116 replies to this topic

[TinyJim]

Sorry if this is a bit of fluff topic but since the end of Hungary my interest in the Vettel/Button/Webber battle has gone out of the window. There are a few reasons for this. Hamilton, in one race, made a statement that he is the best driver out there currently. Then there was Kimi coming back into to the scene, as well as Alonso. Proper Grade A drivers. Suddenly the king himself is coming back and all the forum is alive with is

Schumi Vs Kimi
Schumi Vs Lewis
Alonso Vs Lewis

Schumi Vs Kimi Vs Alonso Vs Lewis - That's the battle we all want to see!

It's like we've forgotten about the WDC of 2009. I know I have

Edited by TinyJim, 31 July 2009 - 23:25.

[BRK]

Not forgotten or anything,just taken the backseat for a while.I'm sure things will be back to normal come Monza.

[krapmeister]

Well I guess you're going to be easily distracted when you don't have a 'dog in the hunt' so to speak...

Edited by krapmeister, 31 July 2009 - 23:52.

[Lazy Prodigy]

I care but not as much as if the drivers were driving for Macca and or SFM. But there is still plenty of time left to go and it really has taken a backseat to recent events

[Scotracer]

I ****ing do!

If Button wins I get £1000. So...uhm, yeah.

[TinyJim]

I ****ing do!

If Button wins I get £1000. So...uhm, yeah.

I like Vettel, I like what Ross Brawn has done but it just seems the 2009 WDC has taken a back seat which is very odd considering we don't have many races left to decide this years champion. no doubt the next headlines will be



Schumacher makes Podium


Hamitlon Wins in Style in Gigantic Schumi Battle















in other news Dorris get's a new caravan and Webber closes gap to Button in WDC chase.

Edited by TinyJim, 01 August 2009 - 00:12.

[krapmeister]

I ****ing do!

If Button wins I get £1000. So...uhm, yeah.

I should've taken a punt on Webber - odds must've been pretty good for him as well...

[V8 Fireworks]

Of course they do!?

Good old Mark Webber could bring home the cup!


Now if Button or Webber has one cup and Kimi has one cup, well clearly they are both as good, so why talk about Kimi if he is just decent not great like Button or Webber?


Now Vettel, if Webber continues to be consistently faster with the RBR's new weight distribution since Silverstone, then Vettel ain't no superstar at all! (Just Bourdais paced Vettel with the early STR chassis.) Webber was on a better quality at Hungaroring apart from muffed first sector. Vettel will certainly want to get the 2-3 tenths on Webber again to be taken seriously as any kind of superstar level driver.

[TinyJim]

Of course they do!?

Good old Mark Webber could bring home the cup!


Now if Button or Webber has one cup and Kimi has one cup, well clearly they are both as good, so why talk about Kimi if he is just decent not great like Button or Webber?


Now Vettel, if Webber continues to be consistently faster with the RBR's new weight distribution since Silverstone, then Vettel ain't no superstar at all! (Just Bourdais paced Vettel with the early STR chassis.) Webber was on a better quality at Hungaroring apart from muffed first sector. Vettel will certainly want to get the 2-3 tenths on Webber again to be taken seriously as any kind of superstar level driver.

Yh but... but Schumi Vs Hamilton innit!? see what I mean? So what if webber wins, so what of Vettel wins! What people wanna know is Schumi Vs Hamilton with ALonso and Kimi adding to the spice?

IS this just me?

[icecream_man]

Yes I care about the 2009 WDC battle.

Hoping to see Kimi significantly faster than MS is just a side issue, and one that I hope doesn't last very long, I'm more interested in what's going on at the front

[Captain Tightpants]

I care about it - I'm a Button fan, and have been since day one - but I think that Hungary has marked an interesting change in the title battle. It's no longer the Brawn and Red Bull show; McLaren and Ferrari have joined the party, and Williams are looking to as well. It wouldn't surprise me if the resurgence of KERS means Williams will run theirs at some point, and Mercedes made the McLaren unit available to Brawn and Force India. The championship battle is now less about who can dominate, and more about who can bank as many points as possible.

[V8 Fireworks]

Yh but... but Schumi Vs Hamilton innit!? see what I mean? So what if webber wins, so what of Vettel wins! What people wanna know is Schumi Vs Hamilton with ALonso and Kimi adding to the spice?

