The Official 2016 British Grand Prix Thread **Spoilers**
Discussion
monamimate said:
Glad to see I had a huge impact on the mood of this thread...
At least you tried. If you have been following any of the F1 threads you would know that there are a certain couple of posters who will always find something to slag nice off about (again and again and again). The OP of these threads puts a great deal of effort in and there are lots of interesting contributions in the threads but they always end up the same way with the same people in the end. It's a shame really. monamimate said:
Oh FFS! He can't win, can he? He tries to be diplomatic by downplaying the issue and then complimenting British fans, and it's still not good enough for you?
And what would you expect him to say to that question about Lewis? He basically again took the diplomatic way by saying "hey, he's the same guy".
Haters will etc etc...
Why lie though? We all know he was booed by thousands, and he has the cheek to suggest it was 15-20?! And what would you expect him to say to that question about Lewis? He basically again took the diplomatic way by saying "hey, he's the same guy".
Haters will etc etc...
monamimate said:
Oh FFS! He can't win, can he? He tries to be diplomatic by downplaying the issue and then complimenting British fans, and it's still not good enough for you?
And what would you expect him to say to that question about Lewis? He basically again took the diplomatic way by saying "hey, he's the same guy".
Haters will etc etc...
I have an issue with people so blatantly lying. If he really believes it was 15 or 20 people he is taking the F1 audience for idiots. As he did playing the innocent in Austria when nearly every racing driver on the planet said it was his fault.And what would you expect him to say to that question about Lewis? He basically again took the diplomatic way by saying "hey, he's the same guy".
Haters will etc etc...
If he could just be more honest I'm sure he would be liked more.
Edited by cgt2 on Tuesday 12th July 11:22
Edited by cgt2 on Tuesday 12th July 11:23
Some really dense people here.
How many people boo'd you Nico?
Nico: knowing it's hundreds...
h I dunno 15-20 ...
1. It's funny,
2. It winds up the narrow minded simpletons booing in the first place
Nico and Lewis are both quite unlikeable when they spit their respective dummies
Neither deserve being boo'd are driving they way they do.
Both have pulled off stupid manoeuvres
Both have pulled of some sublime performances
Lewis is a multiple WC probably on the basis he's better overall... isn't that the long and the short of it?
I have friends who I've known since childhood who have climbed the greasy pole. Asked what they're like now and saying they're the same but just with more money seems an entirely ordinary tongue in cheek response...
How many people boo'd you Nico?
Nico: knowing it's hundreds...
h I dunno 15-20 ...1. It's funny,
2. It winds up the narrow minded simpletons booing in the first place
Nico and Lewis are both quite unlikeable when they spit their respective dummies
Neither deserve being boo'd are driving they way they do.
Both have pulled off stupid manoeuvres
Both have pulled of some sublime performances
Lewis is a multiple WC probably on the basis he's better overall... isn't that the long and the short of it?
I have friends who I've known since childhood who have climbed the greasy pole. Asked what they're like now and saying they're the same but just with more money seems an entirely ordinary tongue in cheek response...
sandman77 said:
monamimate said:
Glad to see I had a huge impact on the mood of this thread...
At least you tried. If you have been following any of the F1 threads you would know that there are a certain couple of posters who will always find something to slag nice off about (again and again and again). The OP of these threads puts a great deal of effort in and there are lots of interesting contributions in the threads but they always end up the same way with the same people in the end. It's a shame really. monamimate said:
Oh FFS! He can't win, can he? He tries to be diplomatic by downplaying the issue and then complimenting British fans, and it's still not good enough for you?
And what would you expect him to say to that question about Lewis? He basically again took the diplomatic way by saying "hey, he's the same guy".
Haters will etc etc...
That may be true, apart from the first part of the comment, which effectively turns it into "Lewis got far more boos than me, I only got some from a couple of people". Which is not true - both had the majority (of those you could hear on TV) booing them. And what would you expect him to say to that question about Lewis? He basically again took the diplomatic way by saying "hey, he's the same guy".
Haters will etc etc...
Second comment I see nothing wrong with (he's the same person).
The more I've seen the more I think that The Internet should just be written off as a bad idea. The British GP was a great one to watch, with action up and down the field, yet again the thread ends on people spewing the same assertions at each other that they always do. I can't imagine the stuff they'd be saying about Clark after the von Trips crash. He'd make Andy Murray look popular!
I personally find the Nico/Lewis battle to be one of the most boring things this year. Nico is fast and has had the mechanical luck so far, but luck swings both ways and we've been watching them race each other for three years so there's little new we can expect. Certainly nothing new which requires the arguments of the last two years to be rehashed at every thread.
I personally find the Nico/Lewis battle to be one of the most boring things this year. Nico is fast and has had the mechanical luck so far, but luck swings both ways and we've been watching them race each other for three years so there's little new we can expect. Certainly nothing new which requires the arguments of the last two years to be rehashed at every thread.
housen said:
monamimate said:
housen said:
cgt2 said:
NJK44 said:
Rosberg is very easy to dislike.
He is a good driver. I feel he is definitely flattered by his machinery and his lack of racecraft and wet weather ability shows that he is not top tier. There are many such drivers on the grid, but what makes Nico hard to like IMO is his complete lack of sincerity when he is being interviewed. His manner is quite superior and entitled, typical of many rich kids and I think if he had held up his hands and said ''I'm sorry'' after Austria (and other such occasions) he would be respected far more than the belligerent arrogance he displayed. Anyone who works in a job where they interact with a lot of people can see the differences immediately.
Monaco 2014 was so blatant and his attitude after that quali session makes it extremely easy to dislike Nico and take anything he says with a pinch of salt.
Yesterday's comments about being booed by only 15 people are patronising and insult the audience's intelligence. I don't think he should have been booed but why lie about it and lie so obviously, you are taking the F1 audience as mugs. If it could be heard on TV then it was at least a couple of hundred people if not more out of such a large crowd.
Several journos up and down the pitlane have commented on these characteristics of Nico's in the past too. If he becomes champion this season as a result of Hamilton's misfortune it will be a very unfair result as he is plainly not as good as several others unless he has everything his way. Could he fight back hard to a win or 2nd from the back of the grid? Don't think so.
