Alonso and Vettel at odds over battle for fifth

2014 British Grand Prix

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Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel complained about each other’s driving during and after an intense fight for fifth place.

Vettel made several attempts to pass the Ferrari during which time both repeatedly claimed that the other had exceeded track limits on the circuit to gain an advantage.

The Red Bull driver also accused Alonso of leaving him too little space when the pair went side-by-side into Brooklands on more than one occasion.

“It felt very close inside [the cockpit],” Vettel told reporters afterwards. “A couple of times maybe too close.”

“Obviously got a bit silly when we both started to complain, I think, about the other car going off-track. But I don’t think the people care too much whether the car is half a metre further to the left or right at some exits of the corner.

“I knew when I got the message that I should respect the limits that he was complaining because that’s the sort of thing that he tends to do. So I decided to do the same thing. I don’t know who won in terms of keeping the list, maybe we need to ask the stewards.

“I was tight I think twice, it was a bit too harsh I think into turn six, if I don’t back out of it then we crash, because I could stay on the track and with me there he couldn’t make the corner so… yeah and the other hand you know it’s tough when your racing, it will be hard.”

Alonso, who was warned about exceeding track limits earlier in the race, complained furiously on the radio after he’d been passed by Vettel, insisting the Red Bull driver had done so because he had been able to use DRS because he had gone off the track at the final corner.

“He take the DRS thanks to the track limits in the last corner,” Alonso told race engineer Andrea Stella. “He take the DRS out of turn five and out of turn nine. What more I need to do?”

Afterwards Alonso said, “obviously there was a lot of adrenaline in the moment,” and said he had been coping with several problems in his Ferrari.

“Unfortunately we had the battle in the wrong moment of the race, probably. We had even discussed with the team two laps before the battle when Sebastian went out of the pit if we retire the car because we had some aerodynamic problems.

“The rear wing was stalling and it was causing a lot of problems in the car. We have battery problems and suddenly Sebastian arrive there and we have battery problems, stall problems and we need to save fuel in the last part of the race. So we said that will be impossible to keep him behind.

“But the laps was going on and on and he stayed behind and yeah at the end one lap before or one lap later he will overtake us anyway. The track limit was just some kind of thing to keep the team busy I think he was complaining about me, I was complaining about him, that was funny from the outside.”

2014 British Grand Prix

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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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157 comments on “Alonso and Vettel at odds over battle for fifth”

  1. This battle alone is what makes racing great, seeing 2 drivers give absolutely no quarters to each other, while putting their trust in the other driver that there won’t be any physical contact between the cars. Incredibly satisfying to watch both Alonso and Vettel duke it out over those particular laps.

    1. What makes it even better is that they started 2nd and 16th. Who would have thought the best battle of the race would be between the two cars that started in those positions. Alonso was the driver of the day as far as im concerned.

    2. if they could focus on just racing and not Moaning

      1. Exactly. It was a great duel between the 2 champs, but somewhat soured by both drivers whinging.

        1. I believe that a lot of the track boundary issues would be resolved if they just made it a cut and dry rule at all corners at all tracks: DO NOT PUT ANY part of the car over the white lines.

      2. Like you would not have said a word ? Right.. Let them race and speak out.. Does it affect you ? You not racing and risking it .. In all races ..moaning like you said is reaction to both being under extreme pressure and adrenaline.. you don’t even race quietly when you are far away from your objective and you keep struggling.. If any of you people even race to win in your lives you would understand.. Am guessing not.. because I have been racing for over 7 years.. not pro level but semi-pro and not for like 1 hr of racing but 3-6 hours of freakin cycling.. I can only say that this is what happens when frustration and tiredness gets the best of you .. when you giving everything you got.

    3. I found the radio exchanges strangely entertaining, but in a different spectrum to the racing itself. On a lot of occasions because I disagreed with Sebastian!

    4. Wholeheartedly agree! At the end of the race, this is the battle that sticks out for me, not the inevitable Merc at the front. Great wheel-to-wheel, even inter-wheel racing with neither driver giving an inch; best part of the whole race IMO.
      http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/76082000/jpg/_76082321_britishgp.jpg

  2. Stall problems on the rear wing? Did he have anything broken on it?

    Nevertheless, I have never heard of such a problem before. Can someone enlighten me please?

    1. A stall occurs when the wing is too steep, or rather, the wings angle of attack is too great. As the air comes away from the wing instead of following it. A wing relies on the air staying attached to it to create lift or in this case, down force.

      If the airflow is separated from the wing it (probably) causes a severe loss of downforce.

      As the wing also loses drag, it is the mechanic that the F-duct took advantage off, as they would purposefully stall the wing to reduce drag down the straights.

      It’s kinda scary if it’s happening to him mid-race. Because unlike the f-duct it would be uncontrollable.

    2. He could have been referring to the tail wind causing the wing to stall. It affects some cars worse than others.

  3. The Red Bull driver also accused Alonso of leaving him too little space when the pair went side-by-side into Brooklands on more than one occasion.

    I don’t think Alonso put a foot wrong there at all. Vettel was on the outside, side by side, that corner has a wide entering but a very tight exit. Vettel could only got out ahead had he been a long while ahead at midcorner, like Alonso did at Copse, or on the inside, like he did at Copse.

