In today’s round-up: Adrian Newey says that Sebastian Vettel has proven his critics wrong in 2011.
Links
Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:
Adrian Newey says Sebastian Vettel wants to clinch world championship in style (Autosport)
"Sebastian Vettel’s spectacular overtaking move on Fernando Alonso to take the lead of last week’s Italian Grand Prix is proof that he wants to win the world championship in style, according to Red Bull chief technical officer Adrian Newey."
Lewis Hamilton to zoom in Bangalore on Sept 27 (Hindustan Times)
"British Formula One racing driver Lewis Hamilton will treat Bangaloreans to speed thrills Sep 27 when he zooms in a McLaren Mercedes on a fast track in the city, his sponsor in India said on Sunday. ‘Racing enthusiasts of the city will get a rare opportunity to watch Hamilton participate in motor racing Sep 27 on the Bangalore-Mysore infrastructure corridor road built by NICE (Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise),’ McLaren sponsor and leading mobile service operator Vodafone Eassar said in a statement."
"Pepi Cereda was a much-loved Italian journalist who passed away in 1991; in his memory, 20 of the world’s greatest F1 photographers have since that date submitted photos for an annual charity exhibition at Monza. These same photographers also judge the work of their peers in order to define the best 20 images. Today on The Race Driver, and over the next 20 days, we are delighted to be able to publish the stunning photographs that marked the tenth anniversary of the Pepi Cereda Prize."
"Visiting the DTM in Oschersleben this weekend, met Timo. Nice to be here but my focus for 2012 is still on F1. Will be in Singapore next week."
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Comment of the day
Have you been on a tour of the McLaren Technology Centre? Batracer says it’s worth every penny:
Regarding the McLaren Technonlogy Centre, if you are a F1 fan it’s worth every penny.
Just walking down the boulevard seeing the cars that Bruce, Hulme, Senna, Prost and Mika won in made all my hairs on my whole body raise.
Touching the car Senna won his last championship for McLaren. Seeing the windtunnel, workshops, all the prices McLaren have won over the years.
It’s no doubt its one of the most fantastic experiences I ever had, and I can highly recommend it.
Batracer
Read more: Your questions answered: Schumacher in the rain, surprise wins and visiting McLaren
From the forum
raymondu999 asks: can you pre-order F1 2011 yet?
Happy birthday!
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On this day in F1
A non-championship race was held at Crystal Palace in London on this day in 1953.
The London Trophy was won by Sir Stirling Moss for Cooper-Alta. Bernie Ecclestone also raced, finishing fifth overall in his Cooper-Bristol.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
19th September 2011, 0:14
He won last year’s WDC in style, IMO. Though you might need to define what “style” is in the first place…
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
19th September 2011, 0:25
He certainly did do, he never led until it mattered. I can’t see how he can do much better than that!
I guess what he means is qualifying less than on pole position and pulling some audacious moves to clinch a win/position good enough to clinch the WDC.
t-rex
19th September 2011, 7:34
I thought there’s always a great overtaking by others f1 driver. Obviously red bull car r faster than ferrari.. so its not a big deal he can overtaking slower alonso ferrari on the grass. Schumi did that many times ago, even button also did the same since he join brawn n in mclaren. If alonso car equally fast with vettel car i dont think vettel can make it. It always happen between mclaren n ferrari since their car almost the same fast. But now i admit lewis kind of faster than ferrari. Vettel dominant coz he got dominant car thats all. Even if kubica drive his car, kubica also will become 2011 champion. And dont forget if schumi in red bull.. 100% he will claim his 8th championship. Poor alonso, ur tean doesnt hv fast enough car, so u cant talk a lot at 1st. Let it goes few round of race then easy to tells anything.
daykind (@)
19th September 2011, 8:30
I don’t know…
Did he win 2010 in style?
He made many mistakes last year, and while towards the end of the season he was fautless, the super drives at Japan, Brazil and Abu Dhabi were mixed with errors in Turkey, Britain, Hungary and Belgium.
This season though, this is a championship “in style.”
marc
19th September 2011, 14:04
I agreed with you?did he won the championship with style???????more with LUCK as same as this year,he is lucky to have Adrian Newey keep working on RB7 !!Btw the overtaking to Alonso wasnt spectacular !! just fastest car passed slower car!! Overtaking by Mika Hakinnen in Spa 2000 that’s SPECTACULAR…..
