2017 Indy 500 Discussion Thread

[slingshot64]

Lots of talking points , i think the only talking point for Fernando should be on the phone telling HONDA to find another driver ..simples.

QUICK FACT ... my post # 101 ... ring any bells


haha haha hahaaaaa.

 

[Angelo dos Santos]

What a friggin race!! Fantastic!
The whole race was so good.
And for the ones complaining about Sato not be good enough to win....I tell you...that is the beauty of the Indy 500! Pretty much an open field.
Much better than the Monaco Grand Prix earlier, with a team favouring a driver over the other for a race win.
Sato was brilliant, doing great moves at the right times. Perfect.

Alonso was the best "rookie" I ever saw. The guy did an amazing job, racing like a calm veteran.
He definetly have to come back!

 

[ENDR]

I've just found out about Alonso and... ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
This guy just can NOT catch a break. It seems whatever he touches, that's got a Honda badge, is going to fail. He did a motorbike stunt for Honda a while ago - it's odd, that THAT didn't blow up as well.
If this doesn't piss him off enough to ditch McLaren (or make them ditch Honda and switch to... ANTHING else), then nothing will.

 

[Jimlaad43]

Massive shame.

 

[CaLu_RW]

This was an exciting race compared to the Monaco GP. Shame for Fernando that he wasn't able too finsih the race. Great for Sato-san that he - as the first Asian - wins the Indy 500.

 

[Jimlaad43]

Most Laps Lead - Max Chilton

A sentence I never thought I'd see

 

[Boby Kim]

Honda...**** YOU!! You produce GARBAGE!

 

[John Addison]

Great for Sato very happy for him. Its been a long road with many great drives but something ways bites him. He deserves this victory.

As for my man Alonso...........get the hell away from Honda!!! Please

 

[Matt Orr]

In fairness, Sato is a lot better than his record indicates, besides his boneheadedness at way too many times. BAR wasn't a race winning outfit against the Ferrari horde, then Super Aguri (Honda Bux) obviously no better. He's spent most of his IndyCar career in pretty average equipment as well, including way too long at AJ Foyt which is a dead end...

I think most hardcore IndyCar fans also know this. My main reason for not exactly being thrilled that Sato won is that he's gonna do jack to move the needle here in the US, which is desperately needed.

_______________________________________________

Very twisted though that in a race with even more attention on it thanks to Honda's biggest detractor, in a race where that guy's Honda goes boom again, Honda's guy that they have thrown money at to keep him around ends up winning. Like, the karma score on that one is way screwed up. They got their dream result... but in the most embarrassing possible fashion.

Alonso ran pretty much as expected, though I was shocked how totally non aggressive he was. I don't think he would have won though had the motor not popped - he looked like he was kind of comfortably uncomfortable out there. I didn't see any move that was really a "wow, this guy is that good" at any point. If you've watched the 500 with this car, you know that the driver absolutely needs to know how to win, how to MAKE a win. Never saw that from Fernando.

Same reason you should have known Chilton wouldn't win - he isn't a winner. Look at how Ed Jones drove, then look at how Chilton did - the difference is clear. Ed dared to hold it two wide with Helio through turn 3, Chilton rolled over and surrendered.

Dario left not an inch to spare leaving it wide open on the outside with Sato trying to squeeze inside in 2012. Kanaan went super aggro in 2013 on a restart. RHR double juked Helio while nearly clipping the grass in 2014. Montoya passed people in the grass in 2015. Rossi ran an unbelievable fuel number that shouldn't have even been possible last year. Sato this year drove with the weight of knowing what it's like to lose.

Sure, Fernando may have pulled a great move had the opportunity occurred, but once he dropped back to around 9th he just kind of went nowhere quick before kablammo. That was the opportunity for greatness, and he just didn't produce there. The car just must not have been up to snuff in the dirty air, he might not have been comfortable - but you knew Helio would get a go at the win despite originally being behind him.

He was driving to finish the race, he wasn't driving to win the race. None of this is unexpected for a total rookie to the world of oval racing, and none of that is a problem. But this is why I don't think he was a serious threat to win. He'd have done great in the pre DW12 formula, but he was too passive in the crunch times IMO.

IDK. Fernando did well, it's a tremendous shame he didn't get to do the full distance, but I think he was a lot further from winning than many other people believe. If he comes back again next year then he'll have a serious shot.

 

[P*Funk]

Fernando should be on the phone telling HONDA to find another driver

"Honda, I'm done, I'm out of here."
[hangs up phone, dials a new number]
"Hello, Honda North America? Sign me up."

 

[Rob]

"Honda, I'm done, I'm out of here."
[hangs up phone, dials a new number]
"Hello, Honda North America? Sign me up."

Post-race ... he all but said he'd be back. It's just too much damn fun I bet.

I salute you Fernando. You are the spark that may signal a shift in which direction racing goes. Hopefully, back to when racers were racers and brave as hell, like you. When races (including Monaco) were "open" and you just needed money and speed. When drivers understood that conquering the sport means hopping series' and constantly challenging yourself.

