The Official Japanese GP Thread 2012 ***SPOILERS***

The Official Japanese GP Thread 2012 ***SPOILERS***

Author
Discussion

MGJohn

10,203 posts

182 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
airportparking said:
I guess Buttons smooth driving style made sure he was not on the podium
Doubt it. It certainly ensured he finished with a useful points score though. All done with a flawless gearbox which should have been seamless.. wink

Puzzling that for several seasons very little signs of gearbox troubles in Mclaren's cars then three on the trot. Strange.

Any post-race feedback on that ongoing gearbox reliability issue in McLaren or are the drivers killing 'em .. wink



MGJohn

10,203 posts

182 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
BBC1 Right now. Rerun Highlights.

Composite Guru

2,205 posts

202 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
baz1985 said:
Vettel has the best chance now. 3*WDC at 25, regardless of the usual conjecture i.e. he's not first rate- as he's always had a car advantage, can't over-take- all supercilious 5h!te imo...that will be an epic achievement.
Yes, the bloke has some epic overtakes in the list now do hardly a crap overtaker. Best one for me is monza last year with alonso.

TheHeretic

73,668 posts

254 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
MGJohn said:
Doubt it. It certainly ensured he finished with a useful points score though. All done with a flawless gearbox which should have been seamless.. wink

Puzzling that for several seasons very little signs of gearbox troubles in Mclaren's cars then three on the trot. Strange.

Any post-race feedback on that ongoing gearbox reliability issue in McLaren or are the drivers killing 'em .. wink
I'm hoping it is just frazzled sensors, as Whitmarsh, and Brundle said. That would be an dark cloud if they did have some deeper gearbox issues.

BigBen

11,610 posts

229 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
topless_mx5 said:
This may have already been mentioned, but was anyone else surprised that McLaren did not swap Button and Hamilton over towards the end of the race? It would've only made a small difference, but surely if Hamilton can get a few good results it could just come to 1 or 2 points at the end of the Championship.

Perhaps an admission from McLaren that they aren't really in the title hunt?
I did wonder but they still got the same constructors points and might not be as bothered about the driver's championship as they were last race....

Scuffers

20,887 posts

273 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
BigBen said:
topless_mx5 said:
This may have already been mentioned, but was anyone else surprised that McLaren did not swap Button and Hamilton over towards the end of the race? It would've only made a small difference, but surely if Hamilton can get a few good results it could just come to 1 or 2 points at the end of the Championship.

Perhaps an admission from McLaren that they aren't really in the title hunt?
I did wonder but they still got the same constructors points and might not be as bothered about the driver's championship as they were last race....
I can imagine them to be less impressed if Lewis did manage to get the championship only to take the number 1 with him to Merc....

dtrump

2,120 posts

190 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
with frenchy and webber.......didnt webber slow down rather a lot?........something martin said kimi couldnt do at turn 1 or someone may have run into the back of him scratchchin

Fire99

9,844 posts

228 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
Pleased for Massa and Kobayashi. Great drives by them!

vonuber

17,868 posts

164 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
vonuber said:
I suspect Vettel will close the gap significantly to Alonso this race. I think Vettel will be WDC.
Right with the first bit. I suspect I am with the second.

ajprice

27,316 posts

195 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
Yep, happy to see Kobi and Massa up there.

Scuffers

20,887 posts

273 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
ajprice said:
Yep, happy to see Kobi and Massa up there.
does this make him the best Jap in F1 to date?

nosmallfiat

1,043 posts

186 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
Pleased for Massa, maybe a breakthrough moment for him.

I feel really sorry for Grosjean. He's got the pace and everyhting a top F1 driver needs, all apart from that first lap instinct.

His bottom lip was wobbling and I wanted to give him a hug paperbag

Bradgate

2,819 posts

146 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
Jake didn't look particularly amused to have his shirt autographed! Perhaps he could auction it on e-bay.

stephen300o

15,464 posts

227 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
Scuffers said:
ajprice said:
Yep, happy to see Kobi and Massa up there.
does this make him the best Jap in F1 to date?
Got to be really. Did any other Japanese driver have a non Japanese engine behind them, a seat on merit?
Also loved watching Taku though.

MGJohn

10,203 posts

182 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
vonuber said:
vonuber said:
I suspect Vettel will close the gap significantly to Alonso this race. I think Vettel will be WDC.
Right with the first bit. I suspect I am with the second.
Despite his obvious talents, Vettel had a huge assist from Lady luck this race with a second pointless DNF for Alonso. Surely, without that misfortune, he would have scored heavily in the Ferrari today. After all his oh so much slower "Fernando is faster than you" team mate in the second car achieved a secure and clear second. Massa avoiding the aggro on the first lap was excellent driving.

On another aspect, did Webber check his speed ( bit sideways ?? ) immediately before Grosjean made contact ? Maybe the on board camera's wider angle on the Lotus created a false perspective for me and a few others but, to my old eyes for a brief moment, it looked that way. Grosjean's demeanour in subsequent interviews had a touch of I was 'unlucky' and circumstances rather than I conspired to cause the collision with Webber.

Mark Webber, in the only interview I've seen so far, also showed superb professional tact when questioned about the incident afterwards. Pundit DC on the other hand was severe without any apparent doubt. Clearly wholly blaming Grosjean out of hand. From what I saw on the limitations of my TV, it was not so clear cut. I wonder what the telemetry showed. Possibly more to this than met the eye for us at the time hence the relatively 'light' penalty. Grosjean, who for obvious reasons, is a marked man now having superceded Maldonado for that level of close scrutiny focus and attention... Poor him and lucky Pastor ..... wink

All the post race interview I've seen so far were very good. Hamilton particularly has really matured with his responses this and towards the end of last season. I expect that maturity will continue to establish him in his new role come next season.


Edited by MGJohn on Sunday 7th October 16:28

998420

900 posts

150 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
TheHeretic said:
wink

It seems both drivers are capable of having trouble with setup.
... and Lewis got his fast lap in Q3 stymied by a yellow, but wtf is going on with the setups at McL ?

CoopR

957 posts

235 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
I do actually feel a bit sorry for Grosjean after seeing his interview. Perhaps he was thinking a bit too much after his recent holiday! But he maybe needs to take a close look at how Button threaded himself though all those cars, including the crash, to see how an experienced guy does it.

Well happy for Kobayashi though, very deserved and a long time coming!

JulesV

1,800 posts

223 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
Was surprised to hear that Kobayashi may not be at Sauber next year. Really hope he gets a decent drive somewhere.

coetzeeh

2,641 posts

235 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
998420 said:
... and Lewis got his fast lap in Q3 stymied by a yellow, but wtf is going on with the setups at McL ?
or the front wing that can no longer bend given the new tests?

Ian Lancs

1,126 posts

165 months

Sunday 7th October 2012
quotequote all
coetzeeh said:
998420 said:
... and Lewis got his fast lap in Q3 stymied by a yellow, but wtf is going on with the setups at McL ?
or the front wing that can no longer bend given the new tests?
The new tests that no car has failed (and aren't even in the rules so they can't fail)