2013 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix

[Whodoyouthink]

NBCSP decided that I would much rather watch men's curling than qualifying.

Yeah I was majorly confused by the scheduling while checking NBCSN and CNBC. Then I find out the race is on regular NBC. Crazy to have each day of the weekend on a different channel each day, but it makes sense to have the race on NBC because that will reach out to the biggest audience. Not all NBC viewers view/have NBCSN or CNBC, but plenty of people have NBC, and as long as the sport is on American grounds, then it usually interests a good amount of casual viewers.

Funny how TV works...even though it will be on NBC, the borders and such will say NBCSN.

Gutierrez has been given a 10 grid spot drop, and Chilton has been given a drive-through penalty, both for impeding during qualifying.

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15261.html

I always try and imagine how both team and driver handle situations like this...when you're one of or the slowest driver on the grid, and your team is looking at either zero or very little Championship funds for next year, how do you go on in general? How do you attack a race when you have a drive through penalty and qualified last anyways?

I would think a big part of their mindset is probably just go out and try and have some fun, but when you're at this level of competition, it becomes very easy to see no fun in not achieving first. How do the teams and drivers even keep everything going for seasons to come when they are going in with no funds gained through points?

Edit: No such thing as automerge on these forums, even with the new upgrades? Was expecting this post to merge with my other one.

---Only Moderators can merge posts -- The Staff

 

[Ardius]

He has done something that Marc Webber, Nick Heidfeld, Nico Rosberg, Alex Wurz, Kazuki Nakajima, Antonio Pizzonia, Rubens Barrichello, Nico Hulkenberg, Bruno Senna and Vatteri Bottas didn't do. Win a Grand Prix in a very medicore Williams car (winning a GP by itself is an enormous achievement, just ask Jean Alesi) . He has won on every stage of motorsport he has taken part of and it would be nice to see him in a competitive car for at least one season.

Let's not forget that almost every every F1 driver is a primadonna or at least acts like one. Button this season or Kimi or Webber or Alonso at McLaren or Lewis. Almost every driver was "whining" about equipment he was given by team he was driving for, be it different set up , tyre strategy or different upgrades mounted on cars. I don't think comments like that should close anyone's opportunity to show what they can do in different situation.

It's a weird feeling defending Maldonaldo considering I don't even like that guy, but I think there are some double standards when it comes to evaluation of drivers.

Its one thing to have a moan every now and again, but what he has said is pretty disrespectful to the team, he was basically suggesting they had sabotaged his car! I'm not sure how you can defend that behaviour.

I'm a little surprised you think its no different to moaning about set ups or upgrades. Its quite an extreme to go from those to suggesting sabotage!

 

[mr_geez]

Its one thing to have a moan every now and again, but what he has said is pretty disrespectful to the team, he was basically suggesting they had sabotaged his car! I'm not sure how you can defend that behaviour.

I'm a little surprised you think its no different to moaning about set ups or upgrades. Its quite an extreme to go from those to suggesting sabotage!

Video of his quote:

http://www1.skysports.com/f1/news/1...of-sabotage-from-disgruntled-pastor-maldonado

Only thing I get from this footage is that straight after getting out of car and being clearly frustrated with his lack of pace in Q1, he answers reporter question with a bit about different tyre pressure to what he expected to get and that there probably was some kind of misunderstanding between him and the engineers. Plus he smirks in "south-american villain from 80's action movie with Michael Dudikoff" mold, I give you that.

If it wasn't Maldonaldo there wouldn't be a big story out of this.

 

[Ardius]

I disagree, I'd be pretty shocked if any driver in his circumstance said the same. I seem to remember similar ridicule for when Barrichello went as far:



Rubens was also well out of order when he said it too. Its just ridiculous really, why would the team sabotage their own car? Sure, they'd maybe give preferential treatment, but to actually suggest the team would go out of their way to sabotage one driver is idiotic and basically a massive slap PR-wise to the team.

While people say things they don't mean in the heat of the moment, they still need to apologise for saying them. Even worse when its to the world press..

 

[MrWednesday]

NBCSP decided that I would much rather watch men's curling than qualifying.

The problem isn't the curling, which I believe was a live show that ran long due to the match being tied after regulation. The problem is that they didn't also extend the showing of qualifying AND they did a really poor job of cutting it. They showed all of Q1 (where only the last ~5 minutes were really interesting) and only the first five minutes of Q2 (where nothing at all interesting happened), then cut out the rest of Q2 and all of Q3. Seriously, WTF were they thinking?

