European Gp Race

[Halfie 0]

I don't know if someone has already said this but according to Jean Todt it really was Kimis own decision to drive one extra lap with dry tyres. He said: "we called both Ferraris in and only Massa came, It was for Kimi to decide".

Kimi has done this kind of last second mind changes in the past...

As much as I dont like Ferrari, Kimi was going into the pitlane, just his car slid on the wet track and he missed the pitlane and went around again. It wasnt that Kimi made an incorrect decision (like Hamilton actually did when going for Dry tyres 5 laps too early) he simply missed the entrance to the pitlane. He had the unfortunate problem of being the first driver to reach every point of the track and so had no idea about the grip levels (I beleive he also went wide in the chicane before the pits). They were practically driving on ice.

Regarding the other post about the marshals, I agree it was a crazy situation, I think the race was stopped because cars simply couldnt stay on the track and it was undrivable, as evidenced by Team Radio from Heidfeld who said it wasnt drivable conditions. It was a shame to see 5 cars retired, it reminds me of Australia all those years ago when I got up to watch the race to find 10 / 11 cars eliminated in the first corner and no red flag Kinda disappointing really.

[ykickamoocow 0]

It was a shame to see 5 cars retired, it reminds me of Australia all those years ago when I got up to watch the race to find 10 / 11 cars eliminated in the first corner and no red flag Kinda disappointing really.

It was sad aswell as i think that was the year that the marshall was killed.

[NeoData 0]

As much as I dont like Ferrari, Kimi was going into the pitlane, just his car slid on the wet track and he missed the pitlane and went around again. It wasnt that Kimi made an incorrect decision (like Hamilton actually did when going for Dry tyres 5 laps too early) he simply missed the entrance to the pitlane. He had the unfortunate problem of being the first driver to reach every point of the track and so had no idea about the grip levels (I beleive he also went wide in the chicane before the pits). They were practically driving on ice.

Regarding the other post about the marshals, I agree it was a crazy situation, I think the race was stopped because cars simply couldnt stay on the track and it was undrivable, as evidenced by Team Radio from Heidfeld who said it wasnt drivable conditions. It was a shame to see 5 cars retired, it reminds me of Australia all those years ago when I got up to watch the race to find 10 / 11 cars eliminated in the first corner and no red flag Kinda disappointing really.

I was thinking about howmuch this race reminded me of Brazil 2003 where 5-7 cars spun off in the Senna S corner in similar conditions. Video here

The race was eventually stopped when more then 2/3 had been completed and Alonso hit some debris at full speed from Webber's crash just moments earlier. Video here

If they must crash why cant they all do it like this guy .

Saves the marshalls alot of work when you just park it behind the barrier.

[Fed up 0]

"I came here completely sick, had one of the biggest crashes I've ever had, suffered a puncture, rain, went off in the gravel, more rain. It was a great weekend for learning. I have probably had less than 500km in the wet, hardly anything at all. It's all new to me. I hope this bad luck out of the way. I'm still leading the world championship and find that quite amusing after everything that has happened. I had more fun than in the past nine races put together."

Lewis hamilton

[AleHop 0]

"I came here completely sick, had one of the biggest crashes I've ever had, suffered a puncture, rain, went off in the gravel, more rain. It was a great weekend for learning. I have probably had less than 500km in the wet, hardly anything at all. It's all new to me. I hope this bad luck out of the way. I'm still leading the world championship and find that quite amusing after everything that has happened. I had more fun than in the past nine races put together."

Lewis hamilton

What people used to say when Alonso mentioned his bad luck after Canada GP or France GP?

[Jem of the Shire 0]

What people used to say when Alonso mentioned his bad luck after Canada GP or France GP?

Canada wasnt bad luck, he was a mess, he was all over the place. He only deserved 7th. In France he did some good overtaking but the strategy was bad.

Both of those situations are completely different to Hamiltons Nurburgring experience. Anyway nobody is really saying that Hamilton did a great job at Nurburgring, he clearly made a few mistakes, especially with tyre choices!!

[AleHop 0]

Canada wasnt bad luck, he was a mess, he was all over the place.

Yes but I would say it is not very lucky when Safety Car goes out just when you have to pit. He got a 10" stop and go penalty. He made mistakes like Hamilton becasue when you have to fight in the middle you get closer and closer the problems.

[Jem of the Shire 0]

Yes but I would say it is not very lucky when Safety Car goes out just when you have to pit. He got a 10" stop and go penalty. He made mistakes like Hamilton becasue when you have to fight in the middle you get closer and closer the problems.

yes that penalty was ridiculous and highlighted a major flaw in the new safety car rules. But you're acting like people unfairly criticise Alonso. I think we all agreed at the time that Alonso was unlucky to get that penalty .

Hamiltons mistakes at Nurburgring were mainly A) his trip into the gravel when it started raining, cos this put him a lap down, and B ) badly timed pit stops / tyre changes. What I mean is his mistakes were different to Alonso in Canada, who made smaller errors, but more often

[Sato 0]

It was sad aswell as i think that was the year that the marshall was killed.

The marshall died in 2001, the pile up was 2002.

[ykickamoocow 0]

The marshall died in 2001, the pile up was 2002.