Max is 18 FFS and has already given Nico a masterclass in racecraft on at least two occasions and come out on top.
who is he kidding
I also read a article in a easy jet magazine
nico was asked if lewis had changed much over the years
nico said no only that he has more money now
wtf why would u say that
nico is a douche end of
And what would you expect him to say to that question about Lewis? He basically again took the diplomatic way by saying "hey, he's the same guy".
Haters will etc etc...
he could have also said no lewis still the same guy I grew up with ....the end
cgt2 said:
monamimate said:
Oh FFS! He can't win, can he? He tries to be diplomatic by downplaying the issue and then complimenting British fans, and it's still not good enough for you?
And what would you expect him to say to that question about Lewis? He basically again took the diplomatic way by saying "hey, he's the same guy".
Haters will etc etc...
I have an issue with people so blatantly lying. If he really believes it was 15 or 20 people he is taking the F1 audience for idiots. As he did playing the innocent in Austria when nearly every racing driver on the planet said it was his fault.And what would you expect him to say to that question about Lewis? He basically again took the diplomatic way by saying "hey, he's the same guy".
Haters will etc etc...
If he could just be more honest I'm sure he would be liked more.
Edited by cgt2 on Tuesday 12th July 11:22
Edited by cgt2 on Tuesday 12th July 11:23
Dusty964 said:
housen said:
monamimate said:
housen said:
cgt2 said:
NJK44 said:
Rosberg is very easy to dislike.
He is a good driver. I feel he is definitely flattered by his machinery and his lack of racecraft and wet weather ability shows that he is not top tier. There are many such drivers on the grid, but what makes Nico hard to like IMO is his complete lack of sincerity when he is being interviewed. His manner is quite superior and entitled, typical of many rich kids and I think if he had held up his hands and said ''I'm sorry'' after Austria (and other such occasions) he would be respected far more than the belligerent arrogance he displayed. Anyone who works in a job where they interact with a lot of people can see the differences immediately.
Monaco 2014 was so blatant and his attitude after that quali session makes it extremely easy to dislike Nico and take anything he says with a pinch of salt.
Yesterday's comments about being booed by only 15 people are patronising and insult the audience's intelligence. I don't think he should have been booed but why lie about it and lie so obviously, you are taking the F1 audience as mugs. If it could be heard on TV then it was at least a couple of hundred people if not more out of such a large crowd.
Several journos up and down the pitlane have commented on these characteristics of Nico's in the past too. If he becomes champion this season as a result of Hamilton's misfortune it will be a very unfair result as he is plainly not as good as several others unless he has everything his way. Could he fight back hard to a win or 2nd from the back of the grid? Don't think so.
Max is 18 FFS and has already given Nico a masterclass in racecraft on at least two occasions and come out on top.
who is he kidding
I also read a article in a easy jet magazine
nico was asked if lewis had changed much over the years
nico said no only that he has more money now
wtf why would u say that
nico is a douche end of
And what would you expect him to say to that question about Lewis? He basically again took the diplomatic way by saying "hey, he's the same guy".
Haters will etc etc...
he could have also said no lewis still the same guy I grew up with ....the end
have you ever read a easy jet magazine they are quite good to be fair
or are you too good to fly easy jet and only fly ba first pitying people who fly easy jet ?
This is partly I think why Max is so immediately popular. He is too young to get involved in these kind of games. He drives the car (very well) and is refreshingly modest and straightforward in interviews.
When asked at the weekend about how he was beating Ricciardo he answered very simply that he drives his own race and does what he can do. End of story, no controversy.
Of course he will change as he gets older but he is a breath of fresh air for F1 at this point.
When asked at the weekend about how he was beating Ricciardo he answered very simply that he drives his own race and does what he can do. End of story, no controversy.
Of course he will change as he gets older but he is a breath of fresh air for F1 at this point.
g4ry13 said:
Vaud said:
Derek Smith said:
Look, I know this might generate some obnoxious replies, even worse that those directed at a poster who says something not nasty about Hamilton, but here goes.
Christian was on the radio on Ch4 and later came to the presenters later. This will sound really weird but I'm warming to him.
He does seem a bit more relaxed these days. Christian was on the radio on Ch4 and later came to the presenters later. This will sound really weird but I'm warming to him.
housen said:
Dusty964 said:
housen said:
monamimate said:
housen said:
cgt2 said:
NJK44 said:
Rosberg is very easy to dislike.
He is a good driver. I feel he is definitely flattered by his machinery and his lack of racecraft and wet weather ability shows that he is not top tier. There are many such drivers on the grid, but what makes Nico hard to like IMO is his complete lack of sincerity when he is being interviewed. His manner is quite superior and entitled, typical of many rich kids and I think if he had held up his hands and said ''I'm sorry'' after Austria (and other such occasions) he would be respected far more than the belligerent arrogance he displayed. Anyone who works in a job where they interact with a lot of people can see the differences immediately.
Monaco 2014 was so blatant and his attitude after that quali session makes it extremely easy to dislike Nico and take anything he says with a pinch of salt.
Yesterday's comments about being booed by only 15 people are patronising and insult the audience's intelligence. I don't think he should have been booed but why lie about it and lie so obviously, you are taking the F1 audience as mugs. If it could be heard on TV then it was at least a couple of hundred people if not more out of such a large crowd.
Several journos up and down the pitlane have commented on these characteristics of Nico's in the past too. If he becomes champion this season as a result of Hamilton's misfortune it will be a very unfair result as he is plainly not as good as several others unless he has everything his way. Could he fight back hard to a win or 2nd from the back of the grid? Don't think so.
Max is 18 FFS and has already given Nico a masterclass in racecraft on at least two occasions and come out on top.
who is he kidding
I also read a article in a easy jet magazine
nico was asked if lewis had changed much over the years
nico said no only that he has more money now
wtf why would u say that
nico is a douche end of
And what would you expect him to say to that question about Lewis? He basically again took the diplomatic way by saying "hey, he's the same guy".
Haters will etc etc...
he could have also said no lewis still the same guy I grew up with ....the end
have you ever read a easy jet magazine they are quite good to be fair
or are you too good to fly easy jet and only fly ba first pitying people who fly easy jet ?
Well as this has descended into arguments again - heres my review, from you know, actually being there.
Been to lots of events but first time at A) Silverstone and B) an F1 race
(I have been to tests though).
