The Official 2015 British Grand Prix thread **SPOILERS**

[Dr Z]

jingars said:

Alonso's McLaren was harvesting every single lap when it went by us; and it started doing so a lot earlier on the straight than any other cars; Manor and Sauber included. I don't think there are enough development "tokens" in the world to make McLaren competitive - either this season or the next.

The last time I felt this sad for Alonso was Brazilian GP 2012 when his car clearly didn't have the pace and Massa was playing rear gunner. They showed an on-board of him bringing it home in the rain yesterday. It was horrible and that doesn't even begin to describe the emotion.

Ron was better in the interview with Brundle yesterday...seems he's lost a lot of the bravado and appeared a bit more humble. I'm becoming more and more convinced that the chassis/aero work is coming along well and the engine has been throttled back to when it was at the start of the year (Aus GP levels) to save further embarrassment for Honda.

[Pooh]

monamimate said:

Cobnapint said:

Pooh said:

Did anybody else notice how rude Nico was to Frankie in the interviews, Frankie asked him a question and Nico completely turned his back on him and addressed his answer to the crowd. In contrast both Lewis and Seb addressed their answers to Frankie.

Yeah, my missus noticed it, asking me why the tw*t was talking to the crowd.

That's what Nico does - rude. Did you see his body language in the towelling down room after the race. You could FEEL the hate oozing from him as Lewis walked in. Seb shook Lewis's hand and congratulated him - Nico just sat in the corner with his bottle of water and didn't move until Lewis leant in his direction for the hand shake.

To say Nico can't stand Lewis (and vice-versa) is an understatement. Lewis just hides it better.

What IS the big issue here? It's not a personal chat between the driver and the interviewer... the drivers are being interviewed FOR the public, so what's the big deal if the driver turns to the public to answer?

I know that many PH's have a problem with Rosberg, but some of the reasons expressed to justify that are just ridiculous. Like his "behaviour" after the race... he just came second, again... do you expect a top F1 driver to do a dance of joy then?

I don't normally have a problem with Rosberg but this was not just a case of tuning his head to talk to the crowd, he fully turned his back on the guy who asked him the question and totally ignored him, I don't care who does it, that is just plain rude. As I said Lewis and Seb managed to talk to the crowd and Frankie so there really is no excuse.

[hairyben]

monamimate said:

hairyben said:

I'd say they handle their "huffs" very differently, highlighted by monaco- hamilton had every reason to feel utterly robbed and put on his pout face- but the first thing he did on arriving at the podium was handshake/congratulate rosberg, even if it was strained. yesterday rosberg lost a "chance" through bad luck but to be fair it was a much, much lesser "loss", but he sat in the corner and blanked until hamilton come to him. it's a little thing but it says a lot.

Selective memory? Hamilton only shook Rosberg's hand once they were on the podium (i.e. in full glare of the media). When they were still below the steps on the track, Hamilton also slouched about pouting and sulking. Not saying his handshake wasn't sincere, but don't paint him as a saint either...

must be... I clearly remember him, as I pondered how hard it must be, walking up to the bit of track they were waiting for the podium and shaking rosberg hand... Sure it was far from warm and hearty but he made the gesture.

[monamimate]

Pooh said:

I don't normally have a problem with Rosberg but this was not just a case of tuning his head to talk to the crowd, he fully turned his back on the guy who asked him the question and totally ignored him, I don't care who does it, that is just plain rude. As I said Lewis and Seb managed to talk to the crowd and Frankie so there really is no excuse.

Just watched it again. You're right that he did turn away completely, but I still wouldn't attribute it to rudeness; it was perhaps awkward but just before, he beamed a broad smile at Franki, hardly the sign of someone about to be rude. Certainly doesn't warrant him being called a tw*t for, as someone else did in the thread.

(I must be giving the impression I'm quite a Rosberg fanboy by now... Not really, but I do baulk at the unbridled and mostly unjustified criticism he gets from some Brits)

[monamimate]

hairyben said:

monamimate said:

hairyben said:

I'd say they handle their "huffs" very differently, highlighted by monaco- hamilton had every reason to feel utterly robbed and put on his pout face- but the first thing he did on arriving at the podium was handshake/congratulate rosberg, even if it was strained. yesterday rosberg lost a "chance" through bad luck but to be fair it was a much, much lesser "loss", but he sat in the corner and blanked until hamilton come to him. it's a little thing but it says a lot.

