F1 2017 Chat

[bald_pig]

Hope at last for Honda?

 

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/honda-hopes-new-spec-engine-will-cure-vibration-issues-893162/

 

Honda's F1 Engine Team Want YOU to Fix Their Engine - The Drive

[mikeprice]

Hope at last for Honda?

 

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/honda-hopes-new-spec-engine-will-cure-vibration-issues-893162/

 

Honda's F1 Engine Team Want YOU to Fix Their Engine - The Drive

 

sounds good

 

but we have heard that before

 

I will wait until the new engine comes on track before whooping for joy

[bald_pig]

sounds good

 

but we have heard that before

 

I will wait until the new engine comes on track before whooping for joy

 

[Danp]

2 laps by McLaren at testing today

[bald_pig]

2 laps by McLaren at testing today

81 laps today, and it sounds like the engine has improved, upshifts sound smooth now

 

[sonofsanta]

Engine penalties already for McLaren McLaren suffer first grid penalties at Russian GP amid Honda woe | F1 News

[mikeprice]

Just finished watching the GP (had to record it due to invasion by grandkids)

 

Vettel was well out of order - really deserved FAR more than a 10 second penalty for deliberatly crashing into another driver

and for that matter - overtaking the lead car (OK due to Lewis verring off after the contact - but anyway that was Vettel's fault)

 

I would have disqualified him from the race for that

[mikkydoos]

Just finished watching the GP (had to record it due to invasion by grandkids)

 

Vettel was well out of order - really deserved FAR more than a 10 second penalty for deliberatly crashing into another driver

and for that matter - overtaking the lead car (OK due to Lewis verring off after the contact - but anyway that was Vettel's fault)

 

I would have disqualified him from the race for that

 

Yep. Black flag.

 

If I were Lewis I would have slammed on the brakes just after the bash to make him overtake me under the safety car.....

 

... but then again, I AM the greatest in the world and I were in F1, which I could be if I wanted to, would win everything by miles.

 

 

Vettel was seriously out of order. Isn't it funny how the German drivers are all moody little babies..... eh Nico ?

[pscott]

If it happened the other way around, I am fairly certain Hamilton would have been disqualified

[jthompson]

I think it just depends on which of them is driving the Ferrari as to whether they get the book thrown at them or not.

[Lonix]

I think the penalty was not enough but that was the only thing available to the Stewards apparently. I'd review the punishment for the future but leave it be.

 

It was an incredibly stupid thing to do - purposely ramming another driver. Perhaps Vettel expected Lewis to dodge it but it doesn't matter. They will both move on. The fact Vettel couldn't even admit what he did wrong probably means his state of mind wasn't in the right place.

 

Every driver on that grid would have been told the safety car was coming in on that lap. Every driver would have expected Lewis to become the safety car. Every driver would have expected Lewis to slow down and bunch up the grid. Every driver would have expected Lewis to floor it. Every driver would have known not to over take before the safety car line.

 

So why one driver didn't aniticipate it I don't know. Even Ric said Lewis wouldn't have gone that early on flooring it...

 

I think Seb is frustrated that it seems like Merc have become the car to beat. That's two races where Ferrari have seemed like the 2nd/3rd best car on the grid from being at the front especially on race day. This is similar to when Seb quit RBR, Alonso left Ferrari and Lewis went to Merc. Those drivers want to win and their last season in a team tends to be full of mistakes, anger or generally their heads else where.

[synaesthesia]

The guy is an idiot, and so are too many of Vettel's fans. Twitter is still ablaze with idiots not accepting the FIA assurance that Hamilton didn't slow down let alone brake, including the telementary data from Mercedes. But they can't let facts slow them down (sic).

Vettel was caught napping and if anything he should be furious with himself. What he did afterwards was just out of order, regardless of whether he intended to swerve into Hamilton and cause contact or if it was loss of control as he was too busy gesticulating. He should absolutely have been black flagged, 10s and 3 points is nowhere near enough.

[mikeprice]

Apparently they could have black flagged Vettel - and were very close to doing so

 

it is possible that they didn't want to do so as it would interfere with the championship race

(which could be read as - might stop Ferrari winning the championship???)

[jthompson]

I'm amazed that deliberately driving into another car, with no question of it being a 'racing incident', with the circuit under caution, doesn't get an automatic black flag or race ban, regardless of how many points are on the license.

