Fourth win beckons for Vettel but start is crucial

36 comments on “Fourth win beckons for Vettel but start is crucial”

1. 

   DaveF1 (@davef1)
   27th October 2012, 16:43

   Temped to have lie in and catch the race later but knowing my luck Pic will end up winning if I do that.

   Jokes aside, unless his alternator shenanigans return I can’t see Vettel not winning this race. I hope Alonso can limit the damage but I think it’s safe to say that championship is over, shame as well considering how the season started.
   1. 

      Kodongo (@kodongo)
      27th October 2012, 17:20

      I think if Vettel keeps his first place after turn one and Red Bull are still one-two after lap 3, then the 22 people most likely to stop Vettel from winning will be those who are servicing his car during the pit stops rather than the drivers of eleven team’s rival cars.

      Even though Hamilton is my favourite driver, it is so annoying to watch Fernando Alonso being so limited by his machinery. I believe the Spaniard could genuinely challenge Vettel if Ferrari could build a car which was within touching distance of the Red Bull.

      A few races ago, the question was “Vettel vs. Alonso: who will win?”. For me, now, the question is “United States vs. Brazil: when will Vettel complete the trifecta?”

      Five years ago, I would have never guessed that someone else would make it to 3 before Alonso or Hamilton, but this only proves that one should not underestimate the power of Adrian Newey.
      1. 

         mnmracer (@mnmracer)
         27th October 2012, 21:43

         Ah yeah, 5 years ago the name Adrian Newey was synonymous for “championship winning cars, without exception”. Oh wait…
         1. 

            Carrick Stonehouse (@cstonehouse)
            27th October 2012, 23:43

            I do agree; I doubt he’d be even any where near even a point in the F110/1/2
            1. 

               David-A (@david-a)
               27th October 2012, 23:58

               (Assuming you mean the HRT) Neither would any other driver.
         2. 

            Carrick Stonehouse (@cstonehouse)
            27th October 2012, 23:59

            I mean no ill on Mr Vettel; but I would prefer a race in Brazil. So….Nutcase! DO YOUR JOB!

            Though really that may ruin the race as much, but you get my point.
2. 

   Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
   27th October 2012, 16:44

   I think Webber may lose out at the start to Hamilton, but Vettel will likely pull out a multiple second lead and maintain the gap whist conserving his tyres. A Red Bull 1-2/3 I think, with Alonso off the podium.
   1. 

      ka (@ka12)
      27th October 2012, 17:04

      I think Mark will lose his P2 to Lewis after the main straight. But I dont think Seb can create a big gap (to Lewis) from the lead.
      1. 

         ka (@ka12)
         27th October 2012, 17:05

         I mean in first stint
3. 

   Todfod (@todfod)
   27th October 2012, 16:53

   The speed traps provide a glimmer of hope to Ferrari and Mclarens.. but the problem is going to be keeping up within a second of Seb for the 1st three laps
   1. 

      Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
      27th October 2012, 20:06

      I think you’re right speed trap is a key factor here , i say that it will all depend on Lewis Hamilton this time we all know Mark is not very good at the start & i can’t see Seb losing 1st place before turn 1 so if Lewis can manage to get Mark before the first straight line he will be a threat to Vettel considering his top speed
      but he have to make his move in the end of the second straight otherwise Vettel will disappear after 10 or 15 laps
      If Lewis doesn’t have a good start the race is over Mark will cover Seb & he will slow the competition in order that Vettel can build a secure gap
      I can’t see Fernando Losing places at the start Massa will cover him if he want to challenge Vettel he will have to pass Mark & Jenson as soon as possible & hope Lewis can do him a favor
      I also pray that no accident occurs at the start so we can enjoy the race in the his first part(unlike Korea)
   2. 

      Paul A (@paul-a)
      27th October 2012, 22:04

      The sped trap figures given above show that Alonso should make up about five car-lengths on the straight, Hamilton just a bit less. Might prove to be a tad interesting…
4. 

   vickyy (@vickyy)
   27th October 2012, 16:56

   I am just feeling for us spectator tomorrow, two back to back processional races lead by Red Bull 1-2, this may scare away people from next year. I don’t wish bad luck to any team or driver, but something spectacular is the need of the hour.
   1. 

      crazy.mechanic (@akshay)
      27th October 2012, 19:23

      By spectacular u don’t mean first lap nutcase – Grosjean and accident prone – Maldanado to rattle up the grid!!!! With Lewis on the tail of both RB8’s…it should be intriguing!
5. 

   Osvaldas31 (@osvaldas31)
   27th October 2012, 17:13

   Rule that drivers must start on the tyre, which they qualified on isn’t very bad. If they were allowed to start on whatever tyre they wanted, races would be even more boring, because teams would choose safer more conservative approach. To make qualifying more interesting needs just a small tweak – make a mandatory flying lap in Q3. Simple as that.
   1. 

      mnmracer (@mnmracer)
      27th October 2012, 21:46

      Because having a forced flying lap is more interesting than having one more competitive car for the 50-70 laps in the race?
   2. 

