Alonso: Red Bull have had it “too easy”

F1 Fanatic round-up

Posted on

| Written by

In the round-up: Fernando Alonso says Red Bull are complaining about the tyres this year because it’s been “too easy” for them to win in previous seasons.

Links

Your daily digest of F1 news, views, features and more.

Red Bull have lost edge – Alonso (BBC)

“Sometimes, when you win too easy for some years, it is difficult to lose some races afterwards.”

‘Monaco pole still crucial’ (Sky)

Mark Webber: “The decisive factor to win on Sunday? Definitely a good qualifying position. It’s not going to be like Shanghai or Barcelona where you can be a long way out of position in the early parts of a grand prix.”

Vettel: Red Bull not lone tyre critic (Autosport)

“I think generally, I hear the drivers’ voices in the meetings we have together. Even if you pinpoint Lotus and say they have the best car for these tyres and these conditions, still their drivers complain. They have the same problem as us, just to a lesser extent. That doesn’t mean no-one else is complaining.”

Kimi Raikkonen on 2014: “The decision has to come from me…” (Adam Cooper’s F1 Blog)

“I’m sure there are some options, it’s no secret. There are also options that I don’t drive anything.”

Kimi Raikkonen interview: F1’s quiet man suffers for his art (Sport 360)

“The bigger worry was about the car. The thing is that in winter testing you know very quickly if the car is going to be s***. And if it’s s*** you know you’ll be wasting your time for the season.”

2013 Monaco Grand Prix – Wednesday Press Conference (FIA)

“I don’t want to think about the future too much at the moment. I think that yeah, you’ve got to live for the moment and I don’t think that trying to agree a lengthy deal for the future is something that is interesting at the moment for me. I’m 13 years in the sport, I want to have freedom and that feeling that if it doesn’t feel right any more: stop. But I definitely don’t feel that yet. It feels that it is going to be a long way down the road. For me, that freedom is important in the future.”

Daniel Ricciardo Q&A: I’m ready if Red Bull call (F1)

“I am ready. But I also don’t want to jump into things. Right now I am with Toro Rosso and will do my best here. Should there be any knocking, I am ready.”

Perez still confident McLaren can win (Reuters)

“We know that at the moment there’s no chance, no way we can think of that but we have to give our best… no-one in the team is giving up.”

What’s it cost to compete in Formula One? An IndyCar comparison (NBC)

“Top F1 team: $470 million [312.58m]; Top IndyCar team: $15 million [9.98m].”

James Lawton: The James Hunt I knew is the subject of a new F1 movie (The Independent)

“What Hunt wanted to talk about, in some considerable passing, was a surefire commercial initiative. He had a plan to market a salad that would be enhanced by immersion in a microwave.”

McLaren: Honda not involved with P13 (Autocar)

“The source said: ‘At the moment there is no anticipated impact on the road car division as a result of the Honda deal.'”

Tweets

Comment of the day

No live Formula Renault 3.5 on Eurosport UK this weekend – we get delayed coverage of a bike race instead:

Looks like it’s highlights only at 11.15pm on Eurosport in the UK. Fingerlickin’ useless. Eurosport in other countries has the race live – why do they think Britain wants to watch bikes from the weekend before instead of a live race?
@Tomsk

From the forum

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday to Emmet!

If you want a birthday shout-out tell us when yours is by emailling me, using Twitter or adding to the list here.

On this day in F1

Ayrton Senna scored his record-breaking sixth Monaco Grand Prix win 20 years ago today.

The race was led by Alain Prost to begin with before he was penalised for a jump start, which he compounded by stalling his engine.

Michael Schumacher was also running in front of Senna when he suffered hydraulic failure before half-distance. Senna won ahead of Damon Hill and Jean Alesi as Prost recovered to fourth after his jump start.

Here’s Senna on his way to a win which put him back in the lead of the championship:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9mSPkDYinw

Images © Red Bull/Getty, Chevrolet

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

Got a potential story, tip or enquiry? Find out more about RaceFans and contact us here.

109 comments on “Alonso: Red Bull have had it “too easy””

  1. I’m sorry Alonso, but were you watching the same season as the rest of us last year? The only races where Red Bull “had it easy” were the three races in a row which Vettel won (I’m deliberately discounting Singapore), and even then it’s not exactly Schumacher-esque. The only year they “had it easy” (by Alonso’s very loose definition) is 2011 and even then they weren’t exactly a country mile ahead in terms of performance.

    1. @vettel1 drivers and teams have “selective memory”, not only Alonso. They like to remember how hard they have had to fight, but “forget” or “recognize” how hard others have had to work to win.

      1. @celeste precisely. Relatively speaking Vettel may have “had it easier” than Alonso but that by no means translates into the fact Vettel had an easy season!

      2. @celeste @vettel1

        drivers and teams have “selective memory”

        Let’s not forget F1 fans and fanatics, either ;)

        1. @phildick yes, I have also noticed that with regard to the use of other 4-stop analogies etc etc which actually hold no relevance at all.