I'd booked in September, £400ea so not a cheap do by any means. However I actually did come away feeling it was pretty good value - like many events, you need to plan and make sure you see the right things. Arrived Wednesday night to find an already buzzing campsite with plenty on. That also included a covered grandstand, camping with electric, a full on festival campsite, parking etc.
I'm an experienced camper and Woodlands was really well organised and laid out, marked pitches, good facilities, the stewards were sensible, they did smart things like handing bin bags out with your tickets etc. In contrast to staying at e.g. Le-Mans where it really is just a few thousand people thrown into a field.
Entertainment much better than expected, genuine festival feel, with some good bands on. We were in Woodlands lively, and it was just that. Made a load of friends, had a big fire every night, music on etc. Watched some tennis and footy on the grass outside the pub, went on the funfair etc.
On Thursday we went to the live filming of the Sky F1 show. The pit straight stands were absolutely rammed, the presenters and drivers seemed genuinely surprised with how many people had turned out for a Thursday. It was a couple of hours of proper fun, lots of crowd interaction etc. Well reccomended.
Friday we walked ~18 miles in total, did a full lap of the circuit watching practice sessions from various points. Being able to 'rove' in all the Grandstands is excellent.
On Saturday we did more roving. I was stood right next to fence when Ericcson came past and slammed into the opposite tyre wall - it was jaw dropping, the energy and noise of a crash at that speed. There was a real nervousness in the crowd as it took a while before he climbed out, poor bloke had really had his bell rung. Amazing effort to start the race on Sunday.
For the actualy qualifying session we sat up at Becketts overlooking the exit onto Chapel curve and Hangar.
Wow.
It is absolutely magnificent to watch. We all noted that more than anyone else, Max Verstappen looked incredible through here, it would have been great to see times for this section alone. Of course this is where he took Nico in the race, he seemed to be able to find lateral grip where others couldn't.
It was a superb session, Hamiltons lap in Q2 was actually more dramatic than in Q3 but when he got the time wiped the tension shot up. Rapturous aplause though in the end.
Race day - a very late night thanks to more great music at Woodlands but up early again to soak it all in. Still no realy queueing or crowding anywhere, I thought the logistics are handled superbly. Entertaining GP and Porsche races.
The Red Arrows, despite having watched them so many times, always take my breath away.
Then the rain - it was as if Bernie had timed it to perfection, the sky went black and it monsooned for exactly the right period of time. Such a shame the safety car stayed out to long but it didn't ruin the race for me. We were sat in Luffield - some great battles.
Hulkenberg was mighty and frighteningly close to a massive spin through Woodcote. It also reminds me how much you miss on telly - there was lots rallycross dicing and powersliding going on by the slower cars early on, it was great to watch.
Max, again, was thrilling. Properly won the crowd over, getting almost as big a cheer as Lewis. And of course, depsite a less exciting race, got the result everyone wanted.
We went onto the track and hung around for the fan forum thing afterwards, before heading back for a final BBQ and leaving at 8ish with not a queue, or car stuck in the mud in sight.
Its easy to slag it off from behind the telly.
But I really did think it was absolutely superb, from the way it was run, the entertainments offered, to the absolutely enormous crowds full of happy, cheering, joyous people, and a pretty good race to finish off. It was as good as Le-Mans for me as a whole experience, and that's saying something.
Been to lots of events but first time at A) Silverstone and B) an F1 race
(I have been to tests though).
I'd booked in September, £400ea so not a cheap do by any means. However I actually did come away feeling it was pretty good value - like many events, you need to plan and make sure you see the right things. Arrived Wednesday night to find an already buzzing campsite with plenty on. That also included a covered grandstand, camping with electric, a full on festival campsite, parking etc.
I'm an experienced camper and Woodlands was really well organised and laid out, marked pitches, good facilities, the stewards were sensible, they did smart things like handing bin bags out with your tickets etc. In contrast to staying at e.g. Le-Mans where it really is just a few thousand people thrown into a field.
Entertainment much better than expected, genuine festival feel, with some good bands on. We were in Woodlands lively, and it was just that. Made a load of friends, had a big fire every night, music on etc. Watched some tennis and footy on the grass outside the pub, went on the funfair etc.
On Thursday we went to the live filming of the Sky F1 show. The pit straight stands were absolutely rammed, the presenters and drivers seemed genuinely surprised with how many people had turned out for a Thursday. It was a couple of hours of proper fun, lots of crowd interaction etc. Well reccomended.
Friday we walked ~18 miles in total, did a full lap of the circuit watching practice sessions from various points. Being able to 'rove' in all the Grandstands is excellent.
On Saturday we did more roving. I was stood right next to fence when Ericcson came past and slammed into the opposite tyre wall - it was jaw dropping, the energy and noise of a crash at that speed. There was a real nervousness in the crowd as it took a while before he climbed out, poor bloke had really had his bell rung. Amazing effort to start the race on Sunday.
For the actualy qualifying session we sat up at Becketts overlooking the exit onto Chapel curve and Hangar.
Wow.
It is absolutely magnificent to watch. We all noted that more than anyone else, Max Verstappen looked incredible through here, it would have been great to see times for this section alone. Of course this is where he took Nico in the race, he seemed to be able to find lateral grip where others couldn't.
It was a superb session, Hamiltons lap in Q2 was actually more dramatic than in Q3 but when he got the time wiped the tension shot up. Rapturous aplause though in the end.
Race day - a very late night thanks to more great music at Woodlands but up early again to soak it all in. Still no realy queueing or crowding anywhere, I thought the logistics are handled superbly. Entertaining GP and Porsche races.
The Red Arrows, despite having watched them so many times, always take my breath away.
Then the rain - it was as if Bernie had timed it to perfection, the sky went black and it monsooned for exactly the right period of time. Such a shame the safety car stayed out to long but it didn't ruin the race for me. We were sat in Luffield - some great battles.
Hulkenberg was mighty and frighteningly close to a massive spin through Woodcote. It also reminds me how much you miss on telly - there was lots rallycross dicing and powersliding going on by the slower cars early on, it was great to watch.
Max, again, was thrilling. Properly won the crowd over, getting almost as big a cheer as Lewis. And of course, depsite a less exciting race, got the result everyone wanted.
We went onto the track and hung around for the fan forum thing afterwards, before heading back for a final BBQ and leaving at 8ish with not a queue, or car stuck in the mud in sight.
