-butt corporate types (like Toto Wolff and Ron Dennis) and the whiners & criers (Monisha Kaltenborn chief among that bunch). Thank goodness for Niki Lauda. He's pretty much the last of the Mohicans in that regard.

[Doc Austin]

Sure, but even though Schumacher drove dirty on more than one occasion (remember Monaco '06?) ...............

Monaco 06 isn't even a blip on the radar compared to crashing into people on purpose, or swerving at Mika at the fastest part of the circuit at Spa. Schumacher made a career of chopping, blocking and swerving, but all of that is forgotten because one time he parked his car in the wrong place. People lost their minds over that, but they did not seem to care if he swerved the entire width of a straight to block someone, or frighten them into submission. As many things as Schumacher did that could have easily killed someone, I was surprised so many people wet themselves over what he did at Monaco, which by comparison was essentially harmless.


..........he (Schumacher) had many, many instances of inspired brilliance.

His chopping, blocking and swerving made it difficult for me to enjoy his otherwise brilliant driving.

The sad part is that he didn't need to do it. If he had just raced clean he would have probably won just as much .... maybe even more. I don't believe anyone has ever doubted his speed or talent and race craft, but there are plenty of people who have no stomach for his ethic.

Having said that, Prost and Senna had already set the stage by taking each other out on purpose two years in a row at Suzuka.

That, and I wish Schumacher nothing but a full and speedy recovery.



I have much the same feelings about Ayrton Senna (Suzuka 1990).

Or Prost's in 89.

Senna, Schumacher and Prost......... I truly believe they left today's drivers with a legacy of winning at all costs no matter how much of your integrity you have to throw away.

Not once did Jackie Stewart pull a dirty trick on another driver. Neither did Jim Clark, or Graham Hill. Certainly there were arguments over who did or didn't leave the other guy enough room, or whatever, but we never, ever heard of someone trying to drive their teammate into the pit wall like Senna did to Prost at Estoril in 88. We never saw anyone deliberately crash someone else until Adelaide 94 (or Jerez 97 for the unbelievers). The sporting ethic in F1 has been in the toilet since Estoril 88.

[zako85]

I think there were no outright donkeys. Perez probably is best fit to carry this title for clipping his own wing, and then spreading all the debris that caused a lengthy caution. However, he sort of redeemed himself by passing a train of cars on the last couple of laps.

[anfield5]

After reading Mercedes statement about foriegn matter interfering with Nico's car, and reading what the foreign matter was, Mercedes are not just the Singapore donkey, but are the 2014 donkey kings!!

[Doc Austin]

"Unspecified substance (http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/rosberg-s-singapore-failure-caused-by-unspecified-foreign-substance)." What does that even mean?

The strange part is that MERCEDES AMG F1
Tweeted that


To clarify, the contaminant was a substance used in normal pre-event servicing of the component.

Am I alone in finding this a bit bizarre?

[AndyL]

"Unspecified substance (http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/rosberg-s-singapore-failure-caused-by-unspecified-foreign-substance)." What does that even mean?

Am I alone in finding this a bit bizarre?

I know, why so mysterious? Are they anointing their steering columns with goat's blood or something?

It's not just Bernie/FOM/FIA fruit-loopery that's causing F1 to lose touch with the fans. The culture of secrecy in the teams is making a major contribution too.

[Bagwan]

It does seem a bit weird , but I think it must be about some kind of contact cleaner , perhaps one they believe to be better than others are using .
An acid would clean up the contacts , but might erode other parts , if any was left behind .

Giving up the chemical name of the substance could easily give a window into the make-up of the part(s) corroded , and/or , possible interactions with other compounds nearby that may have resulted in a more corrosive situation than was expected .

I don't think it was "Stepney powder" , Doc .

[airshifter]

It does seem a bit weird , but I think it must be about some kind of contact cleaner , perhaps one they believe to be better than others are using .
An acid would clean up the contacts , but might erode other parts , if any was left behind .

Giving up the chemical name of the substance could easily give a window into the make-up of the part(s) corroded , and/or , possible interactions with other compounds nearby that may have resulted in a more corrosive situation than was expected .

I don't think it was "Stepney powder" , Doc .

That's the angle I was thinking. Probably a cleaner, or possibly a dielectric or other substance to protect the contact area.

But you never know, Flavio could be behind one of the companies that makes stuff for other teams. He still wants back into F1, so anything is possible. :)

[Bagwan]

That's the angle I was thinking. Probably a cleaner, or possibly a dielectric or other substance to protect the contact area.

But you never know, Flavio could be behind one of the companies that makes stuff for other teams. He still wants back into F1, so anything is possible. :)

Or , Dave Ryan , but he got the wrong car .

Yeah , seems suspicious to so quickly dismiss the conspiracy theory before it even got rolling .