    1. And Alonso didn’t do anything wrong, hence no penalties and both fought on.

    2. They were side by side mid corner, Vettel probably wanted to stay alongside Alonso to have the inside for the next corner. Alonso didn’t want that, so he cut across the track to take the inside of Luffield. There’s an onboard shot from Vettel that shows it very well.

      I don’t know, I can understand Vettel’s frustration, but I don’t think it was unfair by Alonso. A bit cheeky, yes, but that’s what made this battle so thrilling.

      1. Exactly, I too can understand Vettel’s frustration with Alonso’s moves, but it wasn’t unfair or deserving a penalty.
        The complaining they both did on the radio was cringeworthy, though. Kinda funny, but I wish I could have just enjoyed the amazing racing without them trying to stop it with an intervention from Charlie Whiting.

    3. In all honesty, I did not like the complaining coming from Alonso because of the track limit because he was doing it aswell but, I do understand it because he was right, because of Vettel going off limits, he was able to gain on him enough to get a better tow using the drs so I do get that side BUT, what I loathed was Vettel´s bit**ing. THAT was pure racing, something that we have been begging for a long time now. It´s hilarious listening to him about leaving space… It seems that he has a short memory because I remember quite well when he squeezed Alonso out of curva grande a few years back… NOW Vettel knows what it is like to race against a real champion just like ALO did when he beat Schumi 2 years in a row and it just goes to show that those 2 championships Alonso won outweight those 4 he has…
      The only thing that made it easier for me to swallow him getting past ALO was the fact that ALO was on older tyres than what Vettel had. Come to think of it, it just makes ALO look even better!

      1. @karter22 One race, one overtake, a fun duel and BAM Alonso his 2 titles equal Vettel his 4 titles.

      2. NOW Vettel knows what it is like to race against a real champion

        Remind me again, who was he racing against for the the past seven years? I could have sworn there were several real champions on the grid while VET won his WDC’s.

        1. Thank you for that comment rm….people should be called out when they make dumb comments like that

        2. @rm yeah… and tell me how the 150 italia or the f2012 and f138 were so much superior than the redbull cars?? Vettel in 2011 never raced anyone since he started on pole most of the time… 2012, well that season the driver that ended up in second place of the championship was regarded by most as the true champion in a dog of a car… and although the f138 was good on the tyres at the begining… all of a sudden the tyres were no good and needed to be “fixed” and everything went down the crapper for Ferrari… so in reality 2010 to me, was the only true championship the kid won and he did so on a mistake by Ferrari… they covered the wrong bull.
          And BTW you are missing the whole point of my comment. FA was complaining about track limits which I did not like at all (and I AM AN ALONSO FAN) but Vettel complaining about the hard racing is just comedic to me… was the boy scared?? like he doesn´t squeeze everybody who gets near him (grosjean in hungary comes to mind)?? It´s so funny that he bit**ed about having to back out or else he would have hit him… I wonder if Villeneuve or Arnoux complained about their scrap. I think not. That was racing but it seems that this today was a bit too much for the fabulous 4 time WDC… Both of them bit**ed and I agree that is was terrible but bit**ing about the racing?? Are you serious?? Maybe he´s in the wrong business if he felt scared of real racing! Or maybe he got confused and thought the other car was an STR and expected him to yield.
          Sure Alonso likes to whine to Charlie but at least he´s not scared or backs out of a good fight.

          1. @karter22

            Sure Alonso likes to whine to Charlie but at least he´s not scared or backs out of a good fight.

            Complained about Rosberg’s defending at Bahrain 2012, which was ruled legal? I’m not even going to get into how much I disagree on your opinion of “true championships”, but a funny thing is when Alonso complained that time, Vettel mocked him in a press conference. Wonder if Alonso will return the favour next race weekend ;)

          2. Nathan (@il-ferrarista)
            7th July 2014, 2:24

            +1

          3. @david-a

            Vettel mocked him in a press conference. Wonder if Alonso will return the favour next race weekend ;)

            That would be funny…. I would definitely do it… but it´s like comparing apples and oranges because then, it was about leaving space… this time it´s vettel moaning about being “too close”…. which frankly… makes him look like a wimp in my opinion because Vettel likes to crowd his opponents and most yield but not ALO… he did not yield and because of that we got a great show!

      3. @karter22

        you do realize from what Vettel said, he started complaining because Alonso was complaining about him?

        If the point of fight between Alonso and Vettel, beyond the sheer fun it provided in an otherwise boring race, we could easily point out that what Vettel was doing was pure racing and Alonso got a taste of how a real champion, one who has more WDCs then he does, races, and that you can’t always be whinging to Charlie or the powers that be to keep your position, blah blah blah.

        Speaking of Curve Grande, in 2011 Alonso squeezed Vettel out onto the dirt. So I guess Vettel has raced against a “real” champion, and if I recall, he wasn’t on the radio saying “you must leave room, always you must leave room!” :)

        Both Alonso and Vettel are legitimate champions. Both fought hard and fair and both realize some of their whinging was silly (as VET) put it. It’s all good. Hopefully we can see more.

        1. Speaking of Curve Grande, in 2011 Alonso squeezed Vettel out onto the dirt

          You’re thinking of 2012, and it was Vettel that pushed Alonso off.