        2. @phildick oh, sorry. what were we talking about? ;)

          Yes you are right, sometimes fans like “forget” somethings and to “remember” other ones ;)

    2. is Alonso we are talking about……he is used to these mind game stuff

      1. There’s a difference between mind games and blatant ignorance how I see it…

        1. @vettel1

          I’m sorry Alonso, but were you watching the same season as the rest of us last year? The only races where Red Bull “had it easy” were the three races in a row which Vettel won (I’m deliberately discounting Singapore), and even then it’s not exactly Schumacher-esque. The only year they “had it easy” (by Alonso’s very loose definition) is 2011 and even then they weren’t exactly a country mile ahead in terms of performance.

          No, Red Bull have had it easy because for the past 2 or 3 years the tyres suited them better than anyone else. 2011 is living proof of this, RBR and McLaren were the only teams able to get heat in the hard tyres. Alonso would do a great job in the first two stints of the race, often getting himself up in a podium position, but then fall back like a stone in the final part of the race because the Ferrari couldn’t get heat in the prime tyres. Spain ’11 was the absolute worst example of this.

          Now in 2013 the tyres suit Ferrari and Lotus more, Red Bull are crying like spoiled children. It’s embarrassing and pathetic. If there’s anyone ignorant with a selective memory, it’s Red Bull.

          1. OmarR-Pepper (@)
            23rd May 2013, 1:04

            @kingshark so by Alonso definition, “easy” means to have the best approach to the rules? Oh, so we can say his 2 victories this years were “easy” too

          2. who is leading the championship? The man that has it toughest of the lead-pack. What will shut the haters up? :D

        2. There’s a difference between mind games and blatant ignorance how I see it

          Sorry @vettel1 but your dislike for Ferrari and Alonso is so big that sometimes you forget the border line between disagree with them and offending them. Reported to the moderator.

          I accept that people have different opinion, but not offending drivers or users here…
          and i’m curious also what @keithcollantine thinks in that matter

          1. @nomore what? You call that offence? Ignorance is the only word: if he thinks Vettel “had it easy” in 2010 or 2012 then he’s quite simply wrong, there’s no other way round it.

          2. @vettel1

            I don’t want to open an useless and infinite discussion of what “you think” about F.Alonso or about his opinions…i’m really not interested and i don’t care.

            What I just wanted to pointed out, is the use of an inappropriate language in a Formula 1 forum like this…that’s all.

            Have a nice day.

          3. So why comment @nomore?

            What I just wanted to pointed out, is the use of an inappropriate language

            Since when was “blatant ignorance” inappropriate language?

    3. Agree’ easy only was 2011…’ Alonso is mindless

    4. @vettel1

      Only in 2011??? Dont make me laugh.

      Their car was miles ahead of the competition in 2010 as well. Just because Vettel sealed it at the last race of the season doesn’t make it a difficult season. Just look at the WCC standings in 2010, Red Bull were miles ahead of Ferrari and Mclaren that year. Look at the number of poles that Red Bull drivers had amongst themselves.

      In 2012 they were the class of the field as well. Sure, the Mclarens were quick, but the only Mclaren driver capable of winning the championship was plagued with a massive amount of bad luck. Overall, red Bull was the strongest package of 2012, and when it mattered most , Red Bull were on top of their game while Ferrari and Mclaren faltered.

      If you look at the struggles Ferrari and Mclaren have had over the past 3 years, you would understand how easy Red Bull have had it since 2010

      1. Not opposing you, but a little correction:

        Redbull made it easy for themselves. It wasn’t like they bought a customer car or anything like that

        1. @gilles +1. Only in 2011 though: they didn’t make it easy for themselves in 2010 with all the mechanical failures and in 2012 with having a slower car than the McLaren! ;)

      2. Nah the Ferrari had the slight edge over the McLaren and Red Bull 2010.

        McLaren was the quickest car in 2012, Ferrari had bulletproof reliability combined with strong race pace, being the fastest car off the grid (that’s the engine map) and plain good fortune. When Ferrari were weak at the start of the last year, so was Red Bull.

        You can’t just go making up stuff about 2010. Red Bull had a lot of poles because they have a qualifier every bit as good as Senna and three years ago Webber was still a quick driver. Alonso has never been a good qualifier. His rookie teammate got 6 poles to 4 in 2007 LOL.

        Vettel was the least likeliest to win the championship with a couple races remaining, yet despite 30 years of experience between Alonso, Webber and Button combined, 4 championships between Button (2009), Alonso (2005, 2006) and Hamilton (2008), the guy in his third full season was the one that not only didn’t crack under the pressure but seemed to take his driving to a new level.

        1. Nah the Ferrari had the slight edge over the McLaren and Red Bull 2010.

          I couldn’t read the rest of your post after I read the 1st statement.

