Bahrain Grand Prix to be night race in 2014

F1 Fanatic Round-up

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In the round-up: The Bahrain Grand Prix will be a night race next year.

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Bahrain to switch to night race in 2014 (Autosport)

“The Bahrain Grand Prix is to switch to a night race next year, with the circuit set to confirm the news in the next few days.”

Hamilton thinks it’s all over. Or maybe not (Reuters)

“When I got out of the car I was angry, and definitely thought that would be it. But I’ve been back with my engineers and I’m not going to give up.”

2013 Italian Grand Prix (FIA)

Fernando Alonso: “Concerning yesterday, it’s the third or fourth consecutive race that some people have tried to create some tension between the team and the drivers.”

Massa takes one for the team (ESPN)

“We know that it’s not the best thing for a driver to do. But it’s important for the team because looking at the championship it is pretty difficult with Sebastian [Vettel] winning all the time and it could be the last possibility for Fernando [to fight for the title], I think.”

Todt rejects electioneering claim (The Telegraph)

“Todt said that he had not actively sought to gain members’ approval. ‘How can I avoid it?’ he asked. ‘If you have a group of people who say ‘You are doing a good job. We want you’.'”

Massa wants Ferrari stay as decision looms (BBC)

Luca di Montezemolo: “We will think very, very carefully, because we don’t have a gun here [pointing at is head] to decide tomorrow or after tomorrow, but after Monza this will be something I want to decide.”

Driver decision not made yet, says Domenicali (Adam Cooper’s F1 Blog)

“Ferrari’s Stefano Domenicali confirmed today that an announcement on the team’s 2014 driver plans is due soon – and insisted that no decision has yet been taken.”

Martin Whitmarsh’s ‘McLaren 50’ speech (McLaren)

“And here’s a statistical quirk for you: since then, during which time only McLaren and Ferrari have been ever-present in Formula One, and during which time 100-odd other Formula One teams have come and gone, our two teams, McLaren and Ferrari, have won precisely 182 grands prix each.”

Tweets

Comment of the day

Robert doesn’t appreciate the disrespect being shown to Vettel by those who boo him:

I, for one, hate the dominance he is showing and I can’t really say I like him as a person, but people who aren’t his fans still need to open their eyes and see he’s not doing anything wrong. He’s just driving the fastest car in the fastest way possible, and that has to be appreciated.

In my country there’s a saying regarding people who aren’t respectful, roughly translated to not having the seven-year home schooling.
Robert (@Gicu)

From the forum

Happy birthday!

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On this day in F1

Jackie Stewart produced a superb recovery drive at Monza to climb from 16 places to fourth and secure his third world championship title 40 years ago today.

At the head of the field Ronnie Peterson led a Lotus one-two, followed by Emerson Fittipaldi. Peter Revson took third for McLaren.

Here’s footage from the start of the race:

Image © Tilke Gmbh

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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...

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149 comments on “Bahrain Grand Prix to be night race in 2014”

  1. I love night races,something special about them,don’t know what,but great news …

    1. I hate night races, the glare of the track lighting disgiuses the location making it difficult to understand which part of the track you are seeing on-screen.

      1. It’s obviously so they can hide all of those empty grandstands in the dark..

        1. …and the empty car parks, the extra security personnel and the rising smoke from the protesters fires. Maybe they will tell us, truthfully of course, that the flames that are visible in the surrounding darkness are F1 fans, unable to buy a ticket and get into the packed grandstands, having desert barbecues and F1 themed parties in the dunes.

      2. Yep, bit of a problem at Bahrain. Watch the closing stages in darkness of the WEC sportscar race there (the weekend after the Brazilian GP) and it’s tough to see where they all are.

        On the plus side, it’ll be at a great time of day in Europe to watch a race. And also (is this another reason for it) a better time for the USA & Mexicans.

        1. Yeah I remember seeing the WEC on TV and it was quite dark, but from what I understood they postponed the race so that they have time to put in the new lighting system. The article says that the circuit officials asked to delay the race to make the needed upgrades, so it should be well lit.
          About those criticizing comments about trying to hide the empty grandstands, fyi the grandstand will also be lit.

          Personally I was excited about having the first race of the season, but now a night race is quite cool too! Plus I remember back in 2010 after the first race you somehow feel that it’s veery long year ahead before we host the race again. I hope the cars still come here for testing, but not sure whether the logistics would still be feasible if we’re no longer the season opener.

      3. @hohum that’s an interesting way to look at it, I never would have thought it was a problem for some people to see the track, or as you say, what part of it.
        Personally, I have never had issue with knowing where cars are at night races, such as Singapore and Abu Dhabi in the later stages, and really do love night races. For me, it just adds something special to them.

    2. I suspect it is a rather complex and expensive solution to mask the lack of spectators in the stands.

      1. Clearly they want to amke their race a bit more interesting. At least they’re trying something. However, if I was “the boss” Bahrain should not be part of 2014 calendar.

      2. … By shining bright lights into them?

  2. I don’t know why people are making a big thing about Vettel (an enemy to Ferrari at the present time) being booed at Monza, I don’t recall as much of a fuss being kicked up about Hamilton at Monza last year. Or is it because of the previous incidents this year as well?

    1. Due to previous incidents i guess. All non ferrari drivers have had the same treatment here tho.

      Jeez Hill and Berger even had death threats in germany in 94 and it didnt cause as much fuss.

      But either way the booing isnt right. Dont like the guy as a person but he is a great driver, pretty faultless when he has a great car. I never booed him at silverstone tho others did. I will say i cheered when he broke down, but thats different as a driver i supported took the lead from it, thats sport.. But booing him never crossed my mind.

      1. Jeez Hill and Berger even had death threats in germany in 94 and it didnt cause as much fuss.

        Maybe, if we had internet back then like we have now, it would have been more off a fuss then it was. It’s hard to read a fuss, when you only have telephones and newspapers bringing the news the day after, isn’t it?

        1. I remember having the internet in 1994…

          1. Dial-up…

          2. lol. 9600 bps. amazing. I worked in WAN then. providing modems to do that. Ah memories.

          3. @beejis60
            The internet entered my country in 1996 !!!!!

          4. @tifoso1989 well, you didn’t miss much those few years.
            @JCost it’s still the internet ;)

    2. @hydrouk didn’t DC have a very bad time at Monza after Spa 1998 too?

      Sure it’s happened before, but that doesn’t mean it’s not wrong…

      1. It’s plain disgusting

    3. Agreed. Right after won his championship, Hamilton was booed here in Brazil and there´s was not even a Multi21 as excuse to the booing.

      Call people who attend races “haters” is too extreme. In fact, if you look at the price of F1 tickets nowadays, you will easily call those people real F1 fanatics.

