RIP Maria, condolences to all family and friends

Heard the news earlier and came as a shock R.IP Maria such a lost to f1 thought are with Family and Friends

So sad to hear really believe she could have been an F1 driver at some point

Well, nice to see Vettel finally get some bad luck, even if most of quali' wasn't exactly edge-of-the-seat stuff.

Massa in front of Alonso and Grosjean in front of Raikkonen.

Sometimes start to wonder if Kimi is just kinda swinging the lead now he's decided his future isn't with Lotus but he does seem to still be getting the results come Sunday.

Can someone please explain to me what is the point of the lowly ranked teams who always start at the back of the grid?

What's the point of anything in life that isn't the absolute best in its category/field etc? Every development has to start somewhere, that's what.

The lower ranked teams give drivers an opportunity to prove their worth in F1, and give loads of engineers etc jobs. Yes, they get overtaken by the faster cars in every GP, but someone has to come last, and I don't really understand why anyone would object to them when they're only a bit slower...

Marias death, linked to injuries sustained in 2012 crash.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/24505702

Potentially to become champions if they get the right ownership and support.

Keep in mind that Jackie Stewart's team was lowly and didn't have much success (1 win in 49 races). The Jaguar bought it and were even worse (0 wins in 85 races).

Then Red Bull bought it and now dominate the sport.

Who else is up for the build-up starting on Beeb1 now?

Rather over-shadowed by Maria's passing, but an exciting start. Hamilton - Vettel contact.
Grosjean grabbed the lead cleverly at the start.

Good race so far. Some nice battles even this late in the race. As much as I like Webber, Grosjean probably deserves 2nd so I hope he holds on.

Vettel is about to equal Fangio and Schumacher by winning four WCs in a row. Will he be as revered in terms of history given the clear car advantage in performance he has enjoyed in the Red Bull? He doesn't appear to be.

Kinda pedestrian race IMO.
Bits of action but all a bit sterile. Still way too little real fighting because the tyres can't withstand it.

Nice to see Massa apparently racing with Alonso.

Seems like RBR should have pitted Webber as soon as possible for the last set of options to give him as many laps as possible to catch Grosjean and Vettel. Maybe lap 43 was as early as possible though.

Interesting to see that RBR ran different strategies for Vettel and Webber.
Expect to see that happen if Webber qualifies in front of Vettel again.

Some clumsy driving from the usual suspects; Perez and Maldonado.

Sauber really seems to have come good at the end of the season. Shame they couldn't have done it earlier though.
After last year, and with these sort of results now, it'd be nice if they could maintain it into next year too and get up there with the best of the "division 2" teams.

The same man winning every single race now is a dreadfully dull affair.

Kind of disappointed that Eddie Jordan said Hulkenberg is going to rejoin Force India. After his form the last few years, he deserves a better team. Andrew Benson suggesting that if he does go back, Di Resta might lose his drive (unless he is going to Lotus).

Do you guys think Grosjean has done enough now to keep his drive?

With the clear advantage Vettel has in the WDC, I dont he would mind a little bit of bad luck now. Certainly better to have one the WDC is almost sewn up, rather than at the start.

Kimi gets bonuses, which may well explain why he does well on Sunday.


Did you even watch last season? He didnt have the best car for most of last season, and still won.

I agree he is not in the same like as Schumacher.


You dont have to watch.

A decent enough race, with quite a bit of action behind the first three. Pity Webber couldnt overtake Grosjean quickly, it would have made for an interesting finish.

Again more bad luck for Nico, never can get a break.

Do you think these rumours have any truth?

David Croft & Jonny Herbert both tweeting:

"Hulk to Ferrari. Alonso to McLaren. Chilton to Force India. Magnussen to Marussia"

I'm done watching F1 for now. I suspect many others are doing likewise, I'm sure viewing figures are down.

Me too, though it had been a while since they set up a Webber car with near equal pace to Vettel's.

It's just dull in general for me. It's a similar feeling to watching someone else play a video game. Sometimes i want to just yell at my family "Why do you watch this crap?" Even they look bored during the whole thing, yet still pretend for some reason to like it.

They should limit the races to 30 laps and have one driver per team. Reducing pit stops would make it more of a race, rather than a procession. 30 laps could allow two races in a single day with reversed grids.

Not so much a car set up issue but around the first clean weekend for Mark in a long time. Not a disastrous start either though still not a good one.

Hamilton ended his race before it started by deciding he was going through the middle of the Red Bulls. For me it was similar to the accident he had with Grossjean at SPA as he had a pre planed approach to turn one and he stuck to the plan instead of reacting to the situation. I thought he was going to have an accident based on brundels start line comments. Think back to it now I wonder if he had a crash or pass mentality to the start
as he is no longer in the WDC and just wanted to try and steal a win.

Massa ignored team orders today and he would have been better following them Alonso blasted past him anyway and from their while Alonso went forward Massa's race deteriorated in to be passed and dropping back. The drive throught for speeding should have been the final humiliation but then he gets past by Jenson in a slower car. It was an important day in the constructors championship with both the Mercedes in trouble but Felipe dropped many points. Not sure what team would want him based on that performance.

Overall the race wasn't classic more of a story of how Vettel won it. I don't think Martin and Crofty know what is going on in a race these days. They thought it was Webbers race all along because they wanted it to be webbers race but red bull projection was Seb is racing Roman because he was leading and the plan was Seb wins.

Suzuka is quite an areo lead track with overtaking options on the risky side. Fast turn one or close quarters at the casio triangle. The spectacle often comes at Japan from the challenge of driving flat out on a technical, demanding and unforgiving track. However due to everybody driving to a pace for trye management this was also missing.

Certainly before the accident, but sadly, with only one eye, it is unlikely she would have been allowed to race.

It's getting that way but I'm forcing myself to see out this season.

I no longer get up at stupid O'clock to watch it and don't bother at all with P1, P2 and P3. I used to be there gripped at every second.

Even todays race I watched the 2pm replay and had it in the background whilst I played on here.

Vettle wins again and puts another nail in the coffin.

It allows new drivers, engineers, technicians and managers a grounding in the sport. It is where people like Rob Smedley (Jordan), Mark Webber (Minardi), Michael Schumacher (Jordan) and Adrian Vettel (Toro Rosso), Rubens Barrichello (Jordan) and Kimi Räikkönen (Sauber) started.

Not ignoring, of course, today's crop of up and coming talent, Nico Hulkenberg's performance is getting noticed as well as Romain Grosjean (I know, who'd have imagined it?).