The F1 2010 thread

[Meenzer 14136]

Lucky there isn't an F1 thread already

[Ketsbaia 0]

Ferrari have been fined $100,000 and referred to the WMSC.

[Rob W 0]

wow - I bet that really hurts - maybe if they both has to start from the back of the grid next time???

[Gemmill 35392]

If I was simple enough to be an F1 fan, this sort of thing would get right on my tits.

[Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0]

I'd recommend the documentary 'The Deadliest Crash: the Le Mans 1955 Disaster'

on BBC2 at 11.

[Brock Manson 0]

Never mind Ferrari and their team orders; no-one even bothered to pick up Vettell trying to force Alonso into the wall right off the starting grid. German driver at Hoffenheim mind; hardly a surprise.

 

If Hamilton had done that, he'd have been slapped with a penalty no sooner had he turned the first corner.

[Craig 6321]

It's Hockenheim man!!

 

You do raise a good point though - Vettel's been at it all season, in the pits when him and Hamilton left side by side, the 'accident' at Turkey and the starts at both Silverstone and today were all examples of him trying to side-swipe his opponent into giving way. FIA seem to be turning a blind eye to it for now.

 

As for today's carry on with Ferrari, I'm not in the least bit surprised they did it nor that the FIA whimped out of doing anything about it. 2 years ago they deemed that Hamilton had gained an advantage by cutting a corner at Belgium and despite the fact he gave the place back to Raikkonen, they deemed that he hadn't given it back for long enough and gave a post-race time penalty. Here today, Ferrari have clearly transgressed the rules and they've got a £60K fine for it.

 

For a team their size in the day and age where testing is banned and therefore capital outlay in a season is a fragment of what it used to be, a £60k fine is the equivalent of pocket change. It'll hardly deter them doing it in the future whereas a disqualification, a time penalty or even a grid-drop at the next event surely would have done.

 

Some argue the rule is stupid - I tend to agree but never the less it exists and therefore needs enforcing. The ultimate irony is that it was introduced after the Austrian GP in 2002 where the Ferrari team manager order Barrichello to let Schumacher past for the win at the last corner despite Schumacher being a country mile ahead in the Championship. The team manager was Jean Todt - now the FIA President!

 

Had this been McLaren I have no doubt the penalty would have extended beyond a pecuniary one.

[Meenzer 14136]

Never mind Ferrari and their team orders; no-one even bothered to pick up Vettell trying to force Alonso into the wall right off the starting grid. German driver at Hoffenheim mind; hardly a surprise.

 

If Hamilton had done that, he'd have been slapped with a penalty no sooner had he turned the first corner.

 

Unless they could have found a way to punish Alonso instead.

 

I exaggerate, but it's interesting all the same - the whole McLaren vs. Ferrari vs. The Powers That Be narrative does seem to be providing ample smoke to cover up Red Bull's many transgressions. The post-race BBC coverage pretty much came from Red Bull's catering tent, so you have to wonder about the impartiality of it all. And of course Webber's an Aussie, so there's double the British media hypewank if he wins the Championship rather than Vettel.

[Meenzer 14136]

Had this been McLaren I have no doubt the penalty would have extended beyond a pecuniary one.

Absolutely don't buy that, I'm afraid, and I'm about the furthest from a Ferrari apologist you can get except when Badoer is involved - couldn't stand them as a kid (and I maintain that's when your views are set in stone when you're an F1 nut), quite aside from the Schumacher era of sheer boredom which I could only bring myself to follow from a distance.

 

The simple fact is that the matey banter among the BBC gang (frustrated former team owner, frustrated former driver and, erm, Jake Humphrey) about "Ferrari International Assistance" and the general sense of ZOMG ITS SO UNFARE wouldn't be happening if the roles were reversed and the British drivers were in the pwetty red cars this season. Or, I suspect, if the previous most famous incident of this kind hadn't involved Schumacher (rather than Ferrari). Not saying a national broadcaster should be inherently unbiased given the audience it serves - though we're mercifully without the James Allen orgasms these days - but there are times when it's desperately transparent.

[Craig 6321]

McLaren is a poor example due to the fact that it's a team of Brits. Pick any of the other teams and I'd argue a harsher penalty would be winging its way to them.

 

Ferrari hold far too much swing to the FIA - people close to the paddock are flabberghasted that the stewards acted against Ferrari at Valencia and Silverstone - why?? They're just another team.

 

FWIW, I grew up hating McLaren - couldn't stand Prost and that was the main reason - add to that IMO they 'stole' the Honda engines from Williams - I hated them with a passion. I preferred Ferrari back then - they're the team Villeneuve (not that one!) drove for and that Mansell went to so I naturally had a soft spot for them.

[Rob W 0]

Do I detect the chill wind of reality seeping in Craig?

 

Persoanlly I think its a shame that what was once an interetsing minority sport has become the F1 Monster - not a sport but a vast herd of egos obsessed with $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Toonpack 7059]

Do I detect the chill wind of reality seeping in Craig?

 

Persoanlly I think its a shame that what was once an interetsing minority sport has become the F1 Monster - not a sport but a vast herd of egos obsessed with $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

When did Football become F1

[Guest alex]

Still no news on a rule change though.

[Craig 6321]

Do I detect the chill wind of reality seeping in Craig?