      1. @becken-lima

        if you look at the price of F1 tickets nowadays, you will easily call those people real F1 fanatics.

        I’m sure there are plenty of fans whose enthusiasm for the sport is not dimmed by their inability to afford a race ticket.

      2. Hamilton was likely boo’ed because adrenaline-fuelled fans were still raw that the home driver had won the championship, only to then lost it again 30 seconds later.

        It’s worlds apart from the abuse and racism of Spain he received earlier in the year.

        1. That was disgusting. I don’t recall such a low in F1 races. However, I’ve always loved to go to Circuit de Catalunya (it has a different name now) great crowd, usually good weather and superb food. My last time there was in 2007, Lewis first year.

          Once I lived in Lisbon, Spanish GP was my home GP.

    4. I’d rather have other teams closer to Red Bull (to Vettel to be more precise) but despite my dislike of this kind of dominance, in the end of the race I tend to save a few seconds to applaud the winner but I was not expecting Vettel or Hamilton to be enphatically greeted by Ferrari tiffosi after winning the Italian GP at Monza.

      But in case of Vettel is not happen only in places were he beats local heroes, he was booed in Canada too…

      It’s easy to say that sometimes he misbehaves, the most recent and serious incident being Malaysia 2013 but it’s quite clear that most of this hates comes from his success and in this regard Vettel isn’t alone either, his fellow German Michael Schumacher collected many enemies throughout the years of his “dictatorship” and we see similar behavior in other sports, NBA’s LeBron James comes to my mind because he happens to be the best basketaball player in the league and the most hated as well…

      1. Actually if you look closely , you would find a world of difference between both schumacher and vettel . Schumacher did some stupid things along with the great things as a driver . I was a massive fan of Schumacher in 2000-2004 . Then as I looked into the past videos that I had never seen , there were incidents that were stupid to the core . Then came the Monaco incident .I have never respected him since .

        Whereas , Vettel apart from Malaysia and Turkey ( which was partially his fault ) hasn’t done so much harm in any way . So I don’t think it has to do anything with the dominance , it must have something with respect to his personality or his beliefs or his interaction and Schumacher , though notorious, was not booed like this anywhere(apart from monza) I believe.

        1. @hamilfan I’m a Schumacher fas as well. He started his career back in the days taht “stupid things” were not that stupid. Ayrton Senna da Silva has done really bad things on track too.

    5. I don’t know either why all the fuss about the booing. It is a human expression to disagree and not approve. Do we want some sterilized civilized human beings all clapping at the director command? The booing is not about Vettel himself, I am sure. Why are football matches in foreign fields considered difficult? Because they know that the public is not on their side.
      Of course it is not nice to Vettel, but he should not take it personally, neither should the others.

  3. Chris (@tophercheese21)
    9th September 2013, 0:26

    Bahrain during the day = Dangerous
    Bahrain at night time = Much much much more dangerous.

    Strong logic.

    1. Indeed. I wouldn’t envy the mechanics leaving the circuit at midnight with protestors still on the street throwing Molotov cocktails about…

      It also seems a bit counter-productive to F1’s “green” targets. Illuminating all those thousands of enormous lightbulbs for a weekend does seem a tremendous and unnecessary waste of energy.

      1. @jackysteeg This is a superb cost-cutting measure, indeed!! (sarcasm)

      2. If it makes the race more exciting I’d say go for it! And while you’re at stop engine restrictions to a certain amount of cylinders

      3. Why invest in expensive track-side lighting when burning grandstands are so much more effective!

        1. quote of the day!

  4. Michael Brown (@)
    9th September 2013, 0:41

    The Tifosi booing Vettel is no different than the home crowd booing the away team when they win in a football game, hockey, etc.

    1. @lite992 And that reminds me why my other sport of choice is rugby. That sort of thing doesn’t happen very often (although unfortunately it’s becoming more regular at some grounds). Unless there has been some dodgy incidents to rile up the crowd then the kickers are respected with silence, good tries are appreciated by all, and the winning team is applauded off the field whether they are at home or away.

      It’s all about respect.
      You may be there to support your favourite sports team/person but if you are a fan of the SPORT (not just the individual or group of sportsmen) then you should be able to appreciate when you see something skillful or worthy of respect.
      Whether or not the Tifosi are fanatical Ferrari supporters, as F1 fans they should be able to appreciate the skill needed to be as dominant as Vettel is at the moment, and if not applaud it then at least stay silent.

      1. Fantastic comment. Very well put.

    2. You are correct. But we’re not fans of football or hockey. F1 fans are (or at least should be) above jeering.

      1. Personally I don’t have a problem with the booing, I’d love to see a more vocal, feisty atmosphere at F1 races. Having read through these comments I can appreciate why alot of people don’t like it but I really don’t know what warrants this sense of superiority over fans of other sports.

        F1 is my first love but I like my football aswel and go to the odd Swansea City game. F1 is a fantastic spectacle, but the atmosphere at a football match is awesome, way beyond that of any Grand Prix I’ve been to.

        Im not trying to say one set of fans are better than the other, just that us F1 fans could gain alot by seeing what the fan experience is like and how they make themselves heard in other sports rather than just sneering at them.

    3. I know right? It’s just as despicable and unacceptable here.

      Booing when your guy doesn’t win? What the hell is that?

      1. There are very conflicting emotions here. I can say that no matter what as a true fan of a team or driver/player its tough to applaud the oppsing team/driver/player, and it should be. Just because because they reigned supreme today doesn’t mean they get my congratulations. However fans of the sport “should” be able to recognize a job well done.

        My take? Man up and take the good with the bad, no matter what there will always be someone who will try to bring you down. Its your choice to rise above the hate/un-appreciation. For everyone who is saying the booing is bringing the sport into disrepute is contributing to the cause. Everyone likes different things the like about F1. For every person who loves the monkey seat or lack thereof someone likes Jenson Button, and for every one that supports Fernando Alonso there is someone mesmerized with the concave wing that Williams’ run at Canada.

        To say that booing is disrespectful is a bit much though. To keep with the Red vs. Blue. The Boston Red Sox hate the New York Yankees, Manchester United hates both Manchester United and Chelsea, and Barcelona hates AC Milan. People we’ll inherently not get along, because we are competitive, and rightfully so. If anything RBR and Vettel should be proud that they are the focus of fans anger, because they are incredibly successful. They have nothing to apologize for, but no can expect everyone to silence their displeasure.

        1. I meant Man U vs. Man city, sorry for the confusion.

        2. @rybo

          People we’ll inherently not get along, because we are competitive, and rightfully so.

          Of course people may not get along but to say it’s “right” for that to be the case seems unrealistically hopeless.

          Regardless, just because some people who watch other sports have decided they hate some of the competitors and behave disgracefully towards them does not justify F1 fans stooping so low.