David-A (@david-a)
19th September 2011, 14:53
@ Marc – yes it was spectacular, considering Alonso’s defense. Right up there with the best passes. Vettel last year was anything but lucky, with several car faults while leading.
t-rex
19th September 2011, 15:27
Yah i remember mika hakinen overtaking schumi in spa 2000. That was spectacular!!!!!!! At least that time schumi can go left n right to defence but failed. But alonso cant do that now a day coz of f1 rules allowed one move. So vettel just lucky to passed him coz he got faster car than alonso. Even i agree vettel now can be crown f1 2011 champion, but only champion by luck, not a real champion, just like people said about button 2009. He may made no mistake in 2011 but doesnt mean he’s the best driver among all, he just try to drive carefull to avoid accident, more like button style, jz a lil bit agresive. But he never do much spectacular move. Well maybe his car too fast, he always in front n nobody put him under pressure. He save for this year.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
19th September 2011, 15:40
The ‘one move’ rule isn’t new, it was around in 2000 as well.
Completely disagree Look at the moves Vettel put on Alonso in Monza and Rosberg in Spa – that’s not how someone drives if they’ve got one eye on the points total.
maxthecat
20th September 2011, 0:12
I can guarantee he wouldn’t be pulling those moves if he were only 50 points in front so using it as a reason to say he’s not driving for points is redundant, he doesn’t need to worry about points with the lead he has.
As for winning the 2010 season ‘in style’ really? he lucked into it in the end and we all know he did.
David-A (@david-a)
20th September 2011, 0:31
Maxthecat – So what? Vettel gets criticism for not overtaking, so he pulls off an excellent one. Keith said that he didn’t drive “careful” as t-rex said. Passing people with 2 wheels on the grass isn’t careful or conservative.
As for last year, did he have good luck leading up to Abu Dhabi? Like in Korea, Bahrain and Australia? Stop talking nonsense.
MxSpeed
20th September 2011, 8:12
Wo wo, overtaking by vettel toward alonso n rosberg doesnt impress me at all. There’s others driver did spectacular overtaking during this season, so why nobody talk and praise them? Such as lewis, button, alonso, they did made spectacular overtaking remember? U “vettel” fans was too excited because he is already a champion now, even a silly move by him also u will say spectacular. No such thing as champion in style, it just simply because he got fastest car on track. I wonder why people said he may not had fastest car for monza track, but why he can overtake ferrari easily? overtaking mercedes easily? Then he simply disapeared in front. U wanna say ferrari fast? Then why alonso cant even chase him back? Lewis and button too. If he stay behind, its just a while, he will overtake very soon because his car faster than anybody else on track. Thanks to Newey anyway, for creating such a monster dominant car.
Torpedo
20th September 2011, 8:19
Yeah, think logically if he doesn’t have fastest car on track then why he can make it on 1st pole right? Almost every race he is on pole. He come easily and he gone easily. RB7 has the best aeropackage. I wish to see raikkonen in this RB7. LOL
David-A (@david-a)
20th September 2011, 13:23
Because nobody harps on about how they apparently can’t race wheel to wheel.
Seriously, Vettel got pole for Monza because he didn’t make mistakes on his final run. The Mclaren has been fast enough since Germany to match Red Bull, yet their drivers keep making errors in qualifying and at the start of races, hiding their true pace.
Don’t get your panties in a twist if the driver who acheived excellent results in a midfield car pre-Red Bull is developing into a formiddable force in front of your eyes.
F1fanNL (@)
20th September 2011, 21:04
@ marc,
I agree. Man, Vettel was so lucky that his engine blew with only a handful of laps to go during the Korean GP,.. Or that his car gave up on him while leading in Australia,.. Or that he lost a cilinder in Bahrain. If he didn’t have bad luck last year, he wouldn’t have had any luck at all.
@ t-rex,
You say Vettel’s move wasn’t as spectacular as Hakkinen’s in Spa 2000 because Vettel had the faster car…
You DO know Hakkinen was more than a second quicker than Schumacher when he made the pass?
“he always in front n nobody put him under pressure.”
Hmmm… I must have been dreaming during the Spanish and Monaco GP then.
Don’t people ever get tired of themselves trying to play down Vettel’s victories, poles or passes?
Why do it anyway? Is it because they’re afraid other people will stop looking at their favorite driver?
JustinF1 (@justinf1)
20th September 2011, 5:37
Well said!
