#2009 singapore grand prix | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

coimbrabertone · 1 month

Text

Suzuka in April Feels Wrong

So, this weekend F1 will race at Suzuka. Suzuka is an amazing circuit, the esses at the beginning of the lap, trying to take Degner 1 as fast as possible but knowing the gravel trap is right there at the edge of the circuit, and then hard on the brakes for Degner 2, under the bridge, and up and to the right into the hairpin where Kamui Kobayashi seemed to overtake just about everyone in 2012. Spoon curve, the infamous 130R, and the Casio triangle at the end of the lap, Suzuka really is something special.

The only problem is, Raikkonen's 2005 charge (admittedly I was too young to properly enjoy that but it's literally the back to front challenge meme in real life), Kamui's 2012 podium as a Japanese driver, even Vettel's heartbreaking sparkplug failure in 2017, not to mention the historic Prost and Senna collisions...all of those happened at the end of the season, or close enough to it anyway. This year, Suzuka is in April, the fourth round of the 2024 Formula One season.

Now of course, there's a reason for this - the geography of an increasingly bloated F1 calendar - but first, let's just establish why the Japanese Grand Prix being at the end of the season is so important.

The first Japanese Grand Prix, held in 1976 and 1977, marked the first time a world championship race was held in Asia, and it was the finale too, the place where the championship would be decided. The 1976 race in particular, covered in the excellent 2013 movie Rush, saw Niki Lauda pull into the pits in dangerously wet conditions - this was the same year as his Nürburgring crash - which allowed James Hunt to charge up the field and seal his only world title.

The first Fuji trip would only last two years, but in 1987, F1 would find its home in Suzuka. It was the penultimate race - Adelaide, Australia was now the finale - but nevertheless, Suzuka was still the place where titles were decided. In 1988, Senna came from behind in the wet to beat Prost, in 1989 Prost would close the door on a charging Senna in the Casio triangle on lap 47, taking Prost out. Senna cut the chicane rejoining the track, got disqualified, and handed the title to Prost. In 1990, Prost now in a Ferrari, got a better start than Senna's polesitting McLaren, but Senna's wouldn't give an inch, and they didn't even make it past the first corner this time. Senna would seal the 1990 title. And it continued, Senna over Mansell in 1991, Hill over Villeneuve in 1996, Hakkinen over Schumacher in 1998...it was the track where history was made.

That being said, it's position in the calendar started to change as F1 expanded its Asia-Pacific presence from just Suzuka. From 1987-1995, it was paired with the Australian Grand Prix at Adelaide, in 1999 and 2000, it was paired with Malaysia, and from 2004-2008, it was paired with China. After that, the calendar more or less formed two flyaway blocks, with Australia-Malaysia-China-Bahrain at the beginning of the season, and a Singapore and Suzuka towards the end, paired with an everchanging host of flyaway races that included Abu Dhabi, Brazil, South Korea, and India. In 2009, Suzuka was the third to last race, come 2011, it was fifth to last.

The real blow to Suzuka as an end of season race, however, was the emergence of an American block of races late in the season. It started with Austin in 2012, and by 2015, we had Austin and Mexico back-to-back followed by Brazil, making for three western hemisphere races in a row. Las Vegas in 2023 made a fourth, with Abu Dhabi having long ago bought the season finale slot. All of this means that, in 2023, there were a whole two months of racing after Suzuka.

Thus, figuring that history is dead, F1 has decided to move Suzuka to April, so that, much like 2004-2008, it's back-to-back with the Chinese Grand Prix. Which means F1 will now have Baku and Singapore as a doubleheader in 2024...yeah.

For something meant to cut down on F1's travel related CO2 emissions, they really did just decide to make the entire circus fly over the entirety of the Asian continent in a week. Good job.

What the race does succeed in, however, is reminding us of the last time F1 raced in Japan in April, the 1994 and 1995 Pacific Grand Prix. A rare moment of two races in the same country for F1, when in addition to the end of season trip to Suzuka, there was an early season trip to the T1 Circuit in Okayama. It's a pretty neat track, I've raced it on Ride 4, probably better for bikes than cars though.

So yeah, not much for the environment, but it does remind us of an obscure race nobody has ever heard of, so there is that.

#f1 #formula 1 #formula one #japanese grand prix #japan gp 2024 #japan gp #racing #motorsports

19 notes · View notes

youjustwaitsunshine · 6 months

Text

Very Long 2010 pre-season Seb Post

Under the cut you will find posts from the sebsite which include:

The RB6 car launch + RB6 specs

Seb's test days in Jerez

Test days in Barcelona (original in german + my english translation)

a short blurb on the name of the car

some pictures

masterpost // pre-season 2010

10 | 02 | 10

2010 Car Launch

Sebastian Vettel | Driver – Car 5

Sebastian Vettel’s first foray into Formula One saw him fined for speeding in the pitlane during the first ten seconds of his debut. It’s fair to say he hasn’t slowed down much since.

Fame and fortune hasn’t made any discernable impact on Seb (“What fortune?” he asks, bewildered). He still gives his cars girl’s names, argues that there are more exciting things in life than driving Formula One cars (but not many) and is proud of being taller than Rubens Barrichello. He loathes being referred as ‘the new Schumacher,’ and so is relieved to see his Race of Champions team-mate returning to F1.

