2012 Formula One Japanese Grand Prix

[Michael Brown]

I found the race to be quite boring until the last pitstop when we saw the battle for third place lasting almost 20 laps. Those final laps were the best laps of the season.

I believe Vettel led every lap and got the fastest lap, which is the second time he did it in his career, the first being India 2011.

Vettel will lead the championship after Korea.

Grosjean pulled off his clumsiest lap 1 mistake so far. Did he fall asleep at the wheel?

Finally Maldonado got his points, which he should have done at Monza.

I don't get how Grosjean gets a stop/go penalty while Senna gets a drive through, and Senna cause a driver to retire unlike Grosjean.

For the argument over Vettel in a non-winning car: he was comfortably beating Bourdais, a 4-time CART champion, when they had virtually the same F1 experience. Even without Vettel's win, he had quite the margin over Bourdais.

 

[ufunacaoenn]

For the argument over Vettel in a non-winning car: he was comfortably beating Bourdais, a 4-time CART champion, when they had virtually the same F1 experience. Even without Vettel's win, he had quite the margin over Bourdais.

The only problem though was that Bourdais was not performing in an F1 car. He was beaten in 2009 by Buemi and was replaced by Alguersuari the same year.

 

[James Maskell]

About grosjean. From the replay i saw hours ago it almost looked like he was just staring at kamui. Not paying attention to the car ahead hence the incident. It is very much like he falls asleep just after the start and wakes up after he hits something or someone.

 

[Metalfreaky]

I don't get how Grosjean gets a stop/go penalty while Senna gets a drive through, and Senna cause a driver to retire unlike Grosjean.

I don't think Grosjean got the stop&go for causing a collision, he got it because it was his 7th or 8th first lap/corner crash.

I actually never saw the incident with Senna on TV

 

[Michael Brown]

I don't think Grosjean got the stop&go for causing a collision, he got it because it was his 7th or 8th first lap/corner crash.

I actually never saw the incident with Senna on TV

He crashed into Rosberg, but we saw no onboards.

 

[Diego Lopez]

Webber is a bit harsh on Grosjean.

IMO from what it was televized, Webber was already out of shape, and by the time Grosjean applied brakes he had nowhere to go in the left since he had a car there Webber in front, and grass on the right, so either way they both would of been out of the track, but whether either one of them would of continued racing thats up to destiny.

I think Webber is just acting harsh with his leech sucker Christian Horner because numerically he is if not, almost out of the WDC contention.]

There were more terrible drivers in the past than Grosjean, poor Grosjean, people bash him to harsh and he doesn't use his car as a weapon as much as Maldonado does.

I don't see Alonso publicly calling out Kimi for his puncture. Alonso had no room on his right and barely on his left, he just said "Kimi should have backe off a bit but whatever, is motorsport" and this comes from the guy still leading the WC, but with a risk.

However, even if trying to understand Webbers frustration, is just quiet ironic, especially when he loves givin his red bull wins in Valencia.

 

[cruyff]

I really cannot believe the things people say here about Vettel. It's 2011 all over again.
Even if Vettel has the best car right now (which he doesn't) you simply can't say that Alonso is a better driver because Vettel has a better car.

It's the combination that has always mattered, otherwise F1 cars would be identical, like other series. You can never know who is best but what combination is best.

 

[David Garcia]

I am not saying Vettel had luck, and of course I am not saying Red Bull is doing wrong devoloping the car better and faster than their rivals, they are doing great for their interests. What I am trying to say is that Vettel have been lucky for having the best car always. ALWAYS.

You know what? He equaled today the number of victories of Juan Manuel Fangio, and he is just one Pole away from Ayrton Senna´s record, and when I look at the "Finger Boy" I don´t see a class driver like Senna, Fangio, Prost, Hakkinen or Alonso... I just see a guy with a lot of luck that I don´t think people will remember as one of the best drivers, despite what the numbers say.

Just my view, I accept you have a different one.

It's the combination that has always mattered, otherwise F1 cars would be identical, like other series. You can never know who is best but what combination is best.