Selective memory? Hamilton only shook Rosberg's hand once they were on the podium (i.e. in full glare of the media). When they were still below the steps on the track, Hamilton also slouched about pouting and sulking. Not saying his handshake wasn't sincere, but don't paint him as a saint either...

must be... I clearly remember him, as I pondered how hard it must be, walking up to the bit of track they were waiting for the podium and shaking rosberg hand... Sure it was far from warm and hearty but he made the gesture.

I also think the handshake was sincere.

But there was a very, very long period of time before they went onto the podium during which Hamilton just kept away...

Also, I dread to think the kind of insults that would have been levelled at Rosberg if he had deliberately (and let's be honest, rather childishly) knocked down the position marker as did Hamilton.

[ukaskew]

freedman said:

A race thrown away by Williams by a complete lack of strategy to actually try and win it

Williams were never going to win that race, regardless of their strategy calls. Bottas getting ahead of Massa early on may have seen him a little further up the road for a while, but nothing more than that, especially given the rain.

They may have thrown away a 3rd place dependent on the 'track position when rain started' lottery, but that's about it in my opinion.

[Scuffers]

ukaskew said:

freedman said:

A race thrown away by Williams by a complete lack of strategy to actually try and win it

Williams were never going to win that race, regardless of their strategy calls. Bottas getting ahead of Massa early on may have seen him a little further up the road for a while, but nothing more than that, especially given the rain.

They may have thrown away a 3rd place dependent on the 'track position when rain started' lottery, but that's about it in my opinion.

kind of agree... not sure they had the pace for the win, that said, 3rd was a very realistic option with a faint chance of 2nd.

Way I see it, if Bottas had been let go to run, and could have put half a sec a lap on Massa (holding up the mercs) by the time lewis stopped for tyres, he would never have been able to grab the lead from the under-cut, this would have left Bottas in the lead, all the way to the rain, at which point I suspect he would have lost out, but may not have done...

[leglessAlex]

monamimate said:

Pooh said:

I don't normally have a problem with Rosberg but this was not just a case of tuning his head to talk to the crowd, he fully turned his back on the guy who asked him the question and totally ignored him, I don't care who does it, that is just plain rude. As I said Lewis and Seb managed to talk to the crowd and Frankie so there really is no excuse.

Just watched it again. You're right that he did turn away completely, but I still wouldn't attribute it to rudeness; it was perhaps awkward but just before, he beamed a broad smile at Franki, hardly the sign of someone about to be rude. Certainly doesn't warrant him being called a tw*t for, as someone else did in the thread.

(I must be giving the impression I'm quite a Rosberg fanboy by now... Not really, but I do baulk at the unbridled and mostly unjustified criticism he gets from some Brits)

Same as above, I'm not a Rosberg fanboy but it does seem a bit unfair the lambasting he is getting for this. He was trying to talk to the crowd which I think is fair, and where Frankie was standing he couldn't do both.

[marshall100]

monamimate said:

Also, I dread to think the kind of insults that would have been levelled at Rosberg if he had deliberately (and let's be honest, rather childishly) knocked down the position marker as did Hamilton.

I guess I'm alone in thinking that the response from Lewis at Monaco was fairly tame. I wouldn't have been able to restrain myself from launch the steering wheel down the start finish straight at the end of that race.

Roseberg is bound to be pissy, he's getting beaten most weekends and has done against Hamilton since they were kids. Your bound to be thinking 'WTF have I got to do to beat this guy?'

My main critique of Lewis yesterday was his half cock attempt at a doughnut. Bugger it next time lad, light em up. The fine would be worth it in my opinion.

[Scuffers]

marshall100 said:

Bugger it next time lad, light em up. The fine would be worth it in my opinion.

that's not the problem, it's the grid penalties for the new engine and gearbox that hurts!

[NRS]

hairyben said:

I'd say I didn't mean for a spat but I suppose I should have not posted that.

I'd say they handle their "huffs" very differently, highlighted by monaco- hamilton had every reason to feel utterly robbed and put on his pout face- but the first thing he did on arriving at the podium was handshake/congratulate rosberg, even if it was strained. yesterday rosberg lost a "chance" through bad luck but to be fair it was a much, much lesser "loss", but he sat in the corner and blanked until hamilton come to him. it's a little thing but it says a lot.

monamimate said:

I also think the handshake was sincere.

But there was a very, very long period of time before they went onto the podium during which Hamilton just kept away...

Also, I dread to think the kind of insults that would have been levelled at Rosberg if he had deliberately (and let's be honest, rather childishly) knocked down the position marker as did Hamilton.

