Grand Prix Rejects

Fetzie wrote:If the stewards give Raikönnen a 20 second penalty (not outside the bounds of possibility, equivalent to an in-race drive-through), it would put him down to 8th (1:38:13 compared to Maldonado in 8th at 1:38:12). That would be enough to give Mercedes the constructor's championship this afternoon.

Unless my maths has completely failed me.

More importnatly, it would also unrejectify Felipe Nasr, I believe

30 second time penalty for Kimi Raikönnen.

Mercedes are the 2015 Constructors' Champion.

Alonso was given a 5 second penalty for exceeding track limits, which drops him to 11th.

Fetzie wrote:If the stewards give Raikönnen a 20 second penalty (not outside the bounds of possibility, equivalent to an in-race drive-through), it would put him down to 8th (1:38:13 compared to Maldonado in 8th at 1:38:12). That would be enough to give Mercedes the constructor's championship this afternoon.

Unless my maths has completely failed me.

More importantly, Nasr would escape reject status

FullMetalJack wrote:

Fetzie wrote:If the stewards give Raikönnen a 20 second penalty (not outside the bounds of possibility, equivalent to an in-race drive-through), it would put him down to 8th (1:38:13 compared to Maldonado in 8th at 1:38:12). That would be enough to give Mercedes the constructor's championship this afternoon.

Unless my maths has completely failed me.

More importantly, Nasr would escape reject status

And he has: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/121290

Simtek wrote:

FullMetalJack wrote:

Fetzie wrote:If the stewards give Raikönnen a 20 second penalty (not outside the bounds of possibility, equivalent to an in-race drive-through), it would put him down to 8th (1:38:13 compared to Maldonado in 8th at 1:38:12). That would be enough to give Mercedes the constructor's championship this afternoon.

Unless my maths has completely failed me.

More importantly, Nasr would escape reject status

And he has: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/121290

You've pretty much won the avatar bet now.

I recorded my live response to the Russian GP. My reaction to the Bottas/Raikkonen collision...

Rosberg down to third, worra loser.

Pretty good race. A lot of action. Thankfully the TV Directors don't focused in Mercedes too much, showing the position battles.

Glad to see Perez scoring another podium. He is doing a good job in the last races.

I for one am glad Rosberg had to stop because at least it pretty much concludes anybody's belief he was still in with a shot at the title. Sure, Hamilton could break is leg this afternoon but even then I think that would just hand the title to Vettel.

CoopsII wrote:I for one am glad Rosberg had to stop because at least it pretty much concludes anybody's belief he was still in with a shot at the title.

It was heartbreaking. I felt like maybe it could be his year, but...well, it just wasn't. I feel for the guy, every time he's stepped it up Hamilton's had an answer, and that's just seriously frustrating.

I enjoyed bits of the race, but after Grosjean and Hulkenberg dropped it I wanted to hide under a rock.

Ataxia wrote:

CoopsII wrote:I for one am glad Rosberg had to stop because at least it pretty much concludes anybody's belief he was still in with a shot at the title.

It was heartbreaking. I felt like maybe it could be his year, but...well, it just wasn't. I feel for the guy, every time he's stepped it up Hamilton's had an answer, and that's just seriously frustrating.

At what point this season has Rosberg really looked like being in contention? I mean, really? I don't think he ever has. For the sake of the battle for the race it was a bit of a shame he went out, I admit, but title-wise it would've taken some unusual circumstances for Rosberg to do it, the sort of circumstances that befell Hamilton last year perhaps.

CoopsII wrote:

Ataxia wrote:

CoopsII wrote:I for one am glad Rosberg had to stop because at least it pretty much concludes anybody's belief he was still in with a shot at the title.

It was heartbreaking. I felt like maybe it could be his year, but...well, it just wasn't. I feel for the guy, every time he's stepped it up Hamilton's had an answer, and that's just seriously frustrating.

At what point this season has Rosberg really looked like being in contention? I mean, really? I don't think he ever has.

After Monaco, maybe?

Why is the Force India overall so devoid of sponsor logos? I'm pretty sure there used to be more logos on it earlier this year. The car has still got all the logos on it as far as I can see, so what's up with that?

Waris wrote:Why is the Force India overall so devoid of sponsor logos? I'm pretty sure there used to be more logos on it earlier this year. The car has still got all the logos on it as far as I can see, so what's up with that?

Could it have something to do with bans of alcohol commercials in Russia? I noticed that the Martini logos weren't on the Williams as well.

tBone wrote:

Waris wrote:Why is the Force India overall so devoid of sponsor logos? I'm pretty sure there used to be more logos on it earlier this year. The car has still got all the logos on it as far as I can see, so what's up with that?

Could it have something to do with bans of alcohol commercials in Russia? I noticed that the Martini logos weren't on the Williams as well.