IS this just me?

If Hamilton is so great why did he fail to win in the previous races? They even included crashes and stuff-ups, hardly champion-calibre driving. Why did he finish in low part of points, surely any car within 4 tenths per lap of the quickest, Hamilton could have taken to victory. So why talk about him, plainly he is no good.

Don't you think RBR/Brawn and McLaren/Ferrari have just swapped performance levels? Hence "superstars" like Hamilton inexplicably getting low points finishes in earlier races. There is little proof of any difference in skill between the drivers at all. Yes there is no proof Hamilton is better than Trulli as the Toyota is so inconsistent, and Trulli once held the same pace per lap edge over Fernando (in some GPs) as Hamilton did, did he not, so they must be equal?;)

Edited by V8 Fireworks, 01 August 2009 - 00:22.

[TinyJim]

Yes I care about the 2009 WDC battle.

Hoping to see Kimi significantly faster than MS is just a side issue, and one that I hope doesn't last very long, I'm more interested in what's going on at the front

Thing is we are getting to the sharp end of the championship and Autosport.com is displaying 1 story on their homepage right now relating to any of the 3 WDC contenders and it's just about Webber having a special stamp ffs! lol

[icecream_man]

Thing is we are getting to the sharp end of the championship and Autosport.com is displaying 1 story on their homepage right now relating to any of the 3 WDC contenders and it's just about Webber having a special stamp ffs! lol

Ah well if you're talking specifically about the media then yeah it does seem to have taken over somewhat.

Personally I've always taken the media with a pinch of salt anyway, I don't get newspapers and I don't watch the news on tv either so I'm not really too bothered what they're focussing on

[TinyJim]

Ah well if you're talking specifically about the media then yeah it does seem to have taken over somewhat.

Personally I've always taken the media with a pinch of salt anyway, I don't get newspapers and I don't watch the news on tv either so I'm not really too bothered what they're focussing on

But they focus on what people want to read about. This is my point.

[krapmeister]

I care about it - I'm a Button fan, and have been since day one - but I think that Hungary has marked an interesting change in the title battle. It's no longer the Brawn and Red Bull show; McLaren and Ferrari have joined the party, and Williams are looking to as well. It wouldn't surprise me if the resurgence of KERS means Williams will run theirs at some point, and Mercedes made the McLaren unit available to Brawn and Force India. The championship battle is now less about who can dominate, and more about who can bank as many points as possible.

But KERS hasn't all of a sudden made Mclaren the fastest car - its a combination of Mclaren obviously improving the car, Hamilton's driving, the track layout, and most importantly IMO the tyres.

Obviously the track came to the Maccas/Ferraris on the sunday and went away from the RedBulls - had the track stayed with the RB's then the result could've been different.

I don't think Brawn will suddenly start running KERS - KERS won't help them if they can't get their tyres up to temperature. On its own it will only make them worse, let alone the fact that the setup for the car will be completely thrown out the window. The same for Williams - they've now got the car running fast, why change that by completely screwing the car's setup? No testing will only re-enforce that.

[Scotracer]

I should've taken a punt on Webber - odds must've been pretty good for him as well...

I got Button @ 101:1

[krapmeister]

But they focus on what people want to read about. This is my point.

That's what they tell you to think...;)

I got Button @ 101:1

Not bad! If he wins then its your round lol...

Edited by krapmeister, 01 August 2009 - 00:34.

[icecream_man]

But they focus on what people want to read about. This is my point.

Well, what the majority want to read about. Obviously in this instance I'm in the minority !

And as we're in the holiday period they don't have much else to write about anyway

Edited by icecream_man, 01 August 2009 - 00:35.

[F1 Fan 6785]

Don't you think RBR/Brawn and McLaren/Ferrari have just swapped performance levels? Hence "superstars" like Hamilton inexplicably getting low points finishes in earlier races. There is little proof of any difference in skill between the drivers at all. Yes there is no proof Hamilton is better than Trulli as the Toyota is so inconsistent, and Trulli once held the same pace per lap edge over Fernando (in some GPs) as Hamilton did, did he not, so they must be equal?;)

You make an interesting point, one I have been thinking about lately how to tell which driver is better when it is so dependent on what car they are driving I had almost written off Webber as a journey man and expected Vettel to finish him off this season but after his drive in Germany I see he has got the ability to be the best in the world on the day with the right car. I hope Webber wins the title because I am an Aussie so yes I care about who wins the WDC and Shumi’s return is only an interesting diversion as much as I like Shumi it is only a side show unless he starts winning and proves me wrong on my car theory by using his great talent to over come the weaknesses of the Ferrari.

