I'm not sure if I count as a doubter but I'm not in awe with him, that said the only reason for this is the fact we've (I've) not really seen much from him. He's not doing badly and if he continues like this for the rest of the season I will be impressed. So hopefully that makes me mid way between a doubter and fan.... TBC'er
Haha… I get the feeling I've been classified by Mifune here but I also hope Senna does well and proves his doubters wrong. That is what I've been wanting for him since his arrival on the scene, but until recently, I'd not been particularly impressed. At the moment he is quick but untidy. If he remains quick and can also become tidier, he will cement his place on the grid for years to come. Today - if he has it in him - he has a chance to show the world that he's world class. If he can make some progress towards the sharp end at Suzuka, his credibility will increase logarithmically. I wish him well.
Oh dear, first poor race for Bruno there, he has not looked happy with the car all weekend really. Although Renault hardly helped with their backwards strategy of prime, prime, option.
This race shows me what I think of senna, fast but no racing skills. Nearly got beaten by the lotuses on pure pace.
**** strategy and a very poor stop. Not his best race, but he doesn't deserve the flak people in this thread are about to guve him.
Very poor from Senna B - arguably the worst driver today. Even with an unorthodox strategy, he should have done better - Perez deals with bad strategy all the time. Renault had the pace to get both cars to finish in the top 10 but then this is a drivers circuit so you cant expect much from two pay drivers.
I suppose you know how tyre strategies are chosen Mifune? - What I mean is that the decision is very much driver led*. As for his performance today, well, unfortunately he did not prove his doubters wrong at all did he! I would agree with your suggestion about not looking happy: his whole weekend has been untidy and inconsistent. Occasionally quick but consistently untidy. However, there was one positive: although he went backwards through the race, at least he did not crash. I hope he gets it right next time, but on this occasion he missed his biggest opportunity to showcase his skills. *Inconsistency is most easily addressed (and sometimes offset) by using tyres that last longer, thereby allowing a driver to get into more of a rhythm because they evolve more slowly.
It's a good question but there are several reasons. These are two of the most important: The world was watching (more than usual) today because it was almost certain that the World Championship would be won by the youngest ever Double Champ. Suzuka - being deliberately designed as a test track for high performance cars - is really the biggest test of overall driver skill in Grand Prix racing. The remaining races of 2011 will not generate such a big interest. Everyone in F1 knows the importance of the Suzuka showcase, especially towards the end of the 'silly-season' where final decisions about driver line ups are being concluded.