Its easy to slag it off from behind the telly.
But I really did think it was absolutely superb, from the way it was run, the entertainments offered, to the absolutely enormous crowds full of happy, cheering, joyous people, and a pretty good race to finish off. It was as good as Le-Mans for me as a whole experience, and that's saying something.
snotrag said:
Well as this has descended into arguments again - heres my review, from you know, actually being there.
Been to lots of events but first time at A) Silverstone and B) an F1 race
(I have been to tests though).
I'd booked in September, £400ea so not a cheap do by any means. However I actually did come away feeling it was pretty good value - like many events, you need to plan and make sure you see the right things. Arrived Wednesday night to find an already buzzing campsite with plenty on. That also included a covered grandstand, camping with electric, a full on festival campsite, parking etc.
I'm an experienced camper and Woodlands was really well organised and laid out, marked pitches, good facilities, the stewards were sensible, they did smart things like handing bin bags out with your tickets etc. In contrast to staying at e.g. Le-Mans where it really is just a few thousand people thrown into a field.
Entertainment much better than expected, genuine festival feel, with some good bands on. We were in Woodlands lively, and it was just that. Made a load of friends, had a big fire every night, music on etc. Watched some tennis and footy on the grass outside the pub, went on the funfair etc.
On Thursday we went to the live filming of the Sky F1 show. The pit straight stands were absolutely rammed, the presenters and drivers seemed genuinely surprised with how many people had turned out for a Thursday. It was a couple of hours of proper fun, lots of crowd interaction etc. Well reccomended.
Friday we walked ~18 miles in total, did a full lap of the circuit watching practice sessions from various points. Being able to 'rove' in all the Grandstands is excellent.
On Saturday we did more roving. I was stood right next to fence when Ericcson came past and slammed into the opposite tyre wall - it was jaw dropping, the energy and noise of a crash at that speed. There was a real nervousness in the crowd as it took a while before he climbed out, poor bloke had really had his bell rung. Amazing effort to start the race on Sunday.
For the actualy qualifying session we sat up at Becketts overlooking the exit onto Chapel curve and Hangar.
Wow.
It is absolutely magnificent to watch. We all noted that more than anyone else, Max Verstappen looked incredible through here, it would have been great to see times for this section alone. Of course this is where he took Nico in the race, he seemed to be able to find lateral grip where others couldn't.
It was a superb session, Hamiltons lap in Q2 was actually more dramatic than in Q3 but when he got the time wiped the tension shot up. Rapturous aplause though in the end.
Race day - a very late night thanks to more great music at Woodlands but up early again to soak it all in. Still no realy queueing or crowding anywhere, I thought the logistics are handled superbly. Entertaining GP and Porsche races.
The Red Arrows, despite having watched them so many times, always take my breath away.
Then the rain - it was as if Bernie had timed it to perfection, the sky went black and it monsooned for exactly the right period of time. Such a shame the safety car stayed out to long but it didn't ruin the race for me. We were sat in Luffield - some great battles.
Hulkenberg was mighty and frighteningly close to a massive spin through Woodcote. It also reminds me how much you miss on telly - there was lots rallycross dicing and powersliding going on by the slower cars early on, it was great to watch.
Max, again, was thrilling. Properly won the crowd over, getting almost as big a cheer as Lewis. And of course, depsite a less exciting race, got the result everyone wanted.
We went onto the track and hung around for the fan forum thing afterwards, before heading back for a final BBQ and leaving at 8ish with not a queue, or car stuck in the mud in sight.
Its easy to slag it off from behind the telly.
But I really did think it was absolutely superb, from the way it was run, the entertainments offered, to the absolutely enormous crowds full of happy, cheering, joyous people, and a pretty good race to finish off. It was as good as Le-Mans for me as a whole experience, and that's saying something.
cheers for that I thought the TV did portray a really good atmosphere and great support. Been to lots of events but first time at A) Silverstone and B) an F1 race
(I have been to tests though).
I'd booked in September, £400ea so not a cheap do by any means. However I actually did come away feeling it was pretty good value - like many events, you need to plan and make sure you see the right things. Arrived Wednesday night to find an already buzzing campsite with plenty on. That also included a covered grandstand, camping with electric, a full on festival campsite, parking etc.
I'm an experienced camper and Woodlands was really well organised and laid out, marked pitches, good facilities, the stewards were sensible, they did smart things like handing bin bags out with your tickets etc. In contrast to staying at e.g. Le-Mans where it really is just a few thousand people thrown into a field.
Entertainment much better than expected, genuine festival feel, with some good bands on. We were in Woodlands lively, and it was just that. Made a load of friends, had a big fire every night, music on etc. Watched some tennis and footy on the grass outside the pub, went on the funfair etc.
On Thursday we went to the live filming of the Sky F1 show. The pit straight stands were absolutely rammed, the presenters and drivers seemed genuinely surprised with how many people had turned out for a Thursday. It was a couple of hours of proper fun, lots of crowd interaction etc. Well reccomended.
Friday we walked ~18 miles in total, did a full lap of the circuit watching practice sessions from various points. Being able to 'rove' in all the Grandstands is excellent.
On Saturday we did more roving. I was stood right next to fence when Ericcson came past and slammed into the opposite tyre wall - it was jaw dropping, the energy and noise of a crash at that speed. There was a real nervousness in the crowd as it took a while before he climbed out, poor bloke had really had his bell rung. Amazing effort to start the race on Sunday.
For the actualy qualifying session we sat up at Becketts overlooking the exit onto Chapel curve and Hangar.
Wow.
It is absolutely magnificent to watch. We all noted that more than anyone else, Max Verstappen looked incredible through here, it would have been great to see times for this section alone. Of course this is where he took Nico in the race, he seemed to be able to find lateral grip where others couldn't.
It was a superb session, Hamiltons lap in Q2 was actually more dramatic than in Q3 but when he got the time wiped the tension shot up. Rapturous aplause though in the end.
Race day - a very late night thanks to more great music at Woodlands but up early again to soak it all in. Still no realy queueing or crowding anywhere, I thought the logistics are handled superbly. Entertaining GP and Porsche races.
The Red Arrows, despite having watched them so many times, always take my breath away.