Born 3 July 1987 in the town of Heppenheim, Germany, Sebastian enjoyed a successful career in karting before making an immediate impression the moment he came into open-wheel racing. Starting the 2003 season aged 15, he won five of 19 races in his debut Formula BMW year, finishing second in the German Championship. The next year he took the title, winning 18 of the 20 races (he finished on the podium in the other two but doesn’t like to talk about them).

It marked Vettel as one to watch and he duly tested F1 cars for Williams and BMW-Sauber, while moving up through the junior ranks, impressing in Formula 3 and the World Series by Renault. Vettel’s chance in F1 came when he replaced Robert Kubica as BMW-Sauber’s third driver in the second half of the 2006 season. In addition to incurring the Stewards’ wrath, Vettel’s debut during Friday practice for the Turkish Grand Prix also saw him finish the day top of the timesheets.

While the performance on track was impressive, everyone was equally knocked out by the confidence and effervescence with which the teenage Seb dealt with the garage and Paddock. The authority with which he spoke and the evident self-deprecating wit stood him out as much as the blistering pace.

Sebastian finally got his chance to race a year later, standing in for the injured Kubica at the United States Grand Prix. Still only 19, he qualified seventh and finished eighth, becoming the youngest man to score a Championship point. Later in the 2007 season he moved to a permanent seat at Scuderia Toro Rosso. He made a lasting impression on future team-mate Mark Webber (and the rear of his car) during the monsoon-hit Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji before bouncing back a week later to secure fourth place at an equally waterlogged Chinese Grand Prix.

Confirmed for 2008, Vettel didn’t have the best start to his first full season and crashed out of the first four races, mostly as a result of being dragged into other drivers’ accidents. Fortunately the crash-magnet curse was soon lifted and Vettel scored points at Monaco, Montreal, Hockenheim, Valencia, Spa, Singapore, Fuji and Interlagos – though the only race anyone properly remembers is the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

On the back of a strong fifth place in Belgium, Vettel and Scuderia Toro Rosso went to Italy in good form. Torrential rain over the weekend failed to dampen their pace and Vettel duly became, first, the youngest driver to take pole position in Formula One history, and then the youngest race winner, having utterly dominated the race in which a rudder may have been of more use than a steering wheel.

Elevated to the senior Red Bull team for 2009, Vettel won his second, and Red Bull Racing’s first, victory at the third race of the year. He followed it with a string of podium and solid points-scoring finishes and established himself as a firm championship contender with a second, commanding victory in the British Grand Prix. He finished the season strongly with further victories in Japan and Abu Dhabi that, together with four other podium finishes, took him to second place in the Drivers’ Championship.

Definitely a follower of the ‘second is first of the losers’ philosophy, Sebastian has loftier ambitions for 2010. He lists his lifetime ambitions as winning the Formula One World Championship and beating Kimi Räikkönen at badminton.

RB6 – TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

Chassis: Composite monocoque structure, designed and built in-house, carrying the Renault V8 engine as fully stressed member

Transmission: Seven-speed gearbox, longitudinally mounted with hydraulic system for power shift and clutch operation. AP Racing clutch

Wheels: OZ Racing, Front: 12.0in x 13in diam., Rear: 13.7in x 13in diam.

Tyres: Bridgestone

Suspension: Front: Aluminium alloy uprights, carbon-composite double wishbone with springs and anti-roll bar, Multimatic dampers

Rear: Aluminium alloy uprights, carbon-composite double wishbone with springs and anti-roll bar, Multimatic dampers

Brakes: Brembo calipers, Brembo carbon discs and pads

Electronics: FIA (MESL) standard control unit

Fuel: Total Group

Renault Engine RS27 – 2010

Number of cylinders: 8

Capacity: 2400cc

Max rpm: 18,000rpm

Number of valves: 32

Vee angle: 90 degrees

Power output: Not disclosed

Engine construction: Cylinder block in cast aluminium

Engine management: FIA (MESL) standard control unit TAG310B

Oil: Total Group

Weight: FIA minimum weight of 95kg

important: the picture on the left is - on the sebsite - called 'sebi-vettel'

10 | 02 | 10

Sebastian and the RB6

It was windy, it was cold - rain was just a matter of time. Sebastian‘s face was nearly covered by his Beanie cap, but despite the dark clouds he was in really good mood. The reason why? It was the moment when his new car was unveiled. Sebastian laughs: „Finally we are back on the track - the winter break was far too long."

Sebastian stands in front of his car and proudly he gives a short version explanation: „We were lucky to have the best of all cars during the second half of the season. That means we had a very good base right from the beginning, so we just had to develop the car. In contrast some of the opponents had to develop completely new designed cars."

The only real new part: „I got a new seat, it‘s like having a new chair. Beside that in general all the more than thousand parts of a Formula One car have been optimised. "I have a feeling I can reach my target"… So far I have not made a decision regarding the car‘s name. So ideas are welcomed.More next Friday: Today and tomorrow my team mate Mark will do the shake down and the first laps.

On Friday it will be my turn and so on Friday evening I will able to give you further information, about how the RB6´s handling qualities.

