Lewis Hamilton has taken another massive step towards winning this year's World Championship by dominating the Japanese Grand Prix while Bottas completes the Mercedes 1-2. Max Verstappen finished a close third. Championship contender Sebastian Vettel was 6th at the finish line.
I think we need some sort of BoP with regards to TV coverage. No need to show winners if they're cruising. It was not bad this race actually (isn't it one of a few races when it's not FOM providing a picture), but sometimes midfield action is left with too little coverage.
I've got a bet with a mate of mine that 'mature' Verstappen (i.e. Verstappen with points corrected to ignore his more obvious mistakes) will beat Vettel's WDC total (also corrected to remove the impact of Verstappen's mistakes) this year. It's pretty close.Fulcrum wrote: ↑08 Oct 2018, 17:11Yet somehow, an accident occurred. Not exactly clean.
This is just another example, of an increasingly long list, of low expected value defensive moves by Verstappen. Verstappen was lucky to get away with no damage, no puncture, and no loss of position.
Likewise, low expected value decision-making on Vettel's behalf as well.
Kimi's been scoring fairly healthily, so I reckon he has an outside chance at earning some money!Wynters wrote: ↑08 Oct 2018, 17:50I've got a bet with a mate of mine that 'mature' Verstappen (i.e. Verstappen with points corrected to ignore his more obvious mistakes) will beat Vettel's WDC total (also corrected to remove the impact of Verstappen's mistakes) this year. It's pretty close.Fulcrum wrote: ↑08 Oct 2018, 17:11Yet somehow, an accident occurred. Not exactly clean.
This is just another example, of an increasingly long list, of low expected value defensive moves by Verstappen. Verstappen was lucky to get away with no damage, no puncture, and no loss of position.
Likewise, low expected value decision-making on Vettel's behalf as well.
In return, he's got a bet that Kimi will outscore Seb in the last 2/3rds of the season. So far, he's looking pretty good (Seb is lucky that Kimi was forced to retire in Spa).
That's very much my worryFulcrum wrote: ↑08 Oct 2018, 17:56Kimi's been scoring fairly healthily, so I reckon he has an outside chance at earning some money!Wynters wrote: ↑08 Oct 2018, 17:50I've got a bet with a mate of mine that 'mature' Verstappen (i.e. Verstappen with points corrected to ignore his more obvious mistakes) will beat Vettel's WDC total (also corrected to remove the impact of Verstappen's mistakes) this year. It's pretty close.Fulcrum wrote: ↑08 Oct 2018, 17:11Yet somehow, an accident occurred. Not exactly clean.
This is just another example, of an increasingly long list, of low expected value defensive moves by Verstappen. Verstappen was lucky to get away with no damage, no puncture, and no loss of position.
Likewise, low expected value decision-making on Vettel's behalf as well.
In return, he's got a bet that Kimi will outscore Seb in the last 2/3rds of the season. So far, he's looking pretty good (Seb is lucky that Kimi was forced to retire in Spa).
I have to say to me it's a no brainer for Ferrari to appoint Fernando. I felt as such after last year and now there has been two years in a row where Vettel's quite significant mistakes have partially cost Ferrari a chance of a championship. Whilst Hamilton is in the form he's in, unless someone else has a much superior car, Fernando is probably the only one who can fight with him season-long. Maybe Verstappen could too, however, I still don't know how Max would fair in a championship battle as he would have to change his approach significantly, he has far too many incidents, regardless of whether he thinks it's his fault or not.Ringleheim wrote: ↑08 Oct 2018, 19:28Vettel! Again this guy throws it all away in a moment of panic and poor judgment.
As I just asked in the Alonso "Retirement" thread....is it too late to can Vettel's ass and sign up Freddy for next year?
I genuinely believe Alonso would outscore Vettel next year in identical Ferraris. Further, Alonso brings so much more to his game than just being a fast driver. He would give Hamilton a much tougher title fight.
Arrivabene needs to get on the phone with his old colleagues at P.M. and convince them to pony up the cash to buy out Vettel's contract...then sign Freddy immediately, before he commits to something stupid, like a season driving Indycars.
An Alonso/LeClerc 1-2 at Ferrari is a much more potent combination than Vettel/Kimi.
For sure.
Get it done Maranello!
You want to put Alonso in exactly the same position he was in 2007? Next to the teams young protege...tranquility2k4 wrote: ↑08 Oct 2018, 20:07I have to say to me it's a no brainer for Ferrari to appoint Fernando. I felt as such after last year and now there has been two years in a row where Vettel's quite significant mistakes have partially cost Ferrari a chance of a championship. Whilst Hamilton is in the form he's in, unless someone else has a much superior car, Fernando is probably the only one who can fight with him season-long. Maybe Verstappen could too, however, I still don't know how Max would fair in a championship battle as he would have to change his approach significantly, he has far too many incidents, regardless of whether he thinks it's his fault or not.Ringleheim wrote: ↑08 Oct 2018, 19:28Vettel! Again this guy throws it all away in a moment of panic and poor judgment.
As I just asked in the Alonso "Retirement" thread....is it too late to can Vettel's ass and sign up Freddy for next year?
I genuinely believe Alonso would outscore Vettel next year in identical Ferraris. Further, Alonso brings so much more to his game than just being a fast driver. He would give Hamilton a much tougher title fight.
Arrivabene needs to get on the phone with his old colleagues at P.M. and convince them to pony up the cash to buy out Vettel's contract...then sign Freddy immediately, before he commits to something stupid, like a season driving Indycars.
An Alonso/LeClerc 1-2 at Ferrari is a much more potent combination than Vettel/Kimi.
For sure.
Get it done Maranello!
I did wonder whether Seb may have decided he would retire at the end of the season regardless of whether he wins a championship or not, given Leclerc is coming too. Maybe this is why Fernando hasn't announced anything yet - he must have considered the fact Ferrari may come for him. It would just be the most awesome thing ever to have Hamilton going up against Alonso again.
Dump a 4x WDC for a 2x WDC? Why not, stranger things have happened.Ringleheim wrote: ↑08 Oct 2018, 19:28
As I just asked in the Alonso "Retirement" thread....is it too late to can Vettel's ass and sign up Freddy for next year?
Alonso would remember 2007 and demand the most watertight "Number One Driver Status" (tm) contract in existence...An Alonso/LeClerc 1-2 at Ferrari is a much more potent combination than Vettel/Kimi.
True, but even then. Look at the overtake of Vettel on Grosjean, that was more or less a friendly pass due to the Haas-Ferrari relation. But even here Grosjean lost the car on the outside of Vettel and had to hop the kerb inbetween Spoon I and II. There not a lot of racing line to share between two cars.Just_a_fan wrote: ↑08 Oct 2018, 20:53Spoon is only an overtake opportunity against a driver who is either willing to be overtaken - a back marker, for example - or a driver in a car that is significantly slower. Neither case applied in the Seb/Max incident.
