Reject of the Race - Belgium 2012

Aerospeed · Post by **Aerospeed** » 01 Sep 2012, 13:20

Can I just give this to Nico Rosberg already?

pasta_maldonado · Post by **pasta_maldonado** » 01 Sep 2012, 13:32

JeremyMcClean wrote:Can I just give this to Nico Rosberg already?

Unless Sebastian Vettel crashes into Schumacher tomorrow, Rosberg's got it in the bag.

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 01 Sep 2012, 13:38

I'd blame Mercedes more for that, so why not just give it to them as a whole? They're absolutely nowhere now - I can't see them picking up a point tomorrow except through something like the '98 race.

EDIT: And to rub even more salt into the wound, Schumacher racked up another fine for a pitlane incident, this time for entering the pitlane incorrectly.

Meatwad · Post by **Meatwad** » 01 Sep 2012, 14:08

I nominate Oskari Saari (Finnish F1 commentator). During the press conference, he started to translate the drivers' comments, preventing us from hearing the mighty Kobayashi's Japanese comments.

Dishonorable mention to Massa and Senna for again being off the pace in qualifying.

Phoenix · Post by **Phoenix** » 01 Sep 2012, 16:28

BlindCaveSalamander wrote:EDIT: And to rub even more salt into the wound, Schumacher racked up another fine for a pitlane incident, this time for entering the pitlane incorrectly.

Wasn't that the same offence Maldonado incurred at last year's Korean GP? Seriously, how can a GP driver make such a stupid mistake?

IceG · Post by **IceG** » 01 Sep 2012, 17:13

You didn't see the conditions?!

Dj_bereta · Post by **Dj_bereta** » 01 Sep 2012, 18:25

Myself for forget the predictions.
Massa and Senna for another weak qualify.
Mercedes for being slow.

Post by **mario** » 01 Sep 2012, 20:20

BlindCaveSalamander wrote:I'd blame Mercedes more for that, so why not just give it to them as a whole? They're absolutely nowhere now - I can't see them picking up a point tomorrow except through something like the '98 race.

EDIT: And to rub even more salt into the wound, Schumacher racked up another fine for a pitlane incident, this time for entering the pitlane incorrectly.

Mercedes really have been pretty poor in the last few races and really anywhere near the level of performance of their customer teams (both Force India drivers were fairly comfortably faster than the Mercedes duo). It wasn't that long ago that Rosberg, at least, was able to pressurise the Lotus team in qualifying (Rosberg was in Q3 fairly comfortably and pressurising Kimi for position in Valencia whilst Schumacher picked up that podium), but the team has been going down pretty rapidly in a very short period of time.

As to their hopes for the race, with slightly more sets of fresh tyres than the tail end of the top 10 Schumacher might have a slim chance of a point - however, given that Pirelli have been relatively cautious with their tyre choice this weekend because of the blistering problems the teams had last year, degradation probably won't be significant enough for Schumacher to gain much, if at all, over his rivals.
As for Rosberg and his early exit from qualifying, whilst he has admitted that whilst it was his fault that he didn't get a lap in at the end of Q1, he has also said that he doubted that he could have made it that much further up the grid (the grid penalty may compound things, but it kind of sums things up when he was expecting to wind up fairly low down the pecking order irrespective of that penalty).

eytl · Post by **eytl** » 01 Sep 2012, 21:40

I'm surprised no-one has nominated David Croft for saying, both in commentary and then to Kamui Kobayashi in the unilateral interviews, that he was the first Japanese driver to start on the front row of a GP. He conveniently forgot Takuma Sato at the 2004 European GP.

FullMetalJack · Post by **FullMetalJack** » 01 Sep 2012, 21:48

eytl wrote:I'm surprised no-one has nominated David Croft for saying, both in commentary and then to Kamui Kobayashi in the unilateral interviews, that he was the first Japanese driver to start on the front row of a GP. He conveniently forgot Takuma Sato at the 2004 European GP.

That was mentioned in the Kamui Kobayashi love thread, but yeah you're right.

Shadaza · Post by **Shadaza** » 01 Sep 2012, 23:20

WaffleCat · Post by **WaffleCat** » 01 Sep 2012, 23:27

Shadaza wrote:This

Maldonado & Rosberg Spanish? Two Kobayashi's of different nationality driving for different teams?

WAT.

FullMetalJack · Post by **FullMetalJack** » 01 Sep 2012, 23:34

WaffleCat wrote:
Shadaza wrote:This

Maldonado & Rosberg Spanish? Two Kobayashi's of different nationality driving for different teams?

WAT.

I didn't know Vergne was American either. :lol:

Or that Ricciardo was German.

Aerospeed · Post by **Aerospeed** » 02 Sep 2012, 00:21

redbulljack14 wrote:
WaffleCat wrote:
Shadaza wrote:This

Maldonado & Rosberg Spanish? Two Kobayashi's of different nationality driving for different teams?