------------

Jerez Test

12 | 02 | 10

JEREZ TEST – Day Three

Driver: Sebastian Vettel

Car: RB6 – 01

Laps: 59

Best time: 1.21.783

Circuit length: 4.423 km

Fastest lap: J. Alguersuari – 1:19.919

Sebastian Vettel drove Red Bull Racing’s 2010 championship challenger, the RB6, for the first time today, as he took over from Mark Webber on day three of the current four-day test in Jerez.

After an initial run on dry tyres, Sebastian was forced to use intermediate and extremes for the rest of the day as wet weather set in from 0945hrs. The team’s plan was to focus on aero-testing, but progress was hampered by deteriorating weather. By 1615hrs, conditions were so wet on track that Red Bull Racing, in line with the other Formula One teams testing in Jerez, decided to end the session early. Despite the weather, the car ran without any problems today.

Sebastian Vettel commented; “After three months, it was good to come back and drive the car – it felt okay and we didn’t have any big issues. Obviously the weather is not ideal for us to find out more about the car, but we knew the rain was coming so we didn’t mess around this morning and went straight out to do some laps. It then rained all day, but you could face these conditions in a grand prix, so it’s important to do laps in the wet. Overall, we didn’t do enough because of the weather, but I’m pretty happy.”

Sebastian will be driving the RB6 again tomorrow for the last day of this current preseason F1 test at the Jerez Circuit.

2010 Rider on the Storm

Sebastian Vettel | Driver – Car 5

"You can't influence the weather, we have seen that today. After a three month break, I was finally able to sit in the car today and it was good fun, I am still able to drive and the car feels good. This morning I did some (a few) laps in the dry the car went well straight away, but then it started raining and I had to park the car for some time in the garage. For sure it's a shame that it wasn't dry all day but also its possible to have rain in a race and so you have to learn to keep up with diffrent weather conditions. At the moment its still very difficult to give an idea of where everybody stands due to the new rules and the big tanks. The teams are driving with diffrent fuel levels and this also keeps changing. I hope it continues raining over night so that nothing is left for tomorrow and I can speed though all day, but as I said we have to see as we can't tell mother nature what to do..."

13 | 02 | 10

JEREZ TEST – Day Four

Driver: Sebastian Vettel

Car: RB6 – 01

Laps: 90

Best time: 1.21.203

Circuit length: 4.423 km

Fastest lap: L. Hamilton – 1.19.583

Sebastian Vettel was at the wheel of Red Bull Racing’s RB6 today for the final day of the current Jerez test. It was his second day of testing, as Mark Webber had driven on days one and two.

The team’s plan was to focus on set-up work and aero testing, although the weather once again played a part and damp conditions in the morning meant Sebastian began the day on intermediate tyres.

Conditions dried by lunchtime, but a fuel pump failure in the afternoon cost the team around three hours of dry running time. Sebastian ended the day with a final long run on dry tyres.

At the end of the RB6’s first test, Ian Morgan, Head of Race Engineering said: “It’s been a productive first week with the RB6, despite the weather and lack of dry conditions. We’re pleased with the car overall, it’s showing a lot of promise.” The next test will take place at the Jerez Circuit, starting on Wednesday 17 February.

-------

Barcelona Test

26 | 02 | 10

Barcelona Test - Tag 2 (english version below)

Sebastian Vettel | Fahrer – RB6-01

Auto: RB6-01

Runden: 125

Bestzeit: 1.21,258 Min.

Streckenlänge: 4,655 km

Tagesschnellster: N. Hülkenberg (1.20,614 Min.)

Das Team fuhr seine zweite Rennwochenend-Simulation, und am Ende des Tages hatte Sebastian 125 Runden zurückgelegt.

Ian Morgan, Head of Race Engineering, sagte: „Heute erlebten wir in etwa eine Wiederholung der Renn-Simulation, die Mark gestern gefahren war. Alles lief mehr oder weniger nach Plan. Erneut stoppten wir das Auto während der Renn-Simulation. Dabei handelte es sich um eine Vorsichtsmaßnahme, um einige Dinge kontrollieren zu können. Es ging um ein kleines Problem, und wir konnten schon wenig später weiterfahren. Sebastian konnte die Simulation vor Ende des Testtages in voller Länge beenden. Wir drehten viele Runden und sind recht happy, was das Auto angeht."

Sebastian Vettel meinte: „Das war ein guter Tag - größere Probleme traten nicht auf. Im Verlauf des Nachmittags mussten wir wegen einer Kleinigkeit unterbrechen, aber bei Testfahrten ist das ziemlich normal. Während der Tests will man keine Schäden riskieren. Aus diesem Grund ist es am besten, das Auto abzustellen, sobald es im Hintergrund Alarmsignale gibt. Weil es in Jerez oft regnete, haben wir an den beiden kommenden Tagen noch viel Arbeit vor uns. Beispielsweise müssen wir mehr über die Reifen herausfinden und einige Abstimmungsarbeiten erledigen."

Sebastian Vettel wird morgen erneut zum Einsatz kommen, bevor Mark das Cockpit am Sonntag, dem letzten Testtag, wieder übernehmen wird.

