US GP Debrief: A champion is crowned in Austin

[R.J. O'Connell]

This could have easily been another USGP '05 (I was there) with the conditions. I was worried for a bit that we'd just do a handful of safety car laps and park it.

Instead, we probably got the race of the year, and probably saw the greatest USGP in the modern era. Certainly the best at CotA by far.

 

[Lorenzo Bonder]

I usually don't do race reviews but here goes, in a topic by topic manner:

1. Bad weekend for Williams. From practice to race, it was just....bad. Mexico is coming up, let's see how it goes.
2. Hamilton won the championship, great, so basically I can take away the fact that he couldn't close out championships for him (stuff that already back fired on him at least twice, near thrice, hadn't Ferrari screwed up so much Massa's championship when he was the leader in '08 that managed to leave Hamilton in range)
3. Rosberg need a therapist. I'm still trying to figure what happened to him for he do such a seemingly simple mistake. That was a psychological mistake in POV not because of tire wear or anything of sorts.
4. The disparity of Mercedes to the other teams is monstrous. Even Williams with the same power source engine can't cope with their dazzling rhythm. Only Ferrari, hence Vettel, have a shot at something.
5. Best F1 GP of the year thus far (overall, incluiding practices and qualify)? Abso-freaking-lutely. That pace car in the end spiced it up + Vettel playing cat and mouse with Rosberg (and vice-versa).
6. Max not caring for team orders? Right on kid. That's how you make an impression. Jos certainly is proud of your final position. Twice 4th, almost being third? Well you've getting a lot of eyebrows around.
7. Button's driving: Laser-accurate and such an elegant driving. Thank god the bloke still one more year in F1. And that power source from Honda? Sure did improve, but still need a hella work. I think 2016 could be a year of surprises for McLaren-Honda. In a good way of sorts.
8. Williams needs to hire Nasr again. I said already that this dude is outstanding, because you simply don't pit 5 times and still survives a race carnage and STILL manages to finish in 9th, grabbing away 2 valuable points. Barred Verstappen, he's the best placed rookie in 13th, in a declining Sauber.
9. Whoever that says that Kimi is overrated, please stop trolling. He already won a Driver's Championship, for me skill wise he's one of the best drivers in F1, has he lost to Vettel this year? Absolutely. But he put up a great fight, because he's not 4th for a reason. Vettel is just an alien. And also we need drivers' with Kimi's way of life hehehe.
10. And the best driver in F1 nowadays? Still Alonso, but as a Vettel with an close if not equal second place. But this is my POV again, it varies from person to person of course.

Long read? Of course, but that's my take for this race. I have my view for the MotoGP's race. I'll post there later.

 

[Omer Said]

Lewis is a great driver but to be seen next to Senna he needs a rival like Prost who is at his level to battle against which sadly Nico is not. Hopefully Ferrari/Vettel can match him next year although I am not holding my breath on that.

I think his "rookie" performance against Alonso in 2007 is the thing you define as "yet to be seen".

 

[Lorenzo Bonder]

Ok, I forgot one thing about Hamilton, now that I saw Omer's post and got me thinking:

Fine, Hamilton is one of the all time greats. He finally caught up to his ultimate idol, Senna. He says he's grabbing Senna's baton and carrying on the legacy. Also fine by me, it's cool to see someone as utterly inspired by someone as Hamilton is vastly inspired in Senna's career.

But.

Hamilton can be, by the end of his career, of the 5 greatest drivers in F1 ever. Easy, he got the credentials and skills. But don't dare compare him to Senna. It's a waste of time. Hamilton's young path was tracked for him to be at McLaren F1 at some point. Senna just went like "Started from the Bottom and now we here" path, even though he was transitioning to the F1, everybody wanted him because he was just simply faster than everybody.

However Toleman came first and foremost. Had Senna not been there and done the seemingly impossible feat of finishing in 2nd in Monaco (just behind some dude named Prost, that IMO would've lost to Ayrton had Jean-Marie Ballestre ordered the race to end prematurely, resulting in a debacle of the ages).

Also a list of feat that Hamilton never achieved because he just simply won't be able to:

• Finish a race and WIN with only a sixth gear and having spams all over your body.
• Start a race in 4th and just pass everbody (inbounds and out) in a single lap in Donington and win using slicks. In the rain.
• Having the insane skill of finding that tenth or cent of a second needed in the final lap of qualifying
• Quitting in the middle of practice to AID a fellow driver (Erik Comás) that suffered a heavy accident, disregarding safety rules just to make sure someone else is safe.