Exactly, and I say Vettel is a worse driver with a better car. And Alonso is exactly the opposite.

 

[Jack Acid]

I'm SOOOO frustrated to see Vettel pulling this thing into view. Mad that Alonso has been twice screwed out of points (especially Spa). I have no interest in seeing Vettel with his 3rd straight WDC, it annoys me to no end.

 

[Diego Lopez]

I am not saying Vettel had luck, and of course I am not saying Red Bull is doing wrong devoloping the car better and faster than their rivals, they are doing great for their interests. What I am trying to say is that Vettel have been lucky for having the best car always. ALWAYS.

You know what? He equaled today the number of victories of Juan Manuel Fangio, and he is just one Pole away from Ayrton Senna´s record, and when I look at the "Finger Boy" I don´t see a class driver like Senna, Fangio, Prost, Hakkinen or Alonso... I just see a guy with a lot of luck that I don´t think people will remember as one of the best drivers, despite what the numbers say.

Just my view, I accept you have a different one.

Vettel equaling Senna? lol, I hope that is a bad joke or even the worse comparison ever made in human history alone. Vettel is simply lucky to have a good car, there is nothing magical about him. Senna could put a crappy car up on pole, even when that car had not the pace to do so. Vettel, just lucky enough to put a car on pole with a car that is made for pole.

The RB however is a natural performer in Suzuka, just as Ferrari is in Silverstone and Germany and Mclaren in Canada, Istanbul and many others.

You want someone that can put or at least try to have a car thats crappy in pole, talk to Lewis or Alonso, they can make it happen, but nowhere near or equal to Senna. Vettel is just as lucky as ever.

However both have had double retirements, I still blame Kimi for not lifting off. Schumi is a different story, he won the first 4 WC without the best car in the field always second to the Williams and Mclaren, the rest were because the others just didn't care no more, that was skill, not his car. Thats why he will be missed and always be known as one of the best, regardless of someone beating his numbers.

Vettel can go match and break numbers, but no one cares when he just has a fast car than the rest of the field, I have not seen any magic out of him, except Newey, and i'm surprised the Italian Mafian had let him get away with it.

The car suited Suzuka, thats it, there was no more magic, and the doble DRS has big drawbacks as we saw how Mercedes have gone. I say they need to start reviewing the use of resources and spending, bringin updates to every race costs money, and not all team s can afford it, I say the FIA need to restrcit the amount of, that way we have more equality.


@Jack the issue is no matter how many fans he has, one dominant season ruined how we view formula 1. 2011 had the lowest numbers of viewers in most races. For the sake of F1 and the existance of F1 and to prevent another World War, his title bid has to be shorten and not allowed to win it, else millions of born and unborn children will perish come Brazil 2012.

 

[Diego Lopez]

Great race, well worth getting up early. Let's see if Korea can be less boring in 2012.

Korea is less boring in the wets, as we saw in 2010

 

[Metalfreaky]

Webber is a bit harsh on Grosjean.

I fully agree with Webber. And find his interview quite amusing
"Everyone tries to achive some decent results each weekend, but he (Grosjean) is just trying to get to the 3rd corner as fast as he can each race"
I

MO from what it was televized, Webber was already out of shape,

What?!

and by the time Grosjean applied brakes he had nowhere to go in the left since he had a car there Webber in front,and grass on the right, so either way they both would of been out of the track

By the time is the key here. Grosjean didn't bother what happen in front of him and braked way to late. That's why he ran straight into Webber.
No one would have been off track if Grosjean payed attention to what happend in front of him.

There were more terrible drivers in the past than Grosjean, poor Grosjean, people bash him to harsh and he doesn't use his car as a weapon as much as Maldonado does.

True Grosjean is a nive person and a fast driver and I'm sure he did those crashes not intentionally like Maldonado in Monaco with Perez or Lewis in Spa last year, but it seems for now that he is completly resistent to learning.
If this happend 1 or 2 times during the season ok, but this was the friggin' 7th time!

 

[Bradley Vanian]

Diego, some of the points you make are good, however your points are ruined by your stupid bias.

