He didn't complain, he was asked. I don't think he could care less about Alonso.

If only there were more people like Vettel, then , in this forum...

Hello there! Nice to see you around

For starters, this very thread wouldn't exist and you and I wouldn't have many posts on it. But we do care about him, don't we ?

Vettel (most underrated .driver on this forum) has a stunning sense of humour but I can't help but think that Nando laid the gauntlet down. Youngest triple. World champ.
Not to mention stunning driver...












Where is Hamilton?

Deflection.

Affliction.

If you only could make sense...

You think that the '08 & '09 Renaults were capable of winning the championship? 2007 and 2010 he took it to the last race and just missed out. 2011's Ferrari has generally been the third fastest car and yet Fernando is a handful of points off being second in the drivers championship.
I expect by your logic you must be fairly puzzled that Rubens isn't winning races with Williams who were an absolute top team as you put it, why Trulli isn't winning races with Team Lotus who were an 'absolute top team' and you must really be scratching your head as to why Schumacher and Mercedes aren't winning every single race, I mean after-all, Mercedes were an absolute top team in the 1940s...

back in the real world, times change and other packages become more competitive, but fortunately some drivers continue to get the best out of their equipment, a quick look at the stats shows this to the case with Alonso every season other than perhaps 2009 - but that car was so ugly I wouldn't have blamed him if he'd have refused to get in it.

Huh?

In Button's defence do you not think, given that he almost ran out of fuel immediately after the race, that he was in fuel save mode rather than being asleep. That sequence seemed like an unusually well executed strategy from an all-to-often sloppy McLaren. Leading me to believe that Button probably called the strategy and team followed rather than the other way around.

Another great race by alonso at suzuka

Am I intolerant? Why? Because I said what I think, it's just my opinion. I can understand some people could consider Fernado handsome... It's a supreme effort from my side but I can understand it.

What's crystal clear is that we'll never fight for a guy.

I edit because I forgot to congratulate Alonso for his podium in Suzuka, a good race for him, the team and his fans...

As you can see, Fernando Alonso uses his DRS to defend Vettel in the start-finish straight. I thought it is an important issue and I'd like to bring it up.

At the far side of the image, there is a car which I believe is one of Saubers. Alonso must have been 1 sec behind that Sauber before 130R, where DRS detection is measured so he earned the right to use his DRS to pass Sauber. But, he somehow managed to pass or Sauber let him thru before the start-finish straight and duly took advantage of a free DRS to be able to defend Vettel's DRS. It's an interesting and legit tactic IMHO. If I'm not mistaken, Schumacher also used DRS while defending in similar condition, but I'm ready to be corrected.

I think that you are right, once you are through the detection point less than 1 sec behind the car in front of you your DRS will be enabled, whether you overtake the car or not (it is an automatic system, if I am not mistaken). But I would not call it a tactic, in the sense that the decision will always be to use DRS if given the opportunity - no strategic thinking involved

DRS is hardly a sensible devise, isn't it?
You can't defend against attacker unless there's another car in front of you, or you use all KERS power. But then you become vulnerable til the end of the lap ... why did we need that gimmick ...
Great and solid drive, Fernando.

I heard in the commentary that a backmarker was ahead of nando...so he was able to use the DRS.

it was a hrt that was being lapped so he was allowed to use the drs.

As you can see, Fernando Alonso uses his DRS to defend Vettel in the start-finish straight. I thought it is an important issue and I'd like to bring it up.

At the far side of the image, there is a car which I believe is one of Saubers. Alonso must have been 1 sec behind that Sauber before 130R, where DRS detection is measured so he earned the right to use his DRS to pass Sauber. But, he somehow managed to pass or Sauber let him thru before the start-finish straight and duly took advantage of a free DRS to be able to defend Vettel's DRS. It's an interesting and legit tactic IMHO. If I'm not mistaken, Schumacher also used DRS while defending in similar condition, but I'm ready to be corrected.

alonso was less than 1 sec behind another car, it was ok to use drs in that situation.

We all agree on that, if I am not mistaken Ali's question was about the fact that once you are less than a sec behind a car through the detection point, then your DRS is activated even if you manage to overtake that car. So, for example:
- you could overtake the car (or the lapped car let you through) in between the detection point and the DRS activation zone, and your DRS would still be enabled, or
- you could overtake the car (or the lapped car let you through) at the very beginning of the DRS activation zone, and your DRS would still be enabled for the whole of the activation zone

I understand that this is the way the system works, because it is an automatic device. Could somebody confirm this point?

If you are less than 1 second behind any car at the detection point your DRS is activated no matter what happens to that other car, it's as simple as that.

Domenicali was asked in Tuesday's Gazzetta dello Sport whether Alonso would accept Vettel at Ferrari in 2014.

"I think so," he replied. "I think they could coexist. Fernando's strength is not being afraid of anyone."

haha, Alonso is afraid of everyone with equal status

Awsome race by Fernando.