          1. No, he’s thinking of 2011 @raceprouk.

          2. I may be wrong, but didn’t Alonso leave at least a car’s width at all times?

          3. That was extremely debatable @raceprouk – Vettel ended up with I believe four wheels on the grass.

            The only reason he wasn’t penalised and Vettel was is because there was a subsequent clarification on track limits defending and whether Curva Grande classed as a corner or not.

        2. @vettel1
          Max, I can´t remeber precisely the year but when Alonso squeezed Vettel, he did leave a car´s width… But the next year Vettel did not leave the car´s width AND he pushed him off track… So who´s the dirtier driver??
          Alonso is a very correct driver and doesn´t intentionally put people´s life at risk. What he did at Copse today just reminded me of the move he made on Michael at the 130R… Ballsy moves!

          1. “Alonso is a very correct driver…” I love Alonso apologists; of course, the man has never done a questionable move in his racing life and is the only “real” champion (according to another post) and his tears cure cancer as well, right?
            Vettel and Alonso are great drivers and great competitors and neither one is above squeezing the other when they fight for position:
            Vettel on Alonso, Curva Grande 2011: http://f1-grandprix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/2011-f1-monza-vettel-on-alonso.jpg
            Alonso on Vettel, Curva Grande 2012: http://www.formula1.com/wi/gi/597×478/sgVN/tvimages/2012/italy/sunpic13.jpg
            I think you can see that both drivers squeezed the other, but both did leave room, if only just.

    4. There was only one instance where I thought “that was a bit cheeky”, and it was on the second occasion where Alonso quite suddenly cut across from his line to defend the position in Brooklands, in the process nearly collecting Vettel’s front wing.

      But there was nothing worth investigating.

    5. @fer-no65 I agree, Alonso’s positioning was fine there, and Vettel would have done the same in his position. He pretty much did with Hamilton at Village on the first lap.

      1. @Fer-no65 It wasn’t really ‘a bit cheeky’, Alonso was on older tyres and was squaring the corner up to get drive onto the old start/finish straight, he did it for lap after lap and Vettel knew not to go sticking his nose in there which is why he didn’t.

  4. From what I saw, both Vettel and Alonso went off the track limits multiple times. Alonso was even showed a black and white flag for this. Even after that, Alonso went off a few more times. So, my question is why aren’t they being penalized for this?
    Consistency, my ass. Stewards are a joke!

    1. That’s a fair point. I’m still happy they didn’t since the battle was fun to watch :)

      1. Leniency in the name of better racing is the direction they are purposefully moving in.

    2. Exactly this moment is important. How Vettel overtook Alonso.

    3. If as FIA you announce (in Austria) that you are going to give drivers more freedom to just race hard and fair, and then start penalizing them when both drivers move over a little left and right in the heat of the battle, you’d be doing it very wrong.

    4. It’s great that the Stewards didn’t punish anyone, but ooh the INCONSISTANCY.

    5. @rojov123 Particularly given that Alonso was shown the flag before his battle with Vettel, and then continued to do so during it. I’m pleased the battle wasn’t decided by the stewards penalising one of them for it, but clearly the stewards failed to discourage abuse of the track limits. Another good argument for why changes need to be made to the run-off.

      1. In fairness though Vettel was going out of track bounds as much as Alonso which kind of negates any advantage being gained (Maybe Magnussen lost out a bit) and it was in the heat of battle. A good call from the stewards I would say. Also, It s one thing going out of track bounds at copse on a flying quali run, but it is quite another when tucked up behind the front wing of another car mid race when so much front downforce is lost. A bit of running wide is inevitable.

        1. It is not about who gains what advantage. It should be about consistency. Now, if the stewards penalize someone anytime during the rest of the season, how would that bode? Some people can’t be punished, but others can?

          1. I would say that the stewards were very consistent, they appear to have issued warnings where required to keep drivers on there toes but not issued any penalties as it wasn’t felt anyone gained enough to warrant one and spoil the racing that was going on. The stewards have already been asked not to be so penalty happy and I think they exercised their judgement well at the British GP.

            Asking for consistency is one thing but I want consistency in the penalties issued not necessarily whether something is penalty worthy or not, that is what the stewards are there to decide otherwise there would be no point in having a driver steward.

            Finally the rule itself isn’t black and white, there is the element of gaining and advantage which inevitably throws a vague area into the judgement process.
            I haven’t seen the official F1 clarification however autosport reported it thus

            ‘The FIA also clarified that any driver who gained a ‘clear and lasting advantage’ during the race by leaving the track at the same turns would be reported to the stewards.’

            Which is NOT the same as the Clarification for Qualifying as Charlie Whiting said……”I would like to remind all teams and drivers that we will adopt a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to cars leaving the track on the exit of turns 9 and 18 during qualifying.

            “Unless we are satisfied that a driver left the track at either of these points for reasons beyond his control, having been forced off track for example, every lap time achieved by leaving the track will be deleted in accordance with Article 12.3.1.d of the Sporting Code.”

  5. The battle was great but Vettel crying about Alonso’s driving was less than great. Alan Jones summed it up beautifully on Aussie Tv post race, describing the constant radio bickering as pathetic and the F1 equivalent of saying “I’m going to tell my mum on you!” before going on to say that he should just shut up and race.