JustinF1 (@justinf1)
20th September 2011, 5:43
Well said Fer no.65,. I agree.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
19th September 2011, 0:59
I’ve found a great article from Will Buxton on why GP2 is the best series for aspiring Formula 1 drivers/
Fixy (@)
19th September 2011, 14:20
I’ve always wondered how FR3.5 and GP2 compared to each other, although knowing GP2 was best, and now I have a detailed answer as to why. WSR shouldn’t shut down, but I rank FR3.5 just below GP2.
alejandro
19th September 2011, 1:30
What’s up with Heidfeld? Is he stalking the F1 circus now?
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
19th September 2011, 2:06
He seems to think that he’ll be racing in Formula 1 in 2012. With who, I have no idea; there’s only a handful of seats on offer this silly season, and a whole host of promising young talent waiting in the wings. Heidfeld was living on borrowed time when he got called up to Sauber last year; he had, at most, a season left in him then, and he got a second repreive when Kubica was injured. But I don’t think he has anything left to give.
Dutch_Alex
19th September 2011, 7:45
Agreed. I think that if we wee him racing in 2012 it will be in DTM. Saying he is still going for a F1 seat is just PR. Ofcourse you are not going to say “yeah I’m aiming for a seat in a category a step down on the ladder for next year”.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
19th September 2011, 8:00
Well, no, he’s not going to say that. But he could say “Well, I’ve been in Formula 1 for eleven years” – which, by the way, is much longer than most drivers get – “and I think it’s time I started pursuing other opportunities, so I’m retiring from Formula 1”. Which has the same effect as what you said, but keeps Heidfeld’s dignity intact.
HounslowBusGarage
19th September 2011, 9:30
Agree. Better to go gracefully, etc.
At the moment, he seems to be chasing a fairly elusive prospect and not from a position of strength, either.
BasCB (@bascb)
19th September 2011, 10:05
I think he should just not talk about DTM as a step down, but a step into an exiting future. Look at Liuzzi, did he say how much he hated having to go to HRT? ‘course he didn’t.
Heidfeld has been getting back into an F1 seat what, 6 times? already and he’s been in one for 11 years already. Time to move on.
daykind
19th September 2011, 11:10
I’d be seriously surprised if Heidfeld was in anything other than a testing role next season.
BrownyNSW
19th September 2011, 1:33
Can someone tell me all the mathematical equations Vettel needs to wrap up the championship at Singapore please?
sato113 (@sato113)
19th September 2011, 1:48
sorry but it’s been posted many times in recent articles.
Browny (@browny)
19th September 2011, 2:03
yeah got it worked out now.
Mike
19th September 2011, 3:18
I can see Heidfeld back at Williams.
They have money in Maldonado, and they clearly want someone with experience. Should they dump Rubens (or Rubens retires), a return to Williams would keep Heidfeld’s career alive.
Personally, I’d prefer someone like Sutil to go there but with F1, you just never know.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
19th September 2011, 3:42
It probably won’t happen. Williams do want someone with experience, but they also want someone who can dig them out of the hole they’ve managed to fall into. But the road to Williams’ recovery is going to be a long one, and given that Heidfeld doesn’t have much left in him, they’re going to seen someone who can be in the sport for a while to come. Hence, the talk of Sutil or Raikkonen.
Heidfeld has always lacked that X-factor needed to rise above and beyond the capabilities of a car. If Williams want progress, they’re not going to find it in Nick Heidfeld.
KeeleyObsessed
19th September 2011, 11:25
Raikkonen?
Don’t make me laugh PM… Raikkonen is past F1 by miles, in my opinion he was only ever really the third best driver on the grid at any time anyway.. Massa even gave him a tough time!
Mike the bike Schumacher (@mike-the-bike-schumacher)
19th September 2011, 14:51
Raikkonen had the talent to be the best. He just didn’t have the motivation and determination that Schumacher and Alonso had. I was initially going to disagree with you, but you are correct! He was the third best!
DC
19th September 2011, 6:50
I have high hopes of seeing their test driver Valtteri Bottas in a Williams seat in a couple of years. He won the GP3 series this year and is an exciting guy to watch. Maybe he’ll get a GP2 seat next year and move up to Williams soon after.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
19th September 2011, 7:00
Maybe, but bear in mind The Cautionary Tale of Numero Seis, Esteban Gutiérrez (bonus points if you get the pop culture reference – but it’s an obscure one). He won the 2010 GP3 title, and stepped up to GP2 with Lotus ART – where he finished eleventh in GP2 Asia and thirteenth in GP2 proper, with just one recorded race victory (the Valencia sprint race) to his credit.
