That's how it looks! They looked average in last seasons testing and were average in the season, so no reason to think they are holding anything back this year.
I have to say that I share the same feelings in that quote from Muzz606 about Vettel. I don't know what it is about him, maybe it's some leftover impressions from his 2009/2010 seasons when he was still a bit immature. He was all smiles and relaxation last year, apart from a few occasions such as Spa when he was jabbing his finger in the chest of someone from Pirelli and Abu Dhabi when (after he'd already won the WDC) he had to retire when he had his 1st lap puncture. I can't shake the feeling that when the Red Bull domination eventually stops (this year maybe?), he might revert back to his 2009/2010 self. However, I hope I'm proven wrong. I have to say that I'm not keen on anyone from Red Bull generally, including the pit crew (who tend to gloat at the camera when they get a pole/win) and don't get me started on Horner and Marko.
I'm not a huge fan myself but, as Caesar decreed, F1 is not a popularity contest. A bit of fun on a fansite is not F1, it's a bit of fun on a fansite. The poll on this thread records who people estimate has the best chance of winning the race, not who they like best. I think seaman posted that link to expose the cretin who ranked Buemi up there with Schumacher and Raikkonen as a top driver (hence the specific link to "/#post3"). Don't get me wrong - I'm not criticising your opinion or your posting of it. I'm just not sure what there is to gain from making a daft thread from a daft forum the subject of a discussion on our race thread, other than a brief lolz.
Probably getting rid of those damn acer tubes. Could this be done by Melbourne? Also, Red Bull will be using their B-spec car in Melbourne.
Its would be pretty major going to get it designed, built, tested, safety tested and then sent out to Aus in what is basically a week. Most teams probably have chassis's out there already. If they are going with such a big change I don't expect to see it in March.
This was my first thought, but we don't know when they started work on it, it could've been as early as Jerez when they suffered overheating? problems with the exhaust.
Yeah he was on the breakfast news this morning and said the McLaren and Mercedes were their biggest threat but Ferrari should not be written off. No mention of lotus =/
That's fascinating because I have exactly the opposite opinion. I thought Button held on well, playing percentages in a difficult car, and in the end took the championship by its balls; and I thought that, in a car Red Bull acknowledge was stronger than the RB7, Vettel stumbled over the line when the two main contenders got wrapped up in each other's strategies in the final race. I'm not suggesting he wasn't deserving or that he lucked into it because of a single race (same as Raikkonen in 2007) but, in my opinion, it was less convincing than Button's championship. That's a topic I'd like to see a thread on - not whether this or that championship was deserved but whether they were convincingly taken. Anyway, taking the RB8b to Australia is brave because of the lack of running but kind of ties in with Vettel saying they'd have to depend on Webber's data to assess it (i.e. they got enough data on Saturday, as a team like that should). If they do then personally I think it'll be a revised B-spec exhaust, e.g. the kink will still be there but pointing in a slightly different direction. I can't believe it's working exactly as intended but then perhaps they're building the bodywork to last just over 200 miles like the engines used to be built for. Australia's meant to have restrictive import regulations too so it would be less than a week to have it available for free practice. It's not all that important to aim for Australia in my opinion: championships are not won in the first race or two of the season. Is it James Allen's own assumption that Ferrari are aiming for Australia? Pat Fry mentioned only "a few updates." What is self-flagellation of the non-masochistic kind?
I agree with Westy, there have been times where I have wanted to like Vettel but there is just something in his attitude at times which prevents me. I also do not like the Red Bull team, although I do like Webber, they have always seemed arrogant and seem to have a bit of an inferiority complex. I detest Christian Horner as well.
ive gone for lewis,coz up until monaco he was vettels closest challenger,but things just fell apart from monaco onwards.he just got more and more desperate to catch him and pushed too hard.he didnt care about runners up,he wanted to win,so he lost patience and lost his head. hopefully he learnt that sometimes some points are better than none.hopefully mclaren will do alot better with strategy too,coz at times they let both drivers down with poor strategy.
its simply because most ppl believe lewis wasnt at his best last season.so if lewis is at his best,they cant see button beating him.
I can answer this with a psychological review: What in recent history has an Australian gone and pissed off a lot of British people in F1 which would stand out....0, I would gather. Sebastian.....Schumacher////Ruthless Christian Horner......Ross Brawn////Team orders Mark Webber.....Rubens Barrichello///Loveable number 2 who deserved more Now lets imagine this for a second, if Lewis/Jenson/Di Resta was in the same situation as Seb at Silverstone 2010 regarding the wing, do we believe the same comments would come out from the British public if Mark acted the same way? would this even be an issue if Seb wasn't German? Personally I don't think so. What im saying is the reason why people to a certain degree, do not trust Seb is that they expect most "great" German F1 drivers, have a certain trait to winning (being ruthless) which doesn't happen with any other country, or so they believe. Good read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schema_(psychology) Im not stating it's a fact with this but our minds do use automatic processes to describe to ourselves a unique enviroment for us to comprehend: "I can trust him/her because..." or "I can't trust him/her because" Basically in short your mind is automatically predicting the future, almost like trying to predict the end of a film as all the information your mind stored through your life will then try and figure out individuals and familes. So in short people who dont trust Seb as an individual must believe he will turn nasty sooner or later and be just like Schumacher. Here's a funny story added on top, watch the Nicholas Hamilton episode last night and noticed something very similair to between me and Lewis. I wont say what it is but maybe because the reason why I dislike Lewis so much is because it's very likely I would of done the same things in his past if I was put in his situation, funny that eh? So when I'm angry at Lewis, I'm really just angry at myself as I believe I would of done better, or things differently and handle some cases worse, aka kicking the **** out of Massa at Singapore.
I was going to respond to this but after seeing you are bringing up the stupid nationality thing again I am not going to waste my time.
So I cant make an opinion now on normal processes going through everybody's mind lol? Half of it was about what if's and the other half was about psychology...
Sorry, silver, but I think you're barking up the wrong tree here. It has nothing to do with prejudice or xenophobia or stereotypes. Personally I think so very much. If Hamilton had been forced to give his front wing to Button there would have been an almighty outcry because, like Red Bull, McLaren claim to treat both drivers equally. If Massa had been forced to give his wing to Alonso no one would have batted an eyelid. It has bugger all to do with the Aussie playing second fiddle to the German. I also think 'being ruthless' applies to most F1 champions. Hamilton and Alonso certainly are. Prost and Senna were. Button and Damon Hill are/were, too, in their own way. In fact I think most F1 fans see ruthlessness in the cockpit as an admirable trait, regardless of nationality and, obviously, excepting when it distorts into unsporting, dangerous or sociopathic driving. People don't dislike Schumacher because he went out and took his victories with both hands. They dislike him because he had zero concern for anybody else's wellbeing. I dislike Schumacher because his attitude is completely alien to me, not because I see myself in him. Anyway, this is straying from the 2012 Aussie GP, too. Maybe you should start another thread called 'The Isn't Seb Great Thread?'
Whenever someone slightly criticises Vettel there are always some people who immediately claim it is because he is German , and it is inane. EDIT: Also totally agree with what Genji said .