    Could have been a battle to rival Villeneuve and Arnoux at Paul Ricard but no…

    1. Did you even read the 1st sentece of the article? I quote “Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel complained about each other’s driving during and after an intense fight for fifth place.” If you disliked Vettels crying, you disliked Alonso’s crying aswell.

      1. Who started it ?!?!

        1. We will probably ever know that, not all radio messages are broadcast, and anyway, its irrelevant unless you’re 5 years old. They were both doing as much complaining as each other, which took a wee bit away from the battle, but still, a highlight of the race for me.

          1. Give me a break with your 5 year old kid etc etc. This kind of stuff happens in the real world of matures: when someone accuses a certain person of something, by not responding at all to those accuses, in most cases is interpreted as TRUE. More exactly, if ALO would have kept his mouth shut all the way, most people would have taken VET’ sayings for granted. Anyway, we have finally some real racing, for quite some laps too, that’s why it was even greater… but some people still complain… although F1 is regarded as boring overall. It’s a contradiction.

        2. Vettel, but the first time (when Alonso passed him) was really close. Any driver would have complained.

          1. this is probably first time vettel was in close racing , but its nothing new for alonso, hamilton and button there is nothing to complain, if he wants to play safe why even attempt the overtake ? ya vettel started complaints first.

          2. @f1007 – I guess it was new for Alonso when he complained about Rosberg in Bahrain 2012, for Hamilton in Monaco 2011, when he whinged about everything in sight, or for Button in this very race, complaining about Alonso.

          3. @david-a i am talking about close racing, you are talking about something else, not sure how that is relevant.

          4. @f1007 – You’re suggesting Vettel complained because he hasn’t ever been involved in “close racing” (which is total nonsense). I pointed out that those drivers have complained in similar situations.

          5. @david-a i know Bahrain was just single move, its not close racing, and button’s complaint was about track limits which is fine,don’t remember lewis’ monaco, but today after vettel’s every failed attempt, he complained saying “would have crashed if i hadn’t braked, he turned in … blah blah” just whinging….. thats wat i am talking about he has no experience so he thinks anything close is dangerous , he had it easy all 4 years driving best car in the front, and now when challenged to wheel to wheel battle he starts to complain and moan.

          6. @f1007 – I’m not going to claim Vettel didn’t complain/moan, but Vettel has had plenty of “close racing” in his career. His career didn’t just start in 2010 you know.

            (Also Bahrain 2012 wasn’t a “single move”, Rosberg defended the way he did from Alonso for several laps).

          7. @david-a that is precisely my point, bahrain ended up badly for alonso, i remember he was pushed off the track, at least he felt he was so he complained, here nothing bad happened, you cannot complain everytime somebody comes close you know ;)

          8. @f1007

            you cannot complain everytime somebody comes close you know

            Indeed, but in both cases, the driver complained because they felt the other guy did something wrong, when in fact the other guy had stayed within the rules ;)

          9. @david-a exactly, vettel had it too easy that his threshold is so low that he whines just for wheel to wheel challenge, alonso complains when he was pushed off track.

          10. @f1007 – Alonso wasn’t pushed off track by Rosberg either- he claimed he was, when in the heat of the moment just as Vettel did.

          11. @f1007 – And as I said, Vettel’s not “had it too easy”, his career didn’t start in 2010- he’s had his time battling others throughout his career.

          12. Its not first time close racing for Vettel.Remember abu dhabi 2012,when vettel made it from last position and climb into 3rd..that was close wheel to wheel versus jenson button.also turkey 2010,but he failed that time haha

        3. @corrado-dub

          Alonso started it by complaining that Vettel was obeying the track limits. Vettel himself said he started getting warnings about the track limits which he knew was coming from Alonso so he started responding back – which lines up with how the action unfolded.

          The deeper point is that both drivers know in retrospect that it was a bunch of whinging on both their parts:

          Vettel “Obviously got a bit silly when we both started to complain…”

          Alonso “It was adrenaline in the moment…The track limit was just some kind of thing to keep the team busy I think he was complaining about me, I was complaining about him, that was funny from the outside.”

          People can choose to rag on one or the other or both drivers, but what is clear both were racing against each other 100% which is what we as fans want to see.

          If any one should be singled out, it’s the director of the broadcast for playing those messages. Ultimately, the messages added to the drama.

          And for MAG behind the duo, talk about a master class in defending and challenging. The pass Vettel ultimately made was the best of the year (made so because Alonso gave no quarter and they were side by side).

          I love Alonso afterwards “he needs to give the position back right now…” lol.

          1. Mmm, so ALO has a 3rd eye, at his back ?!? Let’s be honest, it’s so much easier to see what’s happening in front than what’s happening at the back. So, VET definately had the edge in keeping the eyes on ALO’s every move. I’m not contradicting you 100%, but I remember VET being the driver who started this complaints fight after 1-2 laps of track fight.

          2. Yes, it’s called mirrors

        4. Well…. Technically Button started it. He called in to complain about Alonso which got him the black & white flag. So in a way by the time Vettel came along Alonso was looking for equal treatment.
          But Alonso was right about the last lap of the duel. Vettel is hugely wide as they cross the line which gives him the momentum to be closer to Alonso under the DRS.

        5. Who started it ?

          Button was complaining about Alonso going off track as far back as lap 25. And Alonso received a warning for that, then continued to exceed track limits with impunity for the rest of the race.

