Sorry to throw a wrench into your wishes, but Fox has the German Grand Prix also........and I couldn't agree more.
I do have to say that this is was one of the best races in recent history. Lots of action, passing, pit lane fights, and a few very costly mistakes.
Arrrghhh Think I'm going to pick that one up from a torrent and see what that is like. Could use a new perspective on announcers too. Might be a different perspective from David Coulthard, Eddie Jordan and Martin Brundle.
If you like, next time I'll throw up a link to the stream that I'm watching - no commercials, BBC coverage. I run my Mac Mini into my TV and only stream Netflix, Hulu or Ustream anyway, so it's no bother for me to do that. The only caveat is that I might not get a good stream until 15 minutes before the race starts - sometimes less. It's not perfect but I find the lack of commercials outweighs the hassle. Network television and cable are soooo Twentieth Century
LOL....don't want to hear anyone taliking about NASCAR and their ever changing rules again. Seems that F1 can't string together two races under the same set of rules.... That said, this season has had some of the best on track racing we've seen in awhile. Maybe not for the win but they have been mixing it up in the pack enough to immediately recognize that you have flipped on the race and not qualifying..
I was going to ask how angry folks figure Webber is over being told to stay behind Vettel on the last lap but he reduced his options to complain slightly by, according to him, ignoring and continuing to try to pass. If he'd followed the order he could have really gone off and blamed the team for his having to settle for 3rd but he tried to pass and couldn't pull it off so has no one to blame but himself. Vettel admits he was lucky because Webber was faster and just couldn't make the pass. Horner says the instruction was given because they were about to gain another pile of points and couldn't afford to end with both cars in a heap and zero points. Would they have told Vettel the same if the roles were reversed?
That's a good question. I think that Webber can be angry the team for being told to back off, and angry at himself for not managing the pass. As far as Red Bull finishing with no points, don't they get some points based on where they were when the race was 90% finished even if they drop out? I personally think that the call shouldn't have been made for Webber to maintain the gap. It seems kind of fishy to me.
Nope, no finish no points. I think Webber has to realize that he is indeed the #2 driver. If he doesn't like it he can find another team to drive for.....like so many other very good drivers had to do when faced with the same team problem. The rules need to be made so that teams are allowed to innovate, like with the off-throttle stuff and blown diffusers. If a particular team has found a design that out paces all the others, then it is up to the other teams to try and come up with their own innovative design. Don't dump on the tram that has come up with a great idea and then has spent mucho funds to get it into production. Now if the new design is in violation of the rules already in place then the FIA can dissallow the car. Otherwise let the best car win.
I've followed F1 for 50yrs and long ago came to the conclusion that the FIA is just a subdivision of Ferrari.
If it's good for Ferrari it's good for F1 As goes Ferrari so goes F1 FIA = Ferrari International Assistance
Webber claims he absolutely refuses to drive for a team as a #2 and that he made it painfully clear to Red Bull he wouldn't put up with it and wouldn't even sign a contract until they agreed the drivers would be treated as equals. Horner therefore knew from the start what he could expect if (when?) Vettel received preferential treatment. If I remember correctly Horner was also pretty outspoken a year or so ago about how terrible it was when Ferrari invoked team orders and claimed Red Bull would never do such a thing. Top of all that, Horner recently claimed to be hopeful Webber will re-sign... Makes it rather difficult for him to man up and to tell Webber he's their #2 driver...
From that utter bastion of reliability Wikipedia: (yes I know ) So if I read that right, Red Bull had completed 90% of the winner's distance in the final few laps, and therefore could have parked and had a smoke if they felt like it, and still gotten some points. Less than they would if they had finished I'm guessing, but still scoring. Of course, Wikipedia could be making that up... or I could be reading that wrong. But from my limited understanding, it seems that the excuse that they didn't want a crash to take out both cars and lose them their lead seems a little weird. I mean, they're so far ahead on points now that even if they didn't score for one race it wouldn't cost them the lead, right? And if the above is true, one or both of of them not finishing at that point wouldn't have been a zero point race for RB. So then it seems to come down to that either they thought Webber and Vettel would wreck (and that seems to be a bit like they don't have confidence in their drivers) or they were dismissing Webber as a second stringer. At least that's how I interpreted that when I heard the call. It's very possible that I'm insane or feeling conspiratorially minded (though I prefer the term "independent speculative analysis"). Of course it's easy to armchair this from aaaalllllll the way over here....
From the FIA Sporting Regulations... 6) WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 6.1 The Formula One World Championship driver's title will be awarded to the driver who has scored the highest number of points, taking into consideration all the results obtained during the Events which have actually taken place. 6.2 The title of Formula One World Champion Constructor will be awarded to the competitor which has scored the highest number of points, results from both cars (see Article 13.6) being taken into account. 6.3 A constructor is the person (including any corporate or unincorporated body) which designs the Listed Parts set out in Schedule 3 to The 2009 Concorde Agreement. The make of an engine or chassis is the name attributed to it by its constructor. The obligation to design and use Listed Parts shall not prevent a constructor from outsourcing the design and/or manufacture of any Listed Parts to a third party in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 3 to The 2009 Concorde Agreement. If the make of the chassis is not the same as that of the engine, the title will be awarded to the former which shall always precede the latter in the name of the car. 6.4 Points for both titles will be awarded at each Event according to the following scale : 1st : 25 points 2nd : 18 points 3rd : 15 points 4th : 12 points 5th : 10 points 6th : 8 points 7th : 6 points 8th : 4 points 9th : 2 points 10th : 1 point 6.5 If a race is suspended under Article 41, and cannot be resumed, no points will be awarded if the leader has completed less than two laps, half points will be awarded if the leader has completed more than two laps but less than 75% of the original race distance and full points will be awarded if the leader has completed more than 75% of the original race distance. 6.6 The drivers finishing first, second and third in the Championship must be present at the annual FIA Prize Giving ceremony. Nothing in there at all about getting Constructor Points for completing 90% of the race distance.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 If 1 drops out on the last lap and 11 is on the lead lap and passes 1 sitting in the "weeds" on his last lap, no points for 1 because he is then classified 11th, game over. 12th place is a lap down and doesn't finish on the lead lap. What series uses a 90% rule? Remember in Montreal, Vettel spun, Button passed him, Vettel recovered and finished 2nd because Webber in third was 20+ seconds behind Vettel when Vettel spun. Webber is the support driver at this juncture and only Webber fails to see it that way. F1 is a team sport and Vettel could have an opportunity to wrap up the championship very soon, then Mr. Webber will get the preferential treatment to secure 2nd in the championship and help with the Constructor's title.
"We had more spectators at Silverstone for practice on Friday than most circuits get on race day." Silverstone enjoys record crowds (gpupdate.net)