Your Reject of the Race - Valencia!

[Waris]

I nominate the McLaren pit crew, because they more or less screwed up Hamilton's chances of winning.

And I think you're all being a bit harsh to the Valencia Street Circuit, it hosted a better race this year than last year, give it another chance next year, with 26 cars there should be more action.

[Yannick]

It's really difficult to pick the winner of the award this time around, because there are so many candidates. Picking one of the quasi-rookies would be too easy, so that rules out Grosjean, even though he spun around "everyone's favourite Luca" on the 1st lap. On-track action was mostly less than exciting, just as expected for the Valencia race, even though it was different players at the front end of the standings, so the several reject-worthy mishaps actually made the race interesting: Buemi's brake disc, Kazuki's tyre, Badoer's white line incident, Grosjean's wild drift across Turn 1. I feel "messed-up pit stops" should get the award, as both championship contender Vettel and championship defender Hamilton had one each.
As an aside, Glock, Grosjean and Buemi all scored in the nosecone championship. And the walls were painted blue this time around, which was much more friendly on the eye as last year's concrete grey, which was outright boring.
And have you seen a single overtaking move for position? I haven't. And just look how many spectators were watching the race from the balconies and roofs of the buildings around the track ... it was like a street circuit with novody on the streets but sparse crosstown traffic.
So I guess I'll leave it up to Jamie & Enoch to decide on the award.
But wait ... have you taken any notice of Jarno Trulli in this race?

[minrdi]

Badoer would be a dead easy ROTR winner in the absence of:

- Vettel painting the entire final sector of the lap with oil (and the marshals repainting it with cement dust) courtesy of his blown Renault in Q2. Leaving the oil line would have made the on-track action more interesting, so the decision to cover it with the cement dust is equally reject-worthy given this is such a dull circuit. (I'm being tongue-in-cheek here, before any safety-conscious replies start emerging!)
- FOM extending the Valencia deal for a further 5 years. Of course this awful circuit only exists because of Fernando's popularity in his homeland, but this type of artificial venue just epitomises many things that are wrong with the current state of F1 and it's just plain awful. The sole passing moves - aside from the biff and barge on lap 1 - were both due to the driver in front letting the one behind through (Kubica passing Heidfeld; Webber passing Button). Even the execrable Circuit de Catalunya featured more passing moves IIR.
- Red Bull. A shocking weekend by their standards.
- Toyota repeating their street circuit jitters and qualifying nowhere and not performing much better in the race.
- The McLaren strategist who neglected to tell the mechanics to bring out the tyres for Lewis' second stop.
- The anglophilic journalists and F1 websites who honestly think Lewis would have won without the aforesaid error. (And also a dishonourable mention for the Finnish MTV3 crowd too!)
- Lewis nearly running over Barrichello in parc ferme. I hope I'm not the only one who saw that!

If Badoer DOES win ROTR, it should be a joint win with Schumacher's neck suffering from Yamamoto-itis - Luca wouldn't even be up for consideration were it not for the German's vertebrae!

[FullMetalJack]

Has to be the circuit once again, It's making the Hungaroring look good!

Badoer probably got the KERS and Pitlane speed limiter buttons mixed up all weekend.

[Valrys]

- Lewis nearly running over Barrichello in parc ferme. I hope I'm not the only one who saw that!

I nearly pissed myself at that, that was the best bit of the race

[XurizManson]

McLaren Pit Crew for ROTR. They destroyed Hamilton´s victory.

At least, we shall say that all brazilians are avenged for that darn hose incident at Singapore´08.

[dresda]

Ferrari, for not having a more suitable backup driver and for putting poor Luca through the humiliation of trying to race.

[Bort]

Sorry I can't possibly put forward a candidate, because I fell asleep about 15 laps into the race from sheer boredom.

[LionZoo]

All the usual suspects have been covered, so how about a curve ball: Kazuki Nakajima, but not because of his own performance, which is pretty decent these days, but because he can't seem to buy a break unless said break is a mechanical failure.

[bigslydoc]

There are a few candidates as I see it...

The Valencia "street" circuit - snore fest of a track. Just not a street circuit either. Boring circuit there because of Alonso's popularity.

Red Bull Racing - this was a chance for them to capitalise on Button having an off-day, but come away 12 points further behind in the constructors and back down to 3rd and 4th in the drivers.

However, the winner is...

Michael Schumacher's neck - whilst it was lovely for the wrongs of 1999 be corrected by Ferrari, how AWESOME would it have been to have Schumacher back for a couple of races. We could finally see how good the 2009 Ferrari car is or isn't, could have seen Schumacher vs. Hamilton, could have seen Schumacher vs. Barrichello too. Just such a missed opportunity!

