id love if Vettel crashed/retired, close up the championship at least, but yeah we need a different winner.
I do not think Hamilton would of got pole anyway, Vettel's Q3 time was 7 tenths quicker than his Q2 time. I think he would of been fighting with Button for P2 and I think it would of been close because Button put in a very good lap and was over half a second faster than his Q2 lap.
Hamilton would have easily got pole. He would have huslted that car and got the lap time out of it. He and Vettel are in a different class at the moment ahead of Button Webber Alonso and co. I see Hamilton and Vettel fighting it out tomorrow but then I can see Alonso chopping of Hamilton just as he comes behind him.
Nah I think Mifune's right. Hamilton would've been closer than Button but that lap from Vettel was not of this world. When someone sells their soul to the devil it's very, very difficult to beat them.
That's another silly thing that he's said today - all it does is strain relations with Button. I'm in agreement with Mifune here. Vettel's lap was very good and I don't think any other driver could have set such a lap time (in their respective cars). Getting on the front row, yes - but not pole - and certainly not "easily" Are Vettel and Hamilton really in another class? They are the only race winners this year, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're in another class. Ahead of Webber I agree, but it's debatable with Button and Alonso. What makes you think Hamilton will even catch up to Alonso? Even if Vettel isn't leading after the first lap, he'll be in the high positions while Hamilton is further back at a track where overtaking is almost impossible. Vettel is basically going to pull a big gap on Hamilton in the first 10 laps, which will make it impossible for him to fight with Vettel in the race, unless Vettel makes his pit stop before Hamilton. Hamilton may have a fast car, but he can't do much if he is stuck behind Maldonado, Rosberg or Schumacher. He's not going to make up many positions at the start, if any.
I don't think vettel will have this his own way. Both Mclaren and ferrari had great race pace in practise, so vettel will have a challenge. 1 mistake, or 1 bad pitstop/strategy mistake and they'll pounce
Vettel's lap was superb. That much should be obvious to anyone and he did it with enough time to go out again if needed. McLaren's fragile strategy was always at the mercy of the track. I have not yet seen any of the interviews or looked at any of the links concerning some of the things I've seen posted in this thread and elsewhere concerning Hamilton. I do not know what has been said at all! It seems clear to me that Hamilton felt he could take the fight to Red Bull tomorrow but circumstance has thwarted his efforts - along with plenty of others who were planning on a last dash quick lap - and although I do not excuse the behaviour as reported here, I would expect him to be feeling frustrated. My concern has been focussed on Perez, but every driver who is fortunate enough to be on tomorrow's grid should put the recent past behind them and make the best job of what they have. Good luck to them all and let's hope that we get a good race.
I just don't see the need for vettel to go 100% in this race. His main rival is stuck in 9th and he can extend to gap if he keeps calm and controlled. Unless there's 5 safety cars to help Button press vettel he could make a mistake, but this isn't the vettel of 09, we all saw that for 10+ laps with Hamilton that he wouldn't crumble. He only has to drive his own race with a good start as usual, good pitstops with clean air and hope his teammate gets into 2nd at the first corner.
lewis should be able to start on softs because he didnt set a fastest time in q3.so his q3 time is listed as NO TIME. now bare in mind Schumacher ran on the primes in Barcelona Q3, did not set a time and started on the options. so it could work out pretty well for lewis tomorrow.
With the calibre of drivers infront (Nico, Schumi, Massa, Alonso) of him and what they're packing, if lewis gets into the top 5 that's a great job in my opinion.
What pisses me off about Hamilton is that when he wins it is all him and "I am the only one capable of challenging Vettel" and when things do not go right he always blames the team. You can't agree with the team on the strategy and then when it does not come off blame them, whatever happened to win as a team, lose as a team? If he is not happy about something he should make his own decisions like Button does and then if it does not come off take it like a man instead of blaming another team, another driver, your own team, or all three.
Although I've put seb to win I have a sneaky suspision that Button will do it, the McLaren seems better on tyres so far so the 2 stopper could really do the damage.
It all comes down to the start. 3rd normally passes 2nd and if that happens then jenson has no chance.
I cannot believe how pessimistic people are over Button's chances. So many laps- so many close slides to the armco..... Even the start may favour JB, who knows? Room for so many things to happen its in the lap of the Gods. COME ON JB.
Some of us seem to be discussing Button's chances on this Hamilton thread and posting about Hamilton starting 9th on the main Monaco chat thread. I hope it's okay for me to quote this here: As Caesar said, that's pretty damning evidence. It was clearly a deliberate attempt to gain some time and, coupled with what I'm guessing was an attempt to get Massa penalised, shows that he's really not dealing with the pressure (pressure he's really put himself under, notwithstanding his engineers' errors in qualifying and the end of FP3, by making some very silly comments to the British press this week) well at all. This may be a culmination of where he's found himself since winning the WDC - a terrible year, written off, in 2009, a big disappointment last season as a decent title bid faded towards the end, and now staring a possible Schumacheresque reign of dominance by Vettel in the face. I think cosicave has referred to the destiny Hamilton sees for himself after being raised by a pack of McLarens, bursting into F1 so emphatically in 2007, and taking his first title in his second season. All that seems to be hanging by a thread at the moment. Today I'd like to see Hamilton start on primes and do a one stop race. I suppose that decision depends on how far off the lead his team think he'll be by the time the option runners come in for their first stops but to see him have to wait patiently for the race to come to him, instead of taking it by the scruff of its neck and battering it into submission, would say a lot about his state of mind this weekend and his relationship with his engineers (on whom Hamilton depends more than most drivers).
I think it's only been Jenson Button in 2009 who was able to rattle Vettel near enough at the start at certain tracks, seems to me he is scared of Jenson more than the likes of Lewis and Alonso. Maybe it's his tyre skills, a different line, under breaking, the lack of information about him compared to the big boys.... I don't know. Maybe it's because they're quiet good friends outside of the track and Jenson knows how he thinks etc... Also why do people keep saying Lewis got penalised? (for the record this is aimed at the people think that) He didn't set a time period! He cut the corner which makes the lap invalid which means it never stood in the first place. It's like a striker being caught offside and scores but is disallowed afterwards... IT'S THE RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There is no significant difference between Hamilton and Button, anyone who seems to think there is, is a moron. Button would not make the same mistakes Hamilton would. And Hamilton would not make the same mistakes Button would.