          How can anyone take your comments seriously if you make a statement like that?

          1. @todfod

            I don’t think he want us to take him seriously, that’s why he started like that…

          2. Nah, what I said is right. You have a very revisionist view of history is all.

          3. @nomore and @todford

            He keeps commenting a couple of things in almost all articles,…
            1. Ferrari was the best car in 2010
            2. Alonso is a poor qualifier

            Maybe he thinks repeatedly posting these will make people believe it :P

      3. @todfod

        Look at the number of poles that Red Bull drivers had amongst themselves.

        Just like Mercedes this season. Have they had an easy season so far? Qualifying isn’t everything, teams and drivers get championship points only on Sunday.

        Their car was miles ahead of the competition in 2010 as well. Just because Vettel sealed it at the last race of the season doesn’t make it a difficult season. […] Sure, the Mclarens were quick, but the only Mclaren driver capable of winning the championship was plagued with a massive amount of bad luck.

        Talk about double standards… Are you saying that Vettel didn’t have a massive amount of bad luck in 2010?

        If you look at the struggles Ferrari and Mclaren have had over the past 3 years, you would understand how easy Red Bull have had it since 2010

        As @gilles said, just because Red Bull made a better job than everyone else over the last three seasons doesn’t mean it was “easy”. The struggles McLaren and Ferrari had were their own fault.

        Overall I agree that RBR have no reason to whine only because Lotus and Ferrari have done a better job this season with tyres. But these comments from Alonso seem very bitter and unjust.

        1. @hotbottoms

          Qualifying isn’t everything, teams and drivers get championship points only on Sunday.

          Yeah race pace is really important as well. Red Bull’s race pace was as impressive as their quali pace in 2010. Just because I didn’t mention it in my previous post doesn’t mean that they had rubbish race pace.

          Their car was miles ahead of the competition in 2010 as well. Just because Vettel sealed it at the last race of the season doesn’t make it a difficult season. […] Sure, the Mclarens were quick, but the only Mclaren driver capable of winning the championship was plagued with a massive amount of bad luck.

          Vettel did have bad luck.. but it wasn’t anymore bad luck than Hamilton or Alonso had for that season. In fact Vettel threw away a lot of more points in brain fade moments than Alonso and Hamilton combined

          The struggles McLaren and Ferrari had were their own fault.

          Yeah… exactly like how it is Red Bull’s fault for not having adapted to this years tyres. Yet they cry about it at every occassion

          But these comments from Alonso seem very bitter and unjust.

          A little touchy are we? Alonso said it like it is.. Red Bull have dominated since 2010 by having a genius designer who creates really fast cars. Right now a car thats easy on its tyres is the better choice… so it looks like Red Bull is crying because their dominance is coming to an end.

          How are these statements bitter and unjust? Its a fact .. and all of us are seeing it happen right now

          1. @todfod

            Vettel did have bad luck.. but it wasn’t anymore bad luck than Hamilton or Alonso had for that season. In fact Vettel threw away a lot of more points in brain fade moments than Alonso and Hamilton combined

            Vettel did have more misfortune than those two, and Webber/Button.

            And while I believe Hamilton made the least significant mistakes of the 4 main contenders, Alonso crashed at Spa, missed Monaco qualifying due to a crash, and got himself penalized in Britain. Vettel crashed in Turkey and Belgium, and got penalized in Hungary.

          2. @todfod
            If you think that Red Bull’s last three seasons were easy, then we can only disagree on what is “easy”. I also think that we have some fundamental disagreement on the meaning of the word “dominance” – I wouldn’t call deciding championship on the last race (2010 and 2012) a dominant performance.

            About the Red Bull’s whining I agree with you, and I already said that in my comment:

            Overall I agree that RBR have no reason to whine only because Lotus and Ferrari have done a better job this season with tyres.

            However, I don’t think it makes Alonso’s whining over the last three seasons any less bitter and unjust.

          3. “Vettel did have bad luck.. but it wasn’t anymore bad luck than Hamilton or Alonso had for that season. In fact Vettel threw away a lot of more points in brain fade moments than Alonso and Hamilton combined”

            Hamilton was in his fourth season, had a car capable of winning a championship for the third time and was already a world champion. Alonso was a double world champion who had had a car capable of winning races since 2003 and capable of winning championships since 2005 (2008 and 09 he chose to go to Renault so he wouldn’t be beaten by Hamilton).

            2010 was the first time he had a car capable of winning a championship. He was under a different kind of pressure for the first time. When it was all up for grabs in the last few races he didn’t put a foot wrong while his rivals all faltered.

            In Vettel’s third full season of F1 he wins a championship 100% on merit. In Alonso’s third full season he was getting beat by Trulli and complained in the media about unfairness until Briatore fired Trulli in order to keep Alonso happy.

    5. In the middle of 2011 Alonso described Red Bull’s position as “too dominant”. At that point I think it was fair to describe them as being in a dominant position.