Edit: And of course, they show fifteen minutes of talk. But now I see why they had to cut it down, there's a live showing of women's curling following. So I'll confine my griping to their shoddy job of cutting.

 

[Sum1s2pid]

*snip*

*snip*

I would have been more forgiving if it was women's curling, but come on... it's curling.

 

[m8h3r]

I'd love to see Williams fire him for Brazil, get someone else in the car. Hell, give Senna a call. Think he'd be interested in an ride for Interlagos if he's not otherwise engaged.

It's quite a difference "The team picked the wrong time to go out, or they picked the wrong rear wing for my car" to "The team let my tyres down to sabotage me". Not only would it bring absolutely 0 gain to the team, but it's not like Williams need PR saying they purposely sent a driver out in an unsafe car and for him to crash because of it.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

I'd love to see Williams fire him for Brazil, get someone else in the car. Hell, give Senna a call. Think he'd be interested in an ride for Interlagos if he's not otherwise engaged.

It's quite a difference "The team picked the wrong time to go out, or they picked the wrong rear wing for my car" to "The team let my tyres down to sabotage me". Not only would it bring absolutely 0 gain to the team, but it's not like Williams need PR saying they purposely sent a driver out in an unsafe car and for him to crash because of it.

Isn't the WEC Bahrain race the same weekend?

 

[Whodoyouthink]

I would have been more forgiving if it was women's curling, but come on... it's curling.

Thing is though, NBC is actually treating us well for this weekend. They gave us FP1 and FP2, and for today they have a hour long F1 countdown instead of just 30mins. I imagine they will fit in some pretty good stuff in that extra 30mins.

 

[niky]

So I finally get to watch a Macau Grand Prix live, and sat through several red-flagged races.

Some of the racing was fun, but the long agonizing waits... blech.

So what are the chances this one will be exciting?

 

[zippy_the_cat]

I'm watching from my local pizza joint. NBC on the television with the cound down and BBC Five Live via TuneIn Radio. Should be a nice combo.

Edit: When did Buxton add the p0rn 'stashe?

 

[dhandeh]

I'm predicting Vettel not to win.

 

[daan]

Edit: When did Buxton add the p0rn 'stashe?

Movember, probably.

@dhandeh It would seem his doughnuts may have scuppered his gearbox somewhat.

 

[Sum1s2pid]

Thing is though, NBC is actually treating us well for this weekend. They gave us FP1 and FP2, and for today they have a hour long F1 countdown instead of just 30mins. I imagine they will fit in some pretty good stuff in that extra 30mins.

For the most part they've been, yeah... but less Jay Leno and more of those Longhorn cheerleaders, please.

 

[DK]

I'm predicting Vettel not to win.

I hope you're right, I bet €4 each way on Webber!

 

[zippy_the_cat]

Hmmm, no Five Live, "rights restrictions." Annoying, that. Anyone know a radio option in the US?

 

[mister dog]

I'm predicting Vettel not to win.

Seeing this will be the first GP i will bother to watch in a while, i hope your prediction becomes true 👍

 

[AnAL0G]

Seeing this will be the first GP i will bother to watch in a while, i hope your prediction becomes true 👍

Why? It's one of the most exciting tracks on the calendar.

 

[mister dog]

Why? It's one of the most exciting tracks on the calendar.

You must be from Austin Texas no?

You got a point tough, Tilke didn't make this one dull luckily it only lacks some trees

 

[AnAL0G]

Weather/temp. conditions will probably come into play again as well. Today is supposed to hit 31ºC, and it's been warming throughout the week. I'd bet the track conditions today will be unique to any of the previous days once again. Would love to see Bottas do something special today.

 

[Mac K]

Ackward grid walk was ackward

 

[Alex.]

Wasn't too bad there at all.

 

[Azure Flare]

Was it really necessary to bust out the giant flag?

 

[Alex.]

Rain in 5 months.

 

[niky]

Alonso will win this one comfortably.

You heard it here (in this thread) first.












Yeah.... I wish.

 

[Azure Flare]

Here come the lights, turn up the volume, it's time for the United States Grand Prix!

 

[CinnamonOD]

Another Webber start :/

Sutil hit a wall, Safety Car

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

epic start from Lewis and not too bad from Romain.

 

[niky]

Webber started that one well, don't you think? I mean, he's still within the top ten.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

epic start from Lewis and not too bad from Romain.

And just like that SC