Re. him using his DRS to defend against Vettel, as others have said this is within the rules, and it's happened loads of times this season with other drivers.

That said, I do think it needs looking at; it doesn't seem right that you get DRS when lapping someone.

Considering how many times Alonso has been blocked by distracted backmarkers in the past, it is only fair he got some luck in Japan.

Yes, I am sure that you are in a better position to know than Domenicalli...

Awesome race by fernando.

Let them live in their own fabricated 2007 fantasy.

Nuevo Alonso-spot?

that would be the killer team. Alonso and Vettel. it could either turn out like Barca now, or RM now

Vettel wiil NOT come to Ferrari the next few years!

Looking back there is no need for Ferrari to get Vettel in the camp. It is rather Webber or Nico who may change the course of development. Nico..? Yes he will kick mighty Fernando's a$$.

Besides, ... what an awesome race it was indeed fro Fernando, in the third quickest car in Suzuka to keep the fastest car behind. Class of its won, great pity that it did not mean his WDC...

Good drive by Alonso at the weekend, he is definitely extracting the maximum from his car.

Brilliant race from Alonso once again. definitely will become my favourite driver when button retires.

First of all:
what a great race by fernando.
That was a masterpiece, a race which should be remembered when talking about him.



That is a big mistake that some people make.
Button is the Prost-esque guy in the field.

Alonso is the perfect symbiosis of Senna and Prost, very near to the perfect racing driver.
So a race like that by alonso should be simply called Alonso-esque.
Alonso-esque= the highest level a racing driver can get.

Chapeau

Alonso lacks flair? This the guy who jumped on top of his car and invented new hand gestures every other win?

This was a good drive for Alonso, but let's not use epithets or things like Alonso = Senna+Prost+Clark... Simply not true.
What he did, is what I expect from him and what Ferrari expects from him. Nothing more, nothing less...

That doesn't make it less impressive, we are so used to it (Alonso driving the car to the limit or beyond) that maybe we have lost perspective of what Alonso is accomplishing with this car.

Maybe..., is just that posts like that of @YellowHelmet, I only saw in Vettel's thread and I had enough...

Excuse me from saying this. team As Ferrari cannot remain happy in taking 2nd place in anywhere anytime. It must have been said that the performance Fernando delivered in terms Ferrari's standard was little less than expected. Bt given circumstances and due course, Fernando's performance was excellent for which Ferrari can be happy about.

Sorry for saying: what a silly comment! Ferrari cannot win every race of every season. There is no team in the world which is able to do that. If Ferrari were able to win every single race, Formula One would renamed to Formula Ferrari and nobody would watch it expect from the Tifosi.
As for Fernando: he is the best driver by far and what he is doing insind and outside the car is simly phenomenal.

FA is driving the wheels off that Ferrari. And for that Ferrari should be pleased. This is a driver who is at the top of his game at the moment.

That said....

Ferrari need to give FA a car comensurate of his abilities.

Mac came damn close in 1988. Get the car right and it can be done.

OMG!
I don't speak about one single season, but about the whole story of the championship. There is no football team which won all the Word Cups. There is no F1 teams which won all Championships. It is impossible, nevertheless we cannot expect Ferrari to be always in topform. They also have a couple of worse season, but they are generally at the front among others and that's the right thing. Other teams have very talented drivers and engineers as well who can bring their own team to the winning road.

so cute

Class

I havent mentioned clark, the perfect symbiosis of senna and prost is alonso, simple as that.

you are expexting from a driver in a third fastest car to end the race as second, beating two rb and one mclaren.
If yes, me saying he is the perfect symbiosis of senna and prost is than even more true


About todays Korea qualy:
I think that the margin is to big to have any podium expecatations for tommorow, but never underestimate Alonso ;)

Even an off form Senna would not have been out qualified 4 times in the last 7-8 races by Massa. Alonso's qualy performances of late have been disappointing.

nothing really worrying.
we couldnt care less about it, coz it has not really a big effect for the race.
whether 5 or 6, nothing that we should cry about. ferrari is this year not fast enough over one lap (tyre temepratures) but over a stint in the race (coz they are not overusing their tyres) we have some potential.
but the gap to the mclarens is very big though.
so i dont think alonso can fight for podium or win again, although i am not rulling it out (as alonso is not, too).

i agree, i'm just saying that alonso, good as he is , is not quite prost+senna...

i only worry about the dirty side of the track tomorrow. if alonso gets stuck behind rosberg he'll be 10 seconds off the lead within 2 or 3 leaps. i hope he can start well and at least maintain position or perhaps even jump webber.

i never said he is senna+prost. but he is the perfect symbiosis of intelligent and aggresive driving (when needed) the one attribute described prost and the other senna.


my worry, too.
the start tommorow will be very important, so let us keep our fingers crossed.