      But taking the previous three years as a whole, although they’ve won all the championships, I don’t agree they’ve been “dominant” throughout and I think Alonso is belittling their achievements when he says otherwise.

      1. @keithcollantine @hotbottoms

        Okay .. maybe my definition of “dominant” is different from others. The way I see it Red Bull were the quickest car hands down in 2010 and 2011, and other than the 1st 4-5 races in 2012, they were the once again the car to beat (taking reliability and pace into consideration).

        1. Oh well, if Alonso is quicker than Vettel then he shouldn’t have vetoed Vettel’s move to Ferrari.

        2. @todfod – Taking reliability into consideration RBR weren’t dominant in 2010, and in 2012, RBR had the best balance of reliability and speed, but weren’t the best on either count, hence were not dominant.

      2. @keithcollantine +1

        @nomore do you see where I’m coming from now? “Too easy” implies dominant, which almost certainly doesn’t apply to 2012 in particular. “Dominant” is Williams FW14B, McLaren MP4-4 or Ferrari F2002, where their drivers qualify seconds ahead and win by over 30 seconds on a fairly consistent basis. By any stretch of the imagination, winning 3 races in the first 13 rounds cannot be defined as “dominant” (which was the case with the RB8).

  2. Polite reminder: In keeping with Monagasque traditions, Practice 1 and 2 are this morning (Thursday). Do not get caught out!

    1. Ah no, I had forgotten about that. Damn, I’ll be missing Practice 1 and 2 in that case because of my exams. Good of you to give a heads up though @calum, I’m sure a lot of people would have forgotten otherwise!

    2. …but don’t forget the GP2 race on Friday morning! (out of keeping with any traditions)

  3. Button: “I want the freedom to find out if the Honda engine is going to be crap so I can bail out before the season starts.”

    1. @hairs

      I thought he was ready to add some new excuses to his collection – Underpowered engine, poor driveabilty of the engine, etc.

  4. And in more funny news, the girl in Vettel´s helmet gets “undressed” when the helmet is hot.

    Warning, <a href="

    Warning: Picture of the Pin-up Girl undressed on Sebastian Vettel’s #MonacoGP helmet. (Check last tweet) #Vettel #F1 twitter.com/FansOfSebVette…— Fans of Seb Vettel (@FansOfSebVettel) May 22, 2013

    “>here you can have a look.

    1. @celeste that is actually genius! Will he be allowed to race with it though I wonder?

      1. Zantkiller (@)
        23rd May 2013, 0:57

        Because it is on the back of the helmet it shouldn’t appear on the world feed.
        So I see no reason for them to say no.

        1. @zantkiller It can be seen from the on-board camera, but looks like he’ll be allowed to use it!

          I know it’s personal tastes @maciek but I think the retro look is a perfect fit for Monaco, unlike Hamilton’s pretty garish graffiti affair.

    2. I’d just like to put the following warning out:
      NSFW

      1. OmarR-Pepper (@)
        23rd May 2013, 1:16

        Vettel found out some rubber after all

    3. Far as I’m concerned, yet more proof that Vettel is straight-laced nerd who tries too hard to prove he’s all cool.

      1. C’mon @maciek, it is a classy helemt. Historical racing photos on top, pin-up girl on the back. It is very cool, not “trying to be cool”.
        What do you think about Lewis’ helmet then? Childish graffiti of him, Nicole and Roscoe rollin into the sunset or whatever. In my opinion that is what “desperately trying to be cool” looks like.

        1. I dunno – I wasn’t comparing. All I’m saying is that with his names for his cars, among other things, Vettel strikes me as a guy who thinks he’s cool, but really he’s kind of a dork with an attitude.

          1. Wasn’t Alonso calling himself a samurai last year?

            LOL

          2. “…strikes me as a guy who thinks he’s cool, but really he’s kind of a dork with an attitude.”

            Seems like you’re projecting.

          3. I seriously dont understand why some people are so mad about vettel changing his helmet designs from time to time… Also I cant understand why some people praise him for the same reason…
            The last thing I would care is how bad or good the crash helmet of a driver looks like.. I am happy as long as the helmet does it’s job which is to save the head of the driver …

          4. @puneethvb it is rather insignificant in the end indeed but some feel the helmet is the driver’s idenity as that is about all you see of them driving the car – so some think they ought not to change them so often.

            However, I think it’s better to see drivers express their creativity which is what Vettel does with his various different designs (usually, as some are pretty bland and just look like a change for the sake of a change). That said though, I wouldn’t be able to match a helmet to Vettel in 40 years time which is easily done with say Cevert! I think that’s the issue some people have.

