Did I actually read someone's comments saying that Vettel is arrogant?
Yes. Me. Whether Vettel fanboys are like it or not, that's how it comes across to me.
It's not necessarily a bad characteristic. If anything, it's fairly natural for someone in his position - and like Alonso and Schumacher, both of whom were
incredibly arrogant in their early successful years, Vettel will probably grow out of it. But in the meantime, it's not particularly endearing. It's not just a slight on Vettel either - Hamilton is equally guilty of it.
I'll admit that he doesn't come across that way when laughing and joking with the BBC or Sky presenters either, but then even Schumacher was fairly good-humoured when chatting with the press.
As for those of you who think that Vettel's boring, that pass at Monza last year was incredible, and his lap at Suzuka was astonishing.
Two incidents in several years of racing! Holy crap! I take it all back!
And
yes, before anyone flips out, I'm being sarcastic. I'm
aware he's made more passes than that, and his outright speed is undoubtedly impressive. But he's just not that entertaining a racer to watch, and certainly not when he clears off for an entire grand prix.
Again, that's not to downplay his talent (he's a bloody quick driver), but you'd have to be on some pretty serious Vettel Kool-Aid to suggest that he's one of the more exciting drivers to watch out there.
I'd be tempted to say that anyone thrilled to watch
any driver effectively doing an unchallenged time-trial of a circuit is probably more a fan of the driver than they are of the sport itself. A bit like lusting after David Beckham's thighs rather than appreciating his contribution to an exciting game of football.
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As an aside, I do wonder what it is about Vettel supporters that makes them so vehemently opposed to criticism of him in any way.
I don't remember it being like that for any other driver as I've been growing up with F1, regardless of the talent of the driver in question. My best guesses are that it's something to do with the psyche of the younger generation of F1 supporters, or perhaps a trend towards an increasingly partisan breed of supporters for whom a celebrity-like following outweighs their ability to step back and appreciate the sport from a more balanced perspective.
Couldn't agree more... Webber was a bit "in the way" and could have been hit by any of the 2 drivers behind him. Still, it's Romains job to avoid it.
Agreed. Ultimately Grosjean's responsibility not to run into people, but Webber certainly played a part.