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[scotty]

Oh yeah and how bloody flawed is the track layout around the long straight and the way DRS was implemented today?!

[bud]

If it weren't for the $$$ spent on infrastructure tied in with the night setting this track is just another dud.

[LewEngBridewell]

This, I feel, was the best race this circuit has produced so far. This is why I'm a fan of DRS this season, because it's played it's part in livening up previously crap races. I'm all for it until another, more authentic solution can be found.

It's impossible to state what could've been, but I think the race possibly suffered as a result of Sebastian Vettel's early departure. I think McLaren had some great race pace today, and there seemed to be more in store if Lewis Hamilton needed to use it. Seen as Fernando Alonso was never a realistic threat, we didn't really get to see the winner have to go hell for leather. Which is what he might've had to do had Seb not vanished from proceedings at the start.

Still, I'm pleased. We had a refreshing change of victor, and it was a popular and emotional victory, after the difficulties Lewis has endured this season. A further win in Interlagos would set him up perfectly for the winter testing period and stand him in good stead for a renewed attack in 2012.

Jenson's KERS failure also prevented us from seeing how he could actually have done, as he was immediately back on the pace when the issue was rectified.

Serious questions need to be asked about Mark Webber. This was the one race that was his for the taking. With his dominant team-mate out, the spotlight was on him. But he suffered another unspectacular race, while Red Bull fluffed the pit-stop he needed to work the most. At least his battles with Jenson Button and Felipe Massa were hard fought and entertaining. Good action there.

Nico Rosberg showed Michael Schumacher who's boss around the first lap and then overshadowed the 7-times champion for the rest of the race. Great performance by Nico.

Lots of disrespect from lapped cars, which was disappointing.

I could really feel for Sebastian Buemi as he endured another retirement, of which he's had a number in recent races. Sidelined through no fault of his own, he looked on the verge of tears in the garage... he clearly knows he badly needs those points to secure his future in the sport.

The race was not a classic, but it was by no means crap. I just wish the circuit officials had made the changes to the circuit that they said they were going to do, but DRS played it's part well today, although the relative positions of the two zones wasn't brilliant.

[Hammer278]

I think you're selling the Ferrari short, LewEng.

Lewis did mention in the PC that it was a tough race, and one of his best races as he found it quite a challenge to keep the gap to Alonso. The Ferrari had some serious pace today and I don't think Lewis was cruising around simply keeping that gap. It was still a bit too close for comfort during pitstops.

And also Mark Webber needs to ask serious questions from his TEAM. They screwed him again at the first pistop, and then made him work extra hard with that ridiculous strategy of running another extra stop for absolutely NOTHING. If they had simply stuck him on the hard tyres, he could have had a chance to catch up on Jenson and try and overtake. Instead, they had him on a very unrealistic strategy which just took him out of podium contention indefinitely.

Redbull tend to screw it up a lot with Mark for some reason. It's been too many times, not just this season but in Abu Dhabi last year as well!

[LewEngBridewell]

Redbull tend to screw it up a lot with Mark for some reason. It's been too many times, not just this season but in Abu Dhabi last year as well!

But this team's mistakes, and every other team's mistakes, get swept under the carpet, because most F1 fans like to portray McLaren as the only team that makes mistakes...

Yet here we have a botched pitstop when it just didn't needed to be botched... and a strange strategy that may not have worked had Massa not spun off.

[f1ea]

It was a nice race to watch. Not super exciting, but good for Abu dhabi. The track and surroundings is beautiful though...

It was nice to watch the Button/Webber fight, and the Mercs... Lewis and Alonso had an interesting long distance fight, but it was interesting. Nothing to do from the Ferrari, but at least he made an interesting fight. And what an amazing start!

BTW... when I saw Vettel spinning with a flat I though "oh no, another Hamilton penalty" until they showed the footage hehe. I'm sure you all thought the same, dont hide it now

[Hammer278]

Redbull tend to screw it up a lot with Mark for some reason. It's been too many times, not just this season but in Abu Dhabi last year as well!

But this team's mistakes, and every other team's mistakes, get swept under the carpet, because most F1 fans like to portray McLaren as the only team that makes mistakes...

Yet here we have a botched pitstop when it just didn't needed to be botched... and a strange strategy that may not have worked had Massa not spun off.

The strategy never worked. If Massa did not do his usual screw up in a race, the strategy would've failed Mark even more than sticking with the conventional 2 stopper.

[LewEngBridewell]

BTW... when I saw Vettel spinning with a flat I though "oh no, another Hamilton penalty" until they showed the footage hehe. I'm sure you all thought the same, dont hide it now

To be honest I did.

Especially after what he said before the race about taking no prisoners into Turn 1.

[racechick]

BTW... when I saw Vettel spinning with a flat I though "oh no, another Hamilton penalty" until they showed the footage hehe. I'm sure you all thought the same, dont hide it now

No. that didnt cross my mind. But I was very nervous every time the yellow flags came out!!

[Hammer278]

BTW... when I saw Vettel spinning with a flat I though "oh no, another Hamilton penalty" until they showed the footage hehe. I'm sure you all thought the same, dont hide it now

To be honest I did.

Especially after what he said before the race about taking no prisoners into Turn 1.

I didn't. To be honest, I thought "oh Mark got screwed by his team as usual"...and was very surprised to see the dark blue helmet!

Mark's screw up was reserved for later on in the race though.

[LewEngBridewell]

BTW... when I saw Vettel spinning with a flat I though "oh no, another Hamilton penalty" until they showed the footage hehe. I'm sure you all thought the same, dont hide it now

To be honest I did.

Especially after what he said before the race about taking no prisoners into Turn 1.

I didn't. To be honest, I thought "oh Mark got screwed by his team as usual"...and was very surprised to see the dark blue helmet!

Mark's screw up was reserved for later on in the race though.

Yes it all happened very quickly at the start. The actual deflation of the tyre was missed live. When I saw the spinning Red Bull, my initial split-second thoughts were that is was Webber, but then helmet proved otherwise. I then panicked, thinking it may have been Lewis and that another penalty was on the cards, because I didn't expect a tyre to just deflate so soon.

[darwin dali]

Interesting statistic, Hamilton will have worn number 1 in 2009, number 2 in 2010, number 3 in 2011, and will have number 4 for the 2012 season.

Yeah, saw that, too. So by this logic, LH will drive in number 5 for 2013?

[McLaren]

Interesting statistic, Hamilton will have worn number 1 in 2009, number 2 in 2010, number 3 in 2011, and will have number 4 for the 2012 season.

Yeah, saw that, too. So by this logic, LH will drive in number 5 for 2013?

No it will be number 1

[racechick]

Interesting statistic, Hamilton will have worn number 1 in 2009, number 2 in 2010, number 3 in 2011, and will have number 4 for the 2012 season.

Yeah, saw that, too. So by this logic, LH will drive in number 5 for 2013?

No it will be number 1

Yes. Once it gets to number4 its starts over. So number1 it is

[darwin dali]

Interesting statistic, Hamilton will have worn number 1 in 2009, number 2 in 2010, number 3 in 2011, and will have number 4 for the 2012 season.

Yeah, saw that, too. So by this logic, LH will drive in number 5 for 2013?

No it will be number 1

Yes. Once it gets to number4 its starts over. So number1 it is

That's according to racechick's law, right?