2014 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix

  • Thread starter yzfmike
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I had that same feeling last night. There were plenty of battles going on but the race itself still looked so dull.
Mind you i was still interested at the beginning of the season, and i have to admit that the racing is still good (the Hungarian GP this year for example was one of the best i've ever seen for the on track battles). But it all looks so fake nowadays. It just turned ugly and lame in general and it hurts on the eyes and ears to see the whole thing in motion.
 
So Maldonado's result is 9th place. The BBC site is wrong.

season, and i have to admit that the racing is still good (the Hungarian GP this year for example was one of the best i've ever seen for the on track battles). But it all looks so fake nowadays. It just turned ugly and lame in general and it hurts on the eyes and ears to see the whole thing in motion.

I was also very excited about the new engines, and hoped that they would add some entertainment back to F1. But all they did was cancel out the noise and changed the domination from RBR to Mercedes. Ferrari sucks butt, and especially Raikonnen, Vettel lost his touch, Lotus and Sauber are just plain awful. Williams somewhat saves it but loses it due to crappy race strategy.

The only true highlight is Ricciardo. He does things with his car that is normally preserved for Alonso.
 
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I do think Austin is a tad too long, especially the long straight after turn 11 (I think??). But you can't compare it with places like Spa, Silverstone, or Monaco which have been in it from the beginning.

It is a fantastic track to drive on if you have/will ever get the opportunity to do so. But I disagree how someone can be so negative about it when the people who are actually in it are purely ecstatic, almost like Le Mans in some aspects...
 
Don't know how PM feels, but back in the day I regarded Senna as a flaming a-hole. Haven't seen or heard anything in the years since to make me revise that opinion, either. Fast and imperious, yes, but not a particularly admirable person.
I would assume plenty would of, but with the lack of social media at the time and with a vast amount of Senna Fans either not being alive at the time he was racing or old enough to watch him Race live at the time, he ends up looking more philosophical to them then he really was.
 
Fixed that for you. Really hope Rosburg steals it away.
Same here man! I'll admit Hamilton is more talented than Rosberg but in my opinion, personality is just as important in a sportsman. Had he not acted so disgustingly earlier in the season, I'd have been egging him on right now. But fact is, he did! Only the ill-informed think otherwise. Last year someone wrote a blog post called 'The Narcissism of Lewis Hamilton'; an article I now wholly agree with...

http://gitaugrandprix.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/the-narcissism-of-lewis-hamilton.html

And this season has really bought out that evil in him for all to see! As much as he tries to portray Nico as the instigator of the cold inner team relations, and as much as the sheep blindy follow this belief, it was Lewis himself who destabilized the team early in the season; when he started slandering Nico in the media for no good reason whatsoever!

This went on for the next few races. Then Monaco came. Now who knows if Nico made that mistake on purpose or not? But quite frankly if he did, after all the crap Lewis had been saying about his 'friend' in the media, I don't blame him. Not one bit! However right after Qualifying, barely after he'd finished stepping out of the car, Lewis was waving his hands in the air (not literally); trying to make a point of how Nico had done it on purpose? How could he know?! He hadn't even seen the incident for himself at that point! It was simply yet more Hamilton theatricals to try and make those more suggestible feel sorry for him! And oh how it worked...


Race day came, and he decided to take his frustrations out on his engineers. I've heard race drivers wound up in the cockpit before, but never had I heard anyone so rude and arrogant. I mean they were doing everything they could to help him and his race! Who did he think he was to speak to them that way? Oh yeah, that's right. God himself! :rolleyes:

For a few races after that Lewis somehow managed to keep his megalomania relatively subdued, but then came Belgium. Just as he threw a pathetic hissy fit a few years ago and tweeted team data when Button beat him in qualifying, he felt it necessary to lie to the media about what was said in the post-race team debriefing. Why anyone believed Hamilton's accusation of Rosberg admitting to causing a collision on purpose is beyond me. I mean who the heck would admit to it? Common sense tells you that! Logic also tells you that due to the possibility of taking themself out rather than their rival, no driver is going to purposefully hit their main contender with still seven races left; especially when they have more to lose!

Back in the early days of the sport, racing drivers were gentleman. Stirling Moss for example once campaigned to have an unfair penalty for his main title rival overturned, even though he lost the title in doing so! It's a shame the drivers these days are weak personalities in comparison; but Hamilton takes it to a whole new level.
 
^It really worries me that yourself and the person that wrote that blog post spent actual time and effort to write that.

PS. In that blog it says how terrible it is Hamilton owns a plane and plans to create a museum.

So, no one is allowed to own a plane without looking without being 'arrogant'?
And, Alonso has done the same thing and created his own museum, with all his F1 cars and suits etc which is fantastic, so how is it so terrible? :lol:
 
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Race day came, and he decided to take his frustrations out on his engineers. I've heard race drivers wound up in the cockpit before, but never had I heard anyone so rude and arrogant. I mean they were doing everything they could to help him and his race! Who did he think he was to speak to them that way? Oh yeah, that's right. God himself! :rolleyes:
I can't take that seriously, I've heard Alonso shouting at drivers simply because they are in front of him and Di Resta going mental on the radio after a bad qualifying. It happens all the time.
 