        6. There’s no point in asking the “who started it” question, for it in itself is a childish comment!

    2. Yep if Vettel was a crybaby today, I don’t think Alonso was any better.

      1. first it was pretty fun hearing how much they did spectate each other but it was too much and ended up being ridicoulus

  6. Still was probably the best battle for several years that wasn’t for a win (Bahrain 2014) place! 2 drivers, 6 championships, 71 victories, Silverstone, Great Battle. Nuff said.

  7. Phenomenal battle. Both Alonso’s pass and Vettel’s later one are what we watch the sport for. Could sure do without the whining on the radio though.

    1. Of course. That’s proof enough why some guys kept on saying, and I think I’m joining that group now, that VET’s champs are kinda undeserved, he never proved he’s a top driver. It was the all-conquering RBR who won 4 WDCs, not Vettel. This guy is proof enough how pathetic F1 is nowadays as philosophy: the guy with the faster car expects from the driver with slower car in front to make room and let him pass… just because he’s slightly faster.

      1. Oh dear… This crap again…

      2. @corrado-dub That’s a very silly comment. Over not one year, but a period of 7 seasons prior to this one, Vettel easily proved he’s a top driver. That’s beyond argument.

        1. Yup, kinda… but it seems to be some truth in it. Encountered many guys saying that about Vettel, did not agree… but now I’m looking a little different at this saying. Overall that was fair racing, just as we like to see every race. But some guy (= Vettel) started to complain about not being given enough room (to pass) by ALO. From what I know, in racing the position have to earned, not a present. So, basically, it’s Vettel’s racing philosophy that bugs me and makes some guys wonder a little, me included. If you remember, the 2005 and 2006 San Marino GPs were a close fight between MSchumacher and Alonso, just like today between ALO and VET, but happened over many more laps… but none of them said something about the other !!! In 2005 ALO won, in 2006 MSchumacher. So yeah, VET is 1 of the drivers who brought the CRY-BABY situation in F1 and made a rule out of it.

          1. @corrado-dub

            Drivers have complaining about other drivers since the start of racing. We only hear it now because it is televised. Even Schumacher and Alonso were having words when they were fighting. We just never heard it on TV.

      3. the guy with the faster car expects from the driver with slower car in front to make room and let him pass… just because he’s slightly faster.

        Are you talking about Alonso complaining about Petrov in Abu Dhabi 2010? ;)

  8. Vettel obviously cheated this time. He went off track limits when exiting Arena achieving higher speed to catch up Alonso in Brooklands. And then he went off track limits at full speed in Copse.

    1. Yeah, OBVIOUSLY, glad you saw it and not the pack of professionals monitoring the situation. ;)

    2. Glad to see you’re not just picking and choosing the Vettel mistakes and conveniently forgetting about each time that Alonso went off too.. Oh wait. You are. I have neither the time nor the want to desperately search for videos that Alonso went off too, but I know they’re there, I saw them in the race. Believe what ever you want, but you wont find many people who agree with you on this.

      1. Important here is how Vettel overtook Alonso.

        1. It’s hypocritical to say only Vettel gained from driving over track limits.
          They both went out. Maybe he would have overtaken him earlier if Alonso didn’t do it himself…

      2. @redwan @regs

        Glad to see you’re not just picking and choosing the Vettel mistakes and conveniently forgetting about each time that Alonso went off too. Oh wait. You are.

        Exactly.

  9. he was complaining because that’s the sort of thing that he tends to do.

    And you, Vettel, have never complained of anything ever!

    Flashback: Multi 21, Malaysia and Austin 2012.

  10. There was only one occasion where I felt Alonso’s defending was questionable, which was on the second occasion at Brooklands. Alonso did cut across the track quite viciously, and Vettel did have to quite noticeably back out to avoid contact.

    But even that was fine under the rules, so the stewards were completely correct in letting the battle run.

    1. Yep, and as the two drivers were both going off track I don’t see the point in penalizing them

    2. That’s just Alonso driving another line though. He wanted to maximize his speed coming out of the corner while sacrificing some time in the corner.

    3. I agree Max. I thought the one time Alonso’s car did wash out across the track in front of Vettel pretty badly, and Vettel completely had to back out.

      1. He kept doing the same thing. It was obviously on purpose

  11. Very entertaining battle. All good.

  12. Alonso had problems! Still defended like his life depended on it! #Respect

  13. It was unimportant, although amusing, the radio battle between the two, what was exciting was the wheel to wheel racing. AT LAST real racing. Something that F1 has been missing for quite some time. Unfortunately this will be a flash in the pan. It is unlikely to occur in future races this season.

  14. This was as great a battle as there’ll ever be.

    The moment, when Fernando – as Martin Brundle said – “left it 100% to Sebastian if they are going to crash or not” when he took the Red Bull on the outside at Copse.
    The moment, when Fernando pushed things to the very edge to keep Sebastian behind at Brooklands and then at Luffield.
    The moment when the two were racing side-by-side towards Copse for the second time and Fernando left (or did not leave) enough space on the outside for Sebastian.
    The moment when Sebastian finally tucked inside at the exit of Luffield and they remained inches apart all through the old start/finish straight.
    The moment when Sebastian decided that whenever Fernando brakes for Copse, he is going to brake later and pulled it off.

