[MadTheEddos]

Kinda late in the season maybe, but I didn't see a thread on F1 this year, so here goes.

Might add more to this intro later.

[MadTheEddos]

So, the buildup to Singapore is well underway. Vettel FTW.

Can't believe Rosberg's car seems to have broken down right before the start again, just like last year!

[Topher]

Nico must have been sick, the one time Lewis didn't finish, Mercedes were comparatively uncompetitive he was fourth. He's just not stepped up to the challenge this year, Lewis is supreme and Nico took a knock in confidence from last season I think.

If I were Mercedes, I'd be looking to replace Rosberg with Bottas before Ferrari snap him up.

[MadTheEddos]

Just been watching a re-run of the Singapore GP on Sky.

Yeah, I hear what you're saying about Nico. Apart from the form he showed between Barcelona and Austria, he's just been disappointing and a shadow of his 2014 self. The 3 straight Monaco wins has been a highlight, and it's been good to see him winning back-to-back races for the first time, but overall his performance has been flat. It seems to be completely psychological, after losing the title last year - I'm reminded of the situation at McLaren in 1999 after 98, when DC fell into Hakkinen's shadow after Hakkinen won one title.
It's frustrating to watch it happening as a Nico fan, because I'm sure that he has what it takes to win the title in the right circumstances.

It definitely wouldn't be surprising if Mercedes are thinking about signing Valtteri for 2017, especially with the close links between them and Williams.

[Topher]

It's frustrating to watch it happening as a Nico fan, because I'm sure that he has what it takes to win the title in the right circumstances.

Yeah, unfortunately for him the right circumstances involve not being Lewis' team mate. I'm not a huge Nico fan, I think he's shown himself up at times (celebration at Monaco win after being gifted it was a prime example - no class) but I do think he can be quick - he showed that when partnering Schumacher.

[MadTheEddos]

I think celebrating the Monaco win in the heat of the moment was fair enough - an inherited win is still a win - and he did acknowledge the situation pretty honestly in the interview afterwards, so I didn't mind that one. He did shoot himself in the foot with his attitude after China though - that was just cringeworthy.

I agree that he struggles against Lewis in the same team - although it was pretty close last year until the Spa incident, and he always had a chance. He just hasn't ever managed to decisively get on top of Lewis and dominate him at any point, while Lewis has dominated him at times since day 1, and that's allowed Lewis to progressively gain the upper hand.

Nico reminds me of Ralf Schumacher a bit - on his day he's brilliant, but those days don't happen often enough.

With the current strong form Ferrari are in, if anyone can realistically challenge Lewis for this title, I think it's more likely to be Vettel - although that's still a very long shot, of course.

[Topher]

I can't see anyone challenging Lewis for the title (and I really hope they don't as I've managed to wangle a ticket to the BRDC Awards this year, so would be nice to see Lewis after he's won the title...!) but I can certainly see Vettel challenging Rosberg for second - not that I rate Vettel as highly as some other people. He's a very good driver, he's just not as good as Lewis or Fernando.

[MadTheEddos]

Nice one! That sounds genuinely awesome. Will you be getting to meet the drivers?

Personally, I would rate the top 3 as:

1. Sebastian
2. Fernando
3. Lewis

Although I think the the margins between them are minimal - all 3 are capable of amazing things.
Maybe Vettel's 4 straight titles skews it unfairly in his favour in my mind, I dunno. I've always felt that he has a certain je ne sais quoi that's unique, I've had a soft spot for him as a driver ever since he won Monza 2008, in fact really ever since he ran 3rd at Fuji 2007 and then finished 4th in China in the crappy 2007 Toro Rosso. Plus I love his character out of the car too.

If I have a criticism of Seb as a driver it's his tendency(in the past at least) to not consistently out-perform a relatively uncompetitive car. One example was 2012, when he relatively struggled for most of the season with a difficult car, then the car was improved before Singapore and he started dominating - that reminded me of Hakkinen. Another example would be 2014 and getting his ass kicked by Ricciardo.
It's something I'm willing to believe he'll eliminate over time(Definitely there's been less evidence of it since he joined Ferrari), but it's been the one obvious chink in his armour IMO.

[Topher]

Will you be getting to meet the drivers?

I think so - I have a friend who organises Formula Ford races (including the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone, which is quite a big weekend in the Silverstone calendar). He knows Damon Hill because he used to work for the BRDC when Damon was president and he knows Damon is my all time hero, so he has promised to introduce me - it just so happens he's going to do it here (hopefully Damon will be there) because he's managed to get tickets through a member.

Personally, I would rate the top 3 as:

1. Sebastian
2. Fernando
3. Lewis

Although I think the the margins between them are minimal - all 3 are capable of amazing things.
Maybe Vettel's 4 straight titles skews it unfairly in his favour in my mind, I dunno. I've always felt that he has a certain je ne sais quoi that's unique, I've had a soft spot for him as a driver ever since he won Monza 2008, in fact really ever since he ran 3rd at Fuji 2007 and then finished 4th in China in the crappy 2007 Toro Rosso. Plus I love his character out of the car too.

If I have a criticism of Seb as a driver it's his tendency(in the past at least) to not consistently out-perform a relatively uncompetitive car. One example was 2012, when he relatively struggled for most of the season with a difficult car, then the car was improved before Singapore and he started dominating - that reminded me of Hakkinen. Another example would be 2014 and getting his ass kicked by Ricciardo.
It's something I'm willing to believe he'll eliminate over time(Definitely there's been less evidence of it since he joined Ferrari), but it's been the one obvious chink in his armour IMO.

I would put Lewis and Fernando on equal number 1 status and Vettel behind them. Ricciardo showed him up last season (though Ricciardo is also an excellent driver) and I think Bottas in the same car would give him a decent run.