Success in GP3 does not guarantee success in GP2. Nor does success in GP2 equate success in Formula 1.
I like potatoes
19th September 2011, 8:52
Prisoner Monkeys, if you take a look at the GP2 thing this year I think Esteban was the highest placed rookie. For me, that reinforces the view that some commentators have shared, which is that GP2 is now a 2 year programme because the Pirelli’s are so hard to get on top of. The fact he won a race at all (and won one before his team-mate Bianchi did) speaks volumes. The kid’s good. But he needs to fight for the title in 2012. Same for Bottas. He’ll do well next year if he gets on the podium in GP2, but for the title it probably won’t be until 2013.
BasCB (@bascb)
19th September 2011, 7:16
But as you say Mike
It would help Heidfeld, but why should Williams care about his career. Its not as if they owe him anything (indeed he defected them to go with BMW to Sauber in the past) and, more importantly, they already have that experienced hand getting a salary in Rubens, so why change one for the other?
What Williams will probalby need more now, is a driver bringing some money instead of costing them any and that ideally coming with a bit of experience and a longer term perspective.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
19th September 2011, 7:31
If I may, I’d like to add an addtional criteria to your list: someone who is willing to make a long-term commitment. Williams was to get back to the front of the grid, but that’s not something that’s going to happen overnight (unless they somehow build a Brawn BGP-001 for 2012). If they have a driver who only sticks around for a year or two before having to sign someone else – which is what will happen in the case of Heidfeld – it’s only going to do more damage. They need consistency in their driver line-up, someone who is in it for the long haul. Which is why Adrian Sutil and/or Kimi Raikkonen is hold such appeal.
Tom L.
19th September 2011, 13:53
Who says Heidfeld couldn’t make a long-term commitment? He’s only 34, he could potentially stick around for another 4 years or so.
Cyclops_PL (@cyclops_pl)
19th September 2011, 9:41
Experience? Find me anyone who has more than Rubens. They need skills and commitment. Heidfeld seems to have neither at a sufficient level.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
19th September 2011, 9:47
But Rubens has perhapes too much experience. He’s been around a long time, and Pastor Maldonado has started to make a habit of beating him. As much as we all love him, Rubens won’t be around forever – he’s only got one or two more seasons in him, and Williams’ plan to get back to the front will take longer than that. It might be nice to keep Barrichello around for another season or two, but a driver change in the middle of their resurgency will be an unnecessary disruption and will set them back a year as the new driver accustoms himself to the team.
BasCB (@bascb)
19th September 2011, 10:08
I agree, that it should be rather the future that Williams have to look for and getting a fresh guy would be a good option now.
But when comparing between keeping Rubens or going for Heidfeld, Cyclops argument fits perfectly.
David-A (@david-a)
19th September 2011, 14:57
No.
@HoHum (@hohum)
19th September 2011, 15:21
Massa to Williams in 2013 ?
sumedh
19th September 2011, 4:54
Newey: “What’s so impressive about him is that he very rarely makes the same mistake twice”
Have to agree with this
BasCB (@bascb)
19th September 2011, 7:11
Hm, didn’t we gratulate robk23 with his birthday yesterday already?
Anyway, whatever of date, happy birthday.
Cyclops_PL (@cyclops_pl)
19th September 2011, 9:37
Maybe Adrian should make next year’s RB little bit slower in the corners, with little less downforce. It would certainly make Vettel’s more entertaining ;)
Cyclops_PL (@cyclops_pl)
19th September 2011, 9:37
*Vettel’s life. I’m begging for “edit” button!
F1fanNL (@)
20th September 2011, 21:08
Vettel’s life isn’t just so easy because he’s got a Red Bull. If McLaren weren’t making so many mistakes as they did this year they would have had more points and the gap would be a lot smaller. The RB6 was a lot faster compared to the competition in comparison to the RB7.
jake butler
19th September 2011, 10:17
i like nick heidfeld, and rubinho, but unfortunately, theyr both past their peaks and need to consider a career change, DTM probably the best place. Sutil will adapt fast to the williams car with his youth, speed and experience and also opens up a return to f1 for nico the hulk-arguably the biggest shock of not being on this yrs grid. Kartikeyan, heidfeld and liuzzi get a race seat but hulkenberg, paffett and senna didnt??
