Official F1/Motorsport thread

[Shez]

Massa was blocked himself, but because the bbc coverage is so heavily biased, and Button likes to whinge, it was never reflected.

[NW2013]

No excuse, if someone is on a hot lap and you're not you should get out of the way.

[Shez]

I agreee, but it has to be taken in context of the situation.

Massa was slowed himself and Button arrived at that point, which just happened to be at a double switching apex corners - Where is he supposed to go exactly?

Fact is, there was no crime to punish, and that is why he wasn't

[sharky_ob]

Very unexpected failures too. Jensen's engine cover being left on reminded me of the time when a car was left on the grid with the jacks still underneath the car! Does anyone remember who that happened to?

It was Ralph Schumacher when he was at Williams - happened at the Belgian GP in 2001. He was on the front row too alongside Montoya in the sister car. Very embarrasing for the team.

[Roddie]

I agreee, but it has to be taken in context of the situation.

Massa was slowed himself and Button arrived at that point, which just happened to be at a double switching apex corners - Where is he supposed to go exactly?

Fact is, there was no crime to punish, and that is why he wasn't

Massa (on an out lap) was in front of Button for the whole of Jenson's hot lap but decided to slow down at the end to make some space for himself. There was no one in front of him to block him (as the cameras showed). He could have easily made way for Button at any other point in the lap.

[NW2013]

Barichello makes quite a lame excuse about the steering wheel incident: http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsAr...llCars/249762/

[Shez]

Roddie: Massa himself stated that he was in the wheel tracks of the car in front of him - The cameras don't catch everything, and there is little doubt that a penalty would have been given if Massa was telling porkies - Mclaren didn't even think it was worth putting to the stewards.

Someone on an out lap is not going to be on the pace of someone on a flying lap and then proceed to sit in front of them for that entire lap just to hold them up at the end of the lap - That is pure fallacy my friend, and you know better than that.

He was frustrated over the tyre selection as much as anything and letting rip about Massa blocking him justifies (to his fans) and reflects away from what was a poor weekend for him and his team.

[Roddie]

I don't care who the drivers in question were, I'm not saying that Button was going to get pole position on that lap, he wasn't having a fantastic weekend. The point is that Massa blocked him and the penalties for that should be consistent. He should have been aware of the car behind him when he slowed down right at the end of the lap. The cameras showed enough clear track ahead of Massa for us to see that there was no slow car he suddenly came across.

[Shez]

Roddie, yu do care who the drivers are because you only have jumped in to defend Button when a multitude of drivers mentioned being blocked at some point during the qualifying sessions - It just so happens Button made the biggest stink about it, as do his fans :P

Seriously though, we don't know what was agreed beforehand by the teams or what was said in the drivers meetings, but using your logic a lot of people would have been receiving penalties during the weekend, because not just Button was slowed.

Anywayyyy, yeah Schumi was robbed, and Barrichello's excuse is feeble.

[Roddie]

I don't care who the drivers are, if we had seen Button block Massa in the exactly the same way, then I would be saying the same thing. We frequently hear drivers use the excuse that they were blocked, but quite often this is just when someone is interviewing them after qualifying. The difference here is that we had a live onboard from Button's car that showed exactly what happened.

[Bort]

Le Mans MotoGP

Saturday 22 May
Qualifying: 1150-1500, BBC Red Button/online (12.55pm for MotoGP)

Sunday 23 May
125cc and Moto2 races: 0950-1205, BBC Red Button/online
Race live: 1230-1400, BBC Two/online
MotoGP Extra: 1400-14:30, BBC Red Button/online

[Shez]

The difference here is that we had a live onboard from Button's car that showed exactly what happened.

If you want to come to your own conclusion based on Buttons in car camera then fair enough .

I will repeat though that the stewards nor Mclaren saw it as an issue, which is because neither would have taken such a simplistic view as only monitoring Buttons camera feed.

End of. (for me at least )

[Senna]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8697770.stm

Possible New York state GP in 2012.

But this quote means everyone should beware.

"Monticello chairman McMichael, along with circuit president Ari Strauss, met Ecclestone and F1 circuit designer Hermann Tilke in 2009."

"In order to be race ready for 2012, Tilke recommended that improvements would have to made to the grounds and the 4.1-mile circuit which is located in the Catskill mountains, about 75 minutes' drive from downtown Manhattan."

Have they not learned by now - Tilke has a generally disappointing record of new tracks - spectacular facilities but functional, unspectacular tracks. He also butchered Hockenheim for which forgiveness is not an option (ok maybe a little harsh).

But still, no Tilke please!

[Roddie]

If you want to come to your own conclusion based on Buttons in car camera then fair enough .

I will repeat though that the stewards nor Mclaren saw it as an issue, which is because neither would have taken such a simplistic view as only monitoring Buttons camera feed.

End of. (for me at least )

I suppose the stewards were also right not to investigate Barrichello's steering wheel incident because they said they were too busy investigating the Schumacher overtake on the last corner? Fantastic reason considering Rubens crashed about 30 laps before Michael overtook Alonso.

If there is anything consistent in F1, it's the stewards' inconsistency.

[Alastair]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/moto...ne/8697770.stm

Possible New York state GP in 2012.

But this quote means everyone should beware.

"Monticello chairman McMichael, along with circuit president Ari Strauss, met Ecclestone and F1 circuit designer Hermann Tilke in 2009."

"In order to be race ready for 2012, Tilke recommended that improvements would have to made to the grounds and the 4.1-mile circuit which is located in the Catskill mountains, about 75 minutes' drive from downtown Manhattan."

Have they not learned by now - Tilke has a generally disappointing record of new tracks - spectacular facilities but functional, unspectacular tracks. He also butchered Hockenheim for which forgiveness is not an option (ok maybe a little harsh).

But still, no Tilke please!

Is that a new bid? I thought the NY bid was withdrawn a couple of days after it was submitted due to massive resident objections.

You two stop arguing about the stewards