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Nice to see karma work it's magic today. Vettel winning his 4th consecutive title and Fernando Alonso ensuring he will wear his self-gratifying self-celebrating helmet in Abu Dhabi.

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

Two different drivers in two completely different eras, with multiple different sets of rules. There's no way you can truly compare Schumacher and Vettel. Can't we just agree that they are two exceptionally talented individuals, both who have some flaws but who are deserving of the success they have achieved?

Also one thing I've noticed:

2010 - Abu Dhabi
2011 - Japan
2012 - Brazil
2013 - India

A 4-time World Champion and has won each title in a different country. That's quite an achievement.

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

Schumacher was still around last year and Vettel crushed him.

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"Indy doesn't give you a second chance. You have to earn it."

I have no problem with Alonso celebrating his achievements. Vettel is also a Stats man, he's had icons on his helmet for championships. Schumacher had special helmets and icons for things. I love that kind of stuff, as it's clearly important to the drivers. So I'm not going to put Alonso down for being proud of what he's achieved. My issue is simply that the stat is meaningless now, so did he really achieve it? Obviusly having more races means the drivers earn more points, but that is slightly different (IMO) because the drivers are still going out and doing more races, and earning more points. I do understand, and agree, that more races obviously means they're getting more opportunities to score, I just think that they are doing more, therefore achieving more. However with the points system, the drivers literally do NOT do more. 2 wins are now judged completely differently in terms of points, to the scale of 2.5. That's huge. So in that sense, the fact they are being given more points is a huge issue, where as the fact there is more races isn't as big in my head. But of course I do see both arguments for it.

So I like to look at the stats tables which have the points equalised to one of the standards, of which 2010 seems to be the most common one used. That puts Fernando third, with 2414, with Prost sitting at 2467. To me, it's a bigger achievement when Fernando passes Prost. That's huge. Prost is an all time great name, who will be remembered long past our life spans, and Fernando is about to pass him on points which use the same system. He's only 50 odd behind, so he'll do it next year, or maybe even by the end of this season. That's an achivement he should be celebrating. That's MASSIVE and something he should celebrate and should be proud of, and IMO there is nothing wrong with celebrating these things. He'll be second to only Schumacher. That's...fucking awesome, frankly.

On a very very similar discussion - I know a lot of people hate Vettels over excitment when he wins a race which he controlled. And as fans, I do understand that - we just watched him control a race for 90 minutes, and the result was what we expected...what is there to be excited about? I do get that. But look at how both he and Schumacher treated each and every win. Schumacher won from start to finish and still did the podium jump. Vettel still screams down the microphone to the team. Look at today, when Vettel won his fourth title that was his most extravegant celebration yet. He was doing donughts and climbing fences, running around hugging people. Racing is what these guys do - it's their entire life. They've worked their whole lives to get to where they are, and this is them enjoying the high times. So when Fernando celebrates his achivements I think that's great (I think this particular one isn't an achivement, and he should be more proud when he passes Prost). When Schumacher did his podium jumps, whilst it annoyed me at the time, now I get it. When Vettel is screaming for joy at what appeared to be an easy win, and is celebrating a 4th championship which we all expected to come at the start of this weekend...I get it. And I think that's an AWESOME Thing to see.

Also, my spell checker in Chrome is fucked. So there's a lot of mistake in this, but I can't be arsed re-reading it all. :P

ellis, drivers and teams have always celebrated wins and achievements in certain ways. I've no problem with that. But celebrating a milestone which "officially" (as you've calculated) isn't actually his achievement yet, I find to be quite meaningless and (as I've already said) nothing more than simple self-gratification.

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

Yeah I wasn't trying to put you down (although I see how it reads now, my bad!), just put down my own thoughts on the subject.

That's ok ellis, I certainly didn't see it as you trying to put me down.

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

Alonso's driving hasn't been that good anymore ever since he started being disgruntled around Spa-time.

Vettel reprimanded and Red Bull fined 25000 Euros.

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Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

Not that either care.

Dumb penalty for a dumb rule. Let people celebrate without an official protocol. If anything, the burn out probably cost the Red Bull some weight.

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

NO! Because if drivers celebrate this way, NASCAR wins! Shock! Horror!

Not that being marketing puppets for title sponsors isn't a same thing for both series...

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"Indy doesn't give you a second chance. You have to earn it."

was to be expected, but no one really cares.

How does NASCAR win? Donuts and stuff like that has been done in multiple sports for many years, but then again that wasn't my point. My point was allowing celebration without protocol dictating silliness around picking up weight, or a third party touching the car, etc...

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

Zanardi made it popular in AOWR before it became popular in NASCAR. Like fence climbing too...

terrible race

a thankfully Vettel did that because he doesn't need to mind about the engines. dunno if he got rubber into his tires to pass weight scrutineering

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Motorsports trend for 2024: climate change ruining races everywhere

Webber is probably thinking that even with the donuts, Seb's gearbox still won't break and his will.

I'd like to think Vettel behaved himself so he has reprimands spare so he can celebrate like this. And RBR could easily pay that fine and consider it a marketing budget for the exposure of how he did it. They put on demo runs a lot, and surely the cost of those are a lot really. So the financial gain and exposure is probably well worth that fine.

Still stupid and silly, although I do understand the rule. Some logic and common sense needs to be applied more often. But that's a pointless discussion because it'll never happen, so I'll just be happy when drivers do ignore that rule and the punishments are almost worthless.

That celebration can probably easily be written off on marketing value/product placement in news images/videos compared to driving into parc ferme and shaking some hands.

Ironically, that probably got the biggest cheer out of the fans that circuit has ever seen, and the FIA fine them for it. I don't really know what they're thinking with that.

Even if he got a third reprimand, Vettel doesn't really need to worry about starting the next race in 11th ... not only because he's got the title already but on current form that probably wouldn't be a problem.