Barcelona Test - Day 2

Driver: Sebastian Vettel

Car: RB6 – 01

Laps: 125

Best time: 1.21.285

Circuit length: 4.655 km

Fastest lap: N. Hülkenberg – 1:20.614

The team drove its second race simulation, and at the end of the day Sebastian had completed 125 laps.

Ian Morgen, Head of Race Engineering said; “Today we experienced about a repeat of the race simulation that Mark drove yesterday. Everything went more or less according to plan. We again stopped the car during the simulation. This was a safety measure to control a few things. It was a small problem and we could continue soon after. Sebastian could finish the race simulation in full length before end of the test day. We ran many laps and are quite happy about the car.”

Sebastian Vettel said: “This was a good day – no large problems showed up. During the course of the afternoon we had to take a break due to a small thing, but that’s pretty normal with testing drives. On test days you don’t want to risk damage. For that reason it’s best to stop the car once there’s alarms in the background. Because it rained a lot in Jerez, we have a lot of work to do in the coming few days. For example we have to find out more about the tires and do a bit of coordination work.”

Sebastian Vettel will take the wheel again tomorrow before passing it back again to Mark on Sunday, the last test day.

Barcelona Test - Tag 3 (english below)

Sebastian Vettel | Fahrer – RB6-02

Auto: RB6-02

Runden: 44

Bestzeit: 1.23,123 Min.

Streckenlänge: 4,655 km

Tagesschnellster: N. Rosberg (1.20,686 km)

Sebastian Vettel absolvierte in Barcelona beim letzten Test vor Saisonbeginn seinen zweiten Testtag. Der Tag wurde durch Regen beeinträchtigt. Morgens wurden wegen eines Mix aus Regenschauern und technischen Problemen nur wenige Runden gefahren. Der Nachmittag erwies sich als wertvoller, denn das Team arbeitete an der Abstimmung für das erste Rennen der Saison in Bahrain. Seine Bestzeit erreichte Sebastian während seiner letzten Runde des Tages. Ian Morgan, Head of Race Engineering, sagte: „Nach den nächtlichen Umbauarbeiten mit Blick auf das für heute geplante Programm waren wir morgens wegen einiger technischer Probleme spät dran. Nachdem wir nachmittags richtig zum Fahren kamen, gelangen uns drei, vier Tests bezüglich der Abstimmungsrichtung für das Rennen in Bahrain. Sie brachten uns klare Resultate. Entsprechend beendeten wir den Tag in deutlich besserer Form." Am morgigen letzten Testtag werden sich Sebastian und Mark Webber das Auto teilen.

Barcelona Test - Day 3

Driver: Sebastian Vettel

Car: RB6 – 01

Laps: 44

Best time: 1:23.123

Circuit length: 4.655 km

Fastest lap: N. Rosberg – 1:20.686

Sebastian Vettel finished his second test day in Barcelona at the last test before the start of the season. The day was affected by rain. In the morning only few laps were run due to a mix of rain showers and technical problems. The afternoon showed to be more useful because the team worked on the race setup for the first race of the season in Bahrain. Sebastian reached his best time during the last lap of the day. Ian Morgan, Head of Race Engineering said; “After the nightly work in view of the program planned for the day we were late due to a few technical problems in the morning. After we got to driving in the afternoon, we managed to do three, four setup tests for the race in Bahrain. Those brought us clear results. Accordingly we finished the day in much better form.“ Tomorrow, on the last test day, Sebastian and Mark Webber will be sharing the car.

28 | 02 | 10

Barcelona Test - Tag 4 (english below)

Sebastian Vettel | Fahrer – RB6-02

Eigentlich wären meine Tests am Samstag abgeschlossen gewesen, aber durch die schlechten Wetterverhältnisse bin ich nicht auf meine gewünschten Kilometer gekommen.

Deswegen haben wir uns darauf geeinigt, dass ich am Sonntagvormittag nochmal ins Auto steige.

Am Freitag haben wir eine Rennsimulation gemacht, das verlief mehr oder weniger alles nach Plan. Jetzt muessen wir das erste Rennen in Bahrain abwarten, heute in 14 Tagen, wo alle die Hosen runterlassen... Wir müssen bis Bahrain noch etwas an unserem Topspeed arbeiten, aber insgesamt bin ich ganz zufrieden mit meinem Auto. Übrigens: Einen Namen habe ich auch schon, aber den werde ich erst am Montag vor dem GP in Bahrain auf meiner Website bekanntgeben...

Fahrer: Sebastian Vettel/Mark Webber

Auto: RB6-02

Runden: 137 (Vettel – 76; Webber – 61)

Bestzeit: Vettel: 1.20,667 Min.

Streckenlänge: 4,655 km

Tagesschnellster: L. Hamilton (1.20,472 Min.)

Nachdem er gestern auf der Piste weniger Zeit als erwartet verbracht hatte, kam Sebastian vormittags zum Einsatz, während Mark unsere Vorbereitungen auf die neue Saison nachmittags beendete. Die beiden Fahrer standen vor ähnlichen Programmen, die das Team erfolgreich bewältigte. Die vorläufig endgültigen Abstimmungen für unterschiedliche Tankfüllungen beim Saisonbeginn wurden gefunden.