Then the rain - it was as if Bernie had timed it to perfection, the sky went black and it monsooned for exactly the right period of time. Such a shame the safety car stayed out to long but it didn't ruin the race for me. We were sat in Luffield - some great battles.
Hulkenberg was mighty and frighteningly close to a massive spin through Woodcote. It also reminds me how much you miss on telly - there was lots rallycross dicing and powersliding going on by the slower cars early on, it was great to watch.
Max, again, was thrilling. Properly won the crowd over, getting almost as big a cheer as Lewis. And of course, depsite a less exciting race, got the result everyone wanted.
We went onto the track and hung around for the fan forum thing afterwards, before heading back for a final BBQ and leaving at 8ish with not a queue, or car stuck in the mud in sight.
Its easy to slag it off from behind the telly.
But I really did think it was absolutely superb, from the way it was run, the entertainments offered, to the absolutely enormous crowds full of happy, cheering, joyous people, and a pretty good race to finish off. It was as good as Le-Mans for me as a whole experience, and that's saying something.
Its great to get someone's first hand experience.
Thanks for that snotrag! Anybody who went, feel free to post up your review!
Which race were you watching?I was watching the same race as you, albeit with an open mind
Nico was never going to match Lewis's pace on that particular Sunday but, in initially atrocious conditions, he re-caught and overtook Max, drove a solid race without an off track incident whilst everyone else was spearing off left right and centre and secured a pre-penalty 2nd place. Like I said, he drove well.
The 'unlucky' part was his gearbox issue and subsequent relegation to 3rd, neither of which were his fault
He's led the championship from the start of the season, still does and is usually every bit as quick as his teammate, what are you 'embarrassed' about?Cheers Cheddar, any betting action for you these days on F1? 
You make a good observation re: Nico's driving this race. Almost everyone got caught out at Copse at some point or other...even Lewis leading with a reasonable margin once. I think Nico drives well within himself (and the limit) at these conditions and it gets him into a negative (positive?) feedback loop with lowering confidence and car performance for the conditions (Monaco this year for example). It is my feeling that he takes a more considered approach of building up the confidence slowly as he gets more familiar with the car in the conditions.
In contrast, a Verstappen or Hamilton are continuously pushing to find the limit and are able to keep the car working better in a wider range of conditions. There's something to be said for both approaches, but it makes Nico look particularly bad in low grip/wet conditions. Once he gets into the groove, he goes flat out, but that initial period leaves him vulnerable to the downward spiral of losing confidence in the car and the car performance too falling off the cliff. Example was last year's British GP when him and Vettel were very very fast on slicks catching Lewis by multiple seconds a lap in wet/damp conditions when a sudden downpour and well timed pitstop helped Lewis to keep track position and on the right tyre to win the race. No doubt, I'll get told now that I'm making stuff up to make Nico look better...completely missing the point.
Leaving this aside for a moment, it pains me to say it, Alonso was on a different league to Button this race. A few tenths on raw qualifying pace is easier to brush off, but race pace? I noticed it in FP1 and assumed that Button had some setup issue, hoping he'll sort it out by Saturday but then qualifying happened. OK, the rear wing got detached. Rain on Sunday before the race, come on JB, it's your chance! Honestly, I think some kind of god has been awakened in Alonso or something. He was embarassingly quicker than JB in the drying conditions on the slicks (in FA's 1st stint on the Mediums). JB also didn't seem to have an answer to Kvyat's pace at the end. A real shame. I hope this doesn't continue in the next few races. If it does, it may well be the end of JB in a McLaren.
cheddar said:
jm doc said:
cheddar said:
Great race
Well done Lewis
Unlucky Nico, he drove well, penalty seems fair, he loses valuable points, still leads overall, just........
Big thumbs up to Max, epic drive and as entertaining as ever
Thanks DrZ for more quality F1 input
"Unlucky Nico, he drove well", you're kidding aren't you, what was it, four seconds behind his teammate after the first lap!! And never even got close throughout the whole race whilst desperately fighting off a Red Bull most of the way round the track, even getting overtaken at one point. It's getting embarassing at times to watch him eg MonacoWell done Lewis
Unlucky Nico, he drove well, penalty seems fair, he loses valuable points, still leads overall, just........
Big thumbs up to Max, epic drive and as entertaining as ever
Thanks DrZ for more quality F1 input
Which race were you watching?
Nico was never going to match Lewis's pace on that particular Sunday but, in initially atrocious conditions, he re-caught and overtook Max, drove a solid race without an off track incident whilst everyone else was spearing off left right and centre and secured a pre-penalty 2nd place. Like I said, he drove well.
The 'unlucky' part was his gearbox issue and subsequent relegation to 3rd, neither of which were his fault
He's led the championship from the start of the season, still does and is usually every bit as quick as his teammate, what are you 'embarrassed' about?
You make a good observation re: Nico's driving this race. Almost everyone got caught out at Copse at some point or other...even Lewis leading with a reasonable margin once. I think Nico drives well within himself (and the limit) at these conditions and it gets him into a negative (positive?) feedback loop with lowering confidence and car performance for the conditions (Monaco this year for example). It is my feeling that he takes a more considered approach of building up the confidence slowly as he gets more familiar with the car in the conditions.
In contrast, a Verstappen or Hamilton are continuously pushing to find the limit and are able to keep the car working better in a wider range of conditions. There's something to be said for both approaches, but it makes Nico look particularly bad in low grip/wet conditions. Once he gets into the groove, he goes flat out, but that initial period leaves him vulnerable to the downward spiral of losing confidence in the car and the car performance too falling off the cliff. Example was last year's British GP when him and Vettel were very very fast on slicks catching Lewis by multiple seconds a lap in wet/damp conditions when a sudden downpour and well timed pitstop helped Lewis to keep track position and on the right tyre to win the race. No doubt, I'll get told now that I'm making stuff up to make Nico look better...completely missing the point.
Leaving this aside for a moment, it pains me to say it, Alonso was on a different league to Button this race. A few tenths on raw qualifying pace is easier to brush off, but race pace? I noticed it in FP1 and assumed that Button had some setup issue, hoping he'll sort it out by Saturday but then qualifying happened. OK, the rear wing got detached. Rain on Sunday before the race, come on JB, it's your chance! Honestly, I think some kind of god has been awakened in Alonso or something. He was embarassingly quicker than JB in the drying conditions on the slicks (in FA's 1st stint on the Mediums). JB also didn't seem to have an answer to Kvyat's pace at the end. A real shame. I hope this doesn't continue in the next few races. If it does, it may well be the end of JB in a McLaren.
