Will SchM succeed in his comeback?

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Originally Posted by Saint Devote

He has not?

His victory at Suzuka in 2008 was a masterpiece. Neither Vettel nor Hamilton have managed a victory like that. Hamilton takes instructions from his team - he does not comand his position as does Alonso. I rate it as his greatest victory ever demonstrating as a driver his enormous capacity and leadership.

I suspect that in Bahrain Vettel did not pace himself well and Alonso, who caught up to him, was managing for the last 12 laps - in the end he did not have to and won far ahead of everyone else.

Alonso beat Schumacher and managed consecutive championship wins. This changed the game for Ferrari. Di Montezemolo pushed Schumacher out and hired Raikonnen because he lost confidence in Schumacher. He reckoned Michael should have won in 2006. It began the schism that led to Todt leaving.

This is why I consider Alonso superior. He is not only quick but he is a game changer and the last driver to command that respect was Schumacher.

This is why I think that Fernando will claim his third title in 2010 if the Ferrari remains competitive. All the other drivers, except Schumacher are not gamechangers.

Of course they are excellent drivers but not in the same league as the Spaniard. Hamilton even mentioned how he doubted himself during the difficulties in 2009. Alonso even during the most difficult and frustrating times at Renaul in 2008 and 2009 remained resolute about himself.

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Interesting that you skirt around the difficult subject of Alonso's behaviour in and out of the car during 2007. Gamechanger? Yes I agree, few drivers have been so perturbed by their teammates that they've decided to dob their team in to the FIA.

Has Alonso had great races in the past three years? Of course he has. As have Hamilton, Vettel and even that great underachiever Button. Does that mean he is superior to the first two? No. I do not understand why you think that not being a teamplayer is a plus point in the days when without the engineers giving the drivers constant guidance through the race the drivers would be left high and dry.

Being a fan of a driver is one thing. Letting that support alter your perception of reality is another.

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Originally Posted by Saint Devote

Fourway?

A week ago it looked pretty much two-way to me - Red Bull and Ferrari.
Well ONE Red Bull at least!

Maybe Albert Park will see a stronger Mclaren and Mercedes. Woking seems to think that the track will suit it better and both Jenson and Lewis [there is a store in Manhattan at 16th and &th if I recall called: "Jensen - Lewis"!!!!] know how go quickly and to win there.

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SD, are you really a 'fan' of F1 or merely a troll?

Was Bahrain decided almost entirely by quali and a few technical/pitstop problems for the leaders or by overtaking?

'ONE Red Bull at least'? Hmmm interesting comment that suggests that you didn't see the clear problems cars had overtaking each other. Your supposed hero Alonso showed himself to be two seconds quicker than Vettel but only after he got into clear air after Sebastian's spark plug problems. Where did that two second advantage get him while he was behind Vettel? Absolutely nowhere.

Likewise Webber showed astounding pace whilst in clear air, yet for most of the race he was following others and unable to overtake, an indication not of his ability but of the current difficulty overtaking. One Red Bull? Webber isn't far off Vettel's pace, his quali performance in Bahrain notwithstanding. Anyone who had followed him over the past season or two would know that wouldn't they.

If you really are the long term F1 fan of great knowledge and understanding that you claim you are UP YOUR GAME. You patronise others and pretend to have inside knowledge yet your posts show unbelievable ignorance. I'm still laughing about your old post that claimed that Brawn was a direct descendant of Tyrrell, one of those 'facts' that differentiate those who know and those who don't.

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Originally Posted by Dylan H

SD, are you really a 'fan' of F1 or merely a troll?

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Don't ask ! :rolleyes: Don't ask! :(

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Originally Posted by Saint Devote

He has not?

His victory at Suzuka in 2008 was a masterpiece. Neither Vettel nor Hamilton have managed a victory like that. Hamilton takes instructions from his team - he does not comand his position as does Alonso. I rate it as his greatest victory ever demonstrating as a driver his enormous capacity and leadership.

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And in 2008 he came in 5th in the WDC. A single race alone does not make any driver. Heidfeld and Heikki both bested or equalled him in podium finishes in 2008. As for being such a leader, the "leader" should have dominated his much less experienced team mate in 2007, but did not.