[TomWazzleshaw]

Easy ROTR goes to the entire Red Bull Stable (RBR plus STR). They just looked crap all weekend and it showed in the end points tally with 2 engines, a front brake failure and a fuel rig problem to boot.

[captainhappy]

The Valencia Street Circuit

It may be a race promoter's dream, but it's a fan's nightmare. Boring, underused, almost entirely pointless and incapable of producing any action.

Here Here!

Two years devoid of any racing on track. uhg

[Ed24]

i think Badoer has to get it unfortunately, especially considering Jonathan Noble from Autosport says that "word is Badoer's weekend ended when he ran into the back of Sutil's car in parc ferme..."

http://twitter.com/noblef1

EDIT: already posted on last page, sorry.

[DonTirri]

my ROTR-nominee is:
Everybody saying that Räikkönen is crap and should leave Formula one (in the various forms of the statement)

Why? Because this so called "Demotivated" and "over the hill" "crap" driver took a podium on a car that had its development freezed two races ago.

[Many Blue Flags]

My ROTR-nominee is:
Everybody saying that Räikkönen is crap and should leave Formula One (in the various forms of the statement)

Why? Because this so called "Demotivated" and "over the hill" "crap" driver took a podium on a car that had its development freezed two races ago.

+1

However, all those people are likely to just say he only looks good because Massa's gone.

[Popi_Larrauri]

I nominate the Mclaren pit stop debacle... last time i saw anything like that happen was when ferrari decided to have a commitee meeting during Eddie Irvines pit stop athe the European GP 10 years ago......

There was another example taken from Montreal 2007 (?) When Anthony Davidson entered pits and not even a single SoooPah Aguri pitlane crew where in his position. I remember that I started laughing at a point that my wife came from the other side of the apartment asking what the hell had happened.

Edit: Here it goes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc9kHyBaq9U

[RejectSteve]

Edit: Here it goes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc9kHyBaq9U

I love the look on that mechanic's face, as if to say, "there's a car parked out there. That's OUR CAR! Oh !"

[CarlosFerreira]

My ROTR-nominee is:
Everybody saying that Räikkönen is crap and should leave Formula One (in the various forms of the statement)

Why? Because this so called "Demotivated" and "over the hill" "crap" driver took a podium on a car that had its development freezed two races ago.

+1

However, all those people are likely to just say he only looks good because Massa's gone.

Allow me to agree.

[Many Blue Flags]

I nominate the Mclaren pit stop debacle... last time i saw anything like that happen was when ferrari decided to have a commitee meeting during Eddie Irvines pit stop athe the European GP 10 years ago......

There was another example taken from Montreal 2007 (?) When Anthony Davidson entered pits and not even a single SoooPah Aguri pitlane crew where in his position. I remember that I started laughing at a point that my wife came from the other side of the apartment asking what the hell had happened.

Edit: Here it goes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc9kHyBaq9U

I can better that. 1993 Argentine Grand Prix, Esteban Tuero's Minardi stop in front of his home crowd. http://www.riemurasia.net/jylppy/56974/ ... %C3%A4hdys

[Nuppiz]

I can better that. 1993 Argentine Grand Prix, Esteban Tuero's Minardi stop in front of his home crowd. http://www.riemurasia.net/jylppy/56974/ ... %C3%A4hdys

I take it you meant 1998

[Many Blue Flags]

I only missed by five.

[WeirdKerr]

lol Davidson's was funny funny

[thehemogoblin]

McLaren for crapping the bed.

That racetrack for making Dysons look like Hoovers.

[jackanderton]

Badoer- reminding everyone what a mere mortal really looks like on an F1 circuit.

You can add all the mitigating factors you like, but that was the worst performance by any F1 driver since Ide, and probably surpassed it for rejectdom.

He was supremely unlucky to be penalised for the most marginal pitlane exit infringement, which does tighten in an extremely stupid place.

[Ross Prawn]

My wife - for waking me up as I was happily sleeping through the second half of the race.

[CarlosFerreira]

That racetrack for making Dysons look like Hoovers.

Monaco had the same effect.

[Irisado]

my ROTR-nominee is:
Everybody saying that Räikkönen is crap and should leave Formula one (in the various forms of the statement)

Why? Because this so called "Demotivated" and "over the hill" "crap" driver took a podium on a car that had its development freezed two races ago.

However, all those people are likely to just say he only looks good because Massa's gone.

Yes, we are, because it's true in my view.

I still maintain that his performances are nothing special, and that he has just benefited from improvements that have been made to the Ferrari in previous races, and the fact that they have got more on top of their set-up with KERS than earlier on during the season.

