[Hutnicks]

   
True, but that's what makes (most) F1 drivers so extreme. They just keep racing no matter what.
 
Guys like Button and Massa could've retired a long ago. Certainly they had enough money to do so but kept racing anyway, championship or not, injuries or not.
 
I just have a hard time cheering for someone whom I now see wasn't fully committed. No wonder he couldn't beat Lewis for 18 years (til now and with help); Nico was in it for the wrong reasons.
 

 
I get that point. If you have read the thread you know well that I was no Rosberg fan. I'll go one bit further. I grew up with motorsport and have been in and out of the loop as times go by. The 90's I completely avoided as I saw then what critics whine about now with the formula being stale and boring. What brought me back is the business sense of the sport. You dont watch this event for a single race, the ADD crowd need not apply, best you spend you time on twitter following Paris Hiltons reports on her bowel movements instead. What ingtrigues me here and what Bernie has missed in his endless and indefatiguable efforts to extract money from the sport is the overall picture. The sport has evolved past the performance of the "athlete" and moved into the realm of the holistic picture of Rules/Interpretation/Finance/Engineering and finally driver. Awesome mix. And it shows and that becomes the show. Williams the engineering company that went racing who treats their drivers as a component, and the least valuable component at that, ending with the record for most WDC's that ran for their life after winning finally (See a Nico parallel here perhaps). The SCUD the "Glamorous Losers"  Look back and marvel at how many of THEIR drivers did not win multiple WDC's, yet when Fubarri calls you dare not say no. Maclaren, Hakkenen and Prost how many other multiple WDC's did they produce?
 
We get overwhelmed by the spike gains, but as a whole F1 is incredibly consistent with producing winning teams and drivers. We live for the anomaly and make all kinds of excuses why it should be the norm. Really it should, every "motivated" driver should be able to knock out 7 WDC's the way Schumacher did, shouldn't they? Every drive should be like  Buttons WDC  year in Brazil, shouldn't they? Every race should produce a spectacle like Gilles and Arnoux for SECOND at the French Grand Prix.
 
 Except it does not.
 
We are gifted with a spectacle at every race no matter if is a boring Merc 1,2 or a duel of the lesser marks gaining an advantage and making most of the opportunity. Maldonado on the podium, really, come on. But just like real life, some mediocre joe can actually luck into a fortune.
 
 F1 reflects all this and puts it under the microscope for all to see. Yet still like any other  country, businees, charity, family, kids sandlot afternoon, attempts to hide it's warts and glorifies its successes.
A Magnificent Shakesperian Techno/Mechanical Crucible that exploits weakness and promotes cleverness.
 
In the current environment, much as I do not admire his driving, I am proud to applaud Nico for taking the win and flipping the bird to the sport at the same time. Perfect zero sum play.  More than winning the WDC he shows me that unlike the lew's and teflonso's he actually has the measure of the sport.
 
 His retirement after the win has an almost PhilDickian perfection to it.

 

[SP Wild]

No doubt Mercedes wanted a German World Champion, and they got one. I love how Germans have a panache for world domination. Meeting German backpackers is an enlightening experience to say the least. I truly admire their ethos.

Anyway formula one is a snoozefest...rich daddy boys acting all that. It doesn't matter anyway.

Because an Aussie will be world champ next year anyway. Thus bringing some character to the rich kids paddock.

Besides, shouldn't y'all be watching Jag and Audi duke it out in Formula E next year...y'know, like the definitive future of all things automotive. Like all stealthy and Schiit.

 

[Hutnicks]

No doubt Mercedes wanted a German World Champion, and they got one. I love how Germans have a panache for world domination. Meeting German backpackers is an enlightening experience to say the least. I truly admire their ethos.

Anyway formula one is a snoozefest...rich daddy boys acting all that. It doesn't matter anyway.

Because an Aussie will be world champ next year anyway. Thus bringing some character to the rich kids paddock.

Besides, shouldn't y'all be watching Jag and Audi duke it out in Formula E next year...y'know, like the definitive future of all things automotive. Like all stealthy and Schiit.

Is Audi actually going to be there? The VW group is busy shutting down all their motorsports streams in order to get ready for the big fire sale to pay out the zillions in fines and recalls.
 
Its Dead Bull, remember? Their record of favouring Aussie's aint all that

 

[SP Wild]

They were supposed to go full factory in 2017, but instead is increasing resources in Team ABT Audi partnership. You see going full electric racing demonstrates that Audi is committed to a new sustainable future and seeing the error in VWs past ways.

Riccardo will make an awesome marketable world champ...compared to Webber, you know what I'm getting at. I wanna see Riccardo in the boxing ring with a Kangaroo. A suicide publicity stunt, doesn't mean I don't wish for it though.

 

[Hutnicks]

They were supposed to go full factory in 2017, but instead is increasing resources in Team ABT Audi partnership. You see going full electric racing demonstrates that Audi is committed to a new sustainable future and seeing the error in VWs past ways.

Riccardo will make an awesome marketable world champ...compared to Webber, you know what I'm getting at. I wanna see Riccardo in the boxing ring with a Kangaroo. A suicide publicity stunt, doesn't mean I don't wish for it though.