Ian Morgan, Head of Race Engineering, sagte: „Weil wir gestern etwas Zeit verloren hatten, konnten wir mit Seb nicht alles abhaken, was wir uns vorgenommen hatten. Aus diesem Grund erledigten wir heute mehr oder weniger das Pensum von eineinhalb Testtagen, weshalb wir auf insgesamt 137 Runden kamen. Das war ein ziemlicher Wirbel, aber wir haben viel geschafft.

Der letzte Test verlief gut für uns. Nach eingeschränkten Testmöglichkeiten auf trockenem Asphalt während der beiden Tests in Jerez, hatten hier die fast komplett trockenen vier Testtage zur Folge, dass wir wieder auf Kurs kamen. Im Verlauf der Woche machten wir große Fortschritte. Das waren sehr gute Testfahrten."

Zwei Wochen trennen uns nun noch vom ersten WM-Lauf der Saison, dem Grand Prix von Bahrain.

Barcelona Test - Day 4

Usually, my Tests would have concluded on Saturday, but due to the bad weather conditions I did not get to the distance I wanted. Because of that we agreed that I’d get back into the car Sunday morning. On Friday we did a race simulation where everything went more or less according to plan. Now we need to wait for the first race in Bahrain, today in two weeks, where everyone will drop their pants… We’ll have to work on our top speed until then, but all in all I’m rather happy with the car. By the way: I have a name already, but I’ll only share that one on my website the Monday before the GP…

Drivers: Sebastian Vettel/Mark Webber

Car: RB6-02

Laps: 137 (Vettel – 76; Webber – 61)

Best time: Vettel: 1:20.667

Circuit length: 4,655 km

Fastest lap: L. Hamilton – 1:20.472

After he spent less time on the track than expected, Sebastian was in the car in the morning, while Mark finished our preparations for the new season in the afternoon. Both drivers followed similar programs that the team successfully completed. The provisionally final setups for different tank fillings were found.

Ian Morgan, Head of Race Engineering, said; ”Because we lost some time yesterday, we couldn’t finish everything we set out to do with Seb. For that reason we went over more or less one and a half test days worth of work, which got us to 137 laps. That was a lot of turmoil but we managed to do a lot.

The last test went well for us. After limited testing opportunities on dry track during the tests in Jerez, the almost fully dry four days of testing here let us get back on course. During the course of the week we took great steps. These were very good test drives.”

Two weeks still separate us from the first World Championship race, the Bahrain GP.

05 | 03 | 10

In diesem Jahr nenne ich sie Luscious Liz

Einige von Ihnen wissen vermutlich schon, dass ich meinen Formel 1-Rennwagen Namen gebe.

In der vorigen Saison fuhr ich zwei Autos, die ich auf die Namen Kate und Kates dirty Sister taufte.

In diesem Jahr nenne ich sie Luscious Liz!

This year I’m calling her Luscious Liz

A few of you probably already know that I give names to my F1 cars. In the last season I drove two cars who I christened Kate and Kates dirty Sister.

This year I’m calling her Luscious Liz!

back to the masterpost

the pre-season in general

#sebastian vettel #f1 #return to the 2010 season #i think it's fascinating that they already favored seb in the preseason testing #like they took half of marks day because sebby didn't get enough run time on his day? mark must have been soooooo pissed

28 notes · View notes

theagenes · 9 months

Text

This is a late night rant about 2014 Sebastian Vettel, not my usual type of content at all but I had to get it out of my system. 🎀

I would have not particularly written this but I heard a comment about Sebastian's 2014 season and it bugged me, then I saw something very similar later that day and just thought about doing this.

Then what is it about ? Well initially, what I heard came from a commentator discussing George Russel and Lewis Hamilton's dynamic at Mercedes, and how, in their first moment driving against one another, the younger one tended to force the elder into driving a bit more desperately : to commit mistakes to try and beat their younger teammate. To this, the commentator also put the example of 2014 Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo, which the former had seen as a threat, and as a result, had been pressured into driving poorly in 2014.

The problem I have with this is that it just highlights how little people know, and on the contrary, how much people assume, about Sebastian's 2014 season — which, arguably, is probably one of his most overlooked. It is not so much that he had a poor season that year, more than why — and you will find that it is the combinaison of many factors, most of them I thought people knew very well, but as it turns out, not so much.

Why was it such a terrible season for him then ?

First things first, I'd like to put this into perspective : we view 2014 as an “awful” season for him, if not by sheer, automatic contrast to 2013. It's not easy to have both your best and worst season follow each other in a 2 years' spawn : is it really though— his worst season ? Because it's not. Sebastian finished 5th in the driver championship that year, and stepped on a few podiums — some of them he even shared with his teammate Daniel Ricciardo.

Here he is in Singapore 2014, lifting his trophy at venue which has never failed him. 🥸

Now 5th isn't so bad, especially considering there were more drivers competing in the championship, as well as a fiercer competition. Why does it stick in our minds as such a forgettable season for him then ? Well, as we saw, 2013 was his most dominant form ever, and there is nothing more humiliating than losing a Grand Prix with the “ 1 ” sticker branded onto your every belonging : car, caps, race suit, garage ; right next to your own name.