I know I sound a bit of a "Senna widow", because every Brazilian that watched him and cheered for him sort of it is.

I can't deny Hamilton raw driving skills and class. But starting comparisons with Senna is, again, a waste of time. Unless F1 starts of having some balance and having at least 3 or 4 teams that can compete equally for the championship in ALL rounds, Hamilton will have that curse of "an all-time great driver and champion but drove in an era of a single top tier team fighting for both constructors drivers championship and drivers where no other team could rival their perfomance".

 

[paracletus]

I don't know where all this hamilton/senna comparison started. The sport is completely different now.
e.g. there is no chance that 17yr old youngsters would cope with the cars of the senna/prost/mansell era. Also, we don't see epic battles on track like we used to between those three. I partly blame DRS & bad tyres for ruining that spectacle.
Vettel has done well to win GPs this year. But guess what - LH and others won multiple gps during the Red Bull dominance years.
Again, for any newcomers to the sport - LH has already proven himself as fully capable of winning races when not in the best car.
As did Alonso, Button and others.

As for the sport not being dangerous anymore - please rethink that one.
We lost a great prospect recently, the late Jules Bianchi.
F1 is safer than it used to be but it is still a very dangerous sport.

 

[Kevin Pheiffer]

Next, Hamilton will start comparing himself to the very best of all time....Schumi.
No way he will EVER come even close.
As a matter of fact, NOBODY will ever get to those heights in the modern day. He was the greatest sportsman in history. ANY sport.

 

[fortyfivekev]

Next, Hamilton will start comparing himself to the very best of all time....Schumi.
No way he will EVER come even close...

Check back here in 2019 and we'll see about that

 

[eSEA One]

As for how good he is, I think there is only one driver who would beat him in the same car.......Vettel, without a doubt!
All the others are almost as good, but Vettel is head and shoulders above the rest. Let's hope Ferrari are on it in 2016.

What happened to Vettel in 2014? in the same car Ricciardo bossed him in all but 3 of the races they both finished. Not that I am knocking Vettel, there are other good drivers out there!
So until you get all the drivers in the same car can you say who is who in the F1 zoo! it is pointless otherwise. But then again some cars suit certain drivers.

 

[Erwin Greven]

It is like Max Verstappen said: "Give me a Mercedes and i can say how good Lewis is."

 

[paracletus]

Nico Rosberg: Gust of wind caused error at United States GP
"It was a gust of wind - a big one," Rosberg said, adding: "I'm serious!
"Everybody [experienced it] so you can't use it as an excuse, but I understand my mistake now and that's important, for me to understand it."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/34673836

All the other off-tarmac drama (tossing hats, various BS) -- couldn't care less to be honest.
It's totally irrelevant cringe-worthy gossip.

 

[fortyfivekev]

Another entry for the ever expanding Racing Drivers Book of Excuses

Not sure how the understanding that he made a mistake that no-one else made is really going to help him. I have been to many many race meetings at Silverstone which can seem like the windiest place on earth and you don't see everyone spinning off all the time.

 

[Erwin Greven]

except Max.

 

[Chark]

I'm happy to see various opinions about the race and the Hamilton/Rosberg battle and politics. I don't need to go back on that, you guys said it all!

I'd like to share what seems to be an overlooked overtaking move from Ricciardo on Hamilton. I know Max has been praised for his overtaking abilities, but to me Daniel did an amazing job on here.

This corner is quite tricky and requires the maximum amount of grip you can get out of your tyres, even when using the perfect line. Well, here, Ricciardo had to get the overtake done using only the inside line (of course), but also worn intermediate tyres and still humid conditions. Just watch him almost lose it two or three times, but still managing to keep the momentum. To me that's a pretty great move.

In my opinion, Ricciardo was always one of the most agile drivers when it comes to overtaking. He's part of the very few that can push their luck and try some quite ballsy moves, but still remaining totally fair and danger free.

 

[Ejike Wodu]

Nico Rosberg: Gust of wind caused error at United States GP
"It was a gust of wind - a big one," Rosberg said, adding: "I'm serious!
"Everybody [experienced it] so you can't use it as an excuse, but I understand my mistake now and that's important, for me to understand it."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/34673836

All the other off-tarmac drama (tossing hats, various BS) -- couldn't care less to be honest.
It's totally irrelevant cringe-worthy gossip.

You are a true motor sport fan. The off tarmac side-show is exactly what it is.
Unfortunately, people many people don't focus enough on the on-tarmac action and use the side-show actions as a measure of the driver.