[Vegetableman]

I think the best way to compare drivers is not by where their car enables them to finish but how they do relative to their team mates.
Hamilton at least equalled Alonso who is a known quantity.
Webber has previously embarassed most of his team mates and is holding up very well against Vettel.
Button on the other hand has never dominated his team mates in the same respect.
I think Button is a great driver, but I also think put in equal cars against Hamilton, Alonso and Webber plus a few others he would be outshone over the course of a season.

[Dmitriy_Guller]

I don't care one bit. The running order has been jumbled up too much to keep the championship race credible. It would've been helpful to have at least one driver in the hunt who had more than one victory before the season started. Right now it feels almost like it felt watching Indy 500 in 1996.

[Zmeej]

Yes, I'd like Vettel to win.

If Bunsen wins, I'll be happy too.

If Kimi contrived to win again somehow, I'd be ecstatic.

[slideways]

I don't care one bit. The running order has been jumbled up too much to keep the championship race credible. It would've been helpful to have at least one driver in the hunt who had more than one victory before the season started. Right now it feels almost like it felt watching Indy 500 in 1996.

I don't agree with this. Button has shown he can get the job done in a dominant car in Alonso/Schumi style. Webber has showed he can dominate a race and do some wicked overtaking moves Montoya style. Vettel has shown he can win straight off the bat like Lewis and everyone can see he has crazy raw speed.

[Alfisti]

I got Button @ 101:1

Really if you're gonna plonk down some cash it had to be at least 1,000 pounds.

[cheapracer]

It will be a bit like 1994

"Senna's death" and "Controversy at Adelaide".

2009 will probably first be talked about for "Schumachers Comeback".

Ferrari really couldn't have gotten a better PR machine going for this year even if they won the Champs.

Edited by cheapracer, 01 August 2009 - 03:46.

[cheapracer]

I don't care one bit. The running order has been jumbled up too much to keep the championship race credible. It would've been helpful to have at least one driver in the hunt who had more than one victory before the season started. Right now it feels almost like it felt watching Indy 500 in 1996.

1982 F1 season was the same.

[mclarensmps]

As long as Button doesn't win, I don't care!

[Turbo4]

Hamilton, in one race, made a statement that he is the best driver out there currently.

* cough cough *

I wasn't aware he'd made a statement - he's been given an uprated car that really suited the track's characteristics. When he falls back down the field in places like Spa you're gonna look silly posting statements like that.

I'm still very much interested in the 2009 WDC, with 'Grade A' drivers up the top already.

[Ricardo F1]

* cough cough *

I wasn't aware he'd made a statement - he's been given an uprated car that really suited the track's characteristics. When he falls back down the field in places like Spa you're gonna look silly posting statements like that.

I'm still very much interested in the 2009 WDC, with 'Grade A' drivers up the top already.

Does that count him out of being the best driver out there? Or one of them. Kovaleinen had the same car, where was he?

As for the WDC - it's been overshadowed all year by politics and bullshit courtesy of one Max Mosley. Hopefully the second half of the season will make up for this.

[postajegenye]

I care, but not as much as usual, because

- I like Button
- I like Vettel
- I like Webber

but none of them is my favourite driver.
It's not so exciting this way.

[evo]

postajegenye: Looks like you're pretty hard to please

[cheapracer]

* cough cough *

I wasn't aware he'd made a statement - he's been given an uprated car that really suited the track's characteristics. When he falls back down the field in places like Spa you're gonna look silly posting statements like that.

Errr, ya, I'm sure with that extra KERS 100hp he will fall well behind at Spa

[femi]

Brawn had a great head start to the season, thanks to the devotion of 1 year and immense Honda resources to the car's development and the typical FIA rules' muddy interpretation. I am in no way against the Brawn team whatsoever but it seems to me that what they've got is not a championship winning car. They have too wide a gap in the car's performance based on what the environmental conditions are and that in my book is not a charactersitic of a championship winning F1 car!