          1. just because some people who watch other sports have decided they hate some of the competitors and behave disgracefully towards them does not justify F1 fans stooping so low

            I totally agree, even if undesirable behaviour infects other sports, why should that make it ok in F1? Racist abuse seems endemic in some football leagues, would that mean we would be indifferent to it if it started to emerge in motorsport?

            One of the many things I love about cricket is the tradition of applauding significant achievements by the opposing team, such as when a batsman scores a century. I had the privilege last year of being at the Adelaide Oval when Sachin Tendulkar played what was expected to be his final innings at the ground. Although dismissed for a modest score, and despite the many years of misery that he had inflicted on Australian teams, every person at the ground stood and applauded as he walked off the ground. It was an experience I’ll always remember, and for the right reasons.

            Being a passionate supporter of a team or sportsman doesn’t mean you can’t respect the achievements of your opponents. You can love Ferrari, or McLaren, or Mercedes without carrying on like a 3 year old just because your favourite team or driver loses to someone else who was better on the day.

          2. The question is are F1 fans really better than fans of other sports? People like to think so, but after Sunday that does not seem to be the case. Its easy to say that people should applaud all great achievements, but in the heat of the moment people are flooded with multitude of emotions. Racist comments are completely unacceptable, but is booing really that bad? All the fans at the track are doing is voicing the frustration and anger, and as long as they are not demeaning, hostile, or violent I am ok with that. What I don’t want are fans being told who they can and can’t cheer for.

            After Sunday I am a Vettel fan and this young man is flat out one of the greatest to sit in a grand prix car. I just think its a bit much to think that F1 fans are better than fans.

  5. Massa takes one! The problem, or not if you are Ferrari fan, is that Massa is always taking one!

    I sometimes believe that Ferrari keep him just because he always willing to take one , and it made me sad because I really like Massa but I see his fighting spirit does no longer exist.

    And that´s a great tweet @keithcollantine

    1. And I’m sure he’s laughing all the way to the bank…

      1. Good Point. It is not like he has a gun at his head to drive for Ferrari year after year. Don’t like it, leave it.

    2. Don´t get me wrong I like Massa, but I do believe that he has some fault by not drawing a line in the sand.

      1. I like Massa too, but he’s become too complacent and I think his performance shows that he really cannot afford to draw a line in the sand or he probably would have been sacked years ago.

  6. There is a saying we have here in the USA, and judging by comments here and elsewhere you don’t have it in Europe.

    “Cheering or Booing as long as they care enough to make noise you are doing something right, it’s when they make no noise that you have to worry.”

    1. Spot on @fisha695. In sports and arts, you need to care to love, you need to care to hate.

  7. Seb doesn’t care about the booing and neither should we, if some are thick headed enough not appreciate a person being good at their job it’s their problem.
    Also I hate how reporters keep asking him about it and shoving it down his throat, as if their expecting him to break down on camera or something.
    Anyway, I think it’s time we moved on from this subject.

    1. Or maybe the reporters are hoping that Vettel will accept the “anti-hero” roll and play into the boos, sort of like what Kyle Busch does in NASCAR. When people boo him he puts his hand to his ear like he’s having a hard time hearing them, basically enjoys and plays up the fact that he’s hated/disliked by the majority of the fans.

      1. I understand what you’re saying — but I think the fact that anyone could even entertain the notion of Vettel somehow filling a Kyle Busch-like role in F1 is indicative of how comparatively civil and polite F1 is in relation to NASCAR!

        1. Hi, I’m on an F1 site… What is this NASCAR you speak of? :p

      2. If Vettel becomes the Kyle Busch of F1, then I hope Juan Pablo Montoya comes back so he can be the Juan Pablo Montoya of F1.

        1. I miss JP Montoya and Villeneuve :)

      3. @fisha695
        Didn’t he do that at the post-race concert in Silverstone?

  8. OmarR-Pepper (@)
    9th September 2013, 1:30

    I commented on Saturday that I knew that would happen, cause Vettel would win (of course I said it as support for my fav driver), but when it happens in Italy people will say “because they are Ferrari fans” and when it happens in England people will say “because they prefer Hamilton”, but when it happened in Canada? There isn’t even a Canadian team or driver, and if somebody wants to sell me the idea that they boo Vettel for the lingering memory of Gilles in a Ferrari, they are just disrespecting what Gilles did in and for F1.

    1. I do believe that the booing will continue, even when IMHO he hasn´t done anything to deserve it, as Keith tweet, I just hope that Vettel keep delivering great results as a way to show them.

      Or I want him to do what Raúl Blanco did in the Camp Nou ):)
      https://www. you tube. com/watch?v= MNc7QaPtaUc

      1. He has done everything to deserve booing. He is successful and as such he will incur the wrath of fans not matter what their preferences. Alonso fan? Your going to hate Vettel. Same for Kimi, Hamilton, Button, Massa, And Webber fans…. Would you like me to continue? I can name 14 drivers some people would rather see win. Not to mention 10 other constructors that have fans as well.

        1. I can’t find enough words to tell you how wrong that statement is.
          Why would anyone “hate” a driver they are not rooting for, unless you’re 12 and believe all the good-guy/bad-guy bull from the rainbow press?
          I don’t like to see him winning every race either, but it’s a matter of showing respect for someone’s achievements.

          1. Hate is obviously a strong word and a bit extreme in this case, but are you going to tell me that there isn’t displeasure when your driver/team doesn’t do well? Vetttel’s achievements speak for themselves, but how can you can see the forest from the trees. We are watching greatness and for some its hard to realize.

        2. By that (ridiculous) logic, every driver who wins a race will be booed, because there will always be fans of other teams disappointed that their favourite didn’t win.

          Vettel didn’t get booed when he won in Monza in ’08.

          As I’ve said before – if you don’t think that success is something which should be applauded, you have no business calling yourself a sports fan.

          1. I’m not saying I agree with it, but your expectations of people is slightly skewed. Just because you are able to put aside your loyalties and applaud the winner doesn’t mean that everyone else can or will.

        3. @rybo I said he did nothing to deserve the booing IN MY OPINION.

    2. @omarr-pepper He is just unpopular in those parts of the world mate, at least for now . Personally ,I don’t think booing someone is anything close to decent even though I don’t like Vettel . However it’s not something that is to be worried about too much . If you , as a fan , have class enough not to boo , then you must surely have class enough not to kick up a lot of fuss about it .

      1. OmarR-Pepper (@)
        9th September 2013, 4:58

        @hamilfan Oh! thanks, actually it’s good advice. Period

      2. I had class enough not to shout racist things at Hamilton in Barcelona. But you can damn sure believe I make a fuss about it, if I see it happen.
        Admittedly, it’s not exactly the same, but people apparently do think it’s a bad thing to happen in Formula 1.

