F1 2011/ Motor Racing Thread

[ajmcstyles]

Come on FIA Prove me wrong....

 

Make an Example of Ferrari for a change. PLEASE

[LariatTom]

Having just watched the race after doing a gig all afternoon, I'm not too pleased at the result, but I'm glad that Ferrari have found their pace again. Team orders are banned, and while they didn't tell Massa directly to move over, the messages that were transmitted across the feed were pretty clear to anyone with half a brain. I do agree that it isn't fair on the engineer to pass on those messages to a driver though and that it should be done through the team manager. Massa drove an absolute blinder of a race today having managed to make a brilliant start while Alonso and Vettel squabbled between each other.

 

I'll watch the post-race forum after Top Gear but I can imagine that the incident will get reviewed a lot more on there. It's absolutely true though that there are still team orders up and down the paddock. The main issue here, is that the team order has directly interfered in the result of a race. If they had been racing for 7th and 8th, there'd be a slight grumble, but when this sort of thing is done at the front of the grid, it's a bit stupid to think you can get away with it. Ferrari have made it VERY clear today as to who is their number one driver and who they are supporting in the championship. I just wonder if/when Red Bull and McLaren will start to do similar things. We've had suggestions from Red Bull with the front wing in Silverstone, but they've stated that the rule will apply for the rest of the season. I mean, can Red Bull and Mclaren both support their two drivers for the championship and agree to be completely fair and impartial? To be totally honest, I expect team orders to crop up again during the season...even if it's just because teams will be pushing the boundary of what they can get away with after seeing Ferrari's "punishment" today.

 

As to what can be done, I don't think anything can be done really. Ferrari have been fined, and while the fine is a mere drop in the ocean to them and they've essentially gotten away with changing the positions as the result stands, the case has been referred to the World Motor Sport Council. So, the result stands "for now". There's every chance the WMSC could decide that they've gone a bit too far and exclude them from the results, but I can't see it happening.

[Loki]

Another disgraceful incident involving Fernando Alonso. I genuinely believe the guy is bad for the sport. A couple of years ago he was smack bang in the middle of the incident where Nelson Piquet Jr was ordered to crash his car to enable Alonso to win the race (at Renault) and again yesterday he was the beneficiary of another clear violation of rules in order to secure a victory.

 

I felt it was pretty clear that Alonso's management/race team pushed Ferrari to order Massa to allow the pass, and you have to strongly suspect there's a clause in his contract with Ferrari stating that in such situations he's to be allowed through. This isn't the first race this year in which he's found himself behind Massa and verbally complained/asked to be let through.

 

Of course, he's quite happy to lie to the cameras right after the race. After all, he lied to the FIA about the Piquet incident, safe in the knowledge they couldn't prove anything. Massa couldn't bring himself to lie in the press conference, although he'd been brought to heel by the time he released an official statement.

 

I remember a time when "sportsmanship" meant fair play and honourable competition. I realise that's no longer the case in sports like football, but given the incredible dangers of F1 I'd always hoped people took the rules a little more seriously. It's clear now that Alonso doesn't. I'm all for top sportsmen being incredibly driven to win, but he's happy to win even through outright and obvious cheating.

 

I hope he slams into a wall and never races again. The sport needs to be rid of him.

[Monkee]

I’ve never been a Ferrari supporter and I think McLaren have gotten away with much worse so it does annoy me when people call the FIA “Ferrari International Rescue” but yesterday was a complete farce! I like both Massa and Alonso as drivers and would always prefer either of them to win rather than it be a McLaren. Considering the inter-team rivalries where team-mates have been battling for points (Hamilton Vs Button in Turkey, Vettel Vs Webber at almost every race, even Schumacher Vs Rosberg) I think Ferrari should have just let them battle it out on the track instead of giving team orders. Blatant team orders.

 

For once, I actually agree with what Eddie Jordan was saying – Ferrari cheated the fans out of a good race. I loved it in Turkey when Button overtook Hamilton and then they raced each other for position down the pit straight. And the same with Vettel and Webber. But just because Ferrari were afraid both cars would take each other out and they’d lose points on both cars they made Massa move over to avoid anything like that happening. It’s wrong for 3 reasons in my opinion:

 

1. Alonso shouldn’t be so childish and race just like everyone else.

 

2. The team shouldn’t have pandered to him saying it was “ridiculous” that he couldn’t get past. What exactly was ridiculous? That you’re a racing driver and you have to fight for position? Erm, hello??

 

3. That Massa obeyed the order in the first place. He just rolled over like a little bitch and let Alonso win. At first I felt sorry that Massa had to move over but then I thought about it and don’t feel sorry for him any more. He should have ignored them.

 

I did love the press conference later though when Alonso was asked if this win was up there with his victory in Singapore in 2008. Hah!

[tiger_rick]

To be honest, as shit as it is, Ferrari should be allowed to do what they did. They told Massa that Alonso was quicker and let him do what was right for the team. What people should look at is how on this fucking earth Alonso can be quicker and yet be unable to get anywhere near Massa to overtake? That is farcical.

 

Watching the Senna footage on Tp Gear has hammered home to me how shit these cars are. Even Lewis Hamilton all but said it.