The RB (and I am no fan either) is a better car in the sense that the performance is more consistent regardless of the racing conditions. They have a front of the grid car regardless of how the rules were interpreted and as far as the drivers go, neither of these two teams have the best drivers in their cars - in my opinion.

The Brawns came out just before the commencement of the last race stating they have achieved a performance jump that will put RB in their place due to updates introduced but what we saw or I saw was trully a jump but in the wrong direction. They had plenty of time to plan and develop updates to that car while they were far ahead and the others were seriously floundering and I am sure they were doing that but the result seemed to show they had gone in the wrong direction. They (Brawn and RB) are now under pressure from Mclaren and Ferrari and maybe a couple of other teams as well but it seems to me the Brawns will suffer more from these resurgence than RB because I think it will take another 3 - 4 races before they (RB) are really threatened and unless the Brawns do a real big and quick turn-around, they will be losing more grounds as both Mclaren and Ferrari take away points from them which will enable RB to eat into their lead in bigger chunks.

I hope that doesn't happen because I do sometimes enjoy fairy tale stories but the reality of F1 is that no one take prisoners and I am sure Mr. Ross Brawn is very well aware of that.

Edited by femi, 01 August 2009 - 06:36.

[Zmeej]

Hamilton, in one race, made a statement that he is the best driver out there currently.

IIRC, for all of Schumi's intolerable arrogance and his many other failings, he never said anything like that.

IMO, Hamilton deserves all the bad luck and hostility from other drivers that comes his way for the rest of his career.

[undersquare]

IIRC, for all of Schumi's intolerable arrogance and his many other failings, he never said anything like that.

IMO, Hamilton deserves all the bad luck and hostility from other drivers that comes his way for the rest of his career.

Hamilton didn't say that, the poster was talking about how he drove

You don't have to be stupid to be a Hammy bashboy, but obviously it helps

[Demo.]

Ah well if you're talking specifically about the media then yeah it does seem to have taken over somewhat.

Personally I've always taken the media with a pinch of salt anyway, I don't get newspapers and I don't watch the news on tv either so I'm not really too bothered what they're focussing on

todays news tomorrows chip papers.
It is new news so of course the press are going to cover it like a rash on a babies bum.
But no way they have forgotten the WDC it just so happens right now MS/Massa/Renault are more relevant after all what is going to change as far as the WDC points go in the next 3 weeks?

[D.M.N.]

I do, but for the next 2/3 races it'll take a backseat for obvious reasons. I can see the Ferrari's and McLaren's taking points away from Brawn and Red Bull as we head into the final stretch. Would any of them be able to catch and win the title? Who knows....

EDIT:

1 - Button: 70
2 - Webber: 51.5
3 - Vettel: 47
4 - Barrichello: 44
5 - Rosberg: 25.5
6 - Trulli: 22.5
7 - Massa: 22
8 - Hamilton: 19

You're asking for Brawn and Red Bull to have dozens of DNF's for anything significant to happen to the title fight which involves someone outside the top 4.

At the moment with 7 races left, everyone is in with a mathematical chance of winning the title. Of course after Valencia and so on and so forth, the amount of drivers' in contention will decrease.

Edited by D.M.N., 01 August 2009 - 08:23.

[Calorus]

I care more about Newey versus Brawn. The only real battle of the last decade.

ETA --
But it's always fun when Bell comes to the party, too.

Edited by Calorus, 01 August 2009 - 08:37.

[Gypsy]

I care about everyone and everything. Except Schumi and Hamilton. But I, obviously, really care very deeply about the WDC.

[wewantourdarbyback]

Good old Mark Webber could bring home the cup!

Will that make up for the rest of Australia forgetting how to play Cricket?

[slideways]

Will that make up for the rest of Australia forgetting how to play Cricket?

It's ok because England has to win 23 Ashes series in a row just to even the score.

[wewantourdarbyback]

It's ok because England has to win 23 Ashes series in a row just to even the score.

If Jimmy keeps swinging the ball the way he is that shouldn't be too hard a prospect.




