Give over. Even though it's not the same as it used to be, Hockenheim isn't a bad track.
I think you need to stop being so "lippy" as you have been recently on this forum. I said nothing about you calling me 'bitter' last night just for expressing a legitimate point of view - which is also what you are now criticising 7Up for doing.
Going to Hockenheim used to be exciting. It was a big challenge for the engineers in particular, it was also pretty tricky for the drivers, hearing the noise of the old V10/V12 engines screaming at maximum revs was amazing for the spectators, and seeing drivers get caught out in the stadium section due to wind, slightly different weather conditions or not adjusting to the contrast in the circuit's layout produced some interesting moments. What has Hockenheim got to offer now? It's technical challenge is gone, it's challenge to the drivers has been greatly reduced, the cars are not tested to their limits and the circuit feels clinical and sterile. Hockenheim has not produced a decent race since being carved up.
Maybe my being "lippy" is brought about by some of the ridiculous complaints that are made around here. My calling you bitter was in direct relation to the following:
If McLaren had done something similar, I've no doubts a drive-through penalty would have been given in the race.
The impression that your post gave off was that, seeing as your team and its drivers had been screwed over by unjust rulings in the past, so it was perfectly fine for it to happen to others, which is clearly not the right attitude to have. Fair enough, if Massa had hit Sutil or caused him to smash in to the pit wall after the Force India had come across the front of the Ferrari and in to clear sight, then a ten place grid-drop at the next race for causing an avoidable accident would have been just, however seeing as nothing came of it, he did nothing that he could have otherwise avoided.
Everything around here seems to revolve around how either the FIA always seem to be out to get McLaren, how Tilke has destroyed the racing elements of Formula 1 or generally just all-out war between Ferrari and McLaren fans with people signing up purely to bash Hamilton and McLaren or else bash Ferrari, and it's quite out of hand. The reality of it is, the lower Formulae races that take place at Tilke tracks are exciting to watch, because the cars are more evenly matched, ergo the problem lies with the fact that there are such huge differences between cars in Formula 1. Sure, they may not be classic, loveable tracks like Spa, Monza, the old Hockenheim or Suzuka, but they only yield boring races in Formula 1 and that's pretty much fact. With budget capping and closer performance levels, as well as cars having the ability to follow each other closely, perhaps you'd get to see the Formula 1 races there bring far more excitement, but until that happens, you're going to be stuck with boring races at these venues, and mediocre races everywhere else unless it rains or there are huge amounts of crashes that bring out the safety car.
Then there's all this about how the FIA never drop a punishment on Ferrari. If this was the case, would team orders have been banned because Ferrari were using them at Austria that year? Would Raikkonen have been given that drive-through at Monaco for not having his tyres on at the three-minute mark? Would they have been ordered to change their tyres from intermediates to full wets last year at Japan (I think?) after 'disobeying' Charlie Whiting's email? Would Massa and the team even have come under investigation at this weekend's race?
Sure, I don't deny that there have been numerous occasions where they've really cocked up and helped Ferrari out or hindered McLaren in some way, but this year the only undeserved penalties I've seen are the one that Bourdais was given for 'blocking' Heidfeld, which relates to neither McLaren nor Ferrari, and the several drive-throughs given for people being forced to pit for fuel whilst the pit lane is close or else face coming to a halt on-track. The paranoia is there, but so far this season it has been quite unwarranted.
So yeah, you could argue that I'm being "lippy", but the reality is I'm just pissed off at some of the attitudes adopted around here without necessity. Some of the name-calling and pointless bitching that seems to drag every thread down. Just take a look at any thread that has any relation to Lewis. Any thread that refers, even indirectly, to last year's spy scandal. Or any thread posted about any penalty given to McLaren. It's all over the place and it pretty much drags the mood down, and I know I'm not the only one who is irritated by it.