WAT.

I didn't know Vergne was American either.

Or that Ricciardo was German.

Or that Kobayashi drove for Red Bull! Is this a foreshadowing of the future? :?:

RonDenisDeletraz · Post by **RonDenisDeletraz** » 02 Sep 2012, 12:18

RRRRRMMMMMNNNNN GGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRSSSSSJJJJJJJJJNNNNNNNNNNN

TomWazzleshaw · Post by **TomWazzleshaw** » 02 Sep 2012, 12:20

Romain Grosjean: Just when you started coming good, you decide to create THE biggest accident this year. Muppet
Pastor Maldonado: And exactly how did this guy get a superlicense again?

WaffleCat · Post by **WaffleCat** » 02 Sep 2012, 12:24

I might follow the trend and say GGGGGRRRRSSSSJJJNNN,but I'd nominate Whoever had that bathplugging brilliant idea setting up Red Bull's gearbox. So far,I can see several overtaking opportunities being limited by,well,the limiter.

mediocre · Post by **mediocre** » 02 Sep 2012, 12:25

I cannot see how that award can't go to Maldonado. I have never seen a jump start that was that early, not even in racing online PC games. :ugeek:

Then, he spun on the first corner (although he might have gotten collected by the incident) and then, he however loses his front wing a few laps later.
What the bathplug, Pastor, seriously?

Samster · Post by **Samster** » 02 Sep 2012, 12:34

Grosjean has this in the bag now. :lol:

shinji · Post by **shinji** » 02 Sep 2012, 12:38

Caterham pitcrew making a case just there.

Samster · Post by **Samster** » 02 Sep 2012, 12:43

shinji wrote:Caterham pitcrew making a case just there.

Yes spoke too soon.

TomWazzleshaw · Post by **TomWazzleshaw** » 02 Sep 2012, 12:45

Samster wrote:
shinji wrote:Caterham pitcrew making a case just there.

Yes spoke too soon.

Actually, Caterham as a whole are making a good case for ROTR as Petrov's already stalled in the pits and Kovy's also had a spin on track. And Kovy's being taken to the cleaners by HRT and Marussia to boot :lol:

sswishbone · Post by **sswishbone** » 02 Sep 2012, 13:05

Romain Grosjean - For taking out Hamilton, Alonso and Perez, and also causing the incident that damage Kobayashi's machine

tristan1117 · Post by **tristan1117** » 02 Sep 2012, 13:29

Wizzie wrote:
Samster wrote:
shinji wrote:Caterham pitcrew making a case just there.

Yes spoke too soon.

Actually, Caterham as a whole are making a good case for ROTR as Petrov's already stalled in the pits and Kovy's also had a spin on track. And Kovy's being taken to the cleaners by HRT and Marussia to boot

And Kovy has had two fairly rejectful spins.

QuickYoda41 · Post by **QuickYoda41** » 02 Sep 2012, 13:43

Today's reject podium:

Grosjean - triggering a start crash very similar he did before in Monaco, and he found Kobayashi again (and some others)
Maldonado - the way Whiting was shaking his head said everything :lol:

he added a crash after the restart
Kovalainen - two emberassing spins, plus the unsafe release (the latter not really his fault, though)

Dan B · Post by **Dan B** » 02 Sep 2012, 13:48

Where to begin with this one...

Romain Grosjean: That was inexcusable. I like the guy, but that was pure stupidity right there.
Pastor Maldonado: Not for the start (Speed were saying how great it was and honestly it looked like a perfect reaction timed start from my end), but for the clash with Timo Glock (though we still don't know how that happened). That, and even with that start how did he manage to fall back so early at the beginning?
Caterham: Dodgy pit stop, and Kovalainen drove like a muppet all day with those lazy spins.

Shizuka · Post by **Shizuka** » 02 Sep 2012, 13:53

So many nominations out there!

Grosjean - Without him, the whole La Source-incident wouldn't have happened. He swiped Hamilton, Alonso and Perez out, and destroyed Kobayashi's race too

Kovalainen - Had a spin (and you don't really see him do that...), wasn't really on the pace

Caterham pit crew - Nice one making Kovalainen hit Karthikeyan

di Resta's strategy - Was 4th after the SC restart. Finished tenth. Hülkenberg was 3rd, finished 4th. Enough said

Mercedes - Schumacher has had a good race, but the car let him down and had to change to a two-stopper...

Maldonado - Apart from the start, hitting Glock somehow

14 Hundred Hours · Post by **14 Hundred Hours** » 02 Sep 2012, 13:57

Maldonado- not just for hitting Glock, but for doing it in such a way the cameras never showed it.
Like a ninja.

went · Post by **went** » 02 Sep 2012, 13:58

(Hi! Lurker here who decided to post after so long, don't eat me please!)