 

Glad Lewis kept his lead. They guy is incredible. Red Bull have fiddled their car so it's unbeatable over one lap qualifying but Lewis keeps pulling it out on a Sunday. They should have to qualify and then race on one tank of fuel. It's ridiculous that you qualify with a whiff of petrol in the tank and then race with it full. Especially as it's so difficult to overtake.

[The Natural]

Come on FIA Prove me wrong....

 

Make an Example of Ferrari for a change. PLEASE

 

Don't hold your breath but I also want to see that happen, it never happens.

 

What makes it bad for me is that the beneficiary of it was Fernando fucking Alonso who I can't stand while I like Felipe Massa who almost died a year ago.

 

Still as bad as it was, the race in Austria 2002 when Reuben Barrichello had to give way to Michael Schumacher was worse.

[Loki]

Yeah, and as a result of that incident they made the rule that Ferarri blatantly broke yesterday.

 

I personally don't think a team should be able to order a driver to let his teammate by. But if they feel that's within the spirit of the competition, then change the law to make it legal again. In the meanwhile Ferrari should at the minimum have that result taken from them, to reinforce the message that cheats don't prosper.

[ajmcstyles]

Yeah, and as a result of that incident they made the rule that Ferarri blatantly broke yesterday.

 

I personally don't think a team should be able to order a driver to let his teammate by. But if they feel that's within the spirit of the competition, then change the law to make it legal again. In the meanwhile Ferrari should at the minimum have that result taken from them, to reinforce the message that cheats don't prosper.

Exactly what I said, Make an example out of Ferrari.

[Gatso]

To be honest, as shit as it is, Ferrari should be allowed to do what they did. They told Massa that Alonso was quicker and let him do what was right for the team. What people should look at is how on this fucking earth Alonso can be quicker and yet be unable to get anywhere near Massa to overtake? That is farcical.

 

Nice to see somebody agree, there is team orders every single week.

 

It was only in Turkey recently (following the Redbulls crashing & Button/Hamilton overtaking each other) that the team instructed them to be careful and Button then backed off, half the reason F1 can be shit at times is because when it gets to the last 10 laps if you get two McClarens or Redbull's then both drivers seem to settle for there positions and don't bother racing anyway.

 

Can understand why fans might be mugged off, but I still feel that Massa (and he has been doing this all season) was slowing Alonso down and had it stayed the way it was then both Ferraris would have probably been passed by Vettel so can understand from a team point of view that you might want your faster driver up the road.

 

The FIA though have been shocking this year and if any decision were to be made then it should of happened during the race (maybe order Alonso to let Massa back past) but as they have done all season, they bottled it and made a decision too late (as we have seen lately, one of which Alonso lost out on unfairly when Hamilton got away with one).

 

But yeah if your going to punish Ferrari then you need to punish everybody else as well, as David Couthard said (and I can't stand him) all teams do it every week, maybe not as obvious but it happens, infact I don't think you will find a race this season where it hasn't happened, there is no difference between letting a driver through and somebody sitting behind a team mate playing safe for points with no intention at all of going past them (as McClaren did this weekend shutting Webber out).

[brett]

Great opening video by the BBC about how Ferrari cheated, love F1 on the BBC

[ajmcstyles]

Great opening video by the BBC about how Ferrari cheated, love F1 on the BBC

Eddie Jordon is still pissed of about it

[LariatTom]

Eddie just tore Martin Whitmarsh a new arse as well. Hilarious stuff where he turned to face the camera and gives another rant about how if Mclaren think the Red Bull wing is illegal, they should just complain to the FIA. I know the FIA have said they'll investigate any claims and protests, but they must know that the wing has passed the tests so it's legal.

 

Seriously though, Red Bull look supremely dominant this weekend. If the Red Bull cars get to Turn 1 at the front tomorrow, they'll run and hide. Even during the long fuel runs on Friday, they were at least half a second quicker.

[Nexus]

Absolutely fantastic race. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Hamilton retire, I hate the cunt. Webber's driven out of his skin.

 

Renault were entirely at fault for the collision in the pits, ditto Mercedes and Rosberg with the tyre.

 

Michael Schumacher is an absolute cunt, though. He could've caused a serious accident. I hope he gets punished. He has a history of it, and it was completely unnecessary.

[ajmcstyles]

Michael Schumacher is an absolute cunt, though. He could've caused a serious accident. I hope he gets punished. He has a history of it, and it was completely unnecessary.

 

Hes done it several times in his Carrer, this is not the first time hes or the last time he'll do it

 

Glad he got caught for it, unlike say when he parked in Monaco

[Monkee]

Absolutely fantastic race. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Hamilton retire, I hate the cunt.

 

 

 

Renault were entirely at fault for the collision in the pits, ditto Mercedes and Rosberg with the tyre.

 

Renault were at fault but I think the lollipop man may have been distracted slightly but the tyre bouncing towards him down the pitlane. Check out this image from The Guardian and then look at the caption they've used despite one of the pit crew blatantly laying on the floor having been hit by the tyre!

 

Michael Schumacher is an absolute cunt, though. He could've caused a serious accident. I hope he gets punished. He has a history of it, and it was completely unnecessary.

 

He's been given a 10 place grid penalty in Spa. Bit of a shitter compared to how close Rubens was to that wall. Schumacher could've caused one hell of an accident particularly there on the grid as it was on the pit straight right next to the pit exit. What a tosser.