F1 2010

[Keith]

.....SPOILER...........................






The crash. Webber OK after horrific crash - Formula One - Fox Sports

Jeff sorry it's Fox Sport.


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<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=news_article_author vAlign=top width="50%" align=left><!-- credit -->By Pablo Elizalde<!-- end credit --></TD><TD class=news_article_date width="50%" align=right>Sunday, June 27th 2010, 14:16 GMT</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Fernando Alonso was heavily critical of the race stewards of the European Grand Prix, saying the race had been manipulated.
The Spanish driver finished in a distant ninth position after losing out during the safety car period following Mark Webber's crash.
Alonso was running in third at the time, right behind McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, but the Briton overtook the safety car and went on to finish in second.
Hamilton earned a drive-through penalty for his action, but the Briton kept second place while Alonso dropped out of the point-scoring positions for having respected the rules.
The Ferrari driver was angry at the stewards' decision, saying the race had been manipulated by it.
"It's a shame, not for us because this is racing, but for all the fans who came here to watch a manipulated race," he told Spanish television after the race.
"We were running well, in third after a good start. Then the safety car came out, which wasn't too good for us, but Hamilton overtook the safety car, something that I had never seen, overtaking the medical car with yellow flags. We were a metre off each other, and he finished second and I finished ninth.
"This race was to finish second. Then with the safety car I would have finished where I finished in ninth, and Hamilton in eighth. But here, when you do the normal thing, which is respecting the rules, you finish ninth, and the one who doesn't respect them finishes second."
The Spaniard said everything seemed to be going against him and his team.
"It must have been very hard to know," said Alonso of the times it took the stewards to penalise Hamilton. "They must have taken a lot of laps to see the replay of how he overtook the medical car.
"But that's how it is. Unfortunately everything goes against us and it seems they are allowing everything."
A further nine drivers are facing penalties for possible infringements.
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Yada yada yada, and you all thought Poms were whingers. What gives with this guy?

I'm sorry, I have just been attacked by a squillion mosquitos but not one of them got past my clever poisonous blood defence system (note spelling). As all my ex wives said - "he's just not tasty any more".

Thank the good Lord above!

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

I agree Keith a carry over from his Mclaren days.
Telemetry on webber's car showed the accident occurred 80 metres before his normal braking point. The inference being Kov brake tested him.

 

[Pat Buckley]

Why in gods name would he do that?

 

[Keith]

Pat, I think Heikki took the 'rubbin' is racin' philosophy to it's extents, but I still believe Mark COULD have avoided it.

Consider: Vettel ass belongs to Horner (hug hug) Webber has made his bones and deserves much respect - he is not getting any. He got dumped hugely at the start and, what is to be done on a track where you can't overtake?

Whatever, at this level focus is everything and Mark's body language last weekend tells me that he is suffering...

I think it is German thing - ask Rubens, Fillipo, Eddie. All non Germans. Rosberg on the other hand.....

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

Why in gods name would he do that?

To quote him on the team radio "I was defending and he ran into me".
At some levels lifting off and or braking to unsettle a driver attempting to pass is common, as is changing direction. Watching the re-play Kov appeared to do all three.


While Kovalainen maintained the Red Bull had simply run into him, Webber questioned whether the Finn could have done more to avoid the clash, suggesting the Lotus driver braked for the corner 80m sooner than he himself had done on the previous lap.

“I understand that F1 isn’t a charity event; you have to fight for every position - but not when you’re five seconds off the pace and you have one of the quickest cars in the pack behind you. I mean, how long was Heikki going to stay ahead of me? Another 15 seconds? He must be asking himself whether it was worth it.”

 

[Pat Buckley]

Yeah, I can understand defensive driving but brake checking is something that is only done when you are pissed off at someone!

Brake checking out of the blue can get your face punched.

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

Agreed, I've seen it happen.

 

[Ian Anderson]

Did anyone see the sparks etc coming off the bottom of Heikki's car before the impact?

He was either on a totally different line and going over bumps or had some other problem being thrown into the mix (Flat tyre?) Or perhaps the brake test was so severe that the nose bottomed out

IAn

 

[Malcolm]

If Heikki was 4 to 5 secs a lap slower then his braking points will be much earlier than the top boys. I think that Mark simply forgot that in the heat of the moment and simply went to extract too much slip stream advantage and got caught out. Heikki was clearly defending as seen by his movements but I doubt he brake tested anyone. It was a racing incident in my book with fault not 100% at anyones door. Another take is that 80 m early on the brakes could mean that Heikki wanted Mark to overtake him under braking so losing minimal time himself. But if that was the case I would have expected Heikki to have said that by now.