    I feel like this was the best duel of the season so far.

    1. Best duel of the Past 3 or 4 years if you ask me, Forget the whining as its the heat of the moment but how hard they pushed each other is Intense and pleasure to watch and for a moment i thought isn’t this is F1 of past

  15. Best battle of the season. The moaning of both drivers only show how committed they are. Searching for EVERY opportunity.

    1. I like how you see the whining a positivity. :)

  16. Great battle between them and even though there wasn’t much respect towards each other in regards to the radio whining the respect was there on the track where it counts. Honestly I think a lot of the aggression on track came down to the fact that they could trust each other not to crash, I don’t think Alonso would’ve defended that hard had he been fighting against Magnussen or Maldonado for example.

    Little cheeky of Vettel to call Alonso out as someone who whines all the time when he too is a renowned whinger. But hey, they can both cry on the radio all they want if it keeps producing racing like that.

  17. Fight of the year. One of the passes is bound to be pass of the year.

  18. Very good battle, and top class driving from both drivers: absolutely no complaints. As Alain Prost said on Canal+, this kind of thing is exactly what we watch F1 for. It’s a shame we had these unnecessary, childish, backhanded, dishonest, hypocritical, disgraceful arguments over the radio. Alonso & Vettel need to get put back in their place with a pair of good slaps in the face. Grown men don’t go complaining to their mammas when things don’t go their way.
    Of course, if the tracks were designed properly, going “off-track” would risk resulting in accidents like Raikkonen’s a little more often and drivers would therefore be inclined to respect the track limits a bit more.

    1. Piffles — totally great racing … glued to TV watching consummate professionals exhibiting their (rare) skills. Nice that the TV directors held coverage. +10.

    2. Alonso has a long history of “working the refs” like this, and with some success, so it’s inevitable that other drivers will respond in a similar fashion.

  19. This was a perfect demonstration of why DRS is overpowered. It does its intended job of producing close, exciting racing… but only in situations when the car in front would otherwise have a big straight-line speed advantage over the car behind.

    1. It’s a shame that DRS can never be balanced. At some tracks it does just enough to make overtaking possible. At others all it does is that the driver infront goes on the inside to defend and long before the straight ends the other driver has passed easily like in China.

    2. I dislike DRS as much as most here, but I don’t see that this was a case that showed that DRS was overpowered. Or do you think that it is overpowering if Vettel breezed past Alonso after pursuing him for a mere 13 laps?

      I think this is what DRS was supposed to achieve. But the reason why it worked this time, and usually is overpowering, is that Alonso had a straight-line advantage that was almost perfectly equalised by DRS. On the average overtake, cars will have more similar straight line speeds.

      @jonathan189

  20. Michael Brown
    6th July 2014, 17:27

    I wonder if the stewards will investigate Vettel’s supposed DRS use after turn 9. Sometimes from the distance it looks like the wing is open – at least to me anyway. Last time I remember an incident with DRS like this was with Alonso, and he wasn’t punished.

    1. It was only YOU, Usage of DRS is controlled by ECU which is supplied by FIA so he cant use it out side designated DRS zones

    2. That was a technical failure, and Alonso pitted twice to get the wing element pushed back down.

      1. Michael Brown (@)
        6th July 2014, 19:33

        I was actually talking about Hungary 2013. The stewards said he gained an advantage, but not enough to warrant a penalty.

  21. Michael Brown (@)
    6th July 2014, 17:33

    It would have been really funny if Alonso and Vettel could radio each other to shout at one another.

    1. I agree . But Please don’t say it loud because the FIA might introduce a new Rule next year that every driver should speak 10 “interesting” sentences during each race and there will be 1 point after every race for that and 2 points in the last race !!!!!!!

      Needless to Say Ricciardo’s very Formal Office like Talk would be worth interesting in such situation. I am just Imagining How Ricaciardo would be speaking to different Drivers in such Situations.

      Riccardo & Kimi ( there can be more. I am going wild with imagination)

      Ricciardo: Excuse Me Mr. Raikkonen. Can I have a word with you Please ?
      Kimi: (silence)
      Ricciardo : Mr Raikkonen Could you please confirm that you can hear me ?
      Kimi: (silence)
      Ricciardo : Mr Raikkonen I would like to speak to you a Moment. I hope you are able to hear me. If so, Please respond by saying yes or no.
      Kimi : what the $%^$& do you want ?????
      Ricciardo : Mr. Raikkonen . Thank you for acknowledging the message. I would like to state here that I am planning to overtake you on the track. It would be great if you leave enough room for me in the DRS zone so that we can have a clean pass. Please acknowledge if you are fine with the idea.
      Kimi : ( To Ferrari pits ). Please tell Big Luca to Cancel my Contract effective immediately. I am retiring from this race and the sport all together. #%%$^$%^ everyone.

      1. @tmax
        you made my day, I spilled my coffee

        1. Michael Brown (@)
          6th July 2014, 19:34

          +1

          I should know better than to give the FIA ideas.

  22. After a hour of Red Flag and an utter boring race…. I would say bring it on….. No complaints from me what soever

    I would say that was the thing woke me up from my sleep. I would not mind both Vettel and Alonso complaining and crying and shouting. Atleast that made me feel there are some humans out there. After last years Pirelli drama, the only thing that is worth remembering this year was the tangle between Alonso and Vettel. Some few glimmers of hope from an other wise dying sport being converted into Entertainment.