But once that this a priori is out of the way, you will find that his 2014 season – although nowhere near his last four championship-winning years – was not simply Sebastian making silly mistakes, in the heap of the moment or born out of a rage to prove himself, because he felt threatened by his new teammate.

There are reasons behind 2014, and there are numerous.

An obvious reason, although going slightly in the same direction than what the commentator was saying – without ever reaching the same conclusion though – was that the 2014 season was all about changes for Sebastian : new regulations, new engines, new cars, new teammate : new dynamic. A change to which he adapted pretty poorly, that's undeniable, but which does not warrant for such a drastic drop of performance — when compared to 2013 or 2011, his most dominant years, but even 2012, one of the hardest fought championship he ever won, or 2010 or 2009, two championships to which he teethed and clawed at, for two very different outcomes. What I mean is that you simply do not go from breaking and setting new, unheard-of records (still unbroken, as I write this), winning 13 races out of 19, and only missing out on 2 podium finishes in an entire season, to climbing on the top of a few, scarce podiums the very next year — or at least, not without a justification.

This justification, you will find, comes into a much simpler, intertwined reason than you might think. To put it very simply, I would say “Ferrari” on one side, and “Michael Schumacher” on the other. Don't forget where we stand, and where we are : this is 2014. A few month prior, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian's greatest hero, friend and counsellor, had been drastically injured in a skying accident.

This might seem a bit foreign to us nowadays, and although we all know about his accident, do we always remember the precise date ? December 29 2013, during the winter break and somehow, both at the same time, a moment of joy and celebration for Sebastian, as well as sorrow and grief. How do you celebrate your greatest achievement in the sport of your dream, when a primordial component of this very childhood dream, your hero, fights for his life in a remote hospital ? And it's no well-hidden secret that Michael's accident dealt a terrible blow to Sebastian's mental health — he talked about it himself in interviews saying that the period which followed was one of the toughest of his life. The 2014 season cannot be extracted from its context, and the driver that got into his car this year was a man grieving, constantly ; persistently.

The third reason is very much linked to the second, as Michael Schumacher had a great impact over Sebastian's dream of ever driving shed in red. 2014 is also a turning point in Sebastian's career : both a pivot and a fulcrum, to later become an unsteady keystone. The thing is, the discussions over Sebastian ever joining Red Bull had started as early as 2008, although at this time, he had chosen to commit to Red Bull. The movement from Red Bull to Ferrari did not happen in one day, and it surely did not pop into Sebastian's mind over the spawn of a few month. It must have been there for years, simmering until he finally crossed the threshold and took a step. A move he had to make without any word of advise from the person who had made him want to join Ferrari in the first place.

The 2014 season was not so much his last year with Red Bull, more than a springboard-year before his first season with Ferrari. It was never going to be a year where Sebastian would fight for a championship, not even for wins or podiums : on the contrary, not winning with Red Bull was the only remaining necessity. His contract with Red Bull was set until the 2015-2016 season, and as we've seen in the past, a driver leaving his team is always legally managed by a contract : in order for this to happen, there has to be a clause which can break their pre-existing contract. It was the case with Daniel Ricciardo last year (2022) who was kindly thanked by McLaren in exchange of a good sum of money : that was the mandatory loophole in the contract for it to work. Similarly with Sebastian in 2014, the loophole in his contract was all about championship points. Helmut Marko talked about it after Sebastian's move from one team to the other, saying that this transaction had not came as a backstab at all, simply because it had been done in full knowledge of their team.

What do we think about it, as a whole ? Of course, I have no purpose to cast a shadow on Daniel Ricciardo's very good season in 2014 : his victories were his and he didn't rob anyone of them, nor his podiums. What I am trying to say is that there is no correlation between those two chains of event : in the same way that Sebastian losing did not help Daniel winning, Daniel winning did not make Sebastian lose. I don't think this 2014 season should be summed up as Sebastian feeling pressured by a younger teammate into making mistakes after mistakes — all the more considering his sheer streak of unluckiness and the unavoidable DNF's, engine and car failures he had no role into. Wouldn't it be pretty simplist, to link Daniel's victories to Sebastian, and wouldn't it take a bit from them ? I sincerely think that they are not linked, and that his – arguably weaker, although 5th position in the championship is no small feat if it is regarded as your very worst, considering most drivers never even win a Grand Prix, let alone make it to the top 5 of the WDC – 2014 season was about something else entirely.

Perhaps that it was less about being beaten by a teammate than saying farewell to a former team in the smoothest way possible ; for once losing sight of the championship to achieve something bigger, to try and reach for a childhood dream.

Pictures are from Motorsport Images (cr: Vettel 2014 Portrait) / Alfred Guillou - Adieu ! / - Lora Mathis - If There's A Way Out I'lI Take It / Edward John Poynter - The corner of the villa / Franz Ludwig Catel - Porch of a Church in a lunar landscape / The Guardian / Witold Pruszkowki - Falling Star / Patrick Gale - Notes from an exhibition, p.36 / Sebastian Vettel for the Daily Telegraph / Dr Helmut Marko for Sky Sports / Johan Christian Dahl - View of Dresden by Moonlight.