    3. I was in São Paulo back in 2009. Seb won the race, half cheered and the other half booed, basically for fun. I recall that Alonso was booed too (it was the year of “Fernando is faster than you”).

      1. Then it was 2010 :P

        1. Yes. 2010 @celeste.

          Thanks.

      2. @jcost Hate to generalize, but speaking of my own people as a Brazillian, there are quite a few of us who simply don’t know the meaning of being respectable. Remember the booing competitors at the 2007 Pan-American Games got simply because they were beating Brazilian athletes? Booing forgein athletes here is a sport of its own…

        1. @guilherme I think in most sports athletes get boo’ed during the game and in the end, in some cases, those who did boo eventually applaud. I’ve seen this in footbal and basketball games but in Formula 1 the driver is boo’ed while standing on the podium, maybe because it’s the only place he can properly hear the boos, I don’t know.

          If you boo during the game but in the end you’re fair enough to acknowledge defeat and honor the victor, it’s ok. Otherwise, it’s plain stupid.

    4. The “booing-gate” is getting interesting more than ever now. I don’t know from where you get the imagination to tell this story about Gilles Villeneuve no one will do such a thing “for the lingering memory of Gilles in a Ferrari”. Gilles has his place in the hearts of all motor sport fans just like Ayrton Senna
      Just for your knowledge outside of Italy, Canada boasts the sixth largest Italian population Ferrari fans has been there from the days of Gilles Villeneuve, just look at this fans festival when Jean Alesi won back in 1995, (i don’t know if you were following F1 at that time)
      I don’t know if you have noticed that or not but the majority of F1 fans (i’m talking about those who usually go to GP) are Ferrari fans, in every GP with the exception of Silverstone the majority of the Fans are wearing red caps that’s maybe a logical explanation for you

      1. Gilles was a good sport and would have thought booing anybody was classless. Well, maybe booing Peroni…

    5. I believe that ultimately people are booing not because they hate a certain driver (in this case Vettel). It’s because the championship becomes dull if everything is won by the same team and driver (especially several years in a row). Seb is the face of the team, so the fans express it to him out of frustration (hence Canada, and not only UK and Italy). If he were to move to Ferrari next year and deliver close racing with championship going to the last corner, do you really think tifosi will boo him? No. He’s clearly not an outright evil bad-guy of the sport. So it’s the lack of competition that’s being booed (clearly represented), and not specific personality.

    6. I think it’s just people these days. Back in the day maybe just some drunks.
      “We can’t have a party — well, so can’t you! Booo!”.

      Obviously, respectless behaviour is kind of accepted these days. People are slowly starting to reflect the attitudes in real life, they once only dared to use on internet forums…

      Sigh, I guess I’m getting old.

  9. Frankly, I’m happy they gave Bahrain a night race. I have a feeling the focus in every discussion with the promoters was on finding a way to give the GP there a “special status”. That’s why we had rumours about it taking Melbourne’s place in the calendar and so on, because the regime there probably needs it to be as big of an event as possible in order to get as much positive exposure off the back of it as possible.

    Anyway, since Bernie thinks Bahrain HAS to stay in the calendar for some reason, then if turning it into a night drive is the price to pay in order to keep it from being the season opener, I’ll take that.

    I don’t see how this will make the GP less of a joke though…

  10. OmarR-Pepper (@)
    9th September 2013, 2:31

    Pros and cons about Whitsmarsh speech:
    PRO: They are a team born to stay
    CON: 182 wins for both, but McLaren is not doing what it takes to get the 183rd, not even close this year.

    But as motivation I guess it’s the right thing to say

  11. “Listen, we have Raikkonen, Hulkenberg, [Paul] Di Resta. I have seen so many names [in the media],” Di Montezemolo told BBC Sport in an exclusive interview with F1 chief analyst Eddie Jordan.

    Please no, not DiBesta…

  12. I think most of us who are ardent fans of Vettel and even those who aren’t (me) can learn something from him . He handled it extremely well yesterday . So why kick up a huge fuss about the quality of fans , the quality of their education . Let us all look at ourselves and enjoy the racing . We have a saying of our own . ” Do your thing and the results will take care of themselves ” . I think Vettel seems to be doing that and so should we.

    1. @hamilfan It was really difficult for me to enjoy the podium ceremony yesterday…Boos and jeers have a jarring effect on the ears..

      1. I’m really not a big fan of Vettel to be honest but i was very uncomfortable with the booing yesterday. He drove brilliantly all weekend – I take my hat off to you sir and the way in which you reacted to the haters. That was class.

    2. I’m not a Vettel fan but I’m glad he’s dealing with it as he is.
      People saying that Vettel getting boo’ed is because of his disobeying the Multi21 order but lets be honest…
      He and Red Bull have dominated the championships in the last 4 years (assuming they win again this year) and the ‘show’ is becoming a little dull. I boo at the telly when Vettel wins, not because he’s won but because Hamilton hasn’t.

      Vettel was on Top Gear last year and he seems pretty down to earth, he’s funny and he’s just enjoying himself. No one would be negative if this was their own driver dominating – If Hamilton and McLaren and now Mercedes were in Red Bull’s shoes – I’d be over the moon but there’d be 21 other fan bases who weren’t. Likewise if it was Alonso stomping to victory all the time. Put Vettel in a Ferrari and get him the same result as Monza and the Tifosi will be going mental

      Yes – booing is wrong and if Vettel suddenly gets all depressed and upset about it then it’s definitely wrong but Red Bull know they’ve turned up as the new guys, put a few years effort in and now they are sending the ‘establishment’ home empty handed and fair play to them. I don’t like it any more than the rest of you but there’s always next year…

  13. I can’t agree more with the COTD, I dislike the booing enormously, it has no place in F1. The standard of F1 fans is slipping to football levels and that is incredibly sad. You could (and I will) argue that this is a sad side effect of the sport trying to broaden its appeal to more and more casual viewers. Having watched the race in Abu Dhabi over the last 2 years, where the bulk of the crowd are first time F1 viewers with little or no F1 knowledge, I have witnessed this first hand. Cheering when drivers retire or crash, booing drivers they don’t like…it is appalling. Historically F1 fans have been better than this. F1 has never been like football, F1 fans are generally willing to give a team or driver that is dominating the sport their due, regardless of their personal preferences as to who they would like to win. We may have a reputation for being geeky anoraks, but we are sporting and respectful.

    I don’t like Vettel much and I don’t like it when one team or driver dominates the sport for too long, but Vettel and Red Bull have to be given their due. They are doing the best job possible and are setting a benchmark that is proving to be unmatchable, that has to be respected even if you don’t particularly like it.

    1. “Cheering when other drivers retire”

      -Who cares!? You are supposed to cheer when your rival team’s car retires because they score no points!
      It’s fun & exciting & is exactly what you wanted to happen anyway.

