Grand Prix Rejects

The reject of the race has to be whoever decided to delay the start of the Grand Prix. NOTHING ELSE COMAPARES TO THAT.
It was an abjectly stupid decision. It was known that there is a hight risk of torrential rain this time of the day. we allready had the exemple of the 2009. If the rain had lasted a bit longer, they would have had to cancel the race for want of dailight hours. What was the reason for taking such chances? A more convenient time slot for european audiences? Well I'm european and it's not "convenient" for me to tune in just to see a red flagged race. <Beeep> move the <beeep> starting hour to where it used to be, you <beeep> imbeciles! <Beeep> !

Pedestrian wrote:The reject of the race has to be whoever decided to delay the start of the Grand Prix. NOTHING ELSE COMAPARES TO THAT.
It was an abjectly stupid decision. It was known that there is a hight risk of torrential rain this time of the day. we allready had the exemple of the 2009. If the rain had lasted a bit longer, they would have had to cancel the race for want of dailight hours. What was the reason for taking such chances? A more convenient time slot for european audiences? Well I'm european and it's not "convenient" for me to tune in just to see a red flagged race. <Beeep> move the <beeep> starting hour to where it used to be, you <beeep> imbeciles! <Beeep> !

I agree with that, hell, if you want good times for European crowds, it's not like the circuit owners hadn't offered to make this a night race.

There's only a candidate for this award and we all know who it is...

FELIPE MASSA.

Yes, folks, the same guy who should have been World Champion in 2008. His showing today was just beyond embarrassing, he was outdriven by pretty much everyone who wasn't driving for either HRT, Marussia or Caterham, and to top it off big time, Alonso drives the wheels off the car to victory with Sergio Pérez, the man most likely to replace him, a close 2nd in a Sauber.

1st // Felipe Massa
Why is this total waste of space still in F1? His speed is absolutely pathetic. Finishing effectively a lap down (he was about 3 seconds up the road from Alonso when FA crossed the finish line, you could see his car in the foreground of the race finish shot) on your team-mate when he wins the race is beyond rubbish.

2nd // Mercedes GP
They were getting mugged for positions left, right and centre. Both drivers looked pale shadows of their former selves, and Turn 5 is not a standard overtaking zone yet they got absolutely destroyed by everyone around the outside there.

3rd // Romain Grosjean
If he had just kept the damn car on the damn road he would have scored a handful of damn points. Damn!

It just has to be Felipe Massa, for the reasons stated above. Destroyed by his teammate and his potential replacement at the same time.

1. Felipe Massa - for a Ferrari driver to finish only ahead of the so-called "new teams" while your teammate wins the race is absolutely apalling. Australia could have been a freakish one-off (allthough I didn't think it was), but now with a new chassis, the performance was even worse. Massa's sub-par wet weather skills don't justify this kind of crap he showed here. Back in the old days when there were hand-shake deals in the sport, he'd been fired on the spot methinks.

2. Mercedes GP - is there a structural design problem with the car? They had the worst tyre wear by a country mile and got swallowed in race-trim like rookies. They have superior one-lap pace, but looked plain foolish out there today.

3. Romain Grosjean - his qualifying antics overshadow the race-day problems. Two simple mistakes in two races and he's got a grand total of three laps completed so far in the season. So far, he's done equally below-par job as during his 2009 debut. Erratic, unimpressive and not worthy of the second bite of the cherry everyone wished him before this season. He could only go up from here, but he's right there with Massa on the bottom of the performance charts after two races.

Massa/Grosjean are too obvious.

I'll go for Perez's race engineer - just when he needed to know he was quicker, on fresher tyres and odds on to win the race he effectively told him to back off, no surprise he made his mistake on the next lap.

It has to be Massa, simply awful.

Button is an honourable mention, ruined his race with very poor judgement on the HRT at turn 9.

If we can vote for stuff post-flag Vettel for his disgraceful comments about Karthikeyan.

3d: Button: I know HRT are mobile chicanes, but in this case it was totally unnecessary, next turn the Indian would have been history. Who knows where he would have been next.


2nd:

noisebox wrote:I'll go for Perez's race engineer - just when he needed to know he was quicker, on fresher tyres and odds on to win the race he effectively told
him to back off, no surprise he made his mistake on the next lap.