 

Persoanlly I think its a shame that what was once an interetsing minority sport has become the F1 Monster - not a sport but a vast herd of egos obsessed with $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

Not at all - evidentally you don't bother to read a thing I say about F1 otherwise you'd know fine well that I think it's rotten and corrupt to the core.

 

As for the obsessed with $$$ that's hardly some new age revolution - it's been like that for decades man!

[Billy Castell 0]

To loosely quote James Richardson after Turkish fans had a riot in Italy after a European game:

 

"It's as if the deputy chairman of UEFA is Turkish. No wait...."

 

Ferrari have been dealt with quite toughly until now, but this was a fix. This is more serious than jumping the gun at the start. I don't buy into the Ferrari bukkakefest that many other F1 watchers engage in, and would not care if they left. And if I was Massa, I'd tell Ferrari to do one, and fight for the win.

[Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0]

Had this been McLaren I have no doubt the penalty would have extended beyond a pecuniary one.

Probably a draconian drive-through. But not until their driver was safely 20-odd seconds ahead of course

[Craig 6321]

Had this been McLaren I have no doubt the penalty would have extended beyond a pecuniary one.

Probably a draconian drive-through. But not until their driver was safely 20-odd seconds ahead of course

 

Aye you're probably right.

 

I'm all for binning the rule btw - all those I've spoken to who are backing Ferrari in this are using the line "stupid fucking rule in the first place". I couldn't agree more but regardless of it's suitability it does exist and punishment sufficient to ensuring there is no repeat does not include a £65,000 fine IMO.

 

What pissed me off more than anything is Ferrari's insistance that it wasn't team orders and that Felipe 'willingly' gave up the place of his own accord. How fucking stupid do they think we are?

[Guest alex]

Had this been McLaren I have no doubt the penalty would have extended beyond a pecuniary one.

Probably a draconian drive-through. But not until their driver was safely 20-odd seconds ahead of course

 

Aye you're probably right.

 

I'm all for binning the rule btw - all those I've spoken to who are backing Ferrari in this are using the line "stupid fucking rule in the first place". I couldn't agree more but regardless of it's suitability it does exist and punishment sufficient to ensuring there is no repeat does not include a £65,000 fine IMO.

 

What pissed me off more than anything is Ferrari's insistance that it wasn't team orders and that Felipe 'willingly' gave up the place of his own accord. How fucking stupid do they think we are?

Is that why his race engineer said 'sorry' to him?

[Craig 6321]

Had this been McLaren I have no doubt the penalty would have extended beyond a pecuniary one.

Probably a draconian drive-through. But not until their driver was safely 20-odd seconds ahead of course

 

Aye you're probably right.

 

I'm all for binning the rule btw - all those I've spoken to who are backing Ferrari in this are using the line "stupid fucking rule in the first place". I couldn't agree more but regardless of it's suitability it does exist and punishment sufficient to ensuring there is no repeat does not include a £65,000 fine IMO.

 

What pissed me off more than anything is Ferrari's insistance that it wasn't team orders and that Felipe 'willingly' gave up the place of his own accord. How fucking stupid do they think we are?

Is that why his race engineer said 'sorry' to him?

 

That's the fuck up IMO - Rob Smedley isn't only his race engineer, he's one of his best mates yet Ferrari gave him the task of telling him - no fucking wonder he seemed so hacked off - it should have come from the team principle. What's even more revealing which Martin Brundle pointed out, earlier in the broacast Smedley had told Massa to keep his toe down and that he "can win this race!"

[Guest alex]

Had this been McLaren I have no doubt the penalty would have extended beyond a pecuniary one.

Probably a draconian drive-through. But not until their driver was safely 20-odd seconds ahead of course

 

Aye you're probably right.

 

I'm all for binning the rule btw - all those I've spoken to who are backing Ferrari in this are using the line "stupid fucking rule in the first place". I couldn't agree more but regardless of it's suitability it does exist and punishment sufficient to ensuring there is no repeat does not include a £65,000 fine IMO.

 

What pissed me off more than anything is Ferrari's insistance that it wasn't team orders and that Felipe 'willingly' gave up the place of his own accord. How fucking stupid do they think we are?

Is that why his race engineer said 'sorry' to him?

 

That's the fuck up IMO - Rob Smedley isn't only his race engineer, he's one of his best mates yet Ferrari gave him the task of telling him - no fucking wonder he seemed so hacked off - it should have come from the team principle. What's even more revealing which Martin Brundle pointed out, earlier in the broacast Smedley had told Massa to keep his toe down and that he "can win this race!"

Aye, coward's trick that like by the team principal.

Edited July 27, 2010 by alex

[Craig 6321]

Classy move from Schumacher as ever. Honestly the bloke is a fucking liability - got off lightly IMO.

[Rob W 0]

reminds me of Allan Smith - a good player once but a bully even then

 

as the talent drains away all you're left with is a bully - and a dangerous one at that

[Craig 6321]

Or perhaps Schumacher truly is The Stig and was getting his own back on Barrichello for being knocked off the top on the Top Gear lap times...

[Rob W 0]

watching the clip again Schumacher was bloody lucky the wall ran out - he could well be in a Hungarian jail facing manslaughter charges or worse

[Meenzer 14136]

Just caught up on the Top Gear Senna piece on YouTube. Good stuff once you get past the horrendous studio introduction. It almost made me like Lewis Hamilton, too - his infectious giggling at getting the chance to drive Senna's car was lovely, but the comment about how you might die because a mechanic made a mistake was very telling.