US GP Discussion

Did anyone time how long it took for the safety guys to get to Ralph, it seemed like over three minutes to me. Imagine if the car had been on fire. It seemed inexcusable to me that it took so long. I hope he will be OK, that was a horrible impact, lucky the car backed in. Some real exciting driving from SATO for third place.

 

I was very surprised to see how long it took the safety people to get to Ralph after he hit the wall, by typical F1 terms that was a long long time sitting in the car before somebody arrived to help.

 

A great race and some great driving from two great Ferrari racing drivers.

Bothe did well today. Michael drove a fantastic race and Rubens pushed him hard. he silenced all the critics about him not wanting to pass MS.

Ferrari 1 and Ferrari 2!!! End of story!

Ralf escaped serious injury and is under observation at a nearby medical center.

Once again Montoya proves that he should not be in F1. He does not know the rules of F1. I was watching the race with a 15 year old that yelled... " You cannot do that!!! he will get black flagged!!! You cannot jump out of the car within 15 seconds before all the cars pass you". Shame on you Montoya. I thought JPM was the Indy 500 mater of the oval... hahaha...Shame on you for not knowing the rules.

 

I have to admit, that for the first time, in all my time watching F1, I finally got that hollow feeling regarding Schumi's win. In both the Canadian GP and this , most recent IndyGP, it really seemed that Rubens was putting in 110%, and yet whenever the chance for a decisive move prompted him, he magically seemed to back down, or let MS by; seemed (almost) obvious that there may have been something dubious going down behind the pitwall.

Congrats to Sato and BAR/Honda. It's really nice to see BAR/Honda on the podium. Did anyone catch what Sato implied about MS passing him during the safety car period? I couldn't understand it.

Really too bad about Ralf, I hope he's alright. But, but, but! What the hell took them so long to get to Ralf? Thankfully the car didn't catch on fire -- I simply can't believe they couldn't get to him any sooner.

is it just me, or is the FIA is one serious screw-up of a sanctioning body? 60 laps to decide whether or not JPM should be DQ'd on such a ridiculous technicality? Absurd. Everyone knows JPM isn't my favorite guy on the grid, but he drove damn good race today, and got stripped of a hard won podium/race finish. The FIA should really get their act together. Maybe more cheese, and less wine, Pierre?

Last thing, I thought there was a lot of passing televised this time, anyone disagree? (That's been my argument all along -- there is passing, but the TV coverage doesn't highlight the mid-pack.)

 

.. for the first time, in all my time watching F1, I finally got that hollow feeling regarding Schumi's win. In both the Canadian GP and this , most recent IndyGP, it really seemed that Rubens was putting in 110%, and yet whenever the chance for a decisive move prompted him, he magically seemed to back down, or let MS by; seemed (almost) obvious that there may have been something dubious going down behind the pitwall.

Congrats to Sato and BAR/Honda. It's really nice to see our boys on the podium. Did anyone catch what Sato implied about MS passing him during the safety car period? I couldn't understand it.

Really too bad about Ralf, I hope he's alright.

is it just me, or is the FIA is one serious screw-up of a sanctioning body? 60 laps to decide whether or not JPM should be DQ'd on such a ridiculous technicality? Absurd. Everyone knows JPM isn't my favorite guy on the grid, but he drove damn good race today, and got stripped of a hard won podium/race finish. The FIA should really get their act together. Maybe more cheese, and less wine, Pierre?

Last thing, I thought there was a lot of passing televised this time, anyone disagree? (That's been my argument all along -- there is passing, but the TV coverage doesn't highlight the mid-pack.)

 

Congratulations on another Ferrari 1 - 2. That was a great race driven by two great drivers. Michale drove an excellent race and Rubens pushed him hard. Rubens has silenced all those critics once again. He is a great racing driver, but Michael is simply the best driver ever.

Ferrari 1 and 2!!! End of Story!

Ralf escaped injury and is being kept at a local medical center for observation.

Shame on Montoya for not knowing the rules and being black flagged. I was watcing the race with a 15 year old that yelled " You cannot do that. Montoya will be black flagged. You cannot jump out of the car before all the cars leave grid" I thought Montoya was the great Indy 500 home ground race driver.... hahaha... Shame on Montoya for not knowing the rules. Once again proving my point that Montoya does not belong in F1.

 

It's good news that Ralph appears to be OK but where were the Marshalls? took them far too long to get to him!

 

So do we know what eventually happened to Ruben's car? They said his first words to Thiessen (sp?) were "what happened?" ... another puncture?

Vincent, I have no regrets. I watched the first laps of the race (where everything happened -the crazy swerving to protect his position, the crashes, the passes under yellow flag, and a victory gained in the pits with no panache whatsoever -the usual-, the penalty to a committed driver) and switched to a great match! Portugal ruled! What is this world coming to? Soccer is more fun to watch than F1 racing (I hear Jeremy Clarkson's words "how can they make cars going 200mph appear so boring?") ...

Markcollins, the marshalls have to wait for the green light from the control tower before they do anything ... and since it took them 50 laps to figure out JPM's move was illegal ... lol

 

FERRARI FERRARI FERRARI

Great driving from two great race drivers.
The Critics are silenced once again.

 

The reaction of the safety team and race director were extremely slow and dangerous. Ralfh sat in his car for over 2 minutes before an orange dressed man apptoched the car, that amount of time can mean death or life in such situation.

Then, why the race director waited until there were only 15 laps left before exposing the black flag for Montoja? The rule violation was so evident and easy to read, why endanger all racers and the race itself before calling JPM back in the pit?

The Italians are on another planet. There is nobody, at the present moment and for the nearest foresable future, that can challenge them in any aspect of the race and in and out of the track.