#web weaving #I say web weaving when really it's a RANT #‎^•ﻌ•^ฅWebweaving #sorry I got upset #I never do rants but 2014 seb is special to me #like people are SO quick to throw him under the bus #when will people get that 2014 was such a rough season for him but not for the reason they think :')#i will defend him with my life #sebastian vettel #f1 #formula 1 #red bull racing #red bull seb #red bull f1 #daniel ricciardo #red bull daniel

36 notes · View notes

umseb · 1 year

Photo

sebastian vettel and lewis hamilton racing each other during the 2009 singapore grand prix

#sebastian vettel #lewis hamilton #f1 #formula 1 #singapore gp 2009 #flashback fic ref #flashback fic ref 2009 #singapore #singapore 2009 #singapore 2009 sunday #sewis

22 notes · View notes

feraltwinkseb · 1 year

Photo

Sebastian Vettel along with an unidentified team member walks in Singapore. Vettel has vowed to fight to the wire in the world championship race despite his chances suffering a hammer blow at the last grand prix in Italy. September 24, 2009 - Singapore Source: SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images

#tommi dropping of his son for his first day of kindergarten #sometimes ill leave the captions in because i find them so funny #unidentified team member????#sebastian vettel #red bull racing #red bull seb #tommi pärmäkoski #F1 #formula 1 #2009

23 notes · View notes

fortheloveofaussiegrit · 10 months

Text

Mark Webber talking to Robert Kubica at the 2009 Singapore Grand Prix (Photo by Rainer W. Schlegelmilch)

#where is my post about mark and his twinks #.2009 #singapore gp 2009 #mark/kubica

12 notes · View notes

skitskatdacat63 · 9 months

Text

2009 Singapore Grand Prix - Lewis Hamilton & Fernando Alonso(ft. Timo Glock)

#i didnt mean for this to become a ferwis set and then it just became that so please take it #i already knew lewis won this race but at no point during the race did i have any idea what the podium would be #at one point i was sooooo sure it was gonna be lewis-nico-seb which wouldve been cool #but then nico got penalized and demoted to hell and then the same happened to seb #bro jense's strategy was witchcraft for this race #like he went from p11 w not really any expectations to getting ahead and was kinda slow and then boom materialized to p5 #i gaslit myself into thinking he was gonna be on the podium 😭😭😭 bcs at one point he was running p2(but during the pit window so)#seriously rip RBR this race. both STRs and Mark dnfed and then seb's P2 chances got fucked #lewis hamilton #fernando alonso #ferwis #timo glock #f1 #formula 1 #formula one #we do a little bit of f1 #2009 singapore gp

74 notes · View notes

dizzyduck44 · 1 year

Text

I’m one of those fans who sat through the 2008 season. I was rooting for Lewis. I heard Martin Brundle’s sarcastic comments in Singapore. I then sat and watched Brazil in genuine disbelief. As a fan at the time it was all a bit of entertainment and the only ones who really lost out were Ferrari. As a McLaren fan that suited me fine as the red team were the bitter rivals.

The last 15 years have not been kind to that season. It’s still heartbreaking to watch Massa’s father believe he is World Champion and 20 seconds later be told no. The dignity which Felipe stood on that podium having won his home race but lost the championship still chokes me up. Imagine being World Champion for 20 seconds.

Then 2009 ticks round and Nelson Piquet Junior hits us with it. That unbelievable Singapore Grand Prix, well Renault manufactured the result by asking him to crash.

There was enough evidence for the FIA to charge Renault and put them on probation for 2 years. They state that they could not erase the Grand Prix result as it was last season and that has been completed. (In much the same way we would see a let’s get the 2021 trophies handed out so whatever legal challenges comes we already have a precedent).

Massa never came close to another title and after his departure from Ferrari seemed to find his love of racing again. His time at Williams really showcased the personality and talent he was and I for one was sad to see him retire.

We then go on to learn that Timo Glock and his family suffered years of abuse and death threats from fans who believed he had let Lewis through on purpose. However he never wanted to finish that race on slick tyres, but was not able to come in for tyres as the pit lane was “closed” 2 laps from the end to set up the podium celebrations. A statement I have never heard about any race before or since.

2008 became a year in F1 we don’t really look back on fondly, and that’s from a McLaren fan.

Now in 2023 an offhand comment from Bernie Ecclestone (nothing new there) has lead to revelations from others which are a little sickening.

Nelson Piquet Jr admitted to a German journalist in Singapore, on that night in 2008 he had crashed on purpose and he was terrified to tell his father, but never to say anything.

Half the journalists in the paddock that night suspected foul play, a few made those now prophetic comments such as Brundle’s. No one was really allowed to say anything though as there was no proof.

Nelson Piquet Snr went to Bernie Ecclestone and Charlie Whiting before the end of the 2008 season and told them what had happened in Singapore, meaning that F1 and FIA officials knew before the end of the season that they had a race that potentially had been fixed.

The fact they did nothing is damming. In fact it seems nothing would have been done at all if the story hadn’t been given to the press in 2009.

So 15 years later Massa finds out the only chance he had to be World Champion was hindered by a result the FIA have know was manufactured all this time.

Alonso is still racing, Briatore is his manager. Renault are still in the sport, all be it as Alpine. For a newer fan there is no sign that race had any implications.

