Formula 1 - 2013 Season

Why is it always Webber in this team? :p Now Hamilton and Kimi being held up by Rosberg, it's all falling onto Vettel's lap again.

I'm not one to submit conspiracy theories but this is just unbelievable. I do wonder if perhaps they tried to do a "slow-stop" (to have Webber come out behind Vettel) that went horribly wrong. Webber was driving brilliantly before his stop (actually the whole race) but he was actually closing in on Vettel at some stages.

Even if team orders are allowed, I can't help but think that Redbull being a energy drink supplier and heavily reliant on marketing, doesn't want to come across as favoring one driver over the other. The amount of "bad luck" Webber has to endure is beyond belief at times. :???:
 
Probably why he's leaving.

His first interview next year (As long as his Porsche team isn't sponsored by Red Bull) should be very interesting. Ask him a few questions and he'll just tell it like it was.
 
I'm not that sure. Webber is a professional. I don't think he will come out with anything substantial against his former team, even if there are things he hinted on (i.e. Vettel getting away with everything). I also think it would not be a good idea, as that would make him come across as a sore loser and would reflect bad on everyone, especially himself. It's a pitty really.

I do am starting to think Vettel is a brilliant driver - his drive yesterday was yet again impressive and faultless (especially after his first stop when he made the moves he needed to make) - but I do think Webber has been close if not better on some rare days but simply can't convert them into results due to reasons probably found within the team (unless Vettel isn't near him in the race or had some mechanical fault). Webber was really impressive before his pitstop. It makes liking and respecting Vettel that much harder.

I just can't help but realize the amount of bad luck he has. When he starts on the front row next to Vettel - on the majority of races, he seems to get an awful start. Then, yesterday, starting on the 2nd row in 3rd, behind Vettel and Hamilton, things work flawless. Then he's into P2 and actually gaining on Vettel at some point - he pits and they don't screw on the tyre properly. It beggars belief.

I really hope Kimi will be the next Redbull driver. It would put things into perspective, I think.
 
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I don't think Vettel is brilliant by any stretch, stick Alonso or Hamilton in the red bull and Vettel wouldn't see them for dust.

It will be interesting if Kimi does join them next year. Kimi maybe on the wane but he'll still bloody Vettel's nose in a few battles.

Webber is just one of F1's 'also-rans' not awful, but certainly not great either. Be nice to see Vettel challenged by a better driver.
 
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I think Vettel's good and improving this year, but to be frank he's got it as easy it can be driving that Red Bull. Hamilton just flat out said so yesterday.
 
Team orders two races in a row for Lotus. No way would Kimi have passed Grosjean.

Most likely he would have, he passed others while not being as much faster per lap as he was compared to Grosjean at that point
 
IMO it made sense for Lotus to give Kimi position as he was clearly quicker and on the option-tyre and had a real shot at closing the gap to Vettel.

On the other hand, Grosjean had an excellent day. He would have been clearly in front of Kimi if the safety car hadn't come out closed the gap and broken his tire-advantage he had built up (most front runners, including Kimi got the free pitstop during the safety car).


Also - not happy with Rosberg. He should have yielded that position to Hamilton a lot earlier. They were on completely different strategies in different races. Stuck behind Rosberg not only lost him time but probably also made his tyres overheat even more, so he got stuck behind Hülkenberg once he got past (compared to Vettel who was able to clear him quite easily at that stage - or Hamilton who cleared him quite easy in his last stint). In the end, it probably wouldn't have changed much considering the safety car brought the pack together again, but still.

I was wondering if we might hear something from the Mercedes camp about that, but didn't find anything yet.
 
Also - not happy with Rosberg. He should have yielded that position to Hamilton a lot earlier.
Same goes for Grosjean really, he was actually told 3 times to let Kimi go for Vettel before he yielded
 
Same goes for Grosjean really, he was actually told 3 times to let Kimi go for Vettel before he yielded

Think this is the first time I agree with you in anything F1 related :)

The way Grosjean was holding up Kimi, you'd think he worked for Red Bull.

Cheers
 
I don't think Vettel is brilliant by any stretch, stick Alonso or Hamilton in the red bull and Vettel wouldn't see them for dust.

What would he have to do to convince an armchair racer such as yourself?
His performance has been near flawless during the years and It's hard to finish higher than first.
 
Vettel was great in Germany, he worked hard for that win and totally deserved it.

I'm not a big fan of his, but I respect his achievements. I just don't want to see him win unopposed.
 
Vettel was great in Germany, he worked hard for that win and totally deserved it.

I'm not a big fan of his, but I respect his achievements. I just don't want to see him win unopposed.


Pretty much my feeling as well.

My son is Vettel's fan and I'm quite opposite, but even with best car on the grid you can't win so many races as he did. You have to have skill and great car control. I do think Alonso, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Rosberg or even Massa could challenge and beat Vettel in equal machinery, but margins would be slim at best. Vettel from 2010 is not the same driver as Vettel from 2013. He does a lot less mistakes and can drive for points when needed.

PS. I wish Robert Kubica gets better soon and comes back as Lotus or Ferrari driver in 2014 or 2015 to spice action even more as he also progressed substantially as a racing driver. BTW Kubica only this year recovered from maybe capable of racing on 50% of F1 circuits to definitely capable of racing on 80% of them. The remaining 20% are Monaco and 2 or 3 more with tight sections requiring full steering wheel lock. His elbow being biggest limiting factor so far.

Robert is now 3rd driver in history to score points both in F1 and WRC (even though he starts in WRC2 category!). The other two are Kimi Raikkonen and Carlos Reutemann.
 
Brilliant prospects for the race with Hamilton ahead of Vettel. Hamilton's lap was literally unbelievable (see post above). Hopefully Lewis can keep Seb behind.

Alonso for the win, I want another Spain. :)
 
Hamilton said he didn't think it was a great lap but the onboard shot on the bbc website looks really good.

Can't really see past Vettel in the race with 38 Celsius tomorrow. The Merc tyres will be shot in no time I'm afraid. Alonso seems to think Ferrari have improved but 2 tenths behind Grosjean says different to me.
 
Hamilton said he didn't think it was a great lap but the onboard shot on the bbc website looks really good.

Can't really see past Vettel in the race with 38 Celsius tomorrow. The Merc tyres will be shot in no time I'm afraid. Alonso seems to think Ferrari have improved but 2 tenths behind Grosjean says different to me.
Hopefully the race pace is good enough.

If Alonso can't win, I'll settle for a good race.
 
I'm hoping for a win for Grosjean. He showed last race he can at least race close to Vettel and the hotter it is the better the Lotus performs. He'll be desperate to show that he shouldn't be getting told to move over for Kimi as well, I think that might be motivating him a bit more just now.

I think the Ferrari is only 3rd best in the race now in these conditions, behind the Lotus and Red Bull. They aren't miles behind but I can't see any better than 2nd at best for Alonso tomorrow.
 
I'm hoping for a win for Grosjean. He showed last race he can at least race close to Vettel and the hotter it is the better the Lotus performs. He'll be desperate to show that he shouldn't be getting told to move over for Kimi as well, I think that might be motivating him a bit more just now.

I think the Ferrari is only 3rd best in the race now in these conditions, behind the Lotus and Red Bull. They aren't miles behind but I can't see any better than 2nd at best for Alonso tomorrow.
I'm hoping for Grosjean to go back to his old ways and crash with Vettel ;)

But yeah you may be right, but I still hope Alonso can do something magical.
 
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