Edited by Dr Z on Tuesday 12th July 13:44
Not a bad race all told. I suspect the weather stopped this from being a cake walk for the Mercedes two.
Hamilton a deserved winner in my opinion and the two other podium spots equally deserved. Nico, on his day, is a good driver and once out in front with a clear track is a difficult challenge to anyone on the grid. But changeable conditions like here and what we saw in Monaco really show that his abilities are a bit more narrow. His comfort level in the wet appears to be a few pegs down from the likes of Hamilton and Max and probably a few others like Alonso, Danny, Button etc. Many will say his race craft isn't as good either but I am not entirely sure. I think he just prefers the numbers game; its statistically safer to go for an easy DRS pass on a straight or even to just do leap frogs with pit strategy than it is to take a dive down into a corner.
Though when he does find himself wheel to wheel, it all becomes a bit clumsy, like he's out of practice.
I really don't get this stupid radio rule. They say all the time its a team sport but here we are trying to make the drivers do the driving and also be an engineer. I guess outright coaching such as telling them to brake later for T2 or to take a different exit on T4 is perhaps not what we want to be hearing. But anything car related; engine modes, fuel modes, how to reset, your brakes are marginal, your 7th gear is knackered should be allowed. Team sport, engineers are part of the team, let them do what they do best; solve problems on the fly. FFS in WEC, the Toyota boys re-jigged parts of the ECU from the pit-wall to allow the car to get moving again (too late of course, but they did it) by (I assume) ignoring some sensors that were in the broken boost pipe. I want to see that kind of stuff.
Hamilton a deserved winner in my opinion and the two other podium spots equally deserved. Nico, on his day, is a good driver and once out in front with a clear track is a difficult challenge to anyone on the grid. But changeable conditions like here and what we saw in Monaco really show that his abilities are a bit more narrow. His comfort level in the wet appears to be a few pegs down from the likes of Hamilton and Max and probably a few others like Alonso, Danny, Button etc. Many will say his race craft isn't as good either but I am not entirely sure. I think he just prefers the numbers game; its statistically safer to go for an easy DRS pass on a straight or even to just do leap frogs with pit strategy than it is to take a dive down into a corner.
Though when he does find himself wheel to wheel, it all becomes a bit clumsy, like he's out of practice.
I really don't get this stupid radio rule. They say all the time its a team sport but here we are trying to make the drivers do the driving and also be an engineer. I guess outright coaching such as telling them to brake later for T2 or to take a different exit on T4 is perhaps not what we want to be hearing. But anything car related; engine modes, fuel modes, how to reset, your brakes are marginal, your 7th gear is knackered should be allowed. Team sport, engineers are part of the team, let them do what they do best; solve problems on the fly. FFS in WEC, the Toyota boys re-jigged parts of the ECU from the pit-wall to allow the car to get moving again (too late of course, but they did it) by (I assume) ignoring some sensors that were in the broken boost pipe. I want to see that kind of stuff.
NJK44 said:
monamimate said:
Blimey, the amount of hate being shown in these threads is mind-boggling.
Can't we just enjoy two top drivers doing their best to win a championship, without all the deep character "analysis" (= assassination)?
Sure, Hamilton has proven clearly that he is the better racer.
So spare a little thought for how Rosberg must feel: he probably knows this too deep down. His life has been dedicated to winning the world championship, yet almost every weekend, he is reminded that it is (probably) just beyond his reach. Must be pretty damn testing, but apparently he should shrug it off with a big smile and slap Hamilton on the back each time? Wouldn't we get a little tetchy if we had poured our all into a single endeavour, just to see it drift away week in, week out?
Rosberg is a great driver (he has enough pole positions etc to show that), and yes Hamilton does seem to have the edge on him. I respect both.
That's enough for me; I don't feel any need to get all judgmental about every sideways glance or stony silence...
Rosberg is very easy to dislike. Can't we just enjoy two top drivers doing their best to win a championship, without all the deep character "analysis" (= assassination)?
Sure, Hamilton has proven clearly that he is the better racer.
So spare a little thought for how Rosberg must feel: he probably knows this too deep down. His life has been dedicated to winning the world championship, yet almost every weekend, he is reminded that it is (probably) just beyond his reach. Must be pretty damn testing, but apparently he should shrug it off with a big smile and slap Hamilton on the back each time? Wouldn't we get a little tetchy if we had poured our all into a single endeavour, just to see it drift away week in, week out?
Rosberg is a great driver (he has enough pole positions etc to show that), and yes Hamilton does seem to have the edge on him. I respect both.
That's enough for me; I don't feel any need to get all judgmental about every sideways glance or stony silence...
For all his detractors, (and those that haven't already read it) have a read of this superbly penned piece from Buxtons Blog in 2014 :
I'm not suggesting you'll come away liking Nico, but it does give a good insight in to his psyche (and neither does it excuse the events of Spa 2014, or Spain and Austria 2016)
"There is an element of destiny about the 2014 Formula 1 world championship and that it should have come to be decided at the final round of the season, this weekend in Abu Dhabi. Ever since that first pre-season test and we were first given concrete evidence to support the rumours of the brilliance of the W05 hybrid’s package, through the ups and downs of reliability and team politics, somehow its always seemed likely to come to this.
Forget double points. When it comes down to it, it really doesn’t matter all that much. Had the gap been 26 points or more, then yes one might have reason to argue that it was all desperately unfair. But if you think about it, double points hasn’t really done a thing… yet. The championship would always have gone to the final race. The grand plan to keep the interest of the viewing public piqued until the last race has been accomplished more by the 2014 technical regulations and the Mercedes Petronas AMG team’s decision to allow its drivers to race, than by a ridiculous gimmick dreamt up in a boardroom.
From a personal perspective, that it should all come down to Abu Dhabi creates something of a perfect exclamation point for me, too. This weekend will be my last as GP2 commentator, and at the conclusion of the championship’s tenth season of competition it seems appropriate that one of its first two champions will be crowned Formula 1 champion on Sunday. I PRd them both. I have no favourite. I believe there have been virtues and accomplishments in both of their 2014 seasons.