Well, in my first nomination ever, the two candidates are pretty obvious- Pastor and Grosjean. But, even if the Reverend has given us some good displays of his own trademark of "I can't believe this is happening", including the most surreal jumpstart you'll see in years and a crash out of nowhere, right while Race Control displayed the jumpstart investigation message; I'm going to give the big points to Grsjn for putting people's lives at risk, while ruining Hamilton's season (and potentially Alonso's as well). You don't see things like these so often anymore, so we have to give credit when credit is due.

LellaLombardi · Post by **LellaLombardi** » 02 Sep 2012, 13:59

1. GRRSSSSJJJJNNNN. He and Perez are spoken of in the same breath but I think they aren't in the same league. When they're good, they're fairly level pegging. But Perez's off days usually are merely a non-points or low points finish, whereas Grosjean seemed to cause chaos

2. Maldonado.....again. I don't know why Williams bother doing any work on their cars when he just bins it.

3. Mercedes strategists. The car is so tyre-hungry, a one stop would never work. We saw the old Schumi today, only for it to be completely scuppered

4. Caterham. Not making a case for moving up to the midfield

SchumiTheMeister · Post by **SchumiTheMeister** » 02 Sep 2012, 14:02

Grosjean- Clearly at fault for the first corner incident, looked 2009- esque again, whilst Kimi finished on the podium.
Kovalainen- Pretty rejectful race, two unforced errors, and just didn't look good at all
Mercedes strategists- Thought they could do a one stopper with Schumacher (and Rosberg I think). Result: Didn't work, Schumacher had to pit again, finished 7th, Rosberg finished 11th. A far cry of the team that easily won the Chinese GP
Hamilton- Childish, stupid Tweets, I admit it wasn't his fault at the first corner incident but his post race interview with Lee McKenzie, saying he didn't enjoy the race. While Button won? What a bathplug.

SeedStriker · Post by **SeedStriker** » 02 Sep 2012, 14:02

This is hard as we had plenty of reject moments, but let's see...

Romain Grosjean: While he caused the great pileup of the season and destroyed Sauber's race, taking out Alonso and Hamilton was good for the race we saw
Pastor Maldonado: The Reverend was total hot head since the penalty yesterday, so he can be excused.
Williams Strategy: With an earlier pitstop, Bruno Senna could've fought for 6th

Post by **Ataxia** » 02 Sep 2012, 14:02

I vote Kovalainen. He usually looks so good, but this weekend he spun two or three times, couldn't beat De La Rosa and (although more the fault of his pitcrew) he speared into Karthikeyan in the pits.

And Grosjean, who just made a mess of the first corner. I felt deflated when Kamui got embroiled in that incident...

Aerospeed · Post by **Aerospeed** » 02 Sep 2012, 14:04

Even if Maldonad'oh sodded another points finish and Karthikeyan quietly went out in the night, this award has to go to...

ROMAIN GROSJEAN
For potentially wasting a good effort for Sauber, and while taking himself out, also took out Hamilton, and nearly decapitated Alonso. If he doesn't get ROTR I will change my avatar to a solid blue colour. (The forum colour.)

the Masked Lapwing · Post by **the Masked Lapwing** » 02 Sep 2012, 14:05

Let's see:
Maldonado - Jumps the start, spins around, then does about 5 corners after the restart before hitting something.
Caterham - Especially Kovy, every once in a while they show some true rejectfulness.

But my winner is:
Grosjean - What was that? Moving that far across on Hamilton was stupid, and playing dumb when he got interviewed was ridiculous.

Gerudo Dragon · Post by **Gerudo Dragon** » 02 Sep 2012, 14:08

Bernie Ecclestone for being wrong about Schumi retiring.

GwilymJJames · Post by **GwilymJJames** » 02 Sep 2012, 14:09

Grosjean - Awful driving.
Maldonado - Jump start and mystery crash
Caterham - Fifty races down - you should have got pitstop releases sorted by now!
Bernie - Possibly letting the cat out of the bag re: Schumacher

LellaLombardi · Post by **LellaLombardi** » 02 Sep 2012, 14:11

darkapprentice77 wrote:Bernie Ecclestone for being wrong about Schumi retiring.

I hardly think Schumi was going to make the big announcement just for Lee McKenzie's benefit. It could just be crossed wires between Schumi and Bernie but I think the cat is out of the bag.

FMecha · Post by **FMecha** » 02 Sep 2012, 14:27

Me for missing a good race because I can't find a good, accesible streaming in time. :oops:

Meatwad · Post by **Meatwad** » 02 Sep 2012, 14:33

Clearly it is Romain Grosjean for his first lap idiocy. Dishonorable mentions to Kovalainen for his disastrous race and Maldonado for yet again throwing away a good result.