It's even worse. Perez eating 0.7 seconds per and 1.2 to Alonso, ten laps to go and then the Engineer goes: "bring the points home" (?)

Is he F--ing stupid? He had DRS and speed enough to pull 10 sec after reaching him on the start line. Wonder how much affected Perez, because 500 mts. after he went wide.

1st: MASSA: As painful as it is to say: There's simply no sense at all, any more. This was a bizarre GP, the ones that allow to perform drivers that, in normal circumstances can't show what they have. There was another (new chassis) available (We can all argue if this means actually "better"). But, still, very far from any sign of recovery. Final result is somewhat misleading, at some point he was behind Petrov and a Virgin, and unable to be a serious threat for Petrov at least.

3rd: Felipe Massa - Was nowhere all weekend, especially considering his teammate effectively controlled the race. Mistakes left and right; only the scrap with Button saved him from going into 1st and even then Button passed him with DRS.

2nd: Romain Grosjean - Just try to finish the damn race will you? Spinning out Schumacher and then claiming Schumacher was at fault was just dumb.

1st: Jenson Button - Say what you will about HRTs being moving chicanes; that incident with him and Karthikeyan was completely unnecessary and on top of that he never managed to get back into the points. Bonehead move by someone who is supposed to be a master of car control.

Honorable Mentions:
Nico Rosberg: Might have had some issues with KERS but was never fighting for position. At least Schumacher managed to qualify third and even with a spin from Grosjean finished in the points (though that was due to Maldonado's engine failing).
McLaren: For making terrible pitstops. Either there were problems with the cars or the team was just tired; either way, a weekend to forget for the pit crew.

"No. 2" drivers in this race seems to be a general theme - GRRRSSSJJJNNN, Massa, Button, Kobayashi, Maldonado. All a long way from their teammates. And I am sure some others were too (like DLR was a long way in positions behind Narain during race stoppage, even if due to tyre strategy). And I was still expecting Button to pull out a performance as he did at Canada last year - I am sad he did not score.

http://www.sauberf1team.com/en/team/who_is_who/marco_schuepbach_.cfm

I nominate Perez' race engineer Marco Schüpbach for the same reasons others have nominated him. Poor call to stay on inters and especially to tell him to back off when he was catching Alonso on the harder tyre by 0.8 s per lap with 12 something laps to go. This was Sauber's best chance to take their 1st / 2nd win (Kubica Canada 08 counts?), in a situation like that you don't tell the driver to back off.

1. Felipe Massa - Felipe, Fernando is faster than you. Sergio is faster than you. Hell, Petrov was faster than you at one point. Hang up the helmet, this is just painful.
2. Mercedes - Sort out the tyre wear guys, this is ridiculous.
3. Romain Grosjean - You're not in GP2 anymore Romain, the race's are quite a bit longer now. You don't have to push like crazy from the off.

Honourable mention to Karhtikeyan *gets hit by a storm of papayas* ... for being a roadblock along the lines of Arnoux, Grouillard, and de Cesaris. Yes, the collision with Button was not his fault, but I really think he could've backed off when Vettel lapped him. After he had just made a mistake. When only his teammate was behind him, and by quite a margin as well. Plus, the contact was front wing-rear wheel, similar to what put Grosjean out in Melbourne, which I recall he received some flak for. I don't see why Karthikeyan should be treated differently.

Massa was awful again, but in a race where Button and Vettel both made silly mistakes (and at least Jenson was man enough to admit he stuffed it up - were you watching, Lewis?) that doesn't seem as bad as last time somehow, not withstanding Alonso getting the same car to the front.

It has to be Grosjean - a glorious opportunity to do well wasted so early on, and twice in a row that this has happened too.

I want to put in a mention also for the BBC and whoever moved the start-time of the race. It was a brilliant race and I could only listen to it on the radio while the race was live, without the images. Then the late start-time annoyed me because I had to switch off early, soon after Button's clash with Kartikeyan due to being on the church's Sunday school rota... Then one of my flatmates ruined the result immediately post-church service.

Damned be the late start-time and no live TV coverage...

Oh my, there's a massive amount of candidates lining up for this.