          5. This is a nice example of what internet discussions are all about (and why I bother less and less to join in on them): I make a random comment about Vettel’s personality – I get one answer about Hamilton, one about Alonso, one bad attempt at psychoanalysis + a comment on being mad about helmet changes. o.O sheesh

  5. I really have no problem with tires. I just have a problem with people in F1 moaning about tires and especially when they try to point out how they are worried about fans, when they are really just looking to get a tenth or two on the opposition.
    Oh yeah, and people in the media. Man, they are getting really tiring!

  6. “Top F1 team: $470 million [£312.58m]; Top IndyCar team: $15 million [£9.98m].”

    Why all this again? how many times it’s been done? It’s easy for Indycar teams ofc, with standard chassis, standard engines, shorter distances to cover, ability to have 1 car per team, less people in the pits, and on, and on and on…

    Everyone knows that, so what’s the point? it’s like comparing Wimbledon with an ATP 500 tournament.

    1. Don’t forget that the numbers mentioned for teams like Andretti or Ganassi and Penske are for 3 car teams @fer-no65. It does compare the highest numbers from Ferrari and Red Bull to what these 3 IndyCar teams spend. Off course a low entry IndyCar team would spend only about 1/3 to half of the cost dependant on how many cars they run. And a lower tier F1 team spends only 1/5th of what the biggest spend.

      Seeing from whom this came, I think it fits in perfectly with Bernies age old argument that teams should stop spending as much if they want to be profitable, instead of asking for a bigger share. Also note the dig at the FIA for asking hefty entry fees (who was it Bernie did not yet sign any deal with for the Concorde Agreement again?).

      What I think it highlights more than ever, is that the way F1 rewards the winners by giving them a bonus for long time competition AND giving all of the money according to championship position gives a huge inequality between teams, making the field stretched further apart. Instead it would be better to give teams at least 40-50 million each if they compete all races (probably refunded if they fail to put in a decent effort) and top off those payments for RBR and Ferrari for just showing up.

  7. Glad Webber shares the same disdain for the fanfare surrounding Monaco that I do. Too much glamour and conspicuous consumption for my liking.

    1. OmarR-Pepper (@)
      23rd May 2013, 15:56

      @kibblesworth When he won he didn’t complain jumping into the bay. Well… you are right, that is not so glamorous after all (see the “Red Bull History” video where he explains those waters don’t smell like a French perfume precisely)

  8. At least Red Bull have been consistent in their protest of the tyres since the very first race, even after winning they wanted change. Unlike some others, who’ve only complained when they were losing, and miraculously are the pinnacle of integrity and sportsmanship when they win a race. Stay classy, Alonso.

    If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that the moment you think you’ve got these tyres solved, that’s the moment it begins slippin away from you. No one has been able to stay on top of these tyres for more than a few races at a time.

    1. Thank you – someone acknowledging Red Bull aren’t just spouting off “because they’re losing” (which simply isn’t true: they are leading both championships). Pirelli simply went too far this year.

      1. @vettel1
        Though Red Bull are leading both championships, let’s be honest, they’ve been very lucky. Alonso has finished every one of his three normal race he’s had at least 10 seconds ahead of Vettel. In Malaysia, it was the front wing, and in Bahrain, it was the rear wing.

        Red Bull know that they don’t have the fastest car, and that’s why they are whining. Do you think Red Bull would be moaning about the tyres if their car was as good on them as Lotus? Thought so not.

        1. @kingshark they are leading nonetheless, whether it is due to Ferrari’s errors or not. The fact is they aren’t exactly suffering majorly from it (in particular in Bahrain) so the fact they still had complaints proves that at least they have consistency, which is the argument here and not whether it will benefit them (which in all honesty I’m not sure it will all that much).

      2. @vettel1 your not suggesting that because red bull are leading both championships they are blind to Ferrari’s imminent threat to their current ambitions to maintain their long stranglehold they’ve had on both championships? cut the bs..this is natural in F1: rule dosent suit us? > is there a quick solution/can we copy another team? – yes>continue racing! -no>protest!

    2. “At least Red Bull have been consistent in their protest of the tyres since the very first race, even after winning they wanted change.”
      I could be wrong, and correct me if I am, but I seem to remember Vettel saying something in an article about the Tyres when they had a chance to run them in Brazil after the race there.. I think. I just know that I seem to remember the teams being allowed to try them out at the end of last year.
      But I agree with you that Red Bull have been consistent in their protest of the tires. While I don’t want to see 1 stop races, I also don’t want to see drivers being forced to pit because the tires degrade to quickly.
      And I also agree with Mark Webber that 2010 was one of the more exciting seasons in recent memory.

      1. They tried them at the end of last season, but those tyres arein no way representative of what Pirelli showed up with this season.

    3. +1!

      I respect them for that.

  9. Chris (@tophercheese21)
    23rd May 2013, 1:32

    Re: Ricciardo Red Bull aticle:

    I feel that Dan is still a little too inexperienced to get the RB seat (I know Vettel was very young when he got it, but Vettel is a ‘once in a generation’ type driver).