      The way some people, are in my opinion, being uptight nannies about the booing makes me think that we should start giving out awards or points to:
      -Most improved driver
      -Hardest effort during the race & stuff times

      ?

      lol

    2. I agree on the booing, but disagree on the cheering for retirements. One is obviously showing dislike and a lack of character whereas a bit of cheering when a rival breaks down, no where near on the same scale.

      Now, if you were talking about cheering a major crash or something then sure, I could understand it, but being happy your favourite drivers rival breaks down or has car failure or even a slight crash (i.e. oversteered into the gravel/wall but obviously uninjured) is in my opinion at least, perfectly acceptable.

  14. This booing stems from Malaysia where Vettel showed no respect. The fans are just as bad but to say its because of the winning and nothing else is simply not correct. As I’ve said, he’s made his bed so now he will have to lie in it (until he moves to Ferrari!)

    1. If it stems from Malaysia, then it’s a shame that people seem to have a memory-span just about the length they want to have. It’s a nice excuse to show frustration about somebody who wins, that people do not favour. Or in other words, utterly low human behavior.

    2. @john-h I don’t recall Webber being booed when he ignored team orders. This notion that the booing is down the multi21 is nonsense – there’s been a growing anti-Vettel sentiment for the past couple of years, I think since 2011 and his dominant performance there, and it’s simply an excuse for people to mention it. It’s a stupid, hypocritical double standard – the pathetic tendency to criticise everything done by a person you don’t like, even though you might praise exactly the same behaviour in someone else. It’s a sad day when an inferior driver like Webber is cheered and applauded while his much more successful teammate is booed, for the specific reason that one is successful and the other is not. We seem to live in a weird, inverted age, where inadequacy and failure is applauded and success is derided. What happened!?

      1. ” I don’t recall Webber being booed when he ignored team orders”

        Because people vividly remember his front wing being ripped off his car and put on Vettels when they had no spares. Thats where all RB’s problems come from. They have noone to blame but themselves. As it turns out, Webber still won with the old wing, which showed the new wing wasnt all that much of an improvement, and only served to show how Redbull felt about their drivers long before the title was being decided.

      2. Sorry, I disagree @mazdachris . The constant winning hasn’t helped, but it was the dishonest interview after the Malaysia race where the booing problems were triggered – it brought back memories of Monaco 2006. Rightly or wrongly, Vettel could have avoided this by just saying he decided to disobey team orders, but he didn’t and so this is the consequence.

        I’m not saying the booing is correct, far from it – it should be derided and kicked out as Keith says, but at the same time I hope we also get some sportsmanship back into F1 – not stabbing your team mate in the back.

        It’s not the winning, but how you do it that will win you fans in the long term.

        1. I get what you’re saying (by the way don’t worry, I think we can have a discussion about why people are doing something without having to point out that we don’t agree with it) – but again I think it’s a bit of selective interpretation on the part of the booers if that’s the case. It totally disregards the press conference the following week where he said, in no uncertain terms, that he had judged that Webber didn’t deserve to be gifted a win, so he disobeyed orders and took the win he felt was his to take.

          There are countless examples of drivers going on record and saying things we know are blatantly untrue, especially when it comes to team orders. There’s a bizarre reluctance to accept that team orders are a factor in the sport – even though they’re now absolutely fine in the eyes of the rulemakers, teams still try to cover up their use by creating elaborate codes or telling one driver that the other is faster, and so on. Given that culture, and given the fact that at the point where Vettel denied understanding that a team order had been given, he was still facing potentially unknown consequences from the team, I think it’s only natural that Vettel wasn’t totally honest when he was speaking to the press. And let’s face it, other drivers have done much much worse. Look at Hamilton and the infamous lie-gate, and yet I don’t think he was booed at all (except for his treatment in Spain and Italy, both of which are for reasons well documented). The point really is that whether or not the booers put their booing down to the multi21 debacle, the fact is that Vettel is being extremely harshly judged for doing, essentially, the same things that all drivers do. There’s got to be something deeper there. Maybe it’s more to do with an underlying desire to turn everything into a simple narrative, with heroes and villains, and to view everything as black and white, fuelled by a media which does exactly this in order to generate attention.

          But whatever the reason, it doesn’t sit well with me. Vettel has done nothing wrong. Certainly nothing appreciably worse than the things that other drivers are routinely excused for. And so he absolutely does not deserve to be vilified and hounded by spectators at the track. By all means I appreciate passionate and enthusiastic fans, but I can’t get myself into the mindset of someone who feels that success is an inherently negative thing.

    3. Even though Vettel’s behaviour in Malaysia increased my respect for him (do we really need more Massas on the grid?), I understand that not everyone sees it the same way. But that’s not the point. It’s not about the fact that people express their dissatisfaction with a driver’s actions or behaviour. It’s about the way they do it.

      No one will call you a bully just because you say “I don’t like Vettel, he should have obeyed the team orders in Malaysia.” But if you use every opportunity to bash Vettel (or any other driver), call him names or boo him, then you’re not a true F1 fan imho.

      Unfortunately many F1 fans simply cannot behave now and then. That’s one of the thorns in our beautiful F1 garden that we should get rid of.

      1. I agree with your sentiments @girts . I guess I’m just offering a reason as to why and that it’s no surprise to me that the booing exists. I think its unfortunate, but Vettel could have avoided this by simply being honest at the press conference after Malaysia, but he wasn’t.

        Jut for the record I would never boo Vettel!

  15. Abdurahman (@)
    9th September 2013, 7:38

    It’s more up to the people who don’t like the booing to just deal with it. What are you going to do about it huh?
    Change the emotion and logic of a mass of 100,000 people?

    Vettel might go down as one of the most un popular champions if it continues and that is dissapointing, but it is what it is.

    1. Being happy when your favourite team and driver wins is emotion.
      Being sad when they lose is emotion, too.
      Booing at the guy who won, after driving a perfect race is disrespectful and has nothing to do with logic. I just wish people would stop using this ludicrous excuse for the people who act like a bunch of drunk football fans at an F1 race. It’s disgusting and people don’t like it. So maybe you have to get over that as well.

    2. @abdurahman

      What are you going to do about it huh?

      Bullying is disgusting and it should always be pointed out and condemned. If I didn’t do that, I would lose respect for myself.

      And if as many as one person who might have joined in the braying mob reads what I write and has cause to reconsider their views, that doubles the justification as far as I’m concerned.

      act like a bunch of drunk football fans

      Here in the UK they limited the ability for football fans to get drunk by restricting the sale of alcohol in football clubs during games, so bad had their behaviour become.

      Do you want to see F1 degenerate to the same point? I don’t. That’s why this sort of pathetic behaviour has to be condemned – because this is where it leads if it goes unchecked.

