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More struggles for Alonso. Failed to qualify. He gets one more chance tomorrow to take one of the last row places.
Maybe he isn't quite as good as the hype suggested. I have always been a fan, but after LH was up against him in his first year at McLaren I expected FA to kick ass, which didn't happen. It seems he can get the best out of a poor car with a poor teammate, but on equal terms with a top driver is he really as good as being portrayed?More struggles for Alonso. Failed to qualify. He gets one more chance tomorrow to take one of the last row places.
Maybe he isn't quite as good as the hype suggested. I have always been a fan, but after LH was up against him in his first year at McLaren I expected FA to kick ass, which didn't happen. It seems he can get the best out of a poor car with a poor teammate, but on equal terms with a top driver is he really as good as being portrayed?
Having said that, F1 is full of that, is/was MS as good as his results when teammates were not allowed to beat him, and to an extent the same could be levelled at LH and absolutely with SV.
Lets see..I think he showed his class when he first ran at Indy. Back then it was with the support of a proper team. This time McLaren are doing it themselves (with some help from Carlin), but their resources are nothing compared to Penske, Andretti, Ganassi et al.
Having said that, F1 is full of that, is/was MS as good as his results when teammates were not allowed to beat him, and to an extent the same could be levelled at LH and absolutely with SV.
I think LH44 has proved over the years he can put a poor car on the podium, and you have to be good to have won so many races, and got so many poles in qualifying. Bottas is proving to be a good team mate, and is pushing him hard, and competition is what he needs to be successful. A weak 2nd driver doesn't help anyone.
Vettel I think is having a hard time at Ferrari. He went there thinking all was rosey, but he now has a very fast, young team mate and that's starting to show. Schumacher was a good driver, but he wasn't as great as everyone says in my book. I remember him taking out Mansell in a race just so he could win the championship and stop Mansell from doing it. He generally had the best car and team orders on his side. He had the pick of the pit crews too.
It wasn't just the cut in the rear tyre which possibly explained the tail off in pace over his 4 laps (grid is set, I initially, based on average speed over 4 laps so consistency is very important) but he had another 4 attempts and his fastest run only gave him 31st place - only top 30 guaranteed a place on the grid next weekend.
There is now a session today (weather permitting) to select the final 3 places (from 5 cars I think).
It's quite a palaver setting the grid for the 500!
Are not thinking of MS shunting Damon Hill in Australia?
It's happened before, Senna and Prost springs to mind. I guess the extreme competitive nature of some of these guys cease a win at all costs attitude. You just watch how LH starts sulking if VB begins to get the upper hand, not that I think he will.May have been actually... Long time ago, but I remember it being a British driver, and it being put down to a "racing incident" when it very much wasn't....
The Senna Prost incedent at Suzuka had history frome the previous year when Prost tried to take Senna out but Senna managed to continue, win the championship only to have the then French boss of the FIA to uphold a protest from Prost that Senna had not completed the whole race distance as he had cut the chicane while retuning to the track after Prost had shunted him thus giving the championship to Prost.It's happened before, Senna and Prost springs to mind. I guess the extreme competitive nature of some of these guys cease a win at all costs attitude. You just watch how LH starts sulking if VB begins to get the upper hand, not that I think he will.
Maybe he isn't quite as good as the hype suggested. I have always been a fan, but after LH was up against him in his first year at McLaren I expected FA to kick ass, which didn't happen. It seems he can get the best out of a poor car with a poor teammate, but on equal terms with a top driver is he really as good as being portrayed?
Having said that, F1 is full of that, is/was MS as good as his results when teammates were not allowed to beat him, and to an extent the same could be levelled at LH and absolutely with SV.
Very disappointed for Fernando, but McLaren were just not prepared.
Not really - he is crap and well past his sell by date.
Go away Fraser. This was a good thread until you started your usual rubbish. You add nothing of substance, just posting contentious rubbish.
That's fine if you want to blame the car rather than the performance of the person behind the wheel.I’m not going to feed you.
Ignoring Fraser for the irritating troll he clearly is....
McLaren / Fernando's failure to qualify is made all the worse with the news that overnight they were provided with setup sheets, and various parts, from Andretti and Penske and reset the car accordingly.
However, for the first few practice laps on Sunday (before the rain came) the car was running horribly low. Even after raising ride height, it was still bottoming.
I can't help but feel McLaren underestimated the task (and with de Ferran and Brown involved, they really should have) and were woefully under prepared.
Very disappointed for Fernando, but McLaren were just not prepared.
I think LH44 has proved over the years he can put a poor car on the podium.....
Not that I can remember.I'm not knocking Lewis, he is a rare talent, but when during his F1 career has he driven a truly poor car?
But that is probably the most important part a driver can contribute to a team.I'm not knocking Lewis, he is a rare talent, but when during his F1 career has he driven a truly poor car?
I'm not knocking Lewis, he is a rare talent, but when during his F1 career has he driven a truly poor car?
The Mercedes was far from a bad car when Lewis arrived in 2013...he managed 3 podiums (one due to team orders preventing Rosberg from challenging him for third in Malaysia) and just a single win.WHen he first went to Mercedes, the car was not competitive, the Mclaren he just came from were strong, Red Bull were dominating, and Ferrari were in there too. But he still managed to win a few races that year. When he started at Mclaren they again weren't the most competitive.
A driver with his talent is always going to be picked up by one of the better teams rather than one of the others down the pit lane.
Though it was a brave move by Lewis to go from the McLaren to the Mercedes at the time. I remember a lot of fans thought it was a bad idea.
The Mercedes was far from a bad car when Lewis arrived in 2013...he managed 3 podiums (one due to team orders preventing Rosberg from challenging him for third in Malaysia) and just a single win.
Lewis is unusual in that he, in my opinion, has never driven a poor car in F1.
The Merc wasn't finished when he went there, it took a couple of seasons (until they split the turbo) for it to up there with the best.
Niki Lauda has died. Sad news.
Very sad indeed.Niki Lauda has died. Sad news.
It was a gamble going to Mercedes, but a calculated one which paid off.The Merc wasn't finished when he went there, it took a couple of seasons (until they split the turbo) for it to up there with the best.
Further (barely believeable) information re. McLaren's Indy 500 debacle:
"Among the myriad problems that afflicted them was the fallout from a decision early in the programme to build their own steering wheel. These house electronic read-outs and several controls for the car, and most Indycar teams buy them in from British company Cosworth.
When McLaren realised they had run out of time to do their own before starting testing, they ordered one from Cosworth, but when it arrived it did not have any gear-change paddles. When McLaren asked why, they were told they had not ordered them."