How soon can Vettel win 2011 WDC?

[PlatinumZealot]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/formula ... 591355.stm

Alonso, who was second in Monaco, said Vettel's blistering start had put him on the verge of the championship, despite there being 13 more races this season.

"We saw in the last couple of years that if you win five or six grands prix you've nearly won the championship," said the Spaniard.

Asked how he could close the 74-point gap that now separates him from Vettel in the drivers' championship, Alonso pointed out that even with the new scoring system, under which the winner of each race receives 25 points, he would need to win three races and Vettel not score at all.

"I think at the moment it's not possible," said the Spaniard.

"If you are one second behind in every qualifying and you have to do some strange strategies, so some starts or something always out of the normal race [to try and win], it's difficult.

Not possible -
For Alonso.

He already lost the championship from race one

From the guy in 2nd point of view, the MP4-26 is close, and winning the WDC is very possible. It is almost guaranteed if Button is given the directive of being a number 2 wingman (crash into Vettel anyone?)

Anyway.. My gut feeling is that RedBull is beginning to show signs of weakness... they have ONE major reason why their car is fast in qually, it is not because the car is more refined all over more than the Mclaren. I believe the mclaren is fundamentally faster - and "our" car is more refined.. simply because the engineers are desperately working to match the Bull without using the tricks that Newey is using in Q3.. and right now...right right now... I think the Mclaren is faster after 12 laps on the softs, and we are definitely faster on the hards right off the bat. The only problem is being fast on the softs on the first hot lap.

[i70q7m7ghw]

Even if McLaren start winning races, it's likely Red Bull will be right there behind them. It's like what Button did in '09, he got an early lead and the just soaked up the points for the rest of the season.

[andrew]

Alonso was actually the one saying Vettel has effectively won the championship.

I think he has been ordered too, sorry, decided to recind his comment, but I can't find this report anymore since I read it this morning.

[HampusA]

.....

[PlatinumZealot]

Alonso was actually the one saying Vettel has effectively won the championship.

I think he has been ordered too, sorry, decided to recind his comment, but I can't find this report anymore since I read it this morning.

I remember it he did say it. He was doing some mathematics gymnastics as he usually does. But as you say - he did say it is very unlikely with his machine which is more than a second behind in Q3.

From my point of view, Jesnon, Webber, Alonso, Petrov and Rosberg have to work together to mess Vettel up. That is the only way we will see even a lopsided 2 way fight at season's end.

[CHT]

From my point of view, Jesnon, Webber, Alonso, Petrov and Rosberg have to work together to mess Vettel up. That is the only way we will see even a lopsided 2 way fight at season's end.

I actually think that there should be a regular no.2 to challenge vettel rather than having 4 ot 5 drivers taking points away from each other.

[mike]

most wins without a world championship = 7
im pretty sure in 2005 and 2006 Kimi Raikkonen and Michael Schumacher had a second place, mathematically anything can happen if Vettel gets 8 wins, then he is the world champion

[CyleB]

however there isnt a steady No. 2 so anythnig can still happen even though i see him winning in the end

[CHT]

most wins without a world championship = 7
im pretty sure in 2005 and 2006 Kimi Raikkonen and Michael Schumacher had a second place, mathematically anything can happen if Vettel gets 8 wins, then he is the world champion

Vettel is a sucker for record and I am sure he will go all out to nail all the remaining races

[CyleB]

^^^ thats what he gets paid to do

[HampusA]

His car is fully capable of doing so aswell.
I just wonder what will happen when this curve eventually starts to go down as it does with all teams through time.

Will they stick around and take their place as a Top3 team even after the downrise or will they fall back in the order to the likes of Williams or will they simply leave the sport?

[Richard]

Hamilton has the lowest DNF rate of any driver in the last 20 or so years.

Wrong!

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=10148

[CHT]

His car is fully capable of doing so aswell.
I just wonder what will happen when this curve eventually starts to go down as it does with all teams through time.

Will they stick around and take their place as a Top3 team even after the downrise or will they fall back in the order to the likes of Williams or will they simply leave the sport?

RBR will not be short of cash to fund the team as long as F1 remains a truly global sports.

With India, Russia and US race coming, I really dont think RBR will leave anytime soon.

[HampusA]

True, but would you want to spend billions in a sport where your not getting anywhere?
(obviously assuming everything went downwards after these dominating years)

Maybe they will cut down on their own sponsoring and maybe get rid of Toro Rosso and get more, smaller sponsors?

[beelsebob]

most wins without a world championship = 7
im pretty sure in 2005 and 2006 Kimi Raikkonen and Michael Schumacher had a second place, mathematically anything can happen if Vettel gets 8 wins, then he is the world champion

Coulthard IIRC has this honor.