2014 United States Thoughts
THE BIG PICTURE: Over reaction? Under reaction? Status quo? Time will tell. But we do feel there is a crossroads Formula 1 is at. Which direction they choose will be analyzed for years to come.
EVENT: It keeps getting better and better. And from the reaction of the participants and fans, in three short years, this version of the USGP has already become a must attend race.
QUALIFYING: Same old, same old -- Hamilton tops all practice sessions only to have Rosberg grab the pole, Williams controls the second row, Alonso out qualifies Kimi, Ricciardo does the same to Vettel, but this time Vettel has a valid excuse.
RACE: 2012 all over again with intense fighting midpack.
TRACK: We're still flabbergasted Tilke was able to design a winner.
START: Everything looked "boring" until they got to Turn 15.
ROSBERG: The better qualifier couldn't hold on.
HAMITON: While the better racer grabbed the victory.
RICCIARDO: Nabbed another podium.
BOTTAS: Should have nabbed another podium.
MASSA: A fine race for Felipe.
ALONSO: Still driving hard.
VETTEL: Not a bad finish, considering.
FERRARI: That object you see ahead of you is Williams disappearing into the sunset.
MALDONADO: Wow, Pastor got some points. It's worth repeating. Wow, Pastor got some points.
GROSJEAN: Maybe he thought he was rallying.
RAIKKONEN: Is it even worth saying anything?
VERGNE: Mixed weekend for a desperate driver.
PEREZ: Bonehead move of the race, letting his "home" fans down.
SUTIL: Probably the only one on the grid who hates coming to America.
CATERHAM: This is what happens when you sell to a mysterious consortium and actually expect to get your money.
MARUSSIA: With all eyes focused on Caterham, the other shoe dropped.
ROSSI: Boned again.
ERICSSON: When a driver who consistently got spanked by his teammate all year can just up and grab a seat at another team because he suddenly lost his team, displacing a much better driver, it makes it very hard to feel sympathy for these pointless back markers.
SAUBER: Kiss goodbye your chance of scoring points next year...
SMITH: Bruton Smith criticized Formula 1 for scheduling the USGP the same weekend as NASCAR's Texas Motor Speedway's event 221 miles away. Based on the crowds at both venues and the plethora of empty seats at TMS, we now know Smith was scared.
WORD OF THE WEEKEND: Turmoil.
STAT OF THE WEEKEND: 18 -- The number of cars on the grid, the lowest since 2005. How low can they go...?
HISTORICAL STAT OF THE WEEKEND: Before the companies merged, Benz won the second United States Grand Prize in 1910 at Savannah, Georgia. American David Bruce-Brown took the win. Despite it being the longest USGP at 415.2 miles, taking over five hours to complete at an average speed of 70.55 mph, Bruce-Brown beat his teammate, Frenchman Victor Hémery, by just 1.42 seconds.
QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND: Lewis Hamilton is one of the biggest fans of Circuit of the Americas, "What an incredible place this is to go racing."
QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND RUNNERUP: Will Buxton summed up the current financial situation, "F1 is awaiting its Boston Tea Party. The ships are making their way into port."
SCHEDULE: If they had to have a double points race, it should have been Brazil, where truly passionate F1 fans exist.
Copyright © 2014 by Deep Throttle. All Rights Reserved.
|