multi21

First off, congratulations to ALL THE TEXANS. You guys did it when some, including a lot on this board said it couldn't be done. Not only did you do it, but you hit a grand slam!!! Thanks for showing well for the USA!!!! Great track, great facilities, great passing opportunities on this Tilke track etc! Outstanding job, really impressed and I hope to go next year to experience this first hand.

Awesome job by all the drivers, really good side by side hard racing and no BS.

Massa continues to impress with a 11th starting spot and gets all the way to 4th.

Forecasts for this weekend in Brazil are "RAIN"..... Perhaps the only way to slow down the RBR. The F cars go really well in Brazil and it should be a great way to end what has been an unbelievable season

gums

Fantastic outcome, and a great debut for Austin, TX. Couldn't have asked for better, the circuit provided lots of excitement.

FGL28

Hammy did well. It was nice to see him win. The question I have, based on the Middle school stunt pulled by Ferrari to get Alonso on the clean side

Don't you feel dirty rooting for Ferrari?

agdamis

+1

Well said Pete

agdamis

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/2...ss-of-victory/

Wow, Never his fault always someone else. Hammy smoked him and they can't man up to out.

Congrats Hammy on a great drive and an overdue win.

Virtual Surgeon

Hammy is an amazing driver. I think he will regret the move and I will be sad if he is not competing in a vehicle that show cases his talents.

Boston Blazer

+1 - Just because it is within the rules it's still a shameful move. Alonso certainly had luck with Webber going out. He seems to get lucky breaks every race. He still was 38 seconds or so from 2nd place.

Nice race by LH.

ilko

What an awesome race. COTA is an amazing facility! So many passing opportunities! Loved the cowboy hats at the end, well done!!

Ferrari did a dirty trick, plain and simple. It's in the same league as Austria 2002, Singapore 2008, and Germany 2010. Lame. It really takes away from the excitement of the sport.

And finally, congrats to Lewis, he drove an amazing race!

DB_NC_95C2

I totally agree. Hamilton did the deed, I have not always been his biggest fan but I was rooting FOR him more than I was rooting AGAINST Vettel. F1 is about which car/driver/tire/track combination best works, and this weekend it was Hamilton in the McLaren, good on him.

Interesting that as Villeneuve said last week
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/104210)
that Vettel acts like a spoilt child and blamed it on Narain.
When Alonso doesn't win, he tells the truth, as in 'this was the best we could do this weekend', he doesn't whine like Vettel and Horner.

Karthikeyan spoke to Charlie Whiting before the race regarding when he was required to move over, and followed Charlie's instructions:
http://planetf1.com/driver/18227/825...-nothing-wrong

Horner and Vettel are sore losers, what Ferrari did was within the rules, and I agree with Domenicali that anyone who's crying spilt milk is lying and I respect Stefano's honesty :
http://planetf1.com/news/3213/825956...nalty-Decision

Horner would have done exactly the same thing given the variance between both sides of that track and he knows it. He's a disingenuous lyer.

aj986s

Kudos to Hammy on a great, patient drive. Vettel is proving himself again to be a whiney little snot nose'd kiddy....if he was so good, why was Hammy pulling away at the end.

And kudos to Ferrari for being clever. Losing the tag seal on the tranny was a bit underhanded, but was within the rules. F1 is to some degree a "team" sport, so kudos to the Team. But I think the outcome would have probably been the same had Alonso started from his original grid spot. He suffered a painfully long pit stop, and still managed to podium.

COTA is a great facility! If that track is ever opened up to Club events, I will have to thing very hard about putting it on my bucket list.

multi21

All evidence points to the deal already having been done. Vettel is already signed up with Ferrari for 2014 similar to the way Alonso pre-signed with McLaren years ago and I'll explain why.

Perez was a Ferrari driver. Logic would indicate that after his stunning start to the season in the Sauber that you bring him over to be the understudy to Alonso and groom him for the future. The fact he brings so much TelMex money with him is an added bonus. But they didn't do that and said he wasn't ready and didn't sign anyone else when Massa was strugglin SO BADLY at the beginning of the season. So Ferrari was not looking to lock up anyone long term.

If there is anything Luca DiMontezemolo loves is a date with the prettiest girl in the room. Five years ago, he let go of Schumacher for Kimi. Then he let go of Kimi for Alonso. In a couple years it will be Alonso for Vettel.

That was from the Ferrari point of view. Now what's in it for Vettel:

By the time 2014 rolls around, Vettel will have been a 3 or 4 time WDC, definitely an all time great in the history of F1. The only thing is he would have done it with one team. But the team everyone dreams of driving for is Ferrari. His childhood hero, Schumacher, has no doubt told him how wonderful it is to be a Ferrari driver and more so a Ferrari WDC. I was in Maranello in April and when you become a WDC for Ferrari, you are immortalized forever in that town, area, country. FOREVER.

Then there is the challenge of getting away from the shadow of Adrian Newey. Schumacher left Benetton after 2 WDC and went to Ferrari to win 5 more. No doubt winning a WDC without Newey as the designer would boost Vettels status and ego which all these drivers have.

Then there is that little rule change coming in 2014 with the V6 turbo engines. Currently all engines are frozen in development and the Renault package in the RBR chassis is clearly the best of the best and Vettel will have another year to win again. In 2014, it'll be a lottery to see who can develope the best and more importantly, the most reliable turbo engine and the odds of RBR being so dominant are less.

Finally, you have the history of Ferrari. Traditionally, they like to have a clear #1 and #2. With Alonso there, that would not be the case, but Alonso's contract expires in 2015. It would be outstanding to have both Alonso and Vettel in the same team for a year, but Montezemolo has already said he doesn't like to have two roosters in the hen house *his words, not mine* and the history of Luca dumping one driver for the younger one has already been established over and over again. If Montezemolo has a shot at getting Vettel, he will not let it go.

Nizer

I guess somebody had a good time in Texas:
http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/sc...anch-in-texas/

Best pass of the race:

Bob Rouleau

It was a great race on a very good track! While everyone comments on Ferrari's cute trick, I was disappointed by Schumi's behavior on track. His "defense"was dangerous and stupid.

RajDatta

Great race, now on to the final round. Vettel DNF's and Alonso wins the championship from 3rd .

stuttgart46

Great race and the track looked incredible on TV. I can't wait to drive it myself.
I'm a little concerned about the alternator on the Red Bull in Brazil. Hopefully the championship is decided on the track with Alonso and Vettle going head to head to the end.