 

[Price Walton]

Did anyone see the sparks etc coming off the bottom of Heikki's car before the impact?

He was either on a totally different line and going over bumps or had some other problem being thrown into the mix (Flat tyre?) Or perhaps the brake test was so severe that the nose bottomed out

IAn

Ian,

At that point on the circuit they cars are at pretty much VMax, so maximum downforce is being generated, compressing the suspension and forcing the car onto the ground.


I wish they'd put titanium skid blocks under the things though - spectacular!

 

[Keith]

Luca de Montezuma or whatever his name is, today whining about Valencia using totally inappropriate language, inferring cheating, dangerous tactics, F1 at risk etc etc.

Why don't they just let it lie and do their talking on the track?

Some of us have long memories and Ferrari were always ace at exploiting the rule book to the max - and we're not even sure this actually was exploitation of the rules. Nobody could have planned it that quickly. Remember Schumacher taking a penalty AND winning the race in the Pits?

And, what about the 5 second penalty after Valencia? You want a conspiracy theory? It was the lowest penalty they could give whilst maintaining the podium and allowing Alonso into the points, probably because the Scuderia threatened to throw ALL the toys including the cars, out of the F1 pram.

I guess this rhetoric is to appease Italian fans, but surely they're not THAT stupid are they?

SHUT UP Ferrari & Alonso and get back to racing...after all, it is what you do best..:evil:

PS I am and always have been a Ferrari fan and I sit here surrounding by paintings, bric a brac and mementos - all red. I even have Ferrari Eau de Toilette. How sad is that? :laugh:

 

[David Morton]

That would explain so much. Is that loosely the same as toilet water from Maranello ? :coolgleam:
Now we are into the warm weather I think some Jeys fluid or even Jif diluted 1/20 might help. Just watch the blondes when you tell them the manly smell is Jeys. :love:

 

[Keith]

Probably Essence of Schmachers Armpits :laugh:

Still, it does keep the mozzies away

Whatever happened to Lifebuoy?

Brings back bad memories: Tin bath, ice on t'inside of t'windows hosepipe, scrubbing brush. Ugh!

(Luxury, bluidy luxury)

 

[Anthony]

As you happen to mention exploiting the rules, have you seen that Ferrari got some sneaky testing in this week.

running there cars on their test track for 'promotional purposes' and then head of ferrari being quoted on their website..

Ferrari's website claims Alonso "only completed a few kilometres." But the team added "you have to make the most of any opportunity in this era of the testing ban".


apologies if i am late with this, just saw the date of the BBC story

BBC Sport - F1 - McLaren want Ferrari testing loophole closed

 

[Pat Buckley]

I read that they managed to put in 140 laps!

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

Alonso apologises for outburst. Someone I suspect Jean Todt, has had a whisper in Alonso's ear. autosport.com - F1 News: Alonso apologises for FIA criticism

Yeah right! They respect the rules so much they bung on a sneaky test (sorry promotional ) day.

 

[Pat Buckley]

It appears that Alonzo can really get pissed off! One can only imagine how pissed off he was at McLaren a few years back. He showed them!

Prat.

Wouldn't it be great if they found a link to his involvement in Crashgate?

 

[tom pritchett]

I just heard that a significant sponsor of Ferrari is an Spanish company. It was said that they demanded a Spanish driver. Kimi was ousted for Alonzo to fill this requirement. Certainly uncertain if this is true, but interesting. What other company other than Shell or IIIIIIII (Marlboro) sponsors Ferrari?

 

[Pete McCluskey.]

I just heard that a significant sponsor of Ferrari is an Spanish company. It was said that they demanded a Spanish driver. Kimi was ousted for Alonzo to fill this requirement. Certainly uncertain if this is true, but interesting. What other company other than Shell or IIIIIIII (Marlboro) sponsors Ferrari?

Santander, Spanish bank. I have no knowledge of them demanding a Spanish driver but it would not surprise.

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/9/9890.html

 

[Keith]

As you happen to mention exploiting the rules, have you seen that Ferrari got some sneaky testing in this week.

running there cars on their test track for 'promotional purposes' and then head of ferrari being quoted on their website..

Ferrari's website claims Alonso "only completed a few kilometres." But the team added "you have to make the most of any opportunity in this era of the testing ban".


apologies if i am late with this, just saw the date of the BBC story

BBC Sport - F1 - McLaren want Ferrari testing loophole closed

Good thinking - completely forgot about that...