    Yeah the drivers did complain like Kids in an high adrenalin situation….. but Fans please don’t complain like them sitting on the couch like who started first complaint et all !!!!!!

    Also another take away from the race is the Lewis’s complain that the new Trophy just “…….” and I agree with him totally. F1 is on a race to the bottom at all fronts.

  23. Great battle, no need to spoil it with arguments who did what. I think it was a fair fight from both. Seems the drivers see it as fair fight as well after the race, and adrenaline went down.

  24. The best thing was that these two amazing drivers could fight – and that was due to durable tyres. This race and 2010 season just confirms that durable tyres can give (not always) better racing than paper-thin rubber.

  25. I don’t get why some are complaining about the complaints, going as far as “It could’ve been Dijon ’79 but wasn’t because of it” . I think when it got pretty obvious how both were complaining about things both were doing the drivers’ complaints became a great addition to the battle, not a thing that ruins it.

    And I wonder if I’ll ever take to the Internet one day as an adult, enter a forum of people talking about the good’ol 2014 British GP Vettel-Alonso battle, and present my view as somebody who watched it live on TV in HD….

    1. Agree, and even more: can you imagine what was Villeneuve saying to Arnoux and vice versa in that epic battle?

      1. We know what they did after that battle: they went TOGETHER, all smiles, to watch the replays and relive some of the most incredible racing of their careers.

      2. From a Road and Track Magazine article on the famous Arnoux-Villeneuve battle: “After the race, both men leapt from their cars to shake each other’s hands and embrace. Courage, camaraderie, and the brotherhood of speed. That’s Formula 1.”

        I guess not anymore…

  26. Alonso, the weeping child of formula 1. Vettel won because it best driver. It’s simple.

    1. Conveniently ignoring Vettel’s constant whining

    2. Also, after the race, Alonso admitted he wouldn’t have been able to keep Vettel behind much longer anyway.

      1. @raceprouk

        That’s what Alonso said, yes. I’m sure that if he’d kept Vettel behind he would have said something entirely different.

    3. @raceprouk , he also conveniently ignores the fact that Alonso pitted for the last time on lap 26… So of course it was always going to be easier for Vettel since he had fresher rubber… If anything, that makes Alonso look so much superior as a driver than the “lady” crying about the hard racing….

      @jorge-lardone

      1. Sure. But when alonso overtook Kimi on older tires in the spanish grand prix. It was magic. Right?

      2. Straight. Line. Speed.

    4. Both of them were whining

  27. This track limit rule is a joke. While I can understand forbidding cutting the corners, why disallow going wide? Tracks already have grass, gravel or walls on some cases to prevent it. Maybe they should make the outside even slower to prevent it, but let the drivers to choose where to go could increase passing lines.

    1. Why disallow running wide? Because that’s not the track.

    2. Why disallow running wide?

      Seriously?? Could it be because it allows the driver to go faster through the curve because he can carry much more speed????

      1. @karter22

        Invalid argument. So can the driver in front or behind him. Nobody can get an unfair advantage because everybody can do it if it’s allowed.

        What the real problem is is that it isn’t in the spirit of the sport, not respecting the track limits. Which is also b.. .sh. t. Just look at races 10, 20 or 30 years ago. Cars were going ‘off’ left right and center. Some drivers could do it better than others, taking kerbs or a run off patch. Some took too much risk and span off. The difference between then and now? We had far more real racing back then. Of course that’s also because of other differences such as DRS.

        So long as there’s no wall or gravel trap at the other end of the kerbstones drivers will continue to push the limit and more often than not, exceed that limit.

        Telling drivers to not exceed track limits is like telling them not to use DRS to make the racing more fair. It aint gonna happen.

        1. if you don’t want the drivers to pass the track limit, put a gravel trap in every side of the road. Or linde mines, for that matter :D

          1. Yes, let’s have gravel traps that cars get beached in or flipped by, requiring yellow flags and maybe safety cars to clear the stricken car out of the way.

          2. @raceprouk – Other solutions would be small amounts of grass/gravel before the tarmac runoff (like Fuji Speedway), or abrasive tarmac strips (like Paul Ricard).

          3. The Fuji idea is good, but the Paul Ricard idea only works because that circuit has run-off thirty miles deep :-P

    3. Maybe they should make the outside even slower to prevent it

      Spot on there mate.
      Requesting drives not to take advantage of what’s being made available to them is just plain silly.

  28. I may not be entirely up to date concerning this rule, but when having a 5 second stop/go penalty aren’t you supposed to drive in the pits, stop for 5 secs and not have your car worked at during that time? I was under the impression that you had to leave and return the next lap to change your tyres. And, also, don’t you have to stop in 2-3 laps after the decision was anounced?
    Alonso did nothing of these. Since nobody complained I assume I may be judging this wrong, but I would like someone to bring me up to date with this rule.

    1. no, you can do it in a scheduled pit stop, or never serve it and have it added to your time by the end of the race.

    2. It’s a new rule. It is just confusing that they call it 5 seconds stop & go, which is exactly the same name for the more severe punishment where you get a drive through and a stop & go without being able to have work done on your car. I think they should call it 5 second time penalty or something. After all you don’t stop and go, you stop, get your tyres changed, and go.