Felipe Massa - On this form, I get the feeling I'll be nominating him for ROTR at every single race before he's fired. Trolling around, fighting Caterhams for POSITION whilst your team mate is taking the most unlikeliest of wins, dear god

Mercedes - Still have an appetite for rubber, and only scraped a point thanks to the Reverend's engine crying no more. Passed by all and sundry...

McLaren - Locking out the front row in qualifying only to blow it completely in the race. Button should have been more careful trying to pass someone as clumsy and useless as Karthikeyan, and Hamilton's pitstops were bad, and although he was 3rd by the end, was anomynous for most of the race.

Narain Karthikeyan - Another disgraceful performance from someone who really should still be a reject. He wasn't at fault for the Button incident, but all I saw of him after that was block, block, block. And then ruins Vettel's race by not getting out of the way quick enough.

Kobayashi - Completely anomynous on a day when his team mate really should have won the damn race. I don't even know why he retired yet...

GRRRSSJJJNNN - Oh dear...

Stewards - Why do they even bother specifying full wets? Safety car was out far too long as well, and before that the stupid decision to delay the start.

GwilymJJames wrote:If we can vote for stuff post-flag Vettel for his disgraceful comments about Karthikeyan.

What did he say exactly? Is it on the BBC highlights?

James1978 wrote:

GwilymJJames wrote:If we can vote for stuff post-flag Vettel for his disgraceful comments about Karthikeyan.

What did he say exactly? Is it on the BBC highlights?

It's here. He calls him an idiot, basically.

That would be Massa, I'm really sorry for the poor lad but I don't really think anyone did worse than him today, considering the circumstances. Rosberg was pretty bad too, but at least he wasn't so terrible compared to his teammate.

GwilymJJames wrote:

James1978 wrote:

GwilymJJames wrote:If we can vote for stuff post-flag Vettel for his disgraceful comments about Karthikeyan.

What did he say exactly? Is it on the BBC highlights?

It's here. He calls him an idiot, basically.

What a stark contrast with Button, who very civilly said his accident with Karthikeyan was his own fault. I guess it only goes to show that whereas Button is a gentleman, Vettel is still a little brat.

I really thought Vettel had grown up from his mid-2010 petulance when things weren't going his way. I was wrong. It's just last year was all rosy for him he never got into any situations like that!!

Yeah, hes falling into the same irritating behviour pattern exhibited by Hamilton not so long ago, he needs to get a grip. Tough times maketh the man; they did for Button, they are doing for Alonso and Im not sure if it has for Hamilton but we'll find out this year I reckon.

A no-brainer: it's Massa yet again. Making a strong bid for ROTY if he doesn't improve a lot soon.

I've not posted here before because I'm lazy and would only have echoed the views of others but not today. After a race in very difficult conditions when most, if not all, drivers made mistakes my nomination for ROTR is the TV director.

Motor racing can be difficult for TV to cover but there are times when camera choice is easy for the director. Hamilton pits. Will he retain the lead? As he leaves the pits there's only one shot. We've seen it hundreds of times. Turn one, looking back down the pit straight. It's blindingly obvious. Not to this bozo. He's got a fancy overhead camera above the Mercedes pit and he's gonna use it.

This piece of crass stupidity was unmatched by any driver.

I would give it to Grosjean. First collision with Schumacher and then spun off few laps afterwards. And despite conditions, it was the only driver-related retirement of the race.

I think it's too early to nominate Mercedes. I'll wait until the European races. I'm gonna go with Massa. Just as his team-mate brought his victory home, he went into his last lap. Massa was just lucky that Alonso was busy battling Perez, or he would have been lapped.

GwilymJJames wrote:

James1978 wrote:

GwilymJJames wrote:If we can vote for stuff post-flag Vettel for his disgraceful comments about Karthikeyan.

What did he say exactly? Is it on the BBC highlights?

It's here. He calls him an idiot, basically.

Whilst I can see why he would be annoyed about the situation - he arguably had the pace to finish in the top five, which could have put him in the top three in the WDC - he ended up losing ground for an incident which he presumably feels was not his fault (the fact that the FIA awarded Karthikeyan a penalty for the incident might be something that Vettel felt reinforced his opinion). That said, given that he had probably just stepped out of the car when that interview was taken, he probably wasn't in the best frame of mind and perhaps more emotional than he would be if given time to reflect on the situation.