The best bit, after the way the FIA treated Lewis in 2021 is he really going to fight Felipe from getting some acknowledgment that he was robbed? Surely an outcome on that argument could give Lewis the basis for a challenge for the 2021 title.

It’s messy, it’s not particularly fair on any of the three drivers it could impact. Ultimately Felipe, Lewis and Max played no part in the decisions that caused such controversy.

And I bet you the FIA will not even consider naming Co-champions for those two years. It’s not fair to take away what was already given, but it’s not right to deny the FIA meddling took from others. Of course for any of this to happen requires the Brigadoon of all outcomes.

The FIA will have to admit it was wrong.

And when they’ve done that, then they can explain how the Williams garage mysteriously went on fire straight after they had won the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix.

#2008season #crashgate #felipe massa #lewis hamilton #f1 #formula one #formula 1 #f1blr

19 notes · View notes

distantlaughter · 9 months

Text

"Poker always works"

by Christian Von Hocke, originally written 24 July 2009 for Zeit Online (x)

Formula 1 pro Nico Rosberg talks in an interview about his life as a globetrotter, exotic food and his preferences for other sports.

Question: Mr. Rosberg, like right now in Budapest, you're on the road all year round with Formula 1 around the world. Don't you sometimes get homesick?

Nico Rosberg: I've had nine hotels in four weeks, which is exhausting. But homesick? No. I really enjoy traveling, it's very educational and very interesting. That's what I would also do in my free time: get to know new countries, discover new people, the way they live.

Question: So you've turned a hobby into a profession right alongside driving.

Rosberg: Yes, there are many places in the world that I would like to see and that excite me. I'm also planning a big trip during the winter break. I'm interested in India, for example, with its spirituality, or South America, Patagonia, a safari in South Africa. Even just hiking. That's not something I would normally do, but it's good for the body's regeneration. There's so much I can do, I'm just afraid that I'll take on too much and it will end up being too stressful.

Question: Michael Schumacher has regretted that he never saw anything of the Grand Prix venues apart from the airport and the track. Do you also explore the cities where you race?

Rosberg: Yes, especially at the overseas races. I have a bit more time there because we always arrive a bit earlier due to the time change. But even so, there's always the Saturday evening before or the Monday after the race. We have great races in interesting cities like Melbourne or Singapore or Shanghai.

Question: And what do you do there?

Rosberg: I go into town. I have a nice meal in a restaurant or go out for a drink or shopping in the evening, or I go to the beach and go surfing. Or I look at the special features of the city. I'm also very interested in photography and always have my big camera with me.

Question: But traveling can also be quite stressful. Can you sleep on the plane?

Rosberg: No, very badly. I have to lie horizontally and need rest so that I can concentrate on falling asleep, otherwise it doesn't work. For that reason alone, I have to fly business class. That's not a problem in Europe, where I always have my camper van to take me to the tracks.

Question: There are 17 Formula 1 races in 2009 alone. Have you ever woken up and not known which city you were in?

Rosberg: Not that, but I was once at the airport at check-in, and the woman asked me: Where are you flying to? And I didn't know. I'd been to four or five different countries that week, I was tired and unfocused, and I just couldn't think of it. She looked at me like I was stupid (laughs).

Question: Do you sometimes wish you had an office job from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., where you could throw your coat over the hook and stretch your legs in front of the TV when you're done working?

Rosberg: No. Whether it's a nine-to-five job or a Formula 1 racing driver isn't that important. I don't know if it would make anyone else happier if they led my life. My friends all have nine-to-five jobs, and they're no less happy than I am. It's always what you make of it that matters.

Question: But you also need a bit of home, don't you? Many people always have their music player with them to simulate a feeling of home wherever they go.

Rosberg: I'm not a music fan. I got an iPod as a gift, but I haven't really used it yet. For me, it's the cell phone. It connects me with friends and family. That's cool, I can also use it to go on the Internet. When I don't have it with me, I feel very naked. Like today, I don't even know what's going on anymore.

Question: Anyone who travels so much must have acquaintances all over the world.

Rosberg: That's true - wherever I go in the world, there are my best friends. I know them either through racing or from the past. I grew up in Monaco, and nobody stays there. Today, my old friends are everywhere, in Australia, China, America or South Africa. I can call them up and ask if we want to have a drink.

Question: Can you maintain hobbies while traveling?

Rosberg: I like to play football, but I rarely do that when I'm traveling. Poker is always on. I'm not very proud of it, actually it's nonsense to sit in front of a computer and play poker. But it's fun. Otherwise: eating. Does that count? I already see it as a hobby, I love to eat for my life, delicacies, creative, new things, especially country-related. I was in Marrakech with my girlfriend the other day, they have gigantic food there.

Question: In your travels, do you notice how places in the world change from year to year, and not just in terms of cuisine?

Rosberg: Yes. My parents have a country house in Aix-en-Provence. At first it was quite isolated, but now it's become a huge settlement with an industrial area.

Question: Let's be honest: What is your least favorite place in the world?

Rosberg: Kuala Lumpur. We're always just sitting around at the airport there (laughs).

#nico rosberg #nicology

36 notes · View notes