Interesting article by Gary Anderson on Motorsport.com (Prime content, requires subscription):...
Interesting article by Gary Anderson on Motorsport.com (Prime content, requires subscription): https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/ocon-verstappen-respect-squander-career/3213090/ (side note, a nice bit of coincidence in that Gary Anderson was Jordan's technical director back when Eddie Irvine pissed off Senna by unlapping himself at Suzuka 1993) Basically, Anderson suggests that Ocon has a history of conflicts, especially against Perez on the same team, showing a habitual lack of respect for other drivers on the track... and that with the new generation of F1 drivers coming up fast, with Verstappen and LeClerc followed by Russell and Lando, Ocon could find himself outside looking in if he doesn't look at himself to consider why he's having too many on track incidents. Just another perspective to the incident - sure, Max had more to lose and could have avoided it, Ocon had the right to unlap himself if he was quicker at that point, but Ocon didn't do himself any favours by deciding to fight hard against Max into that corner (not saying anything about the paddock confrontation later)
Unlapping yourself is allowed in F1, but like any overtaking, it has to be performed without fault, and both drivers must give each other space. The jury is still out in my mind. did Ocon tried to pass where it was not possible by forcing his way, or did Max resist by closing the door and not leaving enough space. Both moves are wrong. At best it"s a racing incident.
Its hilarious how you place all the blame on Max and none on Ocon. I think there's blame to go around for both of them, but more so for Ocon. Had that been Lewis in the lead he would have all but parked his car in the grass so Lewis could get by, just like he did TWICE in Monaco. No way he would have tried to get his position back, but since it was Max.... I have no problem with a 20 year old kid, with tons of testosterone, getting fired up over an altercation in a sporting event. Thats what MEN do. Look at Football, Baseball, Hockey, Rugby, Soccer, etc. Thankfully someone as sensitive as you doesn't oversee any of those sporting events.
My view of Ocon after watching him since joining F1 is that in front of the camera he is polite and respectful. But on track he can be pretty ruthless and is not the innocent new guy he makes himself out to be.
I think the same. And then he gets out of his car with a Cheshire Cat grin and always acts like he did nothing wrong. I’m sure that pisses the other driver off even more.
Ocon was certainly over aggressive in getting around Max, and that is where he is at fault. As far as the incident at the weight scales, Max was completely out of line. Completely lacked professionalism. Spare me your he-man crap - we're not children here. Personally, I think the other drivers are getting fed up of Max's antics, and will start to hand it back to him. What else can be done if the governing body isn't stepping in? And if Max continues in this manner, it could very well cost him a WC. He had enough incidents where the other driver wasn't the aggressor, so if they do start to raise their aggression against Max, there will be more incidents, and more serious ones.
You maybe, but many people have, mostly those who have been watching F1 for many years, close to 6 decades in my case. Fisticuffs happen regularly in some sports, but are very rare in F1. Violence in F1 has to be exposed and stamped vigorously, and without any leniency, IMO: I certainly don't want motor racing to become thuggish like all these ball games you mentioned; no thanks.
Losing a GP win by being punted by a back marker; it couldn't happen to a nicer bloke ! What goes round comes round ....
And many people don’t view shoving another driver as “violence”. I love how you old geezers always throw out that you’ve been watching F1 for a gazillion years. Therefore; your opinion is so much more relevant and important.
You are correct and my guess is that there will be more incidents as part of the sport is intimidation , Senna was the master at that . Fortunately and unfortunately , F1 cars are incredibly safe nowadays which contributes to more drivers trying bonehead moves without the fear of being hurt .
+1 been a Ranger fan for 70 years, season tickets for 20 years. Have always believed that goons should be banned - you assault another player causing injury, you are suspended for twice as many games as the injured player misses. Assaulted player's career is ended by those injuries, your NHL career is over. End of goonish play.
I'm not sure it is a bad thing, but they failed the "intelligence in a football fight" test. The key elements of which are: 1) If someone is going to hit you and you have a helmet, wear it. 2) if you can't at least wear your helmet, hit someone with it. And 3) Don't hit someone either wearing or holding a helmet.
Yep, the by-product of making cars safer to save lives is that some drivers are not afraid of contact anymore. This is why the sporting authorities have to up their game to prevent GP becoming a demolition derby.
Jerry, there is this to say for having "watched F1 for a gazillion years", meaning in my case, since the first F1 race in 1950: today's F1 race cars are so strong and safely built that incidents like Max and Ocon occur without risk of personal harm. When we auld pharts were first watching F1 races, such deliberately dangerous driving simply didn't happen because the risk was too great. As it was, F1 killed drivers to the tune of two or three deaths every year. So with great respect for your views, we have a very different take on dangerous driving than you who never lived through those years.
It certain that as car safety improved over the years, driving standards have declined. What was lethal 50 years ago is just brushed with a shrug now. It's true in the road, but even more in motor racing. Let's be fair, the risk factor is very minimal in F1 nowadays, and therefore drivers have a feeling of invincibility pushing them to overdrive. If you have been watching F1 for a long time, you have a different perspective than a younger person.
I understand what your saying. I have been following since the early 80s and frequently watch historic races from the 50s on. But this particular incident was in my opinion a racing incident with both drivers taking some blame. No one in this particular incident was using their car like a battering ram Intentionally. I agree that today’s drivers take chances that guys 40+ years ago would not have even considered. And who can blame them, the odds of getting seriously injured in a F1 car are not that high anymore. The part about this that I find intriguing and silly is the mountain out of a mole hill reaction to a couple of “kids” shoving each other after a race.
Look at this photo. Based on this you could easily make the argument that Verstappen assumed that Ocon would give way and probably did assume that. We see it all the time....back markets slowing down and moving out of the way of the leader. View attachment 2627374
All I see is that half way between the 2 corners, Verstappen couldn't have missed seeing a car alongside him, and overtaking him. It seems that he resisted the pass by squeezing Ocon on the yellow kerb at the next corner, probably in an attempt to block him; Leaving Ocon nowhere to go, contact was inevitable. Both cars go off spinning. Verstappen may have thought he had settled the argument, but he fact he had lost the race at this point. Why Verstappen resisted the overtaking from a driver he wasn't competing with is the question. Why ? He had nothing to gain from it, and everything to lose. That lack of judgement doesn't make him WDC material, IMO.
Why is Ocon to blame ? He had nowhere to go. Contact was inevitable. Verstappen deliberately aimed at the apex knowing full well another car was alongside him. The FIA rules say you are supposed to leave enough room for another driver to overtake when he has initiated the move. Verstappen should have been sheeping after the race and apologising to his team for losing a race he had in the bag. Instead, he blamed someone else for his mistake and turned to violence like an unruly teenager with anger problem.
I think both are to blame. Ocon did make a risky pass but Max decided he wanted to defend the corner for some dumb reason. I can't count how many times the race leaders over the years have let backmarkers go through just to keep from causing what happened in that corner. Max only has himself to blame. He turned in when he didn't have to. He had a 5 second lead on Hamilton and was cruising. Senseless.
