(from autosport) Jarno Trulli says he has no doubts that Lewis Hamilton did gain an advantage by cutting the chicane at the Belgian Grand Prix. As the controversy rages over whether the race stewards were right to hand down a 25-second penalty for Hamilton's driving, Trulli thinks that the McLaren driver did benefit from missing out the final corner. "In my opinion Hamilton got an advantage by cutting the chicane," Trulli told Gazzetta dello Sport. "Had he stayed on the road, he wouldn't have had the speed to overtake the Ferrari. "In the same way at Monza someone could cut the first chicane, catch a rival's draft, and overtake him under braking at Roggia. "When you attack on the outside, you do it at your own risk, because who's on the inside has the right to do the corner. If there isn't enough room, then you lift. "Had there been a wall there, instead of the surfaced escape route, would Lewis have attacked anyway? Had there been gravel, he wouldn't have had the chance to attack when rejoining the track because of dirty tyres." McLaren are due to decide today whether or not to press ahead with their plans to appeal Hamilton's penalty, which dropped him from first to third in the race results.
Exactly what I said in the other thread! If it had been a wall, he would have crashed or braked hard, and he never could have passed where he did.
Interesting. Is a chicane one corner or two? If it's one then KR was absolutely correct, if two then LH had the inside line for the second corner and, according to Trulli, had 'the right to do the corner' and KR should have given him room.
Nope just that he would risk being cut off by a driver with the right to do it to you. That's the rule matching the physics.
I think t was only a matter of time before LH was going to overtake KR. Be it 5 or even 20 seconds after letting KR pass back into his right full position. The pace of the MCL was vastly superior to the Ferrari in the wet conditions, anyone could see that. This IMO does not reflect badly on KR driving skill, because it was the Ferrari chassis that let him down and not his skill.
Ian, please show where you read Trulli said Hamilton had the right to the second part of the chicane which was a left turn. Everything I have read so far indicates that Raikkonen was in front at that point and only the failed kamakazze move by Hamitlon brought him aside the Ferrari. Trulli stated: "When you attack on the outside, you do it at your own risk, because who's on the inside has the right to do the corner. If there isn't enough room, then you lift." Hamilton was the one on the outside, Raikkonen was on the inside and had the line (see photo below)and lead on the first part and subsequently the second part of the chicane. Look at the video. Hamilton had to lift and go off the road because he would never had made the corner with his move. Sorry for the photo quality, this is entering the first part of the chicane, Raikkonen having the inside line: Image Unavailable, Please Login
Absolutely. This is what I have been saying, so I wonder why Hamilton just did not show patience and pass later? He had the race, he threw it away. Hamilton does an excellent job in the wet, as does his chassis. Why is he now blaming his pit crew for not giving him more information?
You quoted Trulli yourself, read it again. "When you attack on the outside, you do it at your own risk, because who's on the inside has the right to do the corner. If there isn't enough room, then you (i.e.the driver on the outside) lift." If a chicane is two corners rather than one then KR was on the outside of the second corner and LH was alongside him on the inside. According to Trulli's analysis KR should have lifted because LH, being on the inside, had the 'right to do the corner'. KR didn't lift, he went for the apex and LH was forced to go off the road.
The same goes for Massa. The Ferrari is not good in colder conditions apparently. At least not consistent. Monaco went pretty well, Silverstone was a mix (but maybe Massa had a bent chassis?) and at Spa Kimi lost it in the rain (Massa took the safe approach). Ferrari should focus on this inconsistency of the chassis and/or tires.
And this is the 2nd part. No braking by Lewis as his wheels start to turn for the infield. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Ian, I am reading it again, and you are mistaken with your interpretation. If you read the sentence as you are, then the entire interview with Trulli makes no sense. I would suggest this is the way Trulli meant his statement, and if you read it this way, the entire article makes sense: "When you (Hamilton was on the outside of the intial part of the chicane) attack on the outside, you do it at your (Hamilton) own risk, because who's on the inside (Raikkonenenen) has the right to do the corner. If there isn't enough room, then you (Hamilton) lift." Please watch the video, Raikkonen led coming out of the first part, Hamilton made a banzi move that if he had continued would have also gotten him penalized as he would have collided with the Ferrari - consider the numerous same type of inside dives made in the last few races that has led to consistent penalties. I give Hamilton credit for trying, but he should have just lifted and tucked in behind Raikkonen and there would be no discussion. He would have passed for the lead within the next lap. So far, no current driver has supported Hamilton's move. And if you look at the photo in the post above, you can clearly see that the second part of the chicane also belong to Raikkonen.
Exactly, so much for the "ICEMAN" nickname. In fact Massa, in fairness to him was the one who showed more maturity and composure during the last few laps to bring it home.
I would love to see a video of both Raikkonen's and Hamilton's feet and hands during this chicane. Shifting, braking, adjusting, it would have to be an amazing sight from both of them. I feel tired just thinking about the way they worked those cars.
Ron, I fully accept, and originally said, that if a chicane is treated as one corner then KR acted absolutely correctly. However, if it is two corners your scenario above is correct for the first corner but is irrelevant for the second by which time LH was on the inside and KR on the outside. Whether LH is sufficiently alongside to 'own' the second corner is one of those moot points that could be argued all day.
Until it rained Massa was gaining on both of them. Although both Ferraris are good with the soft tires, Massa seems to like the harder compound more than Kimi. Massa also uses the hards more often in practice and Quali than Kimi which may explain why he has more quality rubber left than Kimi during the race.
I don't think it's a moot point at all. Lewis was barely alongside Kimi's rear wheel so it's a no brainer to me.
The chicane at Spa is numbered 19 and 20 (maybe its 20 and 21?), anyway, it is two corners. Any driver can try to stick the nose of their car on the inside, but unless they also have the line as did Raikkonen, they must back off. Please consider all of the penalities given this season, I think even in this race (Heikki?) for a driver trying to dive under another car when that car was already on its racing line. For that reason, I do not see it as being moot. Hamilton did not have the line on the second turn of the chicane, nor was he sufficiently on the inside (see the photos) to even consider owning the turn. He was baiting Kimi, and he certainly was hoping the Kimi would back off, when he didn't, the problem for Lewis began. Up until the time Hamilton made the decision to cut the chicane, I have to admire his thinking. Excellent attack. Then unfortunetely, his GP2 days returned. Somebody on the McLaren pit wall with more experience with the regulations than Lewis should have been yelling at Hamilton on the radio to tuck in behind Raikkonen and stay there for a turn or two. Oh, I guess that would be Ron Dennis.
+1 and that explains RD's query of Charlie Whiting. RD woud have never asked that if he thought the move was clean. He knew it would get scrutiny as it was just the 2 of them racing for the lead alone. He knew the spotlight was coming and was looking for reassurance. Trulli offers the insight of a driver although Ralf has said in the press the penalty was not fair. If Kimi pulls this stunt without penalty...well you can guess the uproar etc that would ensue. LH blaming is crew for a lack of info only reinforces to me his lack of acceptance of his own mistakes. He needs to mature a bit more and drive with his brain as much as his emotions. He is still his own worst enemy in this game. As others stated he would have passed Kimi very soon and probably kept the lead in the wet with the superior wet handling traits of the Mclaren.