At the base of it, we have two of the most gifted drivers of their generation gunning for a world title in the very best car of the year. It is absolutely as it should be. Both have transformed themselves remarkably since those formative years. And yet neither seems to have changed at all from the slightly awkward young men I first met 10 years ago.
So here are some personal recollections of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, and why, to my mind, either man would be a worthy world champion come Sunday.
Nico
I can’t recall the first time I met Nico Rosberg. All I remember is that I despised him, everything he was and all he represented: the cock-sure, entitled, bolshy son of a world champion. No grace, no humility. Wafting in, a blur of blonde hair and arrogance. A Formula BMW champion yes, but only a few F3 wins and just three years in single seaters gave what I held to be little foundation for such seeming conceit. I disliked him intensely. It got to the point where I held such disdain for him that I would actively seek for our paths to not cross… which was fairly hard given I was PRing the championship in which he was racing. I’d simply ask someone else to grab his quotes for me. They always seemed to be able to pull more out of him anyway.
But after a slow start his major results started to come, fittingly enough beginning at his “home” race of Monaco. In 2005 we only ran one race in the Principality, and he ended up on the podium. It gave him the confidence he needed. His first win wasn’t far away and as soon as it came, the championship charge really began. While the early pace-setters and championship favourites Heikki Kovalainen and Arden plateaued, Rosberg and ART improved with each passing race.
I never lost sight of the irony, however, that ART had never been the first option for him. On the basis of the 2004 F3000 season, the most coveted seats were at Arden and BCN. BCN had been Rosberg’s preferred and hoped-for destination, until a perfect sales pitch by Nicolas Todt and Fred Vasseur saw them lure the German to their new outfit. How fortuitous for Rosberg, that while BCN floundered and eventually folded, ART should become, on the back of the tremendous foundation laid in the guise as ASM, the class of junior series racing over that year and the following decade.
Nico Rosberg had been quick from the outset, and watching his racecraft develop as the season went on became a growing point of emotional turmoil for me. He was so impressive; seemingly effortlessly rapid and blessed with a precision that was metronomic. But I just couldn’t like him. I wished he’d been a good guy, one I could get excited about. But instead I felt huge sadness that such a wonderful talent had been given to a guy who was apparently such a Class A prat.
I recall the low point only too well. He was breezing past on his way to dinner. His team-mate Alexandre Premat had topped qualifying, and I’d used the staggeringly unoriginal press release headline of “Premat Powers to Pole.”
“Why don’t I ever “power” to anything?” he pointedly sneered as he walked past.
I looked up, trying to figure out what he was talking about. Then it hit, and I wondered why he was being so petty. The headline was simple alliteration. I had probably or would probably use “Rosberg Reigns” at some point of the season on the back of one of his wins. It was just Nico being typical Nico.
“Dick!” I whispered under my breath, just loud enough for him to hear.
Later that night, I needed to talk to his then-PR guy Karsten Streng and hopped into the ART truck to find him.
“Karsten, can we have a chat?”
Out from behind his race overalls jumped Nico.
“Oh, so you don’t want to speak to me then? Huh? What’s that all about? You’d rather speak to Karsten than to me?”
I turned on my heels and walked out.
Karsten ran after me.
“Will, man, you can’t let that get to you. You know he’s only joking, right? Just fire it straight back at him. He’ll love it. He’s really a fun guy… honestly. But if you don’t give it back to him he’ll think he’s got the high ground. He loves a challenge.”
The next day Nico sent some pithy comment my way, so I turned around, flipped him the bird and winked. “f
k you Rosberg.”He looked taken aback. I broke out in a cold sweat. This was not behavior becoming of the championship’s press officer. Had I just managed to ruin any relationship I might have had with the man destined to be our first champion?
A smile broke across his face, and we never had a cross word again. Indeed, we started to get on really well. At the end of the season I received a package to my home, from Monaco. In it was an ART team shirt, signed by Nico, thanking me for my support. I had it framed, and it remains one of my most treasured pieces of memorabilia from my career in racing.
Nico was the most savvy driver I ever worked with. Stepping down from the podium after winning the GP2 title, he spoke to the awaiting press in turn, each in their own language. I’d only ever seen him in individual language press briefings, and to see him utilise such cool and calm intelligence so soon after the elation of what was at the time the most meaningful moment of his career left me astounded.
But therein lies the deepest issue with Nico Rosberg. He isn’t just smart. He’s the sort of smart that makes the rest of us question if we’re quite as clever as we thought we were. And at times it can be his undoing.
I’d seen his intelligence and need for the high ground cause him trouble time and time again in interviews, even in the GP2 days. The interviewer would sit down, all smiles, ready to start the conversation. But Nico, fearful of being on the back foot, would fire retorts and wrestle control of the interview back into his own hands. He would put the interviewer at ill ease in order to make himself feel more comfortable with the situation. What resulted was a terrible interview, and the prevailing opinion of Rosberg being precisely the one I’d drawn when first we met: that he was cocky and arrogant. When I came back to journalism in 2008 I had booked a sit down with him at Williams and for the first 2 minutes of the interview, that’s exactly how he was: back against the wall, stand-offish, arrogant, unlikable. I switched off the Dictaphone and asked him if he was going to carry on being a prick or if we could do this properly. He looked sheepish, apologised, and we picked back up with what ended up being a great interview.
But his pace… his pace has always been undeniable. In his debut F1 race, at the scene of his GP2 title win, he had to take a new front wing at the end of the first lap but fought through the field in an unfancied Williams and scored points. He sat on the second row in only his second F1 weekend in Malaysia. But after a while, all of that burgeoning incredible pace and talent seemed to stagnate. Folk within Williams would talk about Nico “switching off” or “going to sleep” in the middle of races. Just when they needed him to be on it, he wouldn’t be. That infamous moment in Singapore 2008 when he crossed the pit exit line denied him and the team a possible win. But his pace that weekend had already caused many to ask if the German hadn’t indeed been holding back all season, and that it was only there in Singapore, when he allowed that veil to slip, that we’d seen the real pace of the car. Of course, he’d already been on the podium with his old karting team-mate and soon-to-be F1 team-mate Lewis Hamilton at the season opener in Melbourne. Their embrace still sticks in the memory. But then the pace of the car just disappeared. Why?