The mere try was a brave a move as it gets. And the #29 McLaren at the top of the timing pole will be with us forever. As for the blowup, don't worry, we are used to seeing countless great drivers meet the same fate, and we all know you could have been there at the end. Honda aside, Mr. Alonso, you have won the hearts of all American open-wheel race fans everywhere, and you did it in style. Come back anytime.

 

[Angelo dos Santos]

I think the ones complaining about Honda should eat some words.
Its fine root for Alonso, but dont let your passion blind a fair judgement.
Dont mix the Honda F1 program with the Honda Indy Car program.
Too bad a failure denied Alonso finish the race.
But face it. Honda won last year, one and two. Honda won today, with a japanese driver and with a even better performance than last year´s. Of the top 5 today, 4 using Honda engines. Cleary a more powerful engine than the Chevrolet for the speedway, and only Helio Castroneves, a Indy500 monster, could put that Penske on the fight.

To me this is pretty damn sucessful Indy program for the japaneses. That is a fact.

 

[Boby Kim]

I think the ones complaining about Honda should eat some words.
Its fine root for Alonso, but dont let your passion blind a fair judgement.
Dont mix the Honda F1 program with the Honda Indy Car program.
Too bad a failure denied Alonso finish the race.
But face it. Honda won last year, one and two. Honda won today, with a japanese driver and with a even better performance than last year´s. Of the top 5 today, 4 using Honda engines. Cleary a more powerful engine than the Chevrolet for the speedway, and only Helio Castroneves, a Indy500 monster, could put that Penske on the fight.

To me this is pretty damn sucessful Indy program for the japaneses. That is a fact.

Well...if quality does not the job than surely quantity has to do it right? Just throw in half the field Hondas and some will survive and with luck win...its a strategy but i dont like it.

 

[Akra]

I think the ones complaining about Honda should eat some words.
Its fine root for Alonso, but dont let your passion blind a fair judgement.
Dont mix the Honda F1 program with the Honda Indy Car program.
Too bad a failure denied Alonso finish the race.
But face it. Honda won last year, one and two. Honda won today, with a japanese driver and with a even better performance than last year´s. Of the top 5 today, 4 using Honda engines. Cleary a more powerful engine than the Chevrolet for the speedway, and only Helio Castroneves, a Indy500 monster, could put that Penske on the fight.

To me this is pretty damn sucessful Indy program for the japaneses. That is a fact.

Ok lets pretend the F1 project doesn't exist then. Honda had so many IndyCar engine failures that ABC actually had a TV graphic produced for it. Chevrolet did not. Hondas last prototype was abysmal as well, and teams fully committed to the project ended up buying other chassis to run.

Honda does not have a good racing record recently. They had more entires to the 500, especially with larger teams. This allowed them to turn up the power and blow up some engines to help get the win, because they had a pure numbers advantage over Chevy.

 

[Angelo dos Santos]

Well, what it counts its the history books. Who won it after all. Fair and square.
50 years from now nobody will remember how many Honda engines blew...but surely most will remember which engine won those 500´s.

In fact, all of this talk is only happening because the engine on Alonso´s car broke. Nothing more.

 

[Akra]

Well, what it counts its the history books. Who won it after all. Fair and square.
50 years from now nobody will remember how many Honda engines blew...but surely which engine won those 500´s.

In fact, all of this talk is only happening because the engine on Alonso´s car broke. Nothing more.

"All this talk" was happening on the IndyCar boards before the race even begun. You might be thinking that based on what F1 fans are saying, but some of us noticed the amount of Honda engines expiring throughout the entire month of May before that.

If all you're interested in is record books and simple numbers then sure it looks great. But some of us remember back stories and narratives.

 

[snyperal]

Gutted for Alonso. Just finishing would've been great news, typical of his season so far

I wonder if someone will give him a seat for le mans?

 

[Jimlaad43]

Gutted for Alonso. Just finishing would've been great news, typical of his season so far

I wonder if someone will give him a seat for le mans?

No, Toyota and Porsche have ruled a seat out for him. He'll have to try one of the new privateers like Ginetta, but they'll have their own drivers.

 

[Patrick van der Meulen]

I wonder if someone will give him a seat for le mans?

Totally ot and heavily daydreaming but:
If McLaren only would step into the LMP1 class with a BMW pu. I see a win-win situation. BMW is currently heavy on eco-hybrid and electro engines. So it's not that big of a step (when compared to re-enter F1), and McLaren is a master chassis builder. And LMP1 can use a new competitor. With a few Porsches, Toyota's and a lost Rebellion it's in a poor state. Which is totally undeserved.

I would love to see this happen!

 

[Luan Garcia]

I remember seeing somewhere someone saying that Alonso wanted to run le mans. Surely not this year, but he wants the crown. I would not be surprise if he tries again to go to indianapolis and a first attempt to le mans.

For now, I would like a better car for him to compete in F1. Alonso + Vettel + Hamilton in three different teams and with chance of winning would be spetacular.