      F1 Fun Attic
      28th October 2012, 5:08

      Change rules to allow 3 cars for top teams..then we’ll see better talent and closer racing…and continue with the ‘team order legal’ rule, at least there will be a genuine fight for the 2nd and 3d positions as well.
6. 

   Eggry (@eggry)
   27th October 2012, 17:27

   The race will be set at turn 4 really.
   1. 

      Todfod (@todfod)
      27th October 2012, 19:04

      On which lap? :P
      1. 

         crazy.mechanic (@akshay)
         27th October 2012, 19:25

         after couple of laps from the start in tomorrow’s race..we should have our winner!!!
         1. 

            Eggry (@eggry)
            27th October 2012, 20:00

            I think LdM’s idea that F1 needs shorter race might be right :P
            1. 

               crazy.mechanic (@akshay)
               27th October 2012, 21:56

               Yeah, with RBR’s dominance and predictable results, it time we think for our environment and cut short the laps to 30 or in tomorrow’s case to 10!!! :P
7. 

   sumedh
   27th October 2012, 17:34

   Throughout last season – the first with Pirelli’s designed-to-degrade tyres – not a single race was won with a one-stop strategy

   What about Monaco?
   1. 

      Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
      27th October 2012, 17:56

      He did change his tyres twice when the red flag occured, but yes if you count a stop as going into the pits then it was only a single-stop race.
8. 

   Mustalainen (@mustalainen)
   27th October 2012, 18:11

   I fear Kimi will drop down a couple of places on the long straight. Perez over 10kph quicker at the speed trap so that doesn’t bode well for Kimi. Then he will struggle to get back through the field when he gets up to speed…
9. 

   raymondu999 (@raymondu999)
   27th October 2012, 19:11

   @keithcollantine I’m quite sure that it was Belgium, Monaco and Monza where one-stoppers won, not Belgium, Monza and Singapore ;)
10. 

    andrewf1 (@andrewf1)
    27th October 2012, 21:39

    I find myself wishing Hamilton and Alonso ‘partner-up’ in a way and hunt down Vettel. Also, i really really hope we’ll have a Hamilton, Alonso, Vettel podium tomorrow for the first time ever, not necessarily in that order, but i do wish Vettel doesnt extend his championship lead – we’ve had such a diverse, promising season and to see it turn right at the end into something very predictable is just a shame really.
11. 

    electrolite (@electrolite)
    27th October 2012, 22:40

    Not that I’m condoning a crash/incident or anything, but I hope Hamilton takes the ‘risk’ that he was going on about earlier and has a good go up the inside on the first lap if he gets a decent start. He has little to lose now in terms of the championship.
    1. 

       AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
       28th October 2012, 8:23

       @electrolite I doubt McLaren would be too happy with that, they need to take back 2nd place in the Constructors!
12. 

    Young One
    27th October 2012, 22:41

    Shame McLaren punctured this year’s F1 Championship when LH car was retired, otherwise we could have been in for a firecracker of a season. Now it is all RB I am afraid and a predictable result.
13. 

    Tyler (@tdog)
    28th October 2012, 1:00

    A number of people have commented here, and on other F1 sites, that they expect a boring race dominated by Vettel. Some have even said they are not going to bother watching.

    I for one hope for an exciting race at the front, and that Seb does not run away with the race. But even if Vettel does dominate, that doesn’t mean the race has to be boring.

    In all forms of motorsport, there will be periods when a particular team or competitor is dominant. The current Red Bull run is hardly unique. To me, motorsport is about much more than just who finishes first. That is especially so in F1 where the competitiveness of the machinery is never equal.

    There is plenty to look forward to in today’s race, first place aside. Can Alonso get past the McLarens early in the race? Who out of McLaren and Ferrari will edge ahead for second in the constructor’s title? Can Lotus improve their competitiveness and start challenging for podiums again now that they have adopted the Coanda style exhaust? Will the leading teams try to one stop, and could the two stoppers surge late in the race? Can Schumacher achieve a strong result in one of his grands prix? Will those trying to secure 2013 drives like Koboyashi impress, or will we see more mistakes from drivers under pressure? Will we see Hamilton and Perez battling at some stage, and if so will we see another Suzuka style lunge from the Mexican? Can Toro Rosso continue their recent good run? How will the Force Indias go at home and can di Resta recover from a poor grid slot?

    None of this is to say that a battle for first place today wouldn’t be wonderful. It would be great if every race was a nail biter and the title went down to the wire every year, but unless F1 becomes a control formula, there will frequently be periods when the race for first is not so close. And if you can’t enjoy F1 despite that, maybe it is not the sport for you.
    1. 