When Rosberg joined Mercedes, the eagle-eyed will have spotted that the regular gaps Nico stood ahead of his new team-mate, statistically the greatest driver who ever lived, were not so different to the advantage he held over his one-time Williams co-pilot Kazuki Nakajima. Are we to infer from that the seemingly incongruous suggestion that Kazuki Nakajima was as fast as Michael Schumacher? Or do we draw what can surely be the only realistic conclusion? Namely, that Rosberg was holding back in the Williams in an attempt to display to the world a huge talent going to waste in an under-par car.
All of which led to a question often asked: is Nico Rosberg too smart for his own good?
It’s a question that has come back again this year.
Many will point to Monaco as a stand-out point of the season. I always felt Rosberg was smart enough to pull off that stunt in qualifying, but I never believed he was that cynical or cold. To be a world champion takes more than intelligence and speed. As I argued over Multi-21 last year, while we may hate to admit it, what marks the champions out from the also-rans is the ability to be a complete b
d when the moment arrives. In Monaco, Nico was the bd and turned that qualifying controversy into a race win that had the ability to completely shift the tide of the season.That it didn’t, however, is his own doing.
Lewis Hamilton is widely regarded as one of the best qualifiers in modern Formula 1. And yet, with a dominantly fast car at his disposal, he has lost the Pole Trophy to Nico Rosberg, the German amassing 10 poles to Hamilton’s seven. That metronomic precision has played into the Rosberg’s hands on many occasions this season, and more often than not it has given him the upper hand going into the race. On Saturdays at least, Rosberg has proved beyond doubt that he has the pace. But he hasn’t turned that Saturday pace on regularly enough in Sunday’s race.
Mentally, what happened in Budapest was also a tremendous shock. Hungary should never have affected him as much as it did. Perhaps it all comes down to how much brain capacity we consider Nico Rosberg as having, but that August break should have been used to move on from what he perceived as injustice, and start the second half of the season fresh and with total clarity of mind. Rosberg used all of that mindfulness, however, to focus on the negatives and came back to Spa with it still playing on his mind.
That incident on lap 2 of the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix has been poured over to frankly ridiculous degrees. To me, it was a nothing moment. Rosberg could have backed out, Hamilton could have given more room. That both went into it so pathetically ultimately resulted in the damage it did. If Rosberg had truly wanted to teach Hamilton a lesson then he should have gone in hard. That he didn’t is the only reason that Hamilton’s tyre was sliced. Any intent, and Rosberg would have snapped his front wing, bouncing it off the side of the Briton’s tyre. Hamilton would have stormed off into the distance while Rosberg was forced to switch his wing.
I argued at the time that Rosberg needed to embrace one side or the other. He needed to be a hero or a villain, because if he was neither, he risked becoming nothing. And so it emerged after the race that he had told Hamiton he had allowed the impact to happen. A step towards becoming that villain? Perhaps, but it wasn’t enough. And that’s the big sadness of his season. He has been so fast and so consistent, but his inability to pick a side and his attempts at being all things to all people has led to him being left wide open to attack from all sides.
The way he interacts with broadcast crews is an incredible illustration of this. In Monza, in speaking with me on American television he spoke in confident and unashamed tones despite his apparent dressing down by the team over Spa. With the Germans he was the same… almost bullish. And then to the British TV and radio crews, his shoulders slumped forward, his head bowed down, his tone was full of contrition and regret. What he was saying was no different to what he had told the German or international crews, but the way it was said was at total odds with how he had been just 10 seconds before.
Just as in Bahrain at that GP2 finale 10 years ago, I stood in awe. So savvy, so intelligent to his audience… but perhaps, in this instance, a reflection of him trying to be just that little bit too smart.
The thing is, he can be so charming too. He has a dry and sarcastic wit, which can sometimes be played out with a deft finesse. In America and Brazil, he started to have a very subtle jab at his championship rival by adopting Lewis Hamilton’s apparent mot du jour. In almost every interview, Rosberg would drop in a little comment about how “blessed” he felt. Shrewd. Subtle. At times, however, he can be a total child. In Hungary this year I was running from my commentary position to the GP3 podium to conduct the post race interviews. Time is tight at the best of times, but when I arrived at the swipe gates I felt an arm around my waist pulling me back. At first I thought it was an over-zealous security guard. But no. It was Nico, giggling away with a huge grin plastered across his face.
Nico Rosberg’s victories have been well won in 2014, Brazil standing as a perfect example of just how wonderfully he can put a weekend together when he puts his mind to it. I would put his ability to nurse his car home in Canada as one of his stand-out moments of the season. But they have been too infrequent. Just five wins from ten pole positions does not reflect well on the German. In wheel to wheel combat with his team-mate, he is yet to come out on top. He was roundly beaten in Bahrain when it was he that was on the optimal strategy and on the better tyres. He choked in Monza. He choked in Russia. He claimed that in Austin he just “wasn’t on it,” which I still hold to be one of the most shocking admissions I’ve ever heard from a man in the midst of the fight for something to which he has dedicated his entire life.
Overall, there have been times this year when it has seemed that the Nico Rosberg of 2014 has been that same Nico Rosberg of the Williams years… doing just enough, perhaps hoping that consistency will hand him the title in the event that the unreliability which took the very first race away from his team-mate and placed it before him, may just repeat at the very final race to put that world championship into his hands. As many have pointed out, given that his old man managed to win the crown with just one race win to his name why should Nico regard winning a championship via consistency to be anything other than virtuous? It’s a fair question.
Should he be crowned 2014 Formula 1 world champion, be it through double points or, let’s hope, a barn-storming wheel-to-wheel thriller, some will still argue that Nico Rosberg does not deserve to be world champion. With them, however, I would disagree. Lest we forget, this is the only man who, over the course of a full Formula 1 season, finished ahead of Michael Schumacher as a team-mate. As if to reinforce the point, Rosberg achieved this giant toppling feat not once, but thrice.
His out-and-out pace in qualifying this year has been insurmountable. That he has won the inaugural Pole Trophy is evidence of that. So we know he has the pace, we know he has the temperament to win races, and we know that on occasion he can embrace his inner b
d and drive with the ruthlessness that sets world champions apart.Nico Rosberg has shown repeatedly in 2014 that he possesses the attributes shared by the best of the best. We should not deny him his glory should he be confirmed as such on Sunday."
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