[jackanderton]

I'm defending Kimi. You can't just keep banging the same drum if the argument doesn't reflect reality. He's looking impressive of late, and I can't see what more anyone else could've done at Valencia.

[CarlosFerreira]

I still maintain that his performances are nothing special, and that he has just benefited from improvements that have been made to the Ferrari in previous races, and the fact that they have got more on top of their set-up with KERS than earlier on during the season.

I'm with jackanderton (above). And the argument that the team just got on top of the setup is not valid: that is what F1 is all about. Note how McLaren were nowhere until Silverstone, and then developed the car and solved the setup, making them top of the field. Also note how the (arguably) best car on the grid was brilliant in Silverstone, miles away from everyone else in the Nurburgring (especially driven by Webber) and in Valencia couldn't make it into the top 8. Also note how STR runs pretty much the cars RBR ran in Silverstone, and can't seem to get the setup right, making them pig slow.

You can't overdrive an F1 car these days. If you do, you might get results, but more often than not you'll be another brick in the wall (here's looking at you, Hamilton!). Raikkonen is keeping it together. He had a dismal year in 2008, but he's been consistent, quick and competitive, if not as brilliant as in some of his McLaren years.

[DonTirri]

car that had its development freezed two races ago.

That he has just benefited from improvements that have been made to the Ferrari in previous races

Key points left in quotes

[thehemogoblin]

That racetrack for making Dysons look like Hoovers.

Monaco had the same effect.

Yeah, but that's Monaco.

[fisicosam]

trulli had a pretty bad race, behind glock all the time... at least badoer provided some comedy.

[Jordan]

I thought Luca BadlySlower would easily take the reject of the race...

[minrdi]

It's suddenly clear! This is why Hamilton's final pitstop went awry

[XurizManson]

Bruno Mantovani rulez!

[Waris]

I nominate the Mclaren pit stop debacle... last time i saw anything like that happen was when ferrari decided to have a commitee meeting during Eddie Irvines pit stop athe the European GP 10 years ago......

There was another example taken from Montreal 2007 (?) When Anthony Davidson entered pits and not even a single SoooPah Aguri pitlane crew where in his position. I remember that I started laughing at a point that my wife came from the other side of the apartment asking what the hell had happened.

Edit: Here it goes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc9kHyBaq9U

I can better that. 1993 Argentine Grand Prix, Esteban Tuero's Minardi stop in front of his home crowd. http://www.riemurasia.net/jylppy/56974/ ... %C3%A4hdys

Oh my, Benny Hill Theme is such a good background song for scenes in which EVERYTHING GOES COMPLETELY WRONG.

[Irisado]

I'm defending Kimi. You can't just keep banging the same drum if the argument doesn't reflect reality. He's looking impressive of late, and I can't see what more anyone else could've done at Valencia.

Of course he has, because his other performances were so poor. In terms of the salary gets paid and his performances relative to Massa he has been singularly unimpressive for nearly two years, so without Felipe in the second car in either Hungary or Spain (Valencia), it's impossible to argue that he has really improved to the extent to which you are claiming in my opinion.

I'm with jackanderton (above). And the argument that the team just got on top of the setup is not valid: that is what F1 is all about.

It is is valid in my view, because you can still drive a bad car well, and Raikkonen has not driven the Ferrari at all impressively when it has been off the pace. For the amount of money he is paid, and the fact he is supposedly world class, Ferrari have every right to expect a much better performance on a consistent basis than that which they have had during most of 2008 and 2009.

Raikkonen is keeping it together. He had a dismal year in 2008, but he's been consistent, quick and competitive, if not as brilliant as in some of his McLaren years.

I see no consistency whatsoever from Raikkonen either this year, or last. As for being quick, yes he can be, the number of fastest laps he has set shows this, but he lacks the consistency over a race distance in terms of lap times, unless he has the perfect car, and it is so rare in F1 to have the perfect car, especially in recent years, so he hasn't impressed me in this regard at all.

Of course none of this is enough to make him a contender for reject of the race (more is the pity), so I won't add more to this discussion, otherwise it's going to go far too far off topic.

[Nin13]

The Valencia Street Circuit

It may be a race promoter's dream, but it's a fan's nightmare. Boring, underused, almost entirely pointless and incapable of producing any action.

Here Here!

Two years devoid of any racing on track. uhg

Its only restricted to F1....... I mean lack of overtaking at Valencia Street Circuit.

There were 2 GP2 races same week and I saw plenty of overtaking in those races!!

BTW My reject- F1 RULES AND CARS WHICH STILL MAKES OVERTAKING AND FOLLOWING ANOTHER CAR DIFFICULT.

There were only 2 moments when 1 car got past another and that was when 1) Heidfeld let Kubica through who was lighter than him 2) Button let Webber through to avoid penalty!!