That's an angry post there. By the end of it this is all I envisoned from it.

mad-at-theinternet.gif
 
So Hamilton has a 24 point lead. 10 wins to Nico's 4 and overtaken him for the lead in 2 of the last 3 races.....but he's winning on the basis he's turned it into a popularity contest?
Yes.

When he had trouble early in the season, he whinged and complained about not being treated "equally". The public and the media put increasing pressure on Mercedes to treat Hamilton and Rosberg "more equally", which is to say less equally. And Mercedes were stupid enough to listen. Rosberg's season went sideways about ten minutes later.

Look at the selection of news stories that were run every time Hamilton hit trouble - they're overwhelmingly in favour of him. But when Rosberg has problems, he's made out to be a complainer or barely gets any coverage. All of this was capped off with the radio ban when Martin Brundle, of all people, started making out that the ban would favour the natural talent of Hamilton (even though Hamilton is tough on his tyres) while Rosberg would languish because he needs coaching.

This is exactly what Mark Webber used to do - he would manipulate the media to focus on his relationship with the team rather than his performances. If Mercedes had ignored the public and media pressure and treated Hamilton and Rosberg the same way they had early in the season, Rosberg would be World Champion by now.
 
No matter what kind of mental gymnastics you apply, but at the end of it the guy who drives the fastest, wins. The amount of fans you have or whether you are portrayed positively or negatively in the media do not dictate how the driver's hands are operating the wheel, or their feet on the pedals.

I don't know how some of you are linking popularity and the media with natural skill at a job together, they are not the same thing. Unpopular people win things and become successful too, people who had the odds stacked against them have also won or become successful, because they were the best at what they do. It is what you do that gets the results, not just in sport, but throughout all of life too, it is not decided by how many people are chanting your name, or whether your work team is on your side.
 
Yes.

When he had trouble early in the season, he whinged and complained about not being treated "equally". The public and the media put increasing pressure on Mercedes to treat Hamilton and Rosberg "more equally", which is to say less equally. And Mercedes were stupid enough to listen. Rosberg's season went sideways about ten minutes later.
Can you be more specific please? With regards to equal treatment I can't recall Hamilton "whinging and complaining" for it.

If Mercedes had ignored the public and media pressure and treated Hamilton and Rosberg the same way they had early in the season, Rosberg would be World Champion by now.
If your theories about treatment are correct I still fail to see how Rosberg would not only be ahead but World Champion by now. The way I see it Hamilton had a bad start to the championship with his breakdown and then reeled in Rosberg but after Monaco qualifying Rosberg had got into Hamilton's head a bit, this combined with a run of bad luck meant Rosberg ended up with a healthy lead before Hamilton reeled him back in again to finally retake the lead.
 
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(even though Hamilton is tough on his tyres)

You fail to mention that in almost every single race this year (maybe all of them?) Hamilton has used less fuel than Rosberg, yet more often than not finishes ahead. You can't be economical with fuel by driving aggressively.
 
You can't lock up your tyres without driving aggressively, as Hamilton frequently does.

The point is that the media and the public wanted a British World Champion, so they put pressure on Mercedes to support Hamilton more. And that made it easier for Hamilton to bounce back. Like I said, if it were a straight contest with both drivers treated equally, Rosberg would be champion.
 
You can't lock up your tyres without driving aggressively, as Hamilton frequently does.

It's also a symptom of a driver who likes a car with uber-stiff suspension, as Hamilton does.

The point is that the media and the public wanted a British World Champion, so they put pressure on Mercedes to support Hamilton more. And that made it easier for Hamilton to bounce back. Like I said, if it were a straight contest with both drivers treated equally, Rosberg would be champion.

You're right insofar as support in the media buoys a driver's confidence but it doesn't alter anything inside the factory or garage.
 
And I don't like how a driver can win a World Championship by whinging to the media and fans that he's not being treated "equally" and using that to pile pressure on his team's management structure. Hamilton knows he has the British press and the British fans on-side, and his championship campaign only really started when they began lobbying on his behalf.

World Championships should be decided by talent, but Hamilton turned it into a popularity contest.

The media have been spotlighting Hamilton since adolescence. The media showcased Hamilton during GP2, the rest is known. The British press ... the media, control what we see and how it is laid out before us, not the other way round:

Turnip head springs to mind, a term used by the media to manipulate and denigrate.
 
^It really worries me that yourself and the person that wrote that blog post spent actual time and effort to write that.

PS. In that blog it says how terrible it is Hamilton owns a plane and plans to create a museum.