    I would love to see Dan in the RB, and hopefully it can indeed happen at least within the next 2 years.
    Having said that, who else is there to replace Mark Webber, realistically?
    Dan is the most qualified and best positioned driver for the spot, because he’s out performing JEV, and i dont think that RB would just put Felix da Costa into the car ahead of Ricciardo.

    And if Webber does leave Red Bull next season (which is highly likely), then I would think RB would have to have Dan at #1 on their list of up and coming talent for the seat.

    1. If they manage to get Kimi, there’s no chance they’d prefer anyone over him.

      1. Chris (@tophercheese21)
        23rd May 2013, 2:47

        Kimi has already agreed to stay at Lotus for 2014

        1. @tophercheese21 Do you have a source? Because according to this, he has 2 options (bet they are RBR and LOTUS):

          “I would say that I have two, but in F1 you never know exactly.

          “I’ve been here (in F1) long enough to know that the only thing that matters is finding the right situation for yourself,” he answered, when asked how he will come to his final decision.

          1. Chris (@tophercheese21)
            23rd May 2013, 3:02

            @celeste
            My bad, I had read a couple of articles last week saying that Lotus and Kimi had pretty much agreed to continue for 2014.

            But now looking back on them, they’ve changed their stance.
            I would love to see Kimi vs Vettel at RBR.
            That would be a true clash of the titans.

    2. Vettel is a ‘once in a generation’ type driver

      Hamilton and Alonso are only 3 & 6 years older than Vettel so maybe it’d be more accurate to say he’s a three times in a generation type driver…

      1. Chris (@tophercheese21)
        23rd May 2013, 2:58

        Lol, as i was typing it, i was thinking ‘Hamilton and Alonso are also once in a generation drivers”, haha.
        My point is that racers of their calibre dont come around too often.

        1. Agreed; in my opinion, the last time we had drivers of their calibre was in the 1980s:
          Keke Rosberg, Nelson Piquet, Ayrton Senna (I really don’t like him but he’s still pretty good) Alain Prost, and Nigel Mansell.
          The time before that, the 1960s, where we had Jim Clark, John Surtees, Dan Gurney, Jackie Stewart, Stirling Moss, Graham Hill and Jack Brabham.
          Nowadays, we have Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso (I really don’t like him, but he’s a decent driver) Nico Rosberg, Mark Webber (he can push Vettel when it’s his day)

          1. OmarR-Pepper (@)
            23rd May 2013, 16:01

            @xjr15jaaag You forgot Kimi on purpose? and Rosberg still has much to prove before being in the “top notch” alongside Vettel , Alonso and Hamilton

          2. I just forgot to include Kimi, just as I forgot to include Phil Hill in the 1960s.

  10. “Lewis Hamilton, he was with eventual winner Fernando Alonso on lap five or six in Barcelona two weeks ago and then got lapped. That’s not right.”

    Well I guess Webber and everyone else forgets that in Barcelona 2011, Alonso led the race at the first corner but got lapped by the end of the race. What was that put down to? Ferrari’s inability to generate enough heat on the harder tyres. Its a bit of a reversed argument here, but the fact of the matter is the car didnt have the tyre performance that year…some teams are faced with the same situation this year.

    1. Antonio (@antoniocorleone)
      23rd May 2013, 3:35

      Well, at least Ferrari didn’t blame Pirelli back in 2011 when they got lapped and instead they said that they were simply slow and they need to work very hard to catch up with the leaders. Is this also “not right”???

      1. In 2011 Ferrari hadnt worked out how to get the best out of their tyres. In 2013, its RB and Merc that need to figure it out..its simple.

        As an Engineer, you design your product to the given design conditions/parameters, which is a constant. The tyres in this case are a constant. Ferrari, Lotus and FI have designed their car to the constant, while the rest havent..so who is to blame for that?

      2. Everyone is complaining about tyres. Red Bull were specifically complaining after they cruised to victory in Malaysia.

  11. Something interesting on the BBC article:
    “Alonso has beaten Vettel in all three races this season in which the Spaniard has had no problems. ”
    Maybe that’s why Red Bull are freaking out, but Vettel aside, Weber has been particularly bad this season, the WCC seems a harder target this year that’s for sure.

  12. That argument that Hamilton was on the front row and then slipped is completely irrelevant. I mean, he finished 12th, which means that there were 10 cars that easily overtook him. If he finished 2nd, but a lap down, along with a whole field, than it would be a bit out of ordinary.

    Firstly, finishing 12th and being lapped isn’t anything new. It’s actually more often than not, that 12th guy is lapped.
    Secondly, starting 2nd and finishing 12th, means that your car is a complete crap in a race trim, because there were at least 11 others who were faster and probably few more who were just as fast. It’s not like the whole field took a nose dive, because Lewis would have ended up 2nd in that case anyway.

