Reply to: F1 - who would have won ?

[BigTime]

well i think it's all a fix. button had it won in the 1st half, then goes so far off the boil to make it look like someone else had a chance of winning and keep the tv watching proles engaged.

hamilton losing 2 years ago was particularly unreal and last year was dramatically staged.

after all those years of cunyo face spoiling it by insisting on no. 1 status, the powers that be appear to have gone too far the other way to make it exciting.

imho

[VectraMan]

Like last year's Brazil podium - I don't think I've ever seen someone so gutted to have won their home grand prix.

Massa was pretty gracious in defeat, all things considered (unlike Vetel the other week). I do believe that Massa was more deserving to win last year if only because Hamilton made more mistakes himself, whereas Massa lost more due to the team's mistakes. But if Massa had won it would have been the perfect end: to go out and win the last race and take the championship by showing everybody you're the best. Damon Hill did that after winning early in the year, and struggling through the second half. Hamilton and Button both took the championship by limping home in a lacklustre 5th, and Hamilton by the narrowest margin imaginable. Did make for some exciting TV though.

[d000hg]

It was more because of Hamilton driving for 5th, and only *just* getting it at the final race in Brazil. Which is of course exactly what Button did too.

You want to see the champion go out and win the last race and be the best. Both the last two weren't even on the podium when they took the title, and that made for a bit of a weird end. Button and Brawn were celebrating and everybody forgot that Weber actually won.

No different to other long-running seasons. Football leagues are often won before the end, sometimes by several games/weeks.
I totally agree it would be nice to see Button have a glory race tomorrow, but that's not really what it's about.

[Zippy]

We smart - shome mistake shirley?
Sometime soon we will be able to see all that the pit crews see (I think the teams can all see each others data atm? The FIA software they have to use allows this?). Then it will be really interesting

Legard is a bit dumb but Brundle has been there, done it, done it again and has got the contracts

Ahem - Vrooooom!

[centurian]

Anyway, back here tomorrow for the usual CUK expert analysis?

Maybe it's just because we're a smart bunch on here , but during the races I generally seem to be about 10 minutes ahead of the commentators in terms of how the stratgy is panning out - and yet they have all the time timing data screens in front of them.

Although I do wonder if Brundall and Legard just play a bit dumb so that the audience feel a bit smarter for working it out for themselves.

[centurian]

Button and Brawn were celebrating and everybody forgot that Weber actually won.

Like last year's Brazil podium - I don't think I've ever seen someone so gutted to have won their home grand prix.

[VectraMan]

This plan only came up because Hamilton had fewer wins than Massa last year causing some to say that Massa was a more deserving champion. However, Hamilton actually took more chequered flags - Massa's extra 'win' was due to one race result being changed after the finish (Spa).

It was more because of Hamilton driving for 5th, and only *just* getting it at the final race in Brazil. Which is of course exactly what Button did too.

You want to see the champion go out and win the last race and be the best. Both the last two weren't even on the podium when they took the title, and that made for a bit of a weird end. Button and Brawn were celebrating and everybody forgot that Weber actually won.

[Zippy]

Vroooom!

Vroooms are now included, along with "crunch", "wtf is that on the track" and champagne

[nomadd]

Anyway, back here tomorrow for the usual CUK expert analysis?

I'm thinking it's going to be a very, very wet race.

Nomadd

[Bunk]

Anyway, back here tomorrow for the usual CUK expert analysis?

Vroooom!

[Zippy]

The pit exit might prove influential.
Bit of a shame about the fuelling (for McLaren) but I have a feeling that the Red Bull team will not want to be blowing another engine so may not be gunning it. They seem to have been cautious recently? Rubens looks a bit stuffed if he wants second in the drivers chamionship

What a complex though - very impressive.

Anyway, back here tomorrow for the usual CUK expert analysis?

[centurian]

Button would have way more wins. Interestingly, Vettel has 3 wins and Webber, Hamilton & Barichello have 2 each. So after tomorrow's race Hamilton could end up 2nd (or 3rd depending on details) if he wins.

Fuel weights in now. Hamilton lighter than the Red Bull's. McLaren kicking themselves a bit - they could have put another 5 laps of fuel in and he would still have been on pole.

Probably won't make a difference. If Hamilton gets a clean start, he should sprint off into the distance. Unless he gets a safety car at the wrong moment (quite possible on a new circuit), he has this race in the bag.

[d000hg]

Button would have way more wins. Interestingly, Vettel has 3 wins and Webber, Hamilton & Barichello have 2 each. So after tomorrow's race Hamilton could end up 2nd (or 3rd depending on details) if he wins.

[centurian]

I think it would have been completely over about 4 races ago.

And effectively it would have been dead from about the halfway point in the season because Jenson didn't need to win any more races - they just had to stop Vettel from winning. Brawn could have used blocking strategies to hold up Vettel and let the McLarens/Ferrari's drive off into the distance to get the win. Vettel would have overtaken the Brawn's but only finished 2nd/3rd.

This plan only came up because Hamilton had fewer wins than Massa last year causing some to say that Massa was a more deserving champion. However, Hamilton actually took more chequered flags - Massa's extra 'win' was due to one race result being changed after the finish (Spa).

[Zippy]

Yes, Button won more races.