So, no one is allowed to own a plane without looking without being 'arrogant'?
And, Alonso has done the same thing and created his own museum, with all his F1 cars and suits etc which is fantastic, so how is it so terrible? :lol:
You're right, he did. And now look? Even Ferrari are sick of him! Mind you, they're one and the same, Hamilton and Alonso. Both are fantastic drivers. Both think they're god almighty. Both demand anything and everything and when they don't get it, they throw their toys out the pram. And each time both have done this, it has disrupted the team harmony; sometimes slightly, sometimes massively. You'd think after having saw the negative impacts it can have on results, they'd both have learnt. Yet both continue to put themselves before the team. And this is a team sport!

I can't take that seriously, I've heard Alonso shouting at drivers simply because they are in front of him and Di Resta going mental on the radio after a bad qualifying. It happens all the time.
Both of whom are just as much a pain in the backside as Hamilton is. Any team that wants them for their driving abilities has to be willing to pay that price!

That's an angry post there. By the end of it this is all I envisoned from it.

mad-at-theinternet.gif
Wrong. The image in your head is making the assumption that I only smashed one window! :sly:
 
You're right, he did. And now look? Even Ferrari are sick of him! Mind you, they're one and the same, Hamilton and Alonso. Both are fantastic drivers. Both think they're god almighty. Both demand anything and everything and when they don't get it, they throw their toys out the pram. And each time both have done this, it has disrupted the team harmony; sometimes slightly, sometimes massively. You'd think after having saw the negative impacts it can have on results, they'd both have learnt. Yet both continue to put themselves before the team. And this is a team sport!


Both of whom are just as much a pain in the backside as Hamilton is. Any team that wants them for their driving abilities has to be willing to pay that price!


Wrong. The image in your head is making the assumption that I only smashed one window! :sly:


How much did you say they are paying Lewis Hamilton!?

That's a lot of money to pay someone to just sit around being sheepish!

If only he could drive...
 
How much did you say they are paying Lewis Hamilton!?

That's a lot of money to pay someone to just sit around being sheepish!

If only he could drive...
Funny you should mention that...

You're right, he did. And now look? Even Ferrari are sick of him! Mind you, they're one and the same, Hamilton and Alonso. Both are fantastic drivers. Both think they're god almighty. Both demand anything and everything and when they don't get it, they throw their toys out the pram. And each time both have done this, it has disrupted the team harmony; sometimes slightly, sometimes massively. You'd think after having saw the negative impacts it can have on results, they'd both have learnt. Yet both continue to put themselves before the team. And this is a team sport!


Both of whom are just as much a pain in the backside as Hamilton is. Any team that wants them for their driving abilities has to be willing to pay that price!


Wrong. The image in your head is making the assumption that I only smashed one window! :sly:
:rolleyes:
 
The media have been spotlighting Hamilton since adolescence. The media showcased Hamilton during GP2, the rest is known. The British press ... the media, control what we see and how it is laid out before us, not the other way round:

Turnip head springs to mind, a term used by the media to manipulate and denigrate.

It's getting quite conspiratorial and very sketchy in here.

Are you and pm really saying Rosberg is driving worse because of some British press and not quite so touchy feely in the Mercedes garage?
 
Inter-team politics is most definitely a thing... and Hamilton has played it with the best there is (Alonso).

Still doesn't matter that much. The drivers either win on the track or they don't.

And the media didn't have time to react before Totto Wolf went off the handle on Rosberg after the crash at Spa. The media wasn't there at the track to make the audience boo him on stage right at that very race.

The (British) media may be unfairly piling on Rosberg... or not... I've read several English-press pieces post-Spa that didn't put blame on Rosberg for anything more than clumsy driving... but in the end, everything goes back to that one silly mistake and how he handled it and how the team handled it.

 
Are you and pm really saying Rosberg is driving worse because of some British press and not quite so touchy feely in the Mercedes garage?
Stranger things have happened. Hamilton has walked into press conferences guaranteed of headlines regardless of what he actually says. And I think it was Kevin Eason who noted on Twitter that the British press were hammering Rosberg, trying to make him out as a villain.
 
You can't be economical with fuel by driving aggressively.

You certainly can. Braking and steering aggressively will wear the tyres, but you can still be economical by judicious use of lift and coast and being very accurate with throttle application.

Tyre use and fuel use tend to be related, but not necessarily entirely dependent on each other.
 
You can't lock up your tyres without driving aggressively, as Hamilton frequently does.

The point is that the media and the public wanted a British World Champion, so they put pressure on Mercedes to support Hamilton more. And that made it easier for Hamilton to bounce back. Like I said, if it were a straight contest with both drivers treated equally, Rosberg would be champion.

I think Hamilton has proved superior to Rosberg all season when it comes to situations equal. As much as you may hate the guy don't be Blind about his Talent.
 
At the start of the season, I was favouring Nico to win the WDC, but after Monaco incident I've lost all respect for him and rooting for Lewis instead.
I was a huge Lewis hater back in his early rookie years because of his arrogance attitude, I was extremely happy that neither Alonso and Lewis won in their Mclaren, but as time goes by I think Lewis is much more mature right now. I kinda like him now because he has style, unlike the other super boring mature drivers like Mark Webber, Jenson Button, or any other "nice guy" like drivers.
 
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