UncleFester wrote:I've not posted here before because I'm lazy and would only have echoed the views of others but not today. After a race in very difficult conditions when most, if not all, drivers made mistakes my nomination for ROTR is the TV director.

Motor racing can be difficult for TV to cover but there are times when camera choice is easy for the director. Hamilton pits. Will he retain the lead? As he leaves the pits there's only one shot. We've seen it hundreds of times. Turn one, looking back down the pit straight. It's blindingly obvious. Not to this bozo. He's got a fancy overhead camera above the Mercedes pit and he's gonna use it.

This piece of crass stupidity was unmatched by any driver.

Yeah, there was one part where Perez and Alonso were battling for the lead after the first tyre stop and we ended up watching Hamilton and Button. Anyway, my nomination for Reject of the Race is Felipe Massa.

1. Felipe Massa - I bet Luca di Montezemolo is thinking:

HIRE THIS MAN!

2. Narain Karthikeyan - What were you thinking when you took out Button's front wing?

3: Mercedes - Running out of excuses.

2: Massa - Ran out of excuses.

1: Whichever dickhead started blabbing on the radio to Perez as he was closing in on Alonso.

ROTR Malaysia- Grosjean/Vettel: Getting in a collision with others is one thing, but shifting all the blame away from yourself is just not acceptable when you're mostly at fault.

I have to say that massa button and vettel get a joint award for one being crappy and two of them ruining narains race.

I can't believe he got penalised for the vettel thing, he literally did nothing wrong. Vettels interview was frankly embarressing as well, what happened to Mr gracious and polite.

I guess this award is for the dead beat team mates of the day. All were outfinished by their partners.

What happened to Massa and Rosberg? One minute they both seemed to be in the points, the next they were both near the back and stayed there. I only saw the highlights, was there an incident we didn't see? Also, what happened to KK?

My nominations:

Romain Grosjean - Raikkonen scored points from a middling gird position by Lotus standards and took home fastest lap. Why can't you?
Mercedes AMG Petronas - Saturday heros, Sunday absolute zeros yet again
Jenson Button - Lost a front wing before proceeding to do precisely sod all after that

But my ROTR is

Felipe Massa - Being demolished by your teammate is one thing. Finishing 15th when your teammate won and the guy tipped to replace you finished 2nd is something else entirely

I also nominate GGGRRRRRRJJJJJNNNN for needlessly taking out Schumacher and needlessly taking himself out early in the race. What if GGGRRRRRRJJJJJNNNN was less clumsy? GGGRRRRRRJJJJJNNNN is definitely Vettel circa 2010 here... (that's the Vettel which was needlessly clumsy. [see Belgium 2010])

Nominations

Vettel - Flipping the bird after a 50/50 incident isn't two-time reigning champion material. You are still the same punk that gave hand gestures after another 50/50 accident in Turkey 2010, two championships doesn't paint a broad enough brush for some egos in F1.

Grosjean - The only driver to retire not because of a mechanical issue. You dun gof'd there kid.

Massa - Not for being rejectful per se, but for the parallels to Belgium 2009. A car that's a dog with a driver that is reacting as such, an improbable podium result for a mid-fielder behind a Winning Ferrari. Massa is pretty much signing his own release papers on this one.

Toss up between Grosjean and Massa.

Grosjean for once again looking exciting then screwing up. Needs a cooler head.

Massa for being in the same car as his team-mate and only finishing in front of the Caterhams, Marussias and HRTs.

Karthikeyan is such a lovely guy that he went to apologise to Button and Vettel for harming their races, even though it wasn't his fault.

1. Poor Massa, 15th? Really?
2. Mercedes, you know I'm kinda enjoying this...

...its like the gift that just keeps on giving with the schu failing around down the bottom of the standings However....did they set the car up for schumacher deliberately this year to the detriment of Rosberg? Return of the bad old days?

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On another topic:

Vettel - Flipping the bird after a 50/50 incident isn't two-time reigning champion material. You are still the same punk that gave hand gestures after another 50/50 accident in Turkey 2010, two championships doesn't paint a broad enough brush for some egos in F1.

Exactly.

JeremyMcClean wrote:2. Narain Karthikeyan - What were you thinking when you took out Button's front wing?

That was Button's fault, not Karthikeyan's. Button admitted it.