I agree, both of them do things when upset, it's just Rosberg gettings all the flack on here, whereas Hamilton doing similar gets "let off", or in the case of the sign people saying it was brilliant/ funny etc. I really don't care about what they are doing, but both of them act stroppy sometimes, and at others like very good sportsmen. It's just depending on their mood. It also makes it more interesting to see, rather than robots doing the "right" thing all the time.

People complain about the lack of personality in F1 these days and yet if any of it comes in then someone is being stroppy, or in the case of Hamilton he's just an idiot because of his jewelry etc. Just because he's not got women draped round his neck like the guys used to, or going up and punching someone it doesn't mean it's less personality, it's just not the type you want or admire.

[marshall100]

Scuffers said:

that's not the problem, it's the grid penalties for the new engine and gearbox that hurts!

Good grief, what is the world coming to. The FIA are sucking the life out of everything.

[Scuffers]

Gaz. said:

marshall100 said:

Good grief, what is the world coming to. The FIA are sucking the life out of everything.

The teams voted for all of this crap. Everything wrong with the sport can be mostly laid down at the team's doors.

correct!

99% of the issue we have now are down to the team's inability to agree on anything constructive.

[Jasandjules]

marshall100 said:

Roseberg is bound to be pissy, he's getting beaten most weekends and has done against Hamilton since they were kids. Your bound to be thinking 'WTF have I got to do to beat this guy?'

Indeed, as he said on the Track Parade - his problem in Q3 was the guy in car No.44. I thought that was pretty funny really.

In fairness I think (Monaco excepted) Nico seems like a nice guy who wants to win but just knows he isn't as good as Lewis. Don't get me wrong, he is fast, faster than I thought he would be and he is putting up a hell of a scrap, but he will come second again this year I suspect.

[monamimate]

Jasandjules said:

Indeed, as he said on the Track Parade - his problem in Q3 was the guy in car No.44. I thought that was pretty funny really.

In fairness I think (Monaco excepted) Nico seems like a nice guy who wants to win but just knows he isn't as good as Lewis. Don't get me wrong, he is fast, faster than I thought he would be and he is putting up a hell of a scrap, but he will come second again this year I suspect.

Indeed... and he's the only one on the grid who can't use his car as an excuse. In that context, I think he's doing a pretty good job of keeping his dignity.

[threespires]

Some driver pix here, sorry about poor quality
https://flic.kr/s/aHskfESBMa

[heebeegeetee]

Right, just possibly to further enhance the idea that this years Brit GP gave us less to moan about than normal , just check these absolutely fab pics from my friend Robert Grounds (threespires) who went with his daughter Louise and grandson Dylan: https://www.flickr.com/photos/robertgrounds/sets/7...

Aren't they great? I mean, it even looks like you can get close to the drivers, like the "good old days".

To quote Louise: "Dylan got either pictures with or autographs or both with all drivers apart from Rosberg, Ricciardo & Kvyat. But he's got those before so it's ok . Got his new Hamilton cap signed. I got my Ferrari hat signed by Raikkonen, Gutierrez & Vettel. Did a snapchatt with Gutierrez which made my year!! And we got a photo together with Vettel which is awesome. All the pictures I'll get printed out & take them to Monza to see if we can get them signed. He thinks this is normal though, he doesn't realise how lucky he is!!"

Edited by heebeegeetee on Monday 6th July 18:34

Sorry, just realised that Robert has posted the link. Fantastic pics, Robert, really!

Edited by heebeegeetee on Monday 6th July 18:36

[deadslow]

monamimate said:

Jasandjules said:

Indeed, as he said on the Track Parade - his problem in Q3 was the guy in car No.44. I thought that was pretty funny really.

In fairness I think (Monaco excepted) Nico seems like a nice guy who wants to win but just knows he isn't as good as Lewis. Don't get me wrong, he is fast, faster than I thought he would be and he is putting up a hell of a scrap, but he will come second again this year I suspect.

Indeed... and he's the only one on the grid who can't use his car as an excuse. In that context, I think he's doing a pretty good job of keeping his dignity.

I think Rosberg, given the pain he is taking, and the media's obsession with his rival, has come across as pretty sporting and with a good sense of humour. Hamilton, also recently comes across really well. At the heart of it they seem like a pair of nice boys.

[LDN]

threespires said:

Some driver pix here, sorry about poor quality
https://flic.kr/s/aHskfESBMa

Niki, Toto and Vettel look genuinely happy to be having their picture taken; very sweet.

[NRS]

LDN said:

Niki, Toto and Vettel look genuinely happy to be having their picture taken; very sweet.

https://flic.kr/p/vnZeJv

Trying to work out which one is Max...