 

[Tom]

Korea is less boring in the wets, as we saw in 2010

I could make so many jokes about all the Korean girls I know...but..well..no, that'd be *too* inappropriate.

 

[Kartik Sri Harsha]

Vettel Proved him self back in 2008 with the Win in Monza and Got the RBR seat and He showed what he worth since then
There is No need to Prove any thing by a F1 racer to a common People like us
Every driver at the Track was well above us in every aspect
And To say Vettel can only win from front row You missed Singapore GP and say he Can't overtake Watch SPA GP

 

[Metalfreaky]

And To say Vettel can only win from front row You missed Singapore GP

What should that prove? He qualified 3rd, had a good start and got into 2nd and the only guy in front of him had a failiure.
I'm not tying to say Vettel is a bad driver (although I personally rate Alonso higher) but that's a really bad example for what you are trying to prove

 

[Ketnix]

I am not saying Vettel had luck, and of course I am not saying Red Bull is doing wrong devoloping the car better and faster than their rivals, they are doing great for their interests. What I am trying to say is that Vettel have been lucky for having the best car always. ALWAYS.

You know what? He equaled today the number of victories of Juan Manuel Fangio, and he is just one Pole away from Ayrton Senna´s record, and when I look at the "Finger Boy" I don´t see a class driver like Senna, Fangio, Prost, Hakkinen or Alonso... I just see a guy with a lot of luck that I don´t think people will remember as one of the best drivers, despite what the numbers say.

Just my view, I accept you have a different one.

Exactly, and I say Vettel is a worse driver with a better car. And Alonso is exactly the opposite.

Atleast Vettel has yet to win a title by crashing into his rival, damn he has no class whats so ever.

-EDIT- Enough of my crappy jokes , as far as Kimi not backing off I don't see any reason why she should of really, he got squished off to the side then Alonso got squshed by Hamilton coming up the other side, just misfortunate for Alonso really.

 

[My993C2]

Some of you people are absolutely ridiculous with your bias hatred towards Vettel and Red Bull. Do you have to cheer for Vettel or Red Bull? Of course not, you can cheer for anyone you want. Is Vettel the best? No it is far too early in his career to be saying this. Vettel has a long way to go before you can be compared with the best. It will be interesting to see how the F1 world will change if the rumors are true and Vettel does join Ferrari in 2014 and who will replace Vettel at Red Bull. Mark Webber is a talented driver, but he is no spring chicken and age is not on his side.

F1 has always been about the car first and the driver second. Though to be WDC you need both the car, the driver and let's not forget some luck. This season is far from over, a lot can still happen in the next five races. Without a doubt Alonso is a tough customer the way he can drive without making major mistakes. But he is not the only driver on the grid who has talent and he is not the only driver on the grid who has had to deal with adversity this season. Vettel and Red Bull have some momentum, but Massa's strong showing today showed that during the race Ferrari is no slouch. Today Ferrari had the 2nd best car on the grid and yes Alonso would have been there competing for 2nd or 3rd place had he not had his 1st lap puncture just as Webber would have been there competing for 2nd or 3rd had he not been taken out by Grosjean. Not sure what happened to McLaren this weekend, they took a step backwards, but I am sure they will rebound.

 

[Kartik Sri Harsha]

What should that prove? He qualified 3rd, had a good start and got into 2nd and the only guy in front of him had a failiure.
I'm not tying to say Vettel is a bad driver (although I personally rate Alonso higher) but that's a really bad example for what you are trying to prove

It Means He Qualified 3rd but still in a perfect match to Hamiltons Mclaren all the time until Hamilton retired When He had a Inferior car. And Please Don't say Vettel has a Superior one to Mclaren in singapore just because Vettel Won with a 8.5 sec gap over JB

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

Vettel Proved him self back in 2008 with the Win in Monza and Got the RBR seat and He showed what he worth since then

But, that race also showed how much better the Torro Rosso was in the wet that race, than the other cars. Bourdais was well inside top 5 in speed that Saturday and Sunday.