BasCB (@bascb)
19th September 2011, 10:24
Sadly for the UK (and a bad development for other TV markets now having Free to Air no doubt as well), this title is really to the point:
If any of you want to help block this, have a go at the UK petition its by now about 500 shy of 30.000 signees
xtophe (@xtophe)
19th September 2011, 10:57
Vettel may not be the overtakingmachine people see in Hamilton, but there’s something far more important in that interview:
“What’s so impressive about him is that he very rarely makes the same mistake twice.”
Now that is worrying for the rest (and their fans), considering he hasn’t really made a lot of mistakes this season.
Alistair
19th September 2011, 11:15
One ok overtake in a career, of five or so years, doesn’t mean you have proven your critics wrong. It was another pole, lights-to-flag victory for Vettel. It’s too easy. He has won so many races, on such different tracks as Monaco and Monza. He has by far the best car. He has no competition within his own team. Its simply too easy.
Taimur
19th September 2011, 11:30
nothing is easy in Formula1, its on the limit stuff for everyone. Also he might have the best car but making the most of that is something that many drivers cannot do.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
19th September 2011, 13:27
Exactly. They say in Formula 1 that you should always compare yourself to your team mate. Take a look at Mark Webber if you want vindication.
David-A (@david-a)
19th September 2011, 15:07
Funny you say that, because he made several, including on Rosberg at Blanchimont in the race before Monza. And quite a few this year before that. He has proven his true critics wrong. But comments like these, “t-rex” and “marc” are from broken records, not observant critics.
PJ
19th September 2011, 12:58
Hey guys, I know this is off topic, but if any of you want to win an F1 poster feel free to check out this link :)
http://www.pjtierney.net/2011/09/f1-poster-giveaway.html
BasCB (@bascb)
20th September 2011, 10:04
like!
PJTierney (@)
20th September 2011, 11:36
Feel free to spread the link around too :)
Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
19th September 2011, 14:57
as a ferrari fan i respect NEWEY & i have no problem if Vettel wins but i don’t know why VETTEL fans & his team are always trying to prove something (Vettel wins not due to his car supremacy) but in that overtake move Vettel has more traction & better acceleration than fernando ok if it isn’t due to the car why he failed to pass Hamilton in an inferior McLaren in Silverstone and by the way Hamilton & Fernando had hundreds of great overtaking moves
David-A (@david-a)
19th September 2011, 18:18
Because people still convince themselves it’s all the car. Like several above. Like in the same post you said this.
BasCB (@bascb)
20th September 2011, 10:12
@Tifoso1989 I strongly feel that it should not even be needed for Red Bull to “defend” Vettels behaviour/lack of overtaking/being fast in a fast car.
Especially as they have started doing so by themselves, even when not posed a question about this subject. In my view that deminishes my respect for Vettel and the team, as they shouldn’t even bother with it.
Be proud of having made the car that enables winning from the front (how many said last year that Hamilton overtook a lot of people not for being good, but messing up to make it nessiccary!) and a driver that can just always nail that stunning lap in Qualifying, build the lead and keep it whole to the end to take a convincing win if all goes to plan.
And he is making good use of his confidence in the car to race in the cases where it was needed this year, with only a few mistakes made where others won. But even then he kept his composure to finish on the podium all but one time!
Those last ones are the races far more enjoyable for the fans, because we want to see people winning close, not by a country mile, but that does not make Vettel a worse driver, just less fun to watch.
raymondu999 (@raymondu999)
19th September 2011, 17:35
If only Seb could also clinch his 3rd world championship in style in 2012 :P
If Seb does it this year (which is the most likely outcome) he will be the first driver to ever to both:
a) lead only after the last race
b) lead all the way from start to finish
in terms of the points.
Completely opposite ways.
Now here’s me praying for him to be the youngest triple world champ by 2012 end :D
Mike the bike Schumacher (@mike-the-bike-schumacher)
19th September 2011, 19:33
Thanks for the comment impersonation update Keith that had happened to me.
ScuderiaVincero (@scuderiavincero)
20th September 2011, 0:43
If you ask me Seb, neither you nor the other drivers can top your 2010 championship. THAT was style mate! :)
wasiF1 (@wasif1)
20th September 2011, 2:17
Nice work Keith on the site update,I think you shouldn’t allow any user to post a comment until he is a registered one.
手機殼
14th June 2013, 20:04
magnificent points altogether, you simply gained a brand new reader. What would you suggest about your put up that you made a couple of days ago? Any certain?