  29. would like to see Vettel battling with same intensity and determination against his teammate.
    Let’s not forget he was only battling for P5 after starting in P2 and lost again in comparison with Ricciardo today.
    Alonso kept him behind for more than 10 laps with a superior car (given the gain Vettel got after the overtake).

    Who is still questioning whether Vettel is overrated got its answers even today

    1. would like to see Vettel battling with same intensity and determination against his teammate

      I’ve given up on that.
      It’s become obvious VET is not as good as RIC.

    2. @palmerstoneroad
      They should have got their answers over a period of 4-5 years, not “even today”.

    3. @palmerstoneroad

      “lost again in comparison with Ricciardo today” – due to worse strategy (again), not worse driving.

      “Alonso kept him behind for more than 10 laps with a superior car” – faster around the lap but slower on the straights, so it was not easy to overtake despite lap time advantage.

  30. Degrad tyres have robbed us of some great racing the last couple of years.

  31. The racing between these two was absolutely electrifying. The crying and complaining from these two was totally disgusting. Both sounded like absolute babies who forgot what it is they are: RACING drivers. I have a suggestion for both cry-babies: go sit somewhere and watch the duel for 2nd between Arnoux and Villeneuve at the French Grand Prix and get some perspective on what real racers do. Both of those men pushed each other to the limit, bumping wheels, cutting each other off, and even pushing each other off track. No HANS devices, no asphalt runoff, no astroturf, no safety measures to speak of in comparison to today. You know what they did after? They didn’t cry about the other one not giving enough room. They didn’t scream about someone cutting across their wing. They didn’t scream to the stewards about unfair or unsafe driving. They put their arms around each other, huge grins on their faces, and went and watched the replay to relive the moment. To this day, Arnoux calls it his favorite race of his career. Shut up, grow a pair, and drive, Vettel and Alonso.

  32. This is not directly connected to the article above, but . . .
    The funny thing is that on the Sky feed yesterday, Alonso after he exited in Q1 smiled and waved at the camera. He didn’t seem upset or bothered; no brooding introspection, no venomous flash of his dark eyes. To me, he seemed almost happy, releived.
    And then I read this quote in the article above “We have battery problems and suddenly Sebastian arrive there and we have battery problems, stall problems and we need to save fuel in the last part of the race” And I just wondered if the fuel problem with the Ferrari engine in particular had helped him make up his mind about his future. And that was why he seemed happy.

    1. What do you mean exactly ? That he’s searching for reasons to leave the team, so every race he “fails” is another proof for him to cancel the contract ?

      1. In a way, yes. But it’s not that HE “fails”, it seems to be that the team is failing him. And I think that every time that happens, it might be reinforcing a decision he has already made.

        1. Ferrari’ve wasted many years not delivering a competitive car having an extremely good (4 me the best) pilot.

  33. Something just hit me. This battle was amazing, and we only got it because DRS.

  34. The Alonso / Vettel battle is the kind of racing a F1 fan tunes in to see. Pity we don’t get it more often. As both drivers have said, the radio comments were just silly adrenaline filled bitching, and they will both have forgotten about it already. That of course, won’t stop the media making a big thing about it.

  35. Shane (@shane-pinnell)
    7th July 2014, 7:04

    The main difference between the complaints about the track limit infringements is that Vettel was clearly gaining an advantage. All drivers had the occasional off, Vettel seemed to be doing it on every lap in an attempt to gain an advantage (in addition to DRS) down the straight. This was a great battle though. This battle is even more evidence that DRS is a gimmick. Without DRS we would see many more of these battles.

  36. I do not understand why people critize their comments over the radio. To be honest I was amazed they had corage to talk to the radio, when I drive my motorbike to the limit I can not even breath properly and it is just 650cc so if they can drive that way and talk at the same time… no problem for me.

  37. These two pilots gave us the thrill we want to feel in a pure F1 race. Yes, they moaned. But, fortunately, no ban was given for the track’s limits abuse. And, in the end, Vettel show how great he his, as Alonso did the same avoiding Vettel’s overtake for so many laps. They are absolute incredible pilots and winners. And they need to be fighting for the 1st place, not the 5th place.
    However, they gave us something to remember about, something special, that only F1 can deliver. Huge fight at incredible speeds and risk. Pure racing for me. I’ve noticed that, during that battle, I forgot the engine noise discussion, or the restart stupid rule for the next year, etc. I just focused in F1 stupendous racing.
    Thank you Vettel and Alonso for giving us hope :)

  38. You can criticize Alonso all you want about his whining afterwards, but ultimately actions on the track are what its all about – and he’s been a part of some of the best wheel-to-wheel racing we’ve seen in our generation. Whether it be Hamilton, Webber, Massa, Schumacher, Raikkonen, or in this case Vettel, Alonso has continually demonstrated that he fights fair on the track. The fact that he’s almost always exceeding his own car’s pace in the process means that he commands the utmost respect for me. He’s never really had much to lose by going ultra-aggressive in these races, yet his collisions with other drivers are remarkably low.

    How things can change in 12 months – a year ago we were saying similar things about Raikkonen. But now things have corrected themselves back to normalcy again: Alonso is the ultimate racer – as we should have already learned before.

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