Interesting. Wonder if they found a way to "cheat" the battery limitations
 
I think Ric is the one guy on the grid everyone would love to see as WDC. I hope Newey worked full time on the car this time round and they have a contender. New car Merc management in chaos (Still endless rumours of Dobby Lowe moving teams) this year is the time to pounce and go for the jugular. I don't think the SCUD will have its act together and Mac is almost hopeless unless some miracle happens so Dead Bull is the favourite to challenge. I am curious to see how Horner manages two drivers in contention for the title.

 

[62ohm]

 
Interesting. Wonder if they found a way to "cheat" the battery limitations
 
I think Ric is the one guy on the grid everyone would love to see as WDC. I hope Newey worked full time on the car this time round and they have a contender. New car Merc management in chaos (Still endless rumours of Dobby Lowe moving teams) this year is the time to pounce and go for the jugular. I don't think the SCUD will have its act together and Mac is almost hopeless unless some miracle happens so Dead Bull is the favourite to challenge. I am curious to see how Horner manages two drivers in contention for the title.

 
Could be another 2007 Alo/Ham, no?

 

[MuZo2]

Ric doesn't get any attention nowadays. Even now Horner is just speaking of new golden kid. Hopefully Ric doesn't endup like Mark.

 

[Hutnicks]

   
Could be another 2007 Alo/Ham, no?

I really don't know how that would play out but it would be fascinating to watch. Smiling Ric can get downright ornery when he feels he's not been treated fairly so I don't think he'd just roll over and let them favour the kid. Marko of course would be all Max, but I think Horner now has him pretty much under control.
 
The problem at Mac was Alonso is a sleaze who stooped to some pretty low means to try and undermine the new kid. That scenario really does not apply to RB's drivers. 

 

[62ohm]

 
I really don't know how that would play out but it would be fascinating to watch. Smiling Ric can get downright ornery when he feels he's not been treated fairly so I don't think he'd just roll over and let them favour the kid. Marko of course would be all Max, but I think Horner now has him pretty much under control.
 
The problem at Mac was Alonso is a sleaze who stooped to some pretty low means to try and undermine the new kid. That scenario really does not apply to RB's drivers. 

 
Who's actually running the team anyways - Marko or Horner? At times it does seem like RB has either 2 team principal, or no team principal at all..

 

[oqvist]

Its marko horner is just for show

 

[Hutnicks]

Its marko horner is just for show

I'm not so sure of that these days. Marko has big influence over driver selection and lobbies for his favourites but as far as race strategy goes I suspect he gets told to go sit in the corner.
 
 
Meanwhile the press is announcing Dobby Lowe is off to Williams. If true it is the first part of a Merc shakeup.

 

[oqvist]

 
I'm not so sure of that these days. Marko has big influence over driver selection and lobbies for his favourites but as far as race strategy goes I suspect he gets told to go sit in the corner.
 
 
Meanwhile the press is announcing Dobby Lowe is off to Williams. If true it is the first part of a Merc shakeup.

He can just fire Horner if Horner makes bad decisions.
 
Hear rumours about Bottas to Mercedes. Makes kind of sense.

 

[Hutnicks]

  He can just fire Horner if Horner makes bad decisions.
 
Hear rumours about Bottas to Mercedes. Makes kind of sense.

Marko like Lauda has no executive powers. He would have to persuade Dieter himself to overrule Horner. After the Webber debacle that might not sit so well.
 
 
Bottas, while underperforming this year does make sense. The structure of the deal though has me thinking that Merc is setting Williams up to be Torro Rosso to their Red Bull , the junior team as it were much like HAAS is to the SCUD. Cranky Franky might not take well to where that is leading them and the money they save on engines is going to do them not an ounce of good if their drivers cannot move them up in the constructors standings next year.

 

[oqvist]

 
Marko like Lauda has no executive powers. He would have to persuade Dieter himself to overrule Horner. After the Webber debacle that might not sit so well.
 
 
Bottas, while underperforming this year does make sense. The structure of the deal though has me thinking that Merc is setting Williams up to be Torro Rosso to their Red Bull , the junior team as it were much like HAAS is to the SCUD. Cranky Franky might not take well to where that is leading them and the money they save on engines is going to do them not an ounce of good if their drivers cannot move them up in the constructors standings next year.

Well he outperformed Massa took 39 more points this season so not sure he underperformed more then the car did
 
Since Williams tend to lack downforce wonder how they will do next year. Should be even worse.

 

[Hutnicks]

  Well he outperformed Massa took 39 more points this season so not sure he underperformed more then the car did
 
Since Williams tend to lack downforce wonder how they will do next year. Should be even worse.

They lack money more than anything. Why Lowe wants to go there is beyond me unless it is some form of Merc plan to co opt the team as Silver Arrows Jr. Perhaps they will through in the rear end treatment with the engines the way the SCUD did with Haas.
 
 Actually the more I read about Williams it beggars all reason why anyone would want to work for that outfit. Not a single driver has anything good to say about them after they leave. Most other employees have the same story. They hold the record I believe for the most acrimonious WDC departures in F1.
I am hoping FI puts the boots to them in 17 Bottas or not.