      1. Bullying is disgusting

        …but this is no bullying. Or do you imply that Vettel is a weak and defenseless victim whose life is made hell by those spectators? Somehow I can’t see that.

        Equating a hugely successful, hugely rich (and hence powerful) top sportsman with the little boy beaten up in school on a daily basis is actually disrespectful towards any real victim of bullying.

        Even though I wouldn’t boo Vettel, I can understand those who cannot check their (negative) emotions towards him.

        His career path (i.e. inordinate success against an absolutely top notch field) is ruining the enjoyment of Formula 1 for many people.

        It means that although he’s doing a stellar job in a great car (sure no one can fault him for that), in a way he is ‘taking something away’ from a lot of fans.

        This something is the notion that if you have a sport with a fantastically high quality of competitors, that sport will give you a bit more (in terms of excitement) than one guy running away with it again and again and again; while the others are left with hoping for miracles by the two-thirds of the championship.

        This is not an indictment of Vettel or Newey or Red Bull; this is ultimately an indictment of the sport itself. However, because fans have a strong attachment to the sport, they will understandably shift the blame away from it and find the scapegoat in Vettel.

        1. It’s not Vettel’s success that is spoiling F1, it’s everyone else’s failure to adequately compete with him. Booing, by nature, surely is aimed at the person doing something wrong. It’s a curious inversion then to boo the person who is achieving the single objective set by every single F1 team – winning. The ones doing something wrong are those who are failing. Why not boo Webber for his almost complete inability to match his teammate? Why not boo Ferrari for building poor cars?

          If the lack of competition is spoiling your enjoyment of F1, then blame the ones who are failing to compete. It’s not down to Vettel or Red Bull to slow themselves down to give everyone else a chance.

          1. @mazdachris my sentiment exactly.

          2. Well, obviously a lot of fans must be sick and tired of the seemingly never-ending impotence of Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes to fight back; and also of reading the 100th news piece about a frustrated Alonso or Hamilton mouthing BS, spouting threadbare pep talk or expressing empty hopes (like Alonso in this roundup).

            So far, I do agree with your reasoning.

            However, this impotence is in very large degree due to those teams being unable to design truly competitive cars for years now.

            The pilots themselves driving those cars could be considered more like victims of this impotence, not the cause. (Especially because we are talking about world champions, not some safe pairs of hands or unproven young hopefuls).

            So then, how could a fan express his dissatisfaction with Team Ferrari or Team McLaren during a race or a podium ceremony? Boo the driver who still tries to do his best with inadequate machinery?

            On the other hand, booing the guy who “ruins” the fun by being so dominant may not be decent, but it’s still the only way for fans to vent their frustration then and there.

            I would even say that any honest person working for Ferrari or McLaren should know that the booing is ultimately aimed at them, as it simply wouldn’t occur were they doing their jobs properly.

    3. I will applaud anyone who gets out there, stands up and tries to break the mob spirit. We see far to little of that, and its dangerous.

      I wonder how many of those people booing feel ashamed of themselves as well, and maybe they even wonder why they did it the next morning, after the great feeling of being part of the crowd wears off @abdurahman.

      As @keithcollantine rightly points out this kind of “fandom” hurts a sport, makes it less fun, and even dangerous. It brings out the worst sides of humanity.

  16. I wonder what Al Zayani means when he says the Sakhir circuit will undergo a range of upgrades in addition to the lighting. I assume they are just going to re-surface the circuit and maybe refurbish the facilities, but I wonder if they are considering using the short circuit. Last time they commemorated an anniversary was in 2010, celebrating the sixtieth anniversay of the World Championship, and they made the baffling decision to use the unpopular long layout. I wonder if they will go in the opposite direction and use the short perimeter circuit.

  17. As long as people keep booing Vettel I hope he keeps giving them exactly the result they want least. They aren’t fans, they’re haters

    The first part is OK, that’s your opinion and i respect it but the second part is completely unfair to the fans because i strongly doubt that you have the ability to judge hundreds of thousands of people the way you did.

    1. @tifoso1989

      the second part is completely unfair to the fans

      ‘Fans’ is a misnomer when applied to people who have gone to a race to jeer and boo and someone they’ve decided to hate. Hence ‘haters’.

      1. @keithcollantine
        I’m just wondering why you didn’t qualify the “British fans” as “haters” when they booed Vettel in the British GP ???

        1. @tifoso1989 I never said I didn’t.

        2. Just look a few races back and see what Keith wrote about the booing in Silverstone and in Canada @tifoso1989, he made it clear enough that he thought it distatefull and unsporting

      2. @keithcollantine I’m ready to wage a my ticket to next yrs Melbourne GP that these people you accuse did not just go to the race to jeer and boo. People are allowed to display passion for whatever they follow, positive or negative. Unfortunately this situation has happened so many times now, its become a standard when Vettel wins. While it’s not something I’m fond of either, ‘haters’ as you call them are a part of society. A society without opinions would be very bland.

      3. This is a bit over the top isn’t it? Most people that booed probably just followed the crowd. Same at Silverstone – I don’t think all the people that booed ‘hated’ (a very strong term) Vettel – surely not?

      4. Since when does Booing mean that they hate him? I hate to play this card but as an American I just look at all these posts from mainly Europeans about how bad they think booing is and it just seems IDK.., I don’t mean this in an offensive way but “sissy-ish” like “oh my gosh don’t hurt their feelings by booing, they’re not man enough to accept that not everybody in the world is absolutely in love with them you’re going to destroy their fragile coddled egos”.

        Booing a driver is no different then a person going to see a movie and then being like “meh I didn’t think it was that good” or going to a restaurant and ordering the house special and then being like “I wish it had a little less salt or some more beef”. You’re not saying that you think the people who slaved away to make the movie deserve to be executed because you feel it was only a 3-star movie instead of a 5-star movie or that you hope the chefs’ gas oven blows-up on him, no you’re simply saying you’re not pleased with the outcome which is beyond OK to say.

  18. Can the Bahrain race not be run under floodlights? So, y’know, we don’t have to watch it…

    1. @ajokay
      Maybe you could have a word with the police about the guy that comes to your house and puts a gun to your head to force you to watch the race?

    2. precise’ment’ he he . In a humorous world , this would be the COTD ;)

  19. Disagree with @keithcollantine and everyone else who make a fuss every time Vettel gets booed. Happens all the time in team sports as football(I’m a football fan as well), for example. We’re the paying public and we can boo or cheer whomever we like. As long as it’s not racism/xseism etc.