Ladies and gentlemen we have a winner.

CoopsII wrote:

Ataxia wrote:

CoopsII wrote:I for one am glad Rosberg had to stop because at least it pretty much concludes anybody's belief he was still in with a shot at the title.

It was heartbreaking. I felt like maybe it could be his year, but...well, it just wasn't. I feel for the guy, every time he's stepped it up Hamilton's had an answer, and that's just seriously frustrating.

At what point this season has Rosberg really looked like being in contention?

I should've put a time-scale on it; at the start of this season, I thought "Nico just missed out last year, I'm hoping he comes back stronger than ever and keeps the fight going". At least, I hoped that'd be the case, I really did.

Unfortunately, it's just ended up being a Hamilton benefit gig this year. Not to take anything away from the guy, he's been imperious, but it's been a one-horse race from the start of the year. It's the hope that kills you, the hope that Nico will turn it around and make a fight of it...but like an impotent Santa Claus, it never comes.

CoopsII wrote:

Ataxia wrote:

CoopsII wrote:I for one am glad Rosberg had to stop because at least it pretty much concludes anybody's belief he was still in with a shot at the title.

It was heartbreaking. I felt like maybe it could be his year, but...well, it just wasn't. I feel for the guy, every time he's stepped it up Hamilton's had an answer, and that's just seriously frustrating.

At what point this season has Rosberg really looked like being in contention? I mean, really? I don't think he ever has. For the sake of the battle for the race it was a bit of a shame he went out, I admit, but title-wise it would've taken some unusual circumstances for Rosberg to do it, the sort of circumstances that befell Hamilton last year perhaps.

I agree that, whilst Rosberg did briefly close up to Hamilton following the Monaco GP, Rosberg hasn't had a consistent answer to Hamilton during this season.

Hamilton has been able to save fuel more efficiently and still set faster lap times than Rosberg, has been kinder on his tyres and consistently beaten Rosberg in qualifying - he has stepped up his game in every area, and Nico just seems to be at a complete loss as to how he can find an advantage in any department.

Yes, it is true that Rosberg has been a little unlucky with the number of mechanical issues he has had, but equally Hamilton has had issues too - it has just been that, because Rosberg has generally been closer to the two Ferrari drivers, he has been the one who has ended up losing out more often (such as in Bahrain - both cars had brake problems but, as Hamilton had a buffer that Rosberg could not build up, he effectively got away with it). Even before those issues, though, Rosberg was still falling behind - all those issues have done is to speed up the inevitable conclusion.

So, to put it bluntly, Rosberg is number 2 for a reason.

Salamander wrote:So, to put it bluntly, Rosberg is number 2 for a reason.

Who was the man that told y'all so? It was me, Austin! It was me all along, Austin!

"Hey Mr. Bernie, this is the coat where'd by the demon itself."
"Oh really?"
"No. It was just taken away from a random person."
*both laugh out loud, while guy on the right is jealous*

Salamander wrote:So, to put it bluntly, Rosberg is number 2 for a reason.

I'm of the opinion that Rosberg is the "new" Webber (who in turn was the new Coulthard/Irvine)

Let's look to next year then, Vettel vs Hamilton, with Rosberg cementing his role as the new Patrese and Raikkonen cementing his role as the current Raikkonen.

CoopsII wrote:Let's look to next year then, Vettel vs Hamilton, with Rosberg cementing his role as the new Patrese and Raikkonen cementing his role as the current Raikkonen.

Unless something abnormal happens to Hamilton, the days of Rosberg being a potential WDC are over. He will morph into a great journeyman and that is very fine by me as I usually support the journeyman of this sport.

As for the days where Raikkonen was a great driver, those are also long gone. That is proven by the deafening silence of its former vocal fans. People still like his soundbites but no longer talk about his ever increasing embarrassing performances. The stuff like "he is just having an off year", "The Ferrari doesn't suit him" and "He is still adapting" that we heard last year, while he received a beating from Alonso do look a bit delusional now. However, it is sad to see Raikkonen reduced to mere soundbites, dragging himself around the track. With hindsight, he should have retired after Lotus. Without hindsight, last year.

Poor guy. It's so sad to think that Rosberg has come all this way in his career, shown so much promise blah, blah, blah, only for it to become clear at last that in this day and age his only achievements in F1 are to get smashed completely by his TM and win the occasional race (which he hasn't done since Austria).
After Austria (which was more or less a genuine win for Rosberg), I thought Nico was stepping up to the plate, but pretty much every GP since then he's shown why at this rate, he'll never beat Lewis. I guess it's roll on 2017 then.

good_Ralf wrote: I guess it's roll on 2017 then.

Why? What's happening then?

There's no shame in being beaten by a better competitor and at least he should have the opportunity to rack up a few more race wins before he retires, that's a luxury most drivers don't get.

