williamjm Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 Renault and Alonso have now been reinstated for the European GP after their ban was downgraded to a fine. Somehow, I'm unsurprised since banning them seemed disproportionate when compared with the punishments for similar incidents in the past, and probably no-one really wanted a Spanish GP without Alonso in it (who should do well based on his form in Hungary). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Wizard Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 I think the ban was handed out to make a point, considering Henry Surtees has ben killed a loose wheel and Massa got in in the heid with a spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 I think it's being downgraded largely because of the location- I hear ticket sales for Valencia dropped like a stone after they got banned, then went up again after Schumi announced his intention to return. Having the Spanish hero racing will be good for local interest.Maybe I'm just a little too cynical though...I'd prefer it if the ban stayed. If they believe that Renault deliberately sent him out with a faulty car then it's a point that needed making. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Wizard Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 I doubt they sent him out with an unsafe car deliberately. It'll have been a mistake by the lollipop man and once he's signalled to the driver it's ok to go then it's very hard to stop him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Mongoose Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 I doubt they sent him out with an unsafe car deliberately. It'll have been a mistake by the lollipop man and once he's signalled to the driver it's ok to go then it's very hard to stop him.They should have ordered him to stop. They didn't send him out like that deliberately, but they knew the instant he left that the tyre wasn't on properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 I doubt they sent him out with an unsafe car deliberately. It'll have been a mistake by the lollipop man and once he's signalled to the driver it's ok to go then it's very hard to stop him.The reasons I've heard is that communications indicated they knew it was damaged but decided to risk it, but I wasn't paying that much attention around the time so yeah... Either way though it's negligence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Wizard Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I just saw the most fantastic collision in the second practice session. Alonso was appraoching the final corner while on a hot lap with Heidfeld not far ahead of him. Nicky took the racing line going into the corner but Alonso thought he was heading into the pit-lane. Alonso proceeded to dive up the inside thus driving straight into the side of Heidfeld's car.The TV showed Briatore just afterwards with a fantastic expression on his face and then the guys on the Ferrari pit-wall (including Scumacher) having a chuckle at Fernando's expense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJDonegal Posted August 23, 2009 Author Share Posted August 23, 2009 Anybody watch the race?I saw the first ten laps or so and got home in time to watch the last five. When I left Hamilton had opened up a 4.5 second gap over Kovalainen, he was cruising, Button was caught behind Webber and Vettel was cruising to some useful points.When I came home, Barrichello was leading, Button was in the points, Vettel was out of the race and Webber was out of the points. Quite a turn around.So Button picks up two valuable points - but I bet he's bitterly disappointed it wasn't more. Barichello showed the Brawn car had what was needed to win the race this weekend, so it was obviously an issue with Button rather than Brawn. Especially when you consider that neither of the Red Bulls scored points, he could have dealt a real hammer blow by getting the race win instead of his teammate. Could make all the difference in the end.Not that anybody begrudges Barichello the win now he has it. Touching stuff.If I was in Button's position (God, I wish) then I would be happier with my teammate being my closest rival. At the end of the day, if it's your teammate who is closest, you know that if there is a track that doesn't suit your car so well, then it's not going to suit theirs either, so it's largely down to the driver. Still, Spa is suited to the Red Bulls, and I expect them to roar back. Well, unless the McLaren revival trundles on... Could restrict the Red Bulls ability to score points. We might end up talking about how McLaren won Button the championship come season end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerold Hightower Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Vettel first had a messed-up pit stop (got no fuel and had to come in again the next lap), then an engine blowout (meaning he lost two of his eight engines for this season on one weekend). Hamilton should have won comfortably but had a messed-up pit stop, too. They didn't have the tyres ready when he came in, so the stop took longer than it should have. That cost him the lead. Kovalainen didn't have the pace to stay ahead of Barrichello and Raikkonen. Button was stuck in traffic and can call himself lucky that Vettel didn't score. Glock set the fastest lap towards the end when the performance of the Toyota suddenly improved. apparently that car is very sensitive to track conditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burnt hound Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Barichello had his first win since 2004. Good on him. Regarding Hamilton, the team wanted him to stay out longer, but then he called in, and came it, taking the pit crew by surprise. So they didn't have his tires prepared. Maybe the tires Hamilton had on was too badly degraded for him to drive another lap on. But it was mistake. It cost him the win. http://eurosport.yahoo.com/23082009/58/whi...t-cost-win.html But Whitmarsh had another take on the whole matter :huh: Badoer did what he set out to do: he finished. Dead last. And by the looks of it, he will continue racing for Ferrari as long as Massa is out. Ouch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polishgenius Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 They've got to get someone in, Badoer's embarrassing - and I feel for him, because at short notice he's stepped into a role he's unprepared and underqualified for, which everyone must have known was never going to work but he took it on anyway. Even the usually tactful and more-or-less impartial where British sportspeople aren't involved BBC were ripping the piss out of him (on 5live, and on the live text, dunno about the telly commentary), it was getting uncomfortable at points.To be fair to him though, he said he hoped he might overtake someone and managed five places off the grid, so he fulfilled his target and then some... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Wizard Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Badoer is the worst Formula One driver ever. I hope he's not at Spa.Hamilton definitely lost the race with that awful pit stop. If he'd come out of front of Rubens then he could have just used KERS to keep in front, even with the slower car. Ted Kravitz asked Martin Whitmarsh about that after the race but he said the pit stop had nothing to do with that. My living room reeked of shit after that, Ron Dennis has taught him well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJDonegal Posted August 25, 2009 Author Share Posted August 25, 2009 Sorry Black Wizard, they've already confirmed Badoer will be at Spa and then they will "revisit the situation" after that. I think they rather wouldn't have him at Spa, but there's only seven days between the European GP and the legendary Spa, so it's kind of out of their hands at this moment in time.I saw replays of the Hamilton pit stop, but obviously didn't see it in real time. From what I could see, it didn't look like something that would cost him the race. Cost him time, yes, but nothing significant compared to the lead and pace he had before I went away from the race for a while.But then everyone was slating Whitmarsh and I didn't see it in context, so, never mind what I think. :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerold Hightower Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Sorry Black Wizard, they've already confirmed Badoer will be at Spa and then they will "revisit the situation" after that. I think they rather wouldn't have him at Spa, but there's only seven days between the European GP and the legendary Spa, so it's kind of out of their hands at this moment in time.I saw replays of the Hamilton pit stop, but obviously didn't see it in real time. From what I could see, it didn't look like something that would cost him the race. Cost him time, yes, but nothing significant compared to the lead and pace he had before I went away from the race for a while.But then everyone was slating Whitmarsh and I didn't see it in context, so, never mind what I think. :PThe comfortable lead was early in the race when Barrichello was stuck behind Kovalainen. If the figures quoted by the BBC are correct, Barrichello might have overtaken Hamilton anyway, but that hinges on how much time he lost on that pit stop.Found the figure: Hamilton was 3.6 seconds ahead before the pit stop and Barrichello came in three laps later. It's hard to believe that he could have overtaken him under these circumstances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Wizard Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 The German media have started a rumour that Alonso is going to rejoin McLaren next year. :lol:Ted Kravitz reported during First Practice that the fat Ferrari mechanic and Nicolas Todt were talking to Jules Bianchi (Italian F3 driver) whilst standing immediately behind Luca Badoer's car in the garage. Subtle as a brick eh? The one of the Ferrari management guys realised Ted was standing there and gave the fat guy and Nicolas Todt a dressing down. Bye, bye Luca. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burnt hound Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 Raikkonen wins again! It's been awhile. He wins, and his teammate is dead last. Again. It looks like Ferrari will replace Badoer for the next race. Wonder if Fisichella will take the chance and race for Ferrari. He finished second today, and Force India really looked strong. Wasn't it fun the first lap? It was almost like old times. Four cars crashed out. And Button is one lucky bastard. Crashes out, but his fiercest rival only gets 2 points. Just a week to Monza :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamjm Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Raikkonen wins again! It's been awhile. He wins, and his teammate is dead last. Again. It looks like Ferrari will replace Badoer for the next race. Wonder if Fisichella will take the chance and race for Ferrari. He finished second today, and Force India really looked strong. Wasn't it fun the first lap? It was almost like old times. Four cars crashed out. And Button is one lucky bastard. Crashes out, but his fiercest rival only gets 2 points. Just a week to Monza :thumbsup:Isn't Monza in a fortnight, not a week?It was a very good race by Fisichella, although arguably he was quick enough to win if he hadn't been passed by the KERS-assisted Raikkonen. Badoer must surely be replaced, there would probably be a riot by the Tifosi if they had to watch Badoer in a Ferrari at Monza ;)I imagine Fisi would probably like to drive for Ferrari if he had a chance, he is Italian after all and Ferrari are such an iconic team (and they can probably pay well), although ironically there isn't much to choose between Ferrari and Force India in terms of pace now. Given the low budget they operate with Force India can probably be persuaded to lend Fisi in exchange for some compensation. To replace him apparently their reserve driver is Tonio Liuzzi who may not be the fastest driver around, but at least he's scored some F1 points in the past unlike Badoer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Wizard Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Monza is in a fortnight.Good to see Kimi winning again. He's been well back on form the past few races. Who weren't you driving like that last season Kimi?I was also happy to see Lewis Hmailton crash out on the first lap. :)Lots of overtaking yesterday.Last year's Singapore GP is being investigated. No one is sure why though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Mongoose Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Last year's Singapore GP is being investigated. No one is sure why though.Piquet was allegedly ordered to crash to give Alonso the win.Whether it can be proved or not is another matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Wizard Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Well the Stewards were able to "prove" that Michael Schumacher deliberately stopped his car at La Rascasse in qualifying for the 06 Monaco GP under huge pressure from the paddock and media.I wouldn't be surprised if this is another attempt to get back at Flav for leading the whole breakaway plans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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