The 2012 Season

[Chad Stewarthill]

...I'd even go as far to say that Williams is probably a better all round car than the Merc. Certainly better than the Sauber. I bet there are a few drivers (glock, Kovi, petrov, Hulk) who wish they could have that car!

So, WHY DOESN'T HAMILTON GO THERE?!!!

(Sorry for shouting)

 

[cider_and_toast]

At a guess, not enough money for either party?

 

[Brogan]

Hamilton's car breakdown in the Singapore GP could be the pivotal race in the championships.

 

[Brogan]

Marussia have massively benefited from all the retirements at Singapore to get a 12th place finish which puts them 10th in the Constructors' championship.

 

[tooncheese]

I've made a little form graph of the top guys, which takes their best four results of the last five races.

 

[Brogan]

Three retirements and two wins for Hamilton in the last five races.

It's all or nothing.

 

[mjo]

Much like Rindt in 1970!!

 

[Wombcat]

Let's hope not, that didn't end well.

 

[no-FIAt-please]

Well had Hamilton won (he was cruising before his accident) and Alonso come 4th after Maldonado's retirement the standings would be Hamilton on 167 and Alonso on 191, a gap of 24. Instead the gap is over double that at 52 points. Hamilton really is a long shot for the title now as he has to take nearly 9 points out of Alonso's lead each race, and that's assuming that Kimi or Vettel don't sneak the title.

I don't care what anyone says, but as well as Alonso has driven this season he has also been rather fortunate, whereas his nearest title challengers hasn't. Alonso has only lost 8 points (assuming he finished where he qualified) in Belgium.

Conversely Hamilton has had a gearbox penalty in China (cost him at least 3 points), two terrible pitstops in Bahrain (at least another 6 points gone, maybe 8), disqualified for no fault of his own in qualifying in Spain (25 points probably, but at least 15), Maldonado deciding to T-bone him in Valencia cost 10 points, then there's this gearbox failure which has cost him a win (25 probably, but 15 at least) He's been cost at least 49 points, but probably 71 points.

Vettel has also been quite unlucky. His alternator cost him 25 points in Valencia and around 6 points in Italy (I can't remember what position he was in.

Sometimes it's better to be lucky...

 

[Jen]

It's a tough old world! This season has been exceptional in many ways and there is still a way to go - ifs, buts and maybes don't win titles; consistency and a bit of luck do.

 

[sushifiesta]

There's different types of consistency though - consistency/reliability in the driver, the team and the car. Ferrari/Alonso have had all three, whereas McLaren/Lewis have had only one out of three (Hamilton, who has been consistently fast) and I would say Red Bull/Vettel have had two out of three (consistency in the driver and team but not the car, although perhaps Vettel was a bit off form towards the start of the season).

All this would make the Ferrari and Alonso combination deserving winners of the championship, but if we are looking solely at the performance of the drivers then I put Lewis on a par with Fernando.

 

[Jen]

It doesn't matter where the consistency lies and, I'm sure given equal machinery there wouldn't be a hair's breadth between Alonso and Hamilton. It is far too complicated to say it is down to one driver or the other though.

 

[no-FIAt-please]

I was only making an observation. I wasn't saying that Alonso didn't deserve the title or whatever...

 

[Bill Boddy]

....Sometimes it's better to be lucky...

Some years ago Babe Ruth, the famed baseball player, was asked whether he thought that he was "right" when going into the World (?!) Series final. He replied "I'd rather be lucky than right". Plus ça change...

 

[cider_and_toast]

Well Wednesday has pretty much come and gone and Eddie Jordan's "major announcement" has failed to arrive. Looks like the driver contract situation is going to rumble on for a few more days / weeks. Cheers Eddie!

 

[Kamui-FastestChefInTheWorld]

Well Wednesday has pretty much come and gone and Eddie Jordan's "major announcement" has failed to arrive. Looks like the driver contract situation is going to rumble on for a few more days / weeks. Cheers Eddie!

To quote from my Latin GCSE Text on Julius Caesar:

quod sine ulla sua noxa Idus Martiae adessent: quamquam is venisse quidem eas diceret, sed non praeterisse...

Roughly translated: [Caesar was happy] because the Ides of March had arrived without any injury: although they had indeed come, but had not passed...

The day is not over yet cider_and_toast...

 

[teabagyokel]

Kamui-FastestChefInTheWorld - Nusquam credere Hybernum morionem

 

[downforce]

He did of course not mention which wednesday.

I predict the news will not come on the 2nd of november

 

[Kamui-FastestChefInTheWorld]

What did I sat cider_and_toast ? Told you the day wasn't over, and technically the deal looked to have been signed last night

 

[Incubus]

I think one of the most intriguing things for the rest of this campaign will be the question of what'll McLaren do about their two drivers. Are they now less likely to apply team orders if needed in order to support Hamilton's title bid?

Button is realistically out of it. In normal circumstances Button would have had to defer to Lewis, or at least ensure he doesn't slow him down if running ahead of him.
But McLaren are above all desperate for constructors' title.
Hamilton if crowned would now take the number one on his car with him to Mercedes. Historically McLaren haven't always been supportive towards drivers about to leave them. Hamilton never quite had a fallout with Whitmarsh anything like along the lines of Dennis and Prost when Alain announced he was joining Ferrari so it probably won't come to that but it'll be interesting to see what happens now...