    I actually quite like Vettel’s mature reactions to this. Much more mature than for example, the most hated footballer in the world(C. Ronaldo) who gets into altercations with fans many times. Seb’s doing a good job, he’s dominating and if he gets booed everywhere it only means he’s doing something right. Then again, he’s also doing something wrong. To compare with football again, Leo Messi, despite being every inch as dominant as Ronaldo rarely gets booed outside of Madrid…

    But that’s beside the point. As I said Vettel’s reactions to this are mostly mature. Some Vettel fans though react to it,as though they’re 1st graders in the first week of school “Mommy, these bad boys say bad things about that boy weeeeeeeee”. Hardly a surprise. These are the same people to whom Vettel is minimum a demi-god who can do no wrong, so logically booing him(as opposed to a million other sportsmen in the world) is an act of sacrilege

    1. I didn’t think there were any Vettel fans, I thought people just tolerated him boring them to death.

    2. @montreal95 Actually his long speeches are those that irritate me . He goes on and on and on about his victories,”obviously” .

      I may not be too harsh on the vettel fans as you have been here, but I am not going to change my opinion of his attitude.

      However , rest assured, I won’t boo anybody.

      As you point out, it is basically more a reaction of venting out emotions after another failed attempt by Ferrari than genuine malice towards Vettel . On this occasion , Vettel dealt with it admirably .

      1. @hamilfan Why wouldn’t you boo anybody? As a football fan who visits the games frequently I happen to do a lot of booing. It’s the nature of a sporting rivalry. If you’re an Arsenal fan you would boo Tottenham no matter what and vice versa. Yes the fans of each team’s “hate” the opposite team, but that’s the nature of the rivalry and the height of the emotions involved. that doesn’t mean you hate a Tottenham player/Vettel etc. personally. And contrary to what @keithcollantine believes, I don’t believe they came to Monza to hate Vettel. They came to cheer for Ferrari, Ferrari hadn’t won, Vettel did. They don’t like that and they don’t like him so they boo. They have every right to do so. Vettel took it on the chin so good for him.

        Certain people seem to forget that the fans are the foundation on which F1 stands. Without them there would be no F1. Like it or not, these people paid a lot of money to be there and they can express their like or dislike for a driver. Again, not the racist type, etc. but booing is not racism

        1. @montreal95 I am extremely disappointed and crestfallen that my favorite driver has not won . But still , I congratulate the guy who won fairly and move on . If I am very frustrated , then I simply don’t say anything at all . I guess , it is nature that people react differently , but I think we should not practice essay writing for these silly things and take a cue from Vettel and move on .

          Having seen so many comments I had to do this at one point to reaffirm my beliefs
          boo: definition – a sound produced to indicate contempt, scorn or disapproval of something.

          @keithcollantine While on the one hand , it is extremely impolite and even ill mannered to boo , you cannot call people who boo thugs . They are very different things . You can at best call the tifosi a ” brash crowd ” of sorts . Anyhow I doubt anyone is going to change perception over this issue . If you are so very civil , the best way to set the example would be to do a “vettel” at Monza .

          On the other hand if you start saying things like ” RBR is here to win ! vettel is here to dominate !! ” you will typically get responses like ” the crowd are there to boo ” .

          I don’t think we can influence a thousand people to do things differently by posting on twitter or by instigating arguments . The better way would be to react to the circumstance and let things take its own course . That is my perception .

    3. @montreal95 It’s a shame how eager some people are to stand up for their ‘right’ to pick on someone. I can think of nobler causes.

      You seem to think only whose who worship Vettel could object to him being jeered at. The Comment of the Day shows that is not the case.

      As far as I’m concerned, it’s nothing more than a matter of civility. It’s pathetic to see people behave in this way. I think it reflects poorly on F1 and on the many real fans who wouldn’t stoop so low.

      Vettel deserves praise for how he’s handled it. But he shouldn’t have to, and those who subject him to it deserve only contempt.

      1. @keithcollantine
        Again it’s completely normal to react in this way. Happens all the time including in F1(Remember the video from 1990 at Monza when Senna retired and the boos were much more thunderous than those for Vettel? He still has some way to go :) )

        Like it or not, that’s the nature of competitive sports fans. You can’t deny it. When you’re a passionate fan of your team/driver etc. you not only love your team you “hate” the rival team as well especially if that’s an intense rivalry. That’s the stuff from which sports legends are made: Lakers Vs Celtics, Rangers vs Celtic, Boca Juniors Vs River Plate. I can continue until my arms are numb and I can no longer type. If you want to watch only polite claps regardless of how the public feels of its favourite’s opponent you can go watch snooker, not Italian GP at Monza with the tifosi

        What you name civility I name elitism, and it’s one of the things I hate the most about F1(yes I said the H-word and I’m not sorry about it!). I also have another name for it: hypocrisy. If you clap your hands for a driver who you’d just minutes beforehand wanted to break down his car and retire, you’re nothing but a hypocrite. Bad name for F1? You mean, having an elitist image of sport with PR computers as drivers and Ronspeak and unfathomably complicated rules and an overall impression of a soulless enterprise for rich guys is good for F1?

        Last time: sporting “hate” is a normal thing. It’s nothing personal. It only becomes personal when it goes the racist way since race has nothing to do with sport

        1. @montreal95

          that’s the nature of competitive sports fans

          No, it’s the mindless behaviour of thugs. Plenty of others are able to enjoy sport and express their support without feeling the need to jeer at the competitors. That much is clear from the comments here and on other articles. That Tweet from yesterday is the single most popular one I’ve ever sent (from over 40,000) – clearly there are plenty of other people who share its sentiment.

          What you name civility I name elitism

          Then you are mis-defining “elitism” because it has nothing to do with this.

          I also have another name for it: hypocrisy. If you clap your hands for a driver who you’d just minutes beforehand wanted to break down his car and retire, you’re nothing but a hypocrite.

          An obvious straw man argument; of course I’m not saying people should behave that way.

          “hate” is a normal thing. It’s nothing personal

          That is obviously false. We are talking about a group of people singling out an individual for abuse. It is by definition “personal”. The jeering Vettel gets is directed personally at him.

          Your response exemplifies some of the most worrying aspects about the abuse Vettel is getting. The people doing it are bullies. Those who defend them by saying it’s “normal” to jeer at people legitimise their actions, validate their behaviour and encourage them to do worse.

          From there on it is a downward spiral. Where it ends, I don’t know, but seeing as you’ve singled out the vile sectarian loathing between Rangers and Celtic supporters as something F1 should aspire to (an appalling suggestion), we can look to the worst excesses of football fans for examples. And perhaps one day F1 spectators will have to be treated the same way, segregated by tribe and forbidden to buy alcohol at race tracks because they can’t be trusted not to attack each other like animals.

          This is why those who think they’re right to boo someone just because he’s won a race, or are kidding themselves that they’re not personally attacking him when they do, need to be reminded like infants in a playground that it’s not right to pick on people, whatever the context, whatever the excuse.