    The point is, if everyone else finishes around 5 positions up or down from where they start, while one team consistently qualifies half a second ahead and then without exception falls down the order like a stone, it means that there is something fundamentally wrong with their car, not with the tires. If it was just tires, everyone would suffer the same handicap and Mercedes wouldn’t fall down the order that bad.

    1. Rosberg didn’t fall quite so drastically.

      I can see where you are coming from though, should we be blaming the tyres or the way that cars treat their tyres? Personally I blame the tyres, as clearly no team has a clear understanding of them (which was the intention and one I don’t really agree with) and it just so happens some teams have “struck it rich”. Mercedes haven’t really had the opportunity to understand these tyres as with everybody else, it just so happens that their starting point wasn’t as good as Lotuses.

  13. Stateside, NBC Sports is rolling out some special coverage this weekend for Monaco.

    http://motorsportstalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/22/nbc-sports-to-feature-19-5-hours-of-monaco-coverage-with-race-live-on-nbc/

    The big deal is something that most F1 fans probably have come to expect.

    “NBC Sports Group’s F1 announce booth will be on site to capture the unique glitz-and-glamour atmosphere of the Monaco Grand Prix.”

    This hasn’t happened for ages and I’ll be interested to see how it changes the team and broadcast.

    1. Good to see NBC is putting in some effort to make the coverage live up to promise!

      1. It’s strange, but NBC’s main local network channel (KSHB 41) in my market area (Kansas City, USA) isn’t showing the Monaco race (and presumably, the other non-NBC Sports Network broadcast races) on the primary local NBC network channel, but rather on a much smaller and less watched sister station (KMCI 38) in my area.

        So, at least in my neck of the woods, F1 is getting *less* exposure for the 4 races (Monaco, Canada, USA, Brazil) they’ll *not* be showing on the NBC Sports Network (or CNBC). CNBC will cover the British and German GP’s this year. I’m not even sure I have that channel. :)

        Back in the days when SPEED (owned by FOX) didn’t show the same 4 or 5 races the last 5 years or so, those races were always shown on the local FOX station (WDAF 4), so they got much more exposure.

        I guess that’s the price of showing the races live! It does make it very tricky for fans like me to follow F1 since we may now have to tune to a 3rd, or perhaps even a 4th channel to follow the sport we love!

        At least for this weekend, I’m sure people in my part of the country will wonder why The Simpsons is being interrupted by these guys with weird accents talking about funny little cars that aren’t driving on an oval! Because that’s the sort of folk who watch channel 38. Should be interesting…

  14. Alonso is right.
    Vettel has had it far too easy for a couple of years, and struggles to perform when the car is not perfect.

    mind games there just facts.

    1. Vettel has had it far too easy for a couple of years, and struggles to perform when the car is not perfect.

      @jason12 I think you must mean Webber, because three championships (plus runner up once) and 25 wins before this year say that Vettel hasn’t struggled to perform.

      1. Yes, and not to mention that Vettel is leading the championship in a car that’s third fastest on the grid. Last season Alonso was at the same stage, but there were 8 different winners from the first 8 races. This year has been predictable and Alonso should be comfortably leading with the huge car advantage he currently has.

      2. @david-a
        What’s clear here is that Alonso does not attribute Vettel’s wins to his talent.

        He feels that (like many) that Vettel is not on his or Lewis’ level in terms of pure talent.

        I fully understand why Alonso thinks this, and there’s no point in attacking him for sharing it.

        1. @jason12

          And such opinions have very little to no basis other than double standards or plain delusion. As I said, Vettel has performed over the course of the last 4 years, backed up by the results achieved- care to come up with any real arguments to support what you’ve said?

        2. @david-a
          We all have no evidence that Vettel is indeed on Alonso’s level.

          The reason for this is that we don’t have anything to measure Vettel against, except Webber (who’s also not one of the greats out there).

          1. @jason12

            We all have no evidence that Vettel is indeed on Alonso’s level.

            The same could be said the other way around. After all, it’s Vettel with 3 F1 titles on the spin, despite only being 25.

            Webber isn’t the best, but is still a decent driver (a bit like Button), who had a great reputation (despite bad cars) before being paired with Vettel. For him to be beaten by the extent he has been (certainly to a bigger extent than Button was beaten by Hamilton), is a great accomplishment for any driver. You can’t attack Vettel for thrashing his teammate.

    2. @jason-12 if anything Vettel should be the benchmark currently, not Alonso. It was nearly 6 years ago now since Alonso was officially the best driver in the world, when he lost his crown to Kimi Räikkönen. So why is he the benchmark I wonder, when Vettel has won the last three titles? You can then argue it from there (for instance, I’d argue Lauda was better than Hunt in ’76) but again the champion is the benchmark.