My bad. That was a sad event and when you look at what actually happened you see how unluky the marshall was to die. I mean that man hole was only slightly bigger than a wheel and the odds of a tyre going through that small hole were apsolutely tiny. From my scetchy memory i think another Marshall dies that year aswell from a peice of a car flying off and hitting them.

[Quiet One 15]

My bad. That was a sad event and when you look at what actually happened you see how unluky the marshall was to die. I mean that man hole was only slightly bigger than a wheel and the odds of a tyre going through that small hole were apsolutely tiny. From my scetchy memory i think another Marshall dies that year aswell from a peice of a car flying off and hitting them.

Another one died at Monza. I am not sure if it was that same year, though.

[Sato 0]

Yeah, both 2001.

[Jem of the Shire 0]

All Trulli's fault. Or was it Frentzen's?

[ykickamoocow 0]

All Trulli's fault. Or was it Frentzen's?

I thought the Australian marshalls death was Villeneuve's.

[Sato 0]

He means Monza.

[monza gorilla 1]

No. Ralf. That's meant for Ykick. I've been Sato'd.

[Silas Talbot 0]

I was just watching the race again.. wow what a spectacle..

Anyways, I was looking at the start and Alonso moves waaayyy too far to the outside... he lost straight-line speed to Massa, he coud have had a better chance to stay in second if he hadn't challenged so much for the outside...

But nice work from the Ferraris... Kimi moves to the inside line, and Massa hangs out on Kimi's flank and they take two lines going around Turn 1, boxing Alonso in directly behnd Raikkonen.... Raikkonen goes wide in turn 1 and Massa does the same, so they come out nose-to-tail on the proper racing line to go through 2/3... Alonso has to slot in in front of Kimi or behind Massa to get on the proper line... you can see him duck in behind Massa as soon as he can...

Good job Ferrari!

EDIT: You can see Massa twitch half-way through turn 1, wanting to move in, but blocked by Raikkonen... it was Kimi who held the line in order to ensure second for his lil' buddy.. now isn't that nice =)

[Autumnpuma 0]

Now he says tyre vibrations did him in at the 'ring. OK, what caused those vibrations in the first place? A defect in the tyre? All the tyres for all the teams were manufactured by the same company at the same time so I find this unlikely. More likely is that his lack of racecraft found him running on the dry parts too much and enevenly graining his tyres. It's also likely that he flat-spotted a tyre. Both of those are quite common and point to a deficit of racecraft.

Update: itv-f1.com has the vibrations' cause as being 'the tyre turning on the rim'. Plausible and I stand corrected on this one point.

[Sato 0]

Webber said he had them too....

[Piotr 0]

I'd like to personally thank Nick Heidfeld for finally showing to the World what every fan of F1 in Poland knew after 2006 season and again after 2007 Malaysia GP - he is an absolute Sh#tfeld and will stop at nothing including putting his own team and teammate in jeopardy. Well done, you ))(*$%$#!!!

[Jem of the Shire 0]

I'd like to personally thank Nick Heidfeld for finally showing to the World what every fan of F1 in Poland knew after 2006 season and again after 2007 Malaysia GP - he is an absolute Sh#tfeld and will stop at nothing including putting his own team and teammate in jeopardy. Well done, you ))(*$%$#!!!

you're not serious?

[Wez 0]

you're not serious?

I think he may be Jem! HAHA

[Piotr 0]

I think he may be Jem! HAHA

Nikki Lauda sez I am serious. So does (if you have enough brains to read between the lines) Mr. Theissen. So sez Robert Kubica.

My turn - are you seriously claiming I'm wrong? I.e. are you insinuating you know more about this incident than the two men directly involved AND a former world champion?

[Piotr 0]

["Robert Kubica has lashed out at his BMW-Sauber teammate Nick Heidfeld following their Nurburgring clash last Sunday.

The pair consistently deny that they struggle to get along, but in Germany they both blamed one another for the first lap coming together.

Kubica and Heidfeld also crashed in Malaysia this year, sparking a disagreement in the media about who apologised to who.

This time, Kubica has hit out at his veteran German teammate in the Cologne newspaper Express.

"A driver who punts two of his competitors off the road within 20 laps does not have a very long future in Formula One," the Pole said.

Kubica, 22, is referring to Heidfeld's subsequent crash in the European grand prix, which left his countryman Ralf Schumacher incensed. He is probably also referring to the fact that Heidfeld is yet to have his contract renewed for 2008.

Triple world champion Niki Lauda also put the blame for the crashes at Heidfeld's door, after the German flew home to Switzerland on Saturday afternoon following the birth of his son Joda.

"Surely his concentration was lacking," the triple world champion told Bild-Zeitung, "after he spent the night with his newborn son.

"I wouldn't have done what he did. Yes, I would have flown to my son, but I would have taken a quick look and gone straight back to the track."]

I'm looking for an english translation of Theissen's interview with Polish newspapers on Wednesday when he clearly put a blame for ruining RKs chances for a podium (or are you claiming that he did not have that chance anyway?) on NH. Nobody in Poland was very fond of Nick after Malaysia. Now, it seems that feeling is approaching outright hatred. I do share it. Heidfeld seemed to have forgotten the number 1 unwritten racing rule-You NEVER crash into your teammate!

[Max Mosley 2]

Yes I agree Piotr. Nick was a little distracted. And as you say, it's not doing Polish-German relations any good. Someone told me that some Poles wrote that Nick and his family were Nazis on Nick's website.