In equal cars, the best he could do was match Lewis in points. And he had the advantage of the Ferrari information passed on from DeLaRosa that Lewis did not. Seems that Flavio realized Alonso needed such cheap advantages, and helped him with more scandal later.

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Originally Posted by Saint Devote

He has not?

His victory at Suzuka in 2008 was a masterpiece. Neither Vettel nor Hamilton have managed a victory like that. Hamilton takes instructions from his team - he does not comand his position as does Alonso. I rate it as his greatest victory ever demonstrating as a driver his enormous capacity and leadership.

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I agree. One of the best wins ever. :)

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Originally Posted by Saint Devote

He has not?

His victory at Suzuka in 2008 was a masterpiece.

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You mean Fuji.

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Originally Posted by Saint Devote

He has not?

His victory at Suzuka in 2008 was a masterpiece. Neither Vettel nor Hamilton have managed a victory like that. Hamilton takes instructions from his team - he does not comand his position as does Alonso. I rate it as his greatest victory ever demonstrating as a driver his enormous capacity and leadership.

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Is that the 2008 Fuji GP to which you refer? I think you are changing history to suit your own point Saint. That was the race, as I am sure we all recall, that Hamilton got a touch of the crazies and ploughed Kimi off the road at turn 1. Massa and Hamilton tooked each other out of the equation and the only remaining "top" car of the second McLaren retired. Without those incidents Alonso would have come home 4th - 3rd at best and no one would remember the pitstop call.

The difference between Lewis and Fred is that in poor cars one gave up and looked a shaddow of himself on the track, the other looked haunted out of the car but wrestled the beast round faster than it had any business managing. I'll leave you to figure out who is who.

ps As you a fond of quoting things drivers have said perhaps you can mull over the fact that Alonso himself has declared he is not the fastest driver.

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Originally Posted by airshifter

And in 2008 he came in 5th in the WDC. A single race alone does not make any driver. Heidfeld and Heikki both bested or equalled him in podium finishes in 2008. As for being such a leader, the "leader" should have dominated his much less experienced team mate in 2007, but did not.

In equal cars, the best he could do was match Lewis in points. And he had the advantage of the Ferrari information passed on from DeLaRosa that Lewis did not. Seems that Flavio realized Alonso needed such cheap advantages, and helped him with more scandal later.

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So so true... Besides that race I don't recall him achieving anything else. And even Heikki equaled him in the best car... how pathetic is that?

And 2007 he barely matched his team mate in points after having to compete against his own team while Dennis' favorite son actually managed to throw away his team's best chances to win something in a decade. Well, actually if you compare Alonso with a driver with such achievements he looks pathetic... even if his team would have sent him to race on a bicycle (they would have) if they could.

And it's a proven fact that McLaren was completely innocent in the spying scandal and that information circulated only between Ferrari, De La Rosa and Alonso. I can imagine Alonso working in his garage in the night with a hammer trying to copy somehow the Ferrari design.

and than for the sake of consensus I will accept your conviction that your biased opinion based on almost no facts at all is the absolute truth. He probably went himself to FB and told him: "Listen up buddy, I figured NP jr. no good has driven around with no purpose for too long now. We should have him crash so I could win the race. He would probably crash anyway but we should take an advantage from it by making him crash at an appropiate time." FB "But Fernando, how do we make him go along with this?" FA: "Well, we get some 10 points from this so that's like 15 races for him. Tell you'll let him drive around for some 15 more races" FB "And after that?" FA "After that you do whatever you want with him, I'll have signed with Ferrari by then, I don't care". If FA actually had anything to do with it I congratulate him for seeing NP jr no good true potential. That's the stroke of a genius.

Underrate Alonso all you want - he is still the most accomplished driver on the grid - aside from Schumacher.

He defeated Schumacher TWICE and is currently number one driver for Ferrari and leads the 2010 championship.

It is the peaks the quality of the peaks that one judges a driver and he commands from the cockpit which he did as an excellent example in Japan 2008 and in an inferior car.

A driver such as Hamilton obeys his team.

PS: he was placed NINTH as the alltime great in the driver survey undertaken by Autosport - aside from Schumacher - it makes him the best driver on the grid and in front of him were THE names of motor racing.

I thought Bunsen was the greatest driver on the grid. :confused: