7 replies to this topic

[alpinesmuggler]

Granted, all teams engage in massive PR campaigns. I'm not even talking about commercial or advertisement deals, but simply the way most drivers and team principals have been taught what to say, when to say it, and when to shut up.

 

With that in mind, I invite you to read this article in the Guardian. Seb, whom I have disliked for his (petty, I know; cultural differences perhaps) finger-wagging (toned down by RedBull PR team since the last booing, it's the fist, thumb, whatever else now), really comes across as one smart dude. That's the kind of champion we want, don't we, dominant machinery aside? A kid who says that he's too young to fully grasp what he's achieved as a young man, a guy who has his head well on his shoulders?

 

Of course I'd rather see my man Lewis in this position, but, heck, Seb is a great champion. For some reason, I've really warmed up to Seb this year. Maybe team PR departments should let these guys talk a bit more freely, so that we, as fans, get to appreciate the man driving the machine, as we did in the "olden days."

Edited by alpinesmuggler, 29 October 2013 - 09:35.

[Gorma]

[alpinesmuggler]

That's precisely the kind of stuff I'm talking about. I bet the blood pressure of a few dour engineers/PR folk at RedBull shot up when he did this.

 

We might like teams, but we also like ourselves sporting heroes. And what better way to become a sporting hero than to do something fun for the fans.

Edited by alpinesmuggler, 29 October 2013 - 09:45.

[wattoroos]

Winners aren't really liked, especially when people think they don't deserve it, but if you watch just about any video on Youtube, he comes across very well, and quite a funny guy, I've always thought he is very good and quite liked him, it's just that if he does even the smallest thing wrong, it is magnified. It annoys me when people form opinions based on what someone else writes, form your opinion on what you see from them, what they say and how they act. I'm not saying everyone should like him, but he deserves more respect than he is getting. If they are talented, good racers and genuine people, they deserve respect, whether you like them or not should not interfere with your perception about a driver

[alpinesmuggler]

Winners aren't really liked, especially when people think they don't deserve it, but if you watch just about any video on Youtube, he comes across very well, and quite a funny guy, I've always thought he is very good and quite liked him, it's just that if he does even the smallest thing wrong, it is magnified. It annoys me when people form opinions based on what someone else writes, form your opinion on what you see from them, what they say and how they act. I'm not saying everyone should like him, but he deserves more respect than he is getting. If they are talented, good racers and genuine people, they deserve respect, whether you like them or not should not interfere with your perception about a driver

I agree, and I feel like Seb is that kind of genuine person. Maybe it's his growing up that's allowing him to be looser with the RB PR (how self-assured/mature were *we* at 23-25?), maybe it's the titles, but I really am happy for his championship win for the first time in the past four years. It's like we're witnessing the rise of a real man racer, and I love that.

 

I used to dislike Schumacher, but then his press conference where he broke down crying when asked about how he had just surpassed Senna's victory total really showed me the man behind the advert-laden coveralls. You just can't fake that kind of emotion.

Edited by alpinesmuggler, 29 October 2013 - 10:12.

[UPRC]

Winners aren't really liked, especially when people think they don't deserve it, but if you watch just about any video on Youtube, he comes across very well, and quite a funny guy, I've always thought he is very good and quite liked him, it's just that if he does even the smallest thing wrong, it is magnified. It annoys me when people form opinions based on what someone else writes, form your opinion on what you see from them, what they say and how they act. I'm not saying everyone should like him, but he deserves more respect than he is getting. If they are talented, good racers and genuine people, they deserve respect, whether you like them or not should not interfere with your perception about a driver

 

Agreed. Vettel strikes me as a pretty decent guy off the track and it's impossible to deny that he's a very good racer, but I've never cared for him very much as a driver. Even before he won his first title I was a bit put off by him due to his on-track personality... but yes, nobody can deny that he's extremely talented. Yes he is driving a rocket ship of a car, but he's still very, very, very fast and worthy of winning and how we feel about his conduct and/or personality should have no bearing on how we judge his abilities.

Edited by UPRC, 29 October 2013 - 10:17.

[alpinesmuggler]

Agreed. Vettel strikes me as a pretty decent guy off the track and it's impossible to deny that he's a very good racer, but I've never cared for him very much as a driver. Even before he won his first title I was a bit put off by him due to his on-track personality... but yes, nobody can deny that he's extremely talented. Yes he is driving a rocket ship of a car, but he's still very, very, very fast and worthy of winning and how we feel about his conduct and/or personality should have no bearing on how we judge his abilities.

I disagree about that last part. There are champions we all love (Piquet! Hunt! Lauda! Prost! Senna! Jacques! Well maybe not Jacques.), and this is what I got with Seb this year. Not just the driving, the control, but it was the first season I was, as a fan, been capable to relate to him on a human level. Be it Mult21 or this weekend's doughnut, the more I'm seeing of the man as opposed to the driver, the easier it is for me to identify and cheer for him.

 

It's like Lewis in 2011. Worst season ever on track, and yet you knew that things were wrong in his head. I, as a fan, felt similar emotions, and it made me a fan right then and there.

[goingthedistance]

Personally I'm a bit tired of the recent push to re-invent Sebastian Vettel as all around good guy since it's been clear he'll win another WDC. The F1 press is very self-serving, they know that if the current level of dislike of the person dominating the sport was to continue than the sport goes down the toilet. It's one of the reasons certain journalists got so little traction in bringing down Lance Armstrong during his years of dominance, nobody wants to hear anything remotely negative about a dominating force for fear it will bring down the sport. And no I'm not insinuating anything about Vettel beyond the fact that sports journalists like winners and are afraid to rock the boat for want of losing access! 

 

For the record I think Vettel is an outstanding driver who has gradually managed to shed several weaknesses that made him no better than average back when he started. I'm still not convinced he's the epic great the press is bleating about at the moment, let's wait and see how he goes in a less dominant car. I thought he reacted very badly to the pressure in Brazil last year and only won because half the remaining field got out of his way (that half being either German or an STR driver). 

 

As for his personality, I find it hard to make a judgement. You hear whispers over the years of him being rather arrogant and demanding, I'm sure the "Princess Petal" title that apparently evolved in the paddock did so for a reason. But he's clearly a very intelligent person. The juries still out IMO.

 

I just wish we'd get more balanced info on all the drivers. We are fed so much PR these days it's so have any real idea about their personalities.