       Hairs (@hairs)
       28th October 2012, 4:33

       I think that’s a rather narrow view, which sounds like a contradiction. The problem is what you’re describing boils down to “You’ll get what you’re given and like it” which unfortunately doesn’t work for any sport, particularly one already struggling for survival in every category, where circuits full of spectators cannot afford to host the only successful series available. People will, quite rightly, respond “You’re right. What else is on?”. That’s what they did in droves 10 years ago. F1 became a newsworthy sport because people were interested in the stories that unravelled, and that’s why the F1 world championship counts for anything at all. People’s interest is what counts, not the challenge of the technicalities of the rules and playing strategies. The world’s best tiddlywinks players could host a global championship, travelling all over the place, with expert commentators explaining the strategies and mind games involved, but it doesn’t mean anyone should or would care enough to watch, does it? Football is just a bunch of grown men playing a children’s ball game for a living. Instead of having the decency to be embarrassed, people’s interest allows them to become rich and arrogant, which is farcical when you stop and think about it. Every 4 years we hear about heroic Olympians who have devoted all their days in gruelling training to becoming the best in the world… at jumping over a stick, or running a short distance, or dancing around with a ribbon. Seriously, say that out loud to yourself. Children as young as 4 spend 10 years being dragged through the mill, to be crowned “best in the world on a given single day at dancing around a bouncy square mat waving a ribbon”. If you don’t see that only people’s acceptance of this as interesting makes it legitimate, then I hope the uttering of it at least makes you laugh.

       In the past, when one team was technologically dominant (eg “proper” Lotus), there was still the possibility of driver error in the form of manual gearing, or lack of fitness, or of regular mechanical breakdown.

       For a team like red bull today, or ferrari of 2000, that doesn’t apply. Drivers are ultra fit and hop out of the cars after 2 hours brutal punishment in conditions like Malaysia barely breaking a sweat. Mechanical failures are cause for comment and are ruthlessly eliminated. Engines work within their limits and hardly ever fail. If a team has money to develop all year, and can establish a technical lead, then they can run away unchallenged. This is what red bull are doing, in part because they’ve cleverly “broken” the rra and thus out-spent their rivals.

       We had a great first half of the year because there was the possibility of equal opportunity and competition. Now we don’t have that, and I feel there’s nothing wrong with fans turning away. I missed quali yesterday and I have no regrets at all. I’ll probably miss the rest of the season, because at this stage it amounts to “can red bull continue to outspend everyone and will newey fail to think of something clever”? That’s boring. I’ll watch tiddlywinks instead. If that makes me less of a fan than someone who trudges through it with a “I’ll just make the best of it” mindset, then I can live with that. At least I won’t have given up 6 hours of a precious weekend trying to generate entertainment out of thin air.
       1. 

          Pandaslap (@pandaslap)
          28th October 2012, 8:13

          @hairs
          I agree with the sentiment but I’m not sure it applies here. All sports require a willing suspension of disbelief. Even the “purest” of sports, like the olympics or the world series of tiddlywinks, are broadcast only because they are entertainment and Formula One is no different. If Red Bull’s dominance is boring to you, then don’t partake. I can easily understand.

          @tdog gets it right. This race, like all of the others Red Bull has dominated, is much more than who finishes first. If you cannot – or do not – appreciate watching Vettel and Red Bull dominate, then enjoy the other 23 drivers. Parity amongst the drivers and the teams is exciting but F1 is not designed for parity. If you are willing to suspend your disbelief and appreciate F1 for what it is, you’ll get what you’re given and actually like it.
          1. 

             Hairs (@hairs)
             28th October 2012, 9:08

             @pandaslap and @tdog but my point is, if the racing is boring, people can keep up with the excitement of f1 by reading the results the next day. They don’t need to buy tickets, or watch the race itself. During 2002 and 2004, people could keep up with the drama of f1 by reading a single headline at the end of the year.

             I’ve been watching this sport for more than 20 years, so I’m not unfamiliar with the concept of making the most of a boring race. But realistically, anyone could have watched the last few races on fast forward and missed nothing. Nothing at all. Think back to McLarens dominance in 88 or 89. At least there was an inter team rivalry. Williams in 92 had a car that was technologically a different beast to the rest of the field. What’s interesting about Red Bull in the past couple of years? It’s obvious Vettel is faster than Webber. Their car is dominant, but only because of twonky aerodynamic details that are often difficult to spot even by experts who are looking for them. They’re an admirably professional team, but at this point that can be summed up by an end of year headline
             “Webber still not as good as Vettel, team still not incompetent, Accounts department still working with larger hidden cashflow than everyone else.”

             I’m not saying it’s not possible to find points of interest during a dominant season, I’m saying it’s not always worth the effort/reward ratio. And at the moment, it isn’t.
             1. 

                Pandaslap (@pandaslap)
                30th October 2012, 0:11

                @hairs
                Well said. The acknowledgement of the McLaren, Williams, and Ferrari years of domination nicely enhances your point. Also, the Indian GP was nothing to write home about…
14. 

    AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
    28th October 2012, 8:27

    It looks like Red Bull’s to lose but that’s the case for any team who qualify on pole position. There’s plenty of pleasure to be taken from the McLaren and Ferrari battle. That said, I enjoy watching people win races, regardless of how they do it.

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