No point really. There will never be any proper evidence like there has been in football, cricket, cycling, rugby, snooker and all the other sports that have had scandals that brought their sports into disrepute. There's too many levers that can be pulled to affect the races. Trouble is, I just can't accept what everyone says at face value all the time. Sometimes people tell porkies. And it's fun to guess at what's going on. Nothing will ever come of it, though, unless someone blows the whistle. Even then whistleblowers tend to get discredited.
I'm not holding my breath. And anyway, whistleblowers tend to come from a little further down the hierarchy. I think because the teams within F1 are so competitive they will tend to stick together for their own benefit. Just look at Williams during the trial over Senna's death. As far as I'm concerned Senna died because his steering column broke. No whistleblowers from the team, despite all the pictures of the broken steering column lying beside the car at the scene of the crash, and the behaviour of the car during the crash, suggesting that something broke. And look at that atrocious documentary claiming that Senna hit a bump. Honestly, what a load of balls.
Maybe Seb is a really sensitive soul, and having the world hating him because RBR didn't want their drivers duking it out for no gain in the last couple of laps has gotten to him. Remember last year he was driving well until the back-lash from Turkey and Spa he went on a bit of a blip. now there's a bit of a 'team-orders' scandal (ridiculous imo, a hold station order in the last few laps wasn't a problem during the years team orders were banned, and no one complained in 2009 when the roles were reversed), and the very next race he puts in a poor performance after walking aroud with an unhappy face. I feel sorry for Seb Vettel, everything I've seen of him says he's friendly (always stays the latest with his fans, signing autographs hours after the rest have done one), always respectful (no outbursts to the press when he was asked to hold station behind Webber), nearly always smiling and only once have I heard him say anything bad about anyone (pretty accuratley IMO), no matter how much Webber tries to provoke him (almost weekly trying to undermine him). I can't help thinking if their nationalities were reversed Webber would be the most hated man in F1 on this board. edit: And Basil, I don't believe in so many coincidences either, especially when the Supremo says who will win the title, and then has to correct himself.
I remember Bernie saying that Vettel would win the title at the beginning of last season. I suppose, considering how strongly he finished the season before it was a fair bet, but it seems to me like it's not really his place to make those sorts of predictions. I thought Vettel came across quite well in defeat in his interview after the race. He's obviously not happy, but wouldn't say anything outrageous in the heat of the moment. For me I think that Vettel, like many people in the public eye, projects an image of how he would like to appear, but behind that there is a rock hard competitor. Do you remember, Miggins, after Silverstone (I think) when Webber said that he thought the guys on the podium got the results they deserved, Vettel shot quite a stern glance in Webber's direction? There has to be a bit of needle between them, but it seems it isn't about trying to gain a competitive advantage, rather it's about having a little dig when the opportunity arises. All good fun.
Vettel does have racecraft, but he's not as good as alonso, hamilton or even button and kobayashi in the racecraft department.
please log in to view this image Vettel's detractors are all too quick to highlight Red Bull's one lap pace whenever he gets pole, but fail to acknowledge he's pulling a chronic straightline deficit when trying to overtake (the table also shows both Renaults faster than Button). You can't have it all your own way.
The 'Red Bull car is hard to overtake in' reason for Vettel's inability to race wheel to wheel does hold up that well with me. Yes they have a straight line speed deficit but Mark Webber has shown he can overtake in it, ok sometimes he is a bit clunky but nethertheless he has shown it can be down. The only times I can really remember Vettel overtaking is either driving right past someone due to DRS or because he is on much newer tyres.
Interesting to see that virgin have better straight line speed than lotus. And we keep calling that coworth engine crap.
Flat out speed is not a good indicator, using enough wing (and exhaust!!) to create downforce is what it all about. Taking a corner well is far better than getting 5 kph more at the end of the straight.
And who did Webber overtake? from what I saw no one, he started 1st and finished 3rd, the only time he overtook anyone was when they went for a pit-stop. Vettel had a brake problem very early and struggled with it, whe his car came on song his team realised trying to overtake Massa for 2 more points wasn't worth risking 10 points for. over 10mph difference in straightline speed and you expect him to overtake on a straight? even with his DRS open he couldn't catch up to massa on the straights, and then you have the underpowered KERS rbr are using.
Mercedes may have a chance in Spa and Monza with the straight line speed trap they have to their advantage.
I think it's slightly unfair to take the last two races as conclusive proof - the jury is still out I think. Vettel's out & out pace isn't disputed and yet Webber out-qualified Vettel at Silverstone and in Germany, which is unusual enough to suggest that somehow the car or the tyres have gone away from him in some way, unless of course it's just the pressure of championship expectations. His race craft isn't really going to be proven until he qualifies on pole but then falls back into midfield for some reason and has to battle through when there are no adverse mechanical or weather circumstances. If he fails then in a quick car he's comfortable with, it will mean his race craft is suspect. No doubt somebody will now come up with just such a race............
I think if Vettel regains his dominance and wins with a few races to go, then has a poor quali or start and has to work his way up then we will see if he can overtake without pressure on him. Obviously this isn't the same as overtaking in important scenarios but we will get some idea
Basil: I thought I was rather cynical about certain aspects of F1 but you've gone to a whole new level!