(oh and please keep playing sh*tchell Johnson, he's funny)

[slideways]

I'll be honest I haven't been watching ... found it difficult since the old guard all retired.

[The Ragged Edge]

I'll be honest I haven't been watching ... found it difficult since the old guard all retired.

Australia have NO bowlers and since Warne and McGrath have retired, your batsmen are under intense pressure to perform. Before if the batsmen got a low team score, you could guarantee like a drought in the Sahara desert, that Warne and McGrath would bowl you back into the match. Now with Sh*tchel Johnson and co, Australia would struggle to bowl out Bangladesh. Australian dominance of cricket is OVER! Get prepared for the lean years like when you took over world cricket dominace from the West Indies. What makes Australian decline even worse, is at least the West Indies had a cricketer of the calibre of Brian Lara. The Aussies dont even have that. Its about time we gave you convicts a good bashing, after decades of beatings.

With a crap Rugby union and cricket team, I guess all the Aussies have left is old Webbo. If Button cant win, then I want Webber to win. But to be honest, the interest in the 2009 WDC, is virtually zero. There just has not been the excitement. Probably over shadowed by all the politics, diffuser BS, FOTA breakaway, Budget cap etc. This has taken away the focus from the WDC.

Edited by The Ragged Edge, 01 August 2009 - 09:37.

[Slartibartfast]

If Australia have no bowlers, who are those green-capped chaps that keep chucking balls at England's batsmen? I think someone needs to have a word with the Umpire...

23 series in a row for England to equal Australia - what scoring system is that?

There is a theory that England can only be good at one sport at a time; if they're winning at football, they are losing at the cricket and rugby, etc. Hopefully, F1's summer break should be long enough for the Ashes to be settled, then Button can get back to winning ways while the footballers can get back to what they're good at (losing to Germany on penalties).

[FonzCam]

Truth be told I care more about the WCC this year. Being a fan of the top 3 drivers it's not quite as exciting since there's less to loose then previous years. I'm still excited that JB SV or MW could be WDC but the battle is really between Brawn and RedBull.

Schumacher, Ferrari, McLaren all just add to the excitement by splitting the two teams battling for the championship. As for 'Grade A' drivers I'd argue that RedBull have one of if not the best driver pairings in F1 right now.

But TBH my main focus as always is rooting for Williams (and Nico)

[Dolph]

Sorry if this is a bit of fluff topic but since the end of Hungary my interest in the Vettel/Button/Webber battle has gone out of the window. There are a few reasons for this. Hamilton, in one race, made a statement that he is the best driver out there currently. Then there was Kimi coming back into to the scene, as well as Alonso. Proper Grade A drivers. Suddenly the king himself is coming back and all the forum is alive with is

Schumi Vs Kimi
Schumi Vs Lewis
Alonso Vs Lewis

Schumi Vs Kimi Vs Alonso Vs Lewis - That's the battle we all want to see!

It's like we've forgotten about the WDC of 2009. I know I have

I completely care about the WDC - it's always been the most important thing. Everything else is just for additional amusement.

[jesee]

I don't care about mourners like Button....such a whinner
This is one of his mourns in Hungary...........

“Guys, I'm already getting over steer. How can this car be so bad at the moment?”

Quote..... http://www.timesonli...icle6728046.ece

The quicker he slides out of the screens the better and i hope Red-bull takes the title. I want to see quality drivers like Ham, Alonso and Kimi. Vettel is an upcoming star.

[Jay]

Yup..

I'm still heavily interested in the WDC battle. I'm a through and through McLaren fan, but my primary interest is the racing, they just happen to be the team I follow with most passion.

It's fantastic to see Button doing well, and Webber/Vettel..

The change in fortune for Brawn in recent rounds..

All looks good for a climactic end to the season. Sure, the recent Schumi development has caught my eye whilst there is no racing going on in F1.. but when the lights go out in 3 weeks time.. only the racing is important.

I think it all adds to the spice of the WDC battle. Schumi/Kimi/Hamilton/Alonso are now looking like they will have a major impact on the outcome of this particular WDC... and that prospect is mouthwateringly HOT... I never thought I would see these guys slug it out.. this added to the current race for the WDC.. and you have a recipe for a great end of season...

Peace

J