 

That Vettel's right foot was a hair-trigger on the throttle awaiting a restart is understandable, but he's paid enough to not drive into the back of the car in front in such conditions. I could forgive him for that mistake, but for the rest of it (pulling alongside and ramming, asking "when was I driving dangerously?" on the radio and his post-race comments) makes him look childish and unable to admit an embarrassing mistake. Hamilton, by contrast, coolly took the high road.

 

I think the race shows how much the sport favours Ferrari (or wants to break the Mercedes domination, at least). If it was Ferrari building a lead a the front of that race, I suspect we'd have seen a virtual safety car. I think the only reason for an actual safety car is if there are portions of the circuit that require especially low speeds to negotiate, which I doubt that there were. Whilst entertaining, the race seemed contrived. Compare that to the recent Le Mans 24 hours, which has been just straight-up entertaining for years now, especially in the GT classes.

[CAM]

Apparently they could have black flagged Vettel - and were very close to doing so

 

it is possible that they didn't want to do so as it would interfere with the championship race

(which could be read as - might stop Ferrari winning the championship???)

 

There was clear and blatant manipulation of the results going on by the race directors. Why was the safety car kept out so back-markers could unlap themselves? Twice? Failure to black flag Vettel then issue a penalty just as Hamilton has to pull into the pits? This race made a total mockery of any concept of a fair sporting result.

[Boredguy]

Regardless of Vettel/Hamilton wheel banging, you have to admit that at least this years race at Baku had the excitement that we were hoping for last year.

[jthompson]

Regardless of Vettel/Hamilton wheel banging, you have to admit that at least this years race at Baku had the excitement that we were hoping for last year.

 

Lots of cars bumping into one another, 3-wide into the corners, bodywork coming loose... it was like a touring car race.

[sonofsanta]

Yeah, hell of a race. Hadn't planned on catching it. Glad I did; would never have guessed the podium after lap 7, with Bottas two laps down and Ricciardo in 17th!

 

(Vettel should have been black flagged, for my money. Terrible for the image of the sport. And then acting all innocent, "what was that for?" come oooooon)

[MartinT]

Agreed with the above - Vettel should have been black flagged.

 

Otherwise, an enjoyable race and good to see Ricciardo win one. Was also strangely pleased for Stroll who deserved a break from the constant bashing by his critics.

[mikkydoos]

I think it just depends on which of them is driving the Ferrari as to whether they get the book thrown at them or not.

 

Something fishy is going on in F1 and DORNA with Italian teams.

 

MotoGP - Ducatti and the Ducatti independent teams have starting getting loads of either wins or podiums.

 

 

Ferrari getting loads of wins/podiums suddenly after years of not.

 

 

Hhhhhhmmmmmmmmm.

[bald_pig]

Looks like Vettel may face more punishment next week:

 

Sebastian Vettel: FIA could take further action over Lewis Hamilton collision - BBC Sport

[Tesla]

With regards to the VSC, i'm guessing they wanted the cars packed together to make it easier to run onto the track to get the broken bits of debris.

 

Made for a very good spectacle...and good tv (which is what the C4 commentators kept alluding too, what with the new owners in, it may be that VSC becomes a thing of the past)

[Boredguy]

If they have to take equipment onto the track (to removed a stricken car) they have to do it under SC and not VSC.

[jthompson]

If they have to take equipment onto the track (to removed a stricken car) they have to do it under SC and not VSC.

 

I guess under SC, the majority of the track is free of traffic, giving a nice big window for a recovery vehicle to do its thing.

 

At Le Mans they now use slow zones (speed limited sectors, green for the remainder of the circuit) which seem to work really well even for barrier repairs and the like. It saves having to put the entire circuit under caution. The track being as large as it is, safety car periods actually consist of 3 separate safety car trains, which can really foul up the racing depending on which trains the leaders get caught behind.

[Boredguy]

they are also going at lower speeds with a SC compared to the VSC which is just a series of "earliest time of arrival" indicators.

 

Due to the length of the Le Mans track, most of the recovery this year was done using the the slow zone, with the SC only coming out over night due to gravel being dumped on the track and to ensure the safety of the cleaning crew. Even when they repaired the barriers it's was with a slow zone, as they have a maximum speed they can do instead of a time limit.

 

It's certainly made F1 the talking point for the last week compared to normal you have to admit.