      1. @Vettel1
        Just because Vettel won the last three titles does not necessarily make him the bench mark… He had better cars in all those three years compared to Alonso… If Alonso had the better cars he might probably have won those three titles as well.. I think that would’ve been the case with Hamilton also …then it will be equally wrong to say Alonso or Hamilton should be the bench mark because they won the titles… By Your logic Button should’ve been the bench mark in 2010 because he won the title in 2009…:-)

        I am not taking anything away from Vettel here … he drove brilliantly and thoroughly deserve all his titles… he is a benchmark because he is one of the best drivers out there not because he is a 3 time champion IMO… same goes for Alonso and Hamilton…

        1. @puneethvb what I’m saying is that however it played out, the champion should always be the benchmark and then it can be argued from there. I don’t see why Alonso has some form of superior status here is all I’m saying: he came second after all (which I’m not saying would have been the case had him and Vettel switched places).

          As I said though, that doesn’t automatically make the champion superior (case in point, Lauda and Hunt as I previously said). That is all.

    3. OmarR-Pepper (@)
      23rd May 2013, 16:09

      mind games there just facts

      @jason12 Just facts? here we go
      Alonso was youngest double champion in history until Vettel appeared. so after losing this record status he will always try to dismiss Vettel abilities to see how many of his fans claims it’s true.
      Fact: Vettel is triple world champion
      Fact: Vettel had just one “easy” championship in 2011.
      Fact: Alonso has just a few more victories than Vettel (in many more years in the sport)
      I agree with @vettel1 and @david-a on this one: Vettel is the benchmark and Alonso tries to put a blindfold on us with his comments. Smart comments, but not facts

      1. @omarr-pepper and @vettel1

        Were Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve, and Mika Hakkinen the benchmarks from 1996-2000 because they shared all the titles within this period of time.

        No, because there was a certain driver in an inferior Ferrari who continued to challenge for the WDC year after year despite driving a clearly inferior car to the 3 mentioned above.

        Simply because Vettel has won the last few WDC does not make him the benchmark, most insiders still see Alonso as the best driver on the current grid.

        1. @kingshark that’s what I’m saying: they were, but in that instance it was easily dismissed.

          However, the cavernous gap between Schumacher and Villeneuve doesn’t even begin to bear comparison with how close Vettel and Alonso are: in fact, it’s fairly easy to argue Vettel has been better on balance. These insiders rate Alonso’s 2012 season better than Vettel’s, not him a better overall driver.

  15. Some interesting fan questions for Kimi (and some proper answers): http://blogit.ts.fi/formulablogi/2013/05/20/ja-vastaus-on/
    English bit starts about halfway down the page, I could translate the Finnish QA’s if I have time today.

  16. I think Alonso is a great driver and currently one of the best – but I can’t stand this guy. Not sure what it is but whenever he talks – I’m starting to hope that anyone but him will win this year’s WDC.

    1. @tmf42 I’m the same: I’ve never really liked him (I was a Schumi fan though back in the day when I wasn’t really an avid follower!) and I’ve just been repelled by him more since he became Vettel’s biggest rival and the subsequent comments he has made because of this.

      Things like this only serve to reinforce my dislike for him.

      1. @Vettel1 and @tmf42

        I can understand where you guys are coming from… because I feel exactly the same about Vettel :) I rate vettel as one of the best drivers along with Hamilton and Alonso but his(Vettel’s) comments always make me dislike him more and more…….

        1. @puneethvb absolutely fair enough: I don’t ask anybody to like him, just to respect the guy’s talents and you’ve done just that so kudos to you sir ;)

          I also think Alonso is a bloody good driver and I respect him immensely, but of course that doesn’t mean I like him – far from it in fact!

  17. Vettel’s right, There not the only team or drivers who have criticized the 2013 tyres.

    I’ve been saying all year that practically every team & every driver has complained about the tyres, The only difference is that Red Bull have been the only one’s to do it in public.
    The other drivers complain in private yet don’t say anything about them in public because there all too PR friendly nowadays.

    If you did a secret poll with the drivers asking about the tyres You would almost certainly get 95% of them vote as disliking them, Do the same thing in Public & you would get the opposite result.

    There were plenty of issues while I was around the F1 paddock where you would hear teams/drivers voice one opinion in public yet say something different in private & its frustrating, Especially when your standing next to a driver giving an opinion in an interview when he’s said the complete opposite to you in a private conversation 5mins earlier.

  18. Alonso hardly tried to distract Vettel and RBR by saying We are fighting Newey etc last year and in some aspect it was Acceptable. But saying the RBR are winning every thing is easy is blatant Ignorance.
    It doesn’t matter you won or lost In F1 Nothing is easy to get. It takes lot of hard work from every one.
    Can he say he won two titles easily cos he has the Mass Damper and Better suited Tires for his Renault back in 2005-06.
    May be Vettel throws his toys out or may be he cry’s when things doesn’t go his way or he disobey orders to get wins but he always says it was all due to his team’s Hard work where as Alonso constantly trying to portray himself as the One above every thing. I really wanted to see how Alonso reacts when he lost his complete driver/greatness tag to other driver. It will showcase the True Alonso.

Comments are closed.