A weird stat I just thought of was that every time Sergio Perez has made the podium (admittedly that's only 5 times so far), Lewis Hamilton has always been on there too (indeed all Perez's podiums bar Malaysia 2012 were Hamilton wins)!

James1978 wrote:A weird stat I just thought of was that every time Sergio Perez has made the podium (admittedly that's only 5 times so far), Lewis Hamilton has always been on there too (indeed all Perez's podiums bar Malaysia 2012 were Hamilton wins)!

Although that isn't particularly weird, given how seldom a podium without Hamilton has been in the last 3 years

When exactly did Rosberg show any promise or star quality? He's always looked like a team-mate to me.

CoopsII wrote:

good_Ralf wrote: I guess it's roll on 2017 then.

Why? What's happening then?

There's no shame in being beaten by a better competitor and at least he should have the opportunity to rack up a few more race wins before he retires, that's a luxury most drivers don't get.

Anything can happen but from what is being gathered Lewis will crush any opposition in 2016 regarding his position and should score a 4th title with relative ease, and any hope of Mercedes' advantage being reduced or nullified will be realized if the rule changes going into 2017 will affect them in some way.

And even if it is nice for Rosberg to win the occasional race, people will remember him for being beaten by Hamilton at Mercedes, not winning a dozen-and-a-half races or whatever.

Spectoremg wrote:When exactly did Rosberg show any promise or star quality? He's always looked like a team-mate to me.

There were many races where Rosberg visibly transcended his machinery when he was at Williams and Mercedes in the pre-Hamilton era and it was impossible to deny that he was a top driver of the future, unfortunately he hasn't gone as high as some people would like. But just because Rosberg is a definite no.2 driver to Hamilton, it doesn't mean he's a mediocre driver: the same applies to guys like Webber, Barrichello and even Eddie Irvine.

I can't recall those transcendental races at Williams?

Spectoremg wrote:I can't recall those transcendental races at Williams?

I guess 2007 Brazil and 2008 Singapore until he retired? I don't know.

There was also his debut race, 2006 Bahrain, where he recorded fastest lap. I believe he's still the youngest driver to have done that?

Salamander wrote:There was also his debut race, 2006 Bahrain, where he recorded fastest lap. I believe he's still the youngest driver to have done that?

I checked and he is. I was moderately surprised to see Esteban Gutierrez to be second on the list.

Rosberg was pretty beast in 2009 when he got that run of points-finishes. In context the pendulum was swinging every weekend that summer on which car was fastest at the given track, and he managed to get 8 points-finishes in a row (2 of which were 4th-places), in a season where his teammate scored absolutely no points.

That said, I still believe that Williams was capable of more than 34.5 points.

Salamander wrote:That said, I still believe that Williams was capable of more than 34.5 points.

That tends to be what happens when you make a quota hire - rarely does it pan out performance wise. Pandering to a supplier never seems to bring results.

I do tend to agree that he is a Patrese, Boutsen or Berger of our era - a driver who, if handed they keys to the best car in the field and had a mediocre team-mate, could deliver the world championship. However, with Rosberg having the "bad luck" of ending up at the best team at the same time as the fastest driver currently in the sport, instead of talking about Nico being on the verge of his second world championship by annihilating his team-mate Paul di Resta, here we are with Hamilton doing the same thing to Rosberg.

As much as I don't like Nico, making comparisons to Patrese or Boutsen is a bit harsh on him in my opinion. Nico has the capability to challenge anyone for a title, he just can't seem to do it consistently.

Rob Dylan wrote:Rosberg was pretty beast in 2009 when he got that run of points-finishes. In context the pendulum was swinging every weekend that summer on which car was fastest at the given track, and he managed to get 8 points-finishes in a row (2 of which were 4th-places), in a season where his teammate scored absolutely no points.

He blew some good chances at even better results though. Singapore that year comes to mind immediately. The Williams, with its double diffuser, should have managed far more than it did, regardless of having a shoddy driver like Nakajima in one of the cars.

giraurd wrote:Nico has the capability to challenge anyone for a title, he just can't seem to do it consistently.

So, in actual fact what you meant is that Nico doesn't have the capability to challenge for a title because without consistency there is no challenge.

giraurd wrote:As much as I don't like Nico, making comparisons to Patrese or Boutsen is a bit harsh on him in my opinion. Nico has the capability to challenge anyone for a title, he just can't seem to do it consistently.

I, for one, think it's a fair comparison. Much like Nico, Patrese and Boutsen would have been world champions if the late-80s and early-90s weren't filled with the likes of Mansell, Prost, Senna and Piquet. Likewise, Rosberg has to deal with Alonso, Vettel and Hamilton. A driver at the level of Rosberg or Boutsen would easily have been a world champion in, say, the mid-70s or late-90s.