        2. That’s the stuff from which sports legends are made

          Yeah, right. Like Heysel.

  20. Was there booing at the end of the Italian Grand Prix? Sorry I never heard it. If Herr Vettel wins I always mute the sound on the TV, so I don’t have to listen to the childlike squeals of delight on the car to pit radio. The sound then usually stays off until the end of the programme. I don’t like Vettel. He may feel that his after race celebrations are OK but, for some reason, I find his raised index finger offensive in the extreme. I also find his petulance, when he doesn’t win, very much like that of a spoilt child. A World Champion should behave with the dignity of a true master. He should not continue to act as though he has been set free in the sweet shop with unlimited funds.

    1. Yeah if there’s one thing I can’t stand in sport, it’s when people get excited when they win. I mean, come on. What we really want to see is a winner reacting with a dignified, expressionless deadpan. Like a Victorian Gentleman learning that his wife has died during childbirth. That’s what’s definitely going to improve the sport – champions who couldn’t care less when they win.

      1. lol +1 Mazda Chris

      2. Like a Victorian Gentleman learning that his wife has died during childbirth.

        Hmm, that might be a bit too dramatic, as well — too many emotions churning beneath the surface. I think it should be more like the way a professional accountant reacts to having just successfully filed a client’s tax return. (For a guide, see K. Raikkonen.)

        1. ahahahah!

          My god let people live! The Booing & cheering from your favorite or most hated driver is part of the fun.

          Let racers enjoy their victory, they aren’t having dinner at a Charity event or Christmas ball/black tie affair.

        2. “Thank you team, another 25 points on the board. Now let us get the podium over with and we can go for the next one”

    2. There was someone else pointing out how sport is all about “emotion” and celebrating and whatnot. Hence the booing is okay. Now you say Vettel should stay quiet in the car after a victory.

      I love where this is going. People don’t like his finger, his helmets, his interviews, his hair… People feel entitled to hate him and use every single excuse to do so, except for being butthurt about him winning so much.

  21. I guess it’ll be easier to see the petrol bombs in the dark.

  22. Good on you Bahrain for being like Qatar for MotoGP and I like when there are night races. I wonder what is going to happen to Channel Ten and One now with the broadcasting next year. Did Bernie really know about F1 calendar or is he being sarcastic about it when Martin interviewed him

  23. Raikkonen would be good for Ferrari. He is apolitical. He will push Alonso. He will take points off Vettel by finishing between the German and Alonso, which Massa almost never does. His results will motivate Ferrari employees. He will be ready to play number two if he is out of title contention himself, like he did at the end of 2008. After all, Alonso-Massa pairing haven’t won any titles for the team so it only makes sense to try something else.

    For sure, there are arguments against signing him, too. He will take points off Alonso now and then. Alonso might prefer Massa. The past tensions between Raikkonen and the team might be gone but not forgotten.

    That said, I believe that the pros outweigh the cons in this case.

  24. The haters comment is very right I don’t think people all over the world boo him just because of his cynic episodes I think it’s just because they are envy of his success. Schumi was every bit as cynic as Vettel and he wasn’t as hated.

  25. Vettel has partly brought the booing on himself, multi-21 aside, Vettel was already unpopular. The “Mark is too slow” “TRY SOMETHING THEN” “HE LEFT ME NO ROOM” comments show his unpleasant side, certainly while racing. While the obvious favouritism of Red Bull, in comparison to his popular team mate make him look spoilt, and that his advantage is unfair. This coupled with his chirpy outside car character makes him look pretty two faced. The fact he doesn’t have twitter is obviously his choice, but he’s the only driver without it, means he has zero fan interaction, unlike Alonso, making him far less popular than Nando. This coupled with the fact that almost all of his wins are boring Vettel-fests means fans associate him him with a dull race for victory . The finger is probably the worst thing, on the Canada podium, both AlO and HAM waved for the photo and Vettel just did the finger! So big headed! Booing is nothing new, Lewis was booed last year at Monza, that’s what Monza’s like! Fans need a bad guy, and domination will never be popular, so people need to get off their high horse and see what normal fans see: Same guy wins all the time, cold, quite rude, and on a personal level, unknown to them. Vettel is a pantomime bad guy.

    1. @jmc200

      The “Mark is too slow” “TRY SOMETHING THEN” “HE LEFT ME NO ROOM” comments show his unpleasant side, certainly while racing.

      Yeah, people love digging stuff like that up, then worship somone like Button, who is similarly, a nice guy out of the car, but as emotional as anyone, what with his calling Kobayashi an “idi0t”, or complaining about the grip/balance.strategy, or Perez racing him, or shouting “what was he doing”, when he moves across Hamilton trying to pass him.

      While the obvious favouritism of Red Bull, in comparison to his popular team mate make him look spoilt, and that his advantage is unfair.

      Again, people seem to have an issue with this, then have no problem when it happens elsewhere. Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso are favoured over their teammates. Like Vettel, they earned thatstatus by consisitently beating their teammates.

      The finger is probably the worst thing, on the Canada podium, both AlO and HAM waved for the photo and Vettel just did the finger! So big headed!

      I doubt he doesn’t wave for photos, and he did just win the race, on merit, fairly, and thrashing the field again.

      1. And to clarify, I’m not trying to have a go at Button, or diminish his character. Just pointing out how easy it is for drivers to lose their cool in the heat of the moment, no matter how likeable they may be out of the car.

    2. Look at todays roundup and read the piece from DC where he mentions what Alonso (and Vettel in Malaysia) said over the radio @jmc200, and you will see that the only difference between Vettel/Alonso demanding or Button “whining” on the radio and earlier drivers who we never heard saying things like that is just a matter of NOT getting to HEAR those radio communications because they were encrypted and team internal.
      Its nothing the drivers can help and instead of disliking it shouldn’t we rather be glad about how we can see and hear more of who these people are really?

  26. Night races are UNnatural and I for one do not like them in any venue, F1, those guys that race in circles and so on. AND nite races on street circuits are even more dislikable………… If the desert heat is the problem (I am disregarding the politics) than start in the early am into full lite of the day………… listen up Bernie, a I am getting tired of telling you about this nite racing thing!!! thanks, R

  27. Night or day race, that will change nothing to the boring layout of the track.

    1. It produced one of the few good races this season.

  28. I am starting to see things differently now about the booing. It is peoples emotions, but at the same time I am reflecting on the motorsports events I’ve been to in my life. I grew up going to motorcycle races mostly and my grandfather and father taught us to applaud EVERY competitor in the cool down lap. From first place, to the ones at the back, we stand and congratulate them ALL These guys are out there risking their lives for their thrill and competition and our entertainment and we should only applaud that.

    Hmmmm, Vettel is just so darn irritating though.
    (But loved him on Top Gear!)

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