The Reanults, cars and drivers, do not have the consistency neither the power to challenge "le rosse." Same can be told of the BARs. The MacLarens have a long way to go before they can, seriously, be competitive. The Wiliams can win only if they cheat. Last year they were caught with their fingers in the jelly jar, this year they are caught before can even open the jar, what a shame.

With the right car there is only one driver, out there, that can catch the Ferraris, Kimi. Keep un eye on that guy.

78 podiums and many more to go.

 

Looked to me like Ferrari told him to back off after that pass attempt.

 

I'm surprised Michael didn't pull over and stop to see his brother being loaded into the ambulance. I was thinking, at that point, if it were my brother, and I'd already won the year's championship (like 90% there before this race), I would have pulled over to the side right there and stayed with my brother.

I think they would have red flagged the field in that case I think - as the announcers were saying they should have.

Does being a "professional" driver mean you can't care for your blood while on the track? Think of the power of that scene if he'd have stopped - it would have shown some humanity in what could be termed a ruthless racing league (or maybe that's cold North Euro culture).

I hope it was that they radio'ed to MS he was okay anyway, just looked like bad bruising, and that's why he stayed out.

 

This race was a fiasco for F1. They should be ashamed of themselves. First for keeping Ralph stuck in his car for a ridiculous amount of time before getting any assistance. Next for not stopping the race during his extraction from his car. I was blown away to see the safety car and the parade behind it passing an ambulance underway on the track. WTF ? If an ambulance is needed on track then the race should be stopped until it is clear of the track. Never mind they wasted 10 laps during all this. And finally letting JPM race for 3/4th's of the race before black flagging him. Does it really take the race stewarts that long to figure out that Williams is using a car that it legally (for whatever reason) it shouldn't ?

Formula 1 took it on the chin today IMHO. The showed looked bad. I just couldn't believe how long it took for them to get to Ralf. And seeing F1 cars pass an ambulance on track is just friggin stupid. And did anyone notice how much of the grandstands were empty ?

Kenny K.

 

This race was a fiasco for F1. They should be ashamed of themselves. First for keeping Ralph stuck in his car for a ridiculous amount of time before getting any assistance. Next for not stopping the race during his extraction from his car. I was blown away to see the safety car and the parade behind it passing an ambulance underway on the track. WTF ? If an ambulance is needed on track then the race should be stopped until it is clear of the track. Never mind they wasted 10 laps during all this. And finally letting JPM race for 3/4th's of the race before black flagging him. Does it really take the race stewarts that long to figure out that Williams is using a car that it legally (for whatever reason) it shouldn't ?

Formula 1 took it on the chin today IMHO. The show just looked bad. I just couldn't believe how long it took for them to get to Ralf. And seeing F1 cars pass an ambulance on track is just friggin stupid. And did anyone notice how much of the grandstands were empty ?

Kenny K.

 

He was waving Weber out who was in front of him on the track @ the time, you can not pass while the SC is out, I guess the question is what was Weber doing. You can be sure that if he had passed him instead of stopping, the powers that be would have come down on him.

 

You get one move, MS put in three today. First the move from the inside right to block on the outside left. The second move was when Sato moved down to the inside right and MS followed down below RB. The third was his move back up to follow RB's line though T1. Anyway you look @ it he got away with the blocks. Remember that the rule is to stop the block and it does not matter how close the blocked driver is.



[/QUOTE] One thing I'd like to know is why Montoya was gesticulating at another driver (as if yelling at him to go ahead) during the second safety car, all this happened just meters from the wrecked car of his possibly seriously injured teammate.[/QUOTE]



He was waving Weber out who was in front of him on the track @ the time, you can not pass while the SC is out, I guess the question is what was Weber doing. You can be sure that if he had passed him instead of stopping, the powers that be would have come down on him.

 

For the organizers to black flag montoya that late in the race after such an effort because his spare car did not have a freaking sticker on it is just pathetic. What total chicken****. I would love to hear that Montoya has punched the official making this decision right in the kisser.


Terry

 

Argh. Why can't I see all of the replies in this thread?

 

What pass? ... please elaborate as I must have missed it.

Anyhow PSk's thoughts on that race:

- 1. I have to question the marshalling and safety of the Ralph incident. Where were the medics ... way tooooooo slow. IMO the race should have been red flagged so they could get to RS quicker.
- 2. Who decided the cars should not use the pits for the safety car period when following the safety car. Using the race track put the marshalls and RS at more risk. The incident was right by the pits and thus the cars (as they have done in other races) could have crusied through the pits instead of past RS.
- 3. Regarding MS passing RB on the restart. Everything was 100% legit or though it was extremely fine/close. So I have to ask:
A. Was that team orders?
B. Was RB asleep at the wheel?. It should be impossible to pass on a restart like that if the leading driver nails it at the right point (ie. ensures he accelerates out of the last corner on to the start finish straight perfectly ...)
C. RB could have lifted slightly and stuffed MS's run and thus maintained the lead ... hehehe, but that would have required RB really wanting to win at all costs. Now if he was racing another team he probably would have done that ...
- 4. Well done Sato, very brave ... but what a pity BAR did not pit under the safey car ??
- 5. Well done Minardi and McLaren

Pete's opinion

 

The whole world saw Rubens try to overtake Michael on several occassions after they pitted for their final pit stops. So watch the whole race from around lap 33 or so. So YES, you must have missed it. Do us all a favor... go to www.f1live.com and read both parts of the post race press conference. You will be able to see how close they both were on several occassions. Clearly there were no team orders and Rubens was pushing very very hard. This Conspiracy / Rubens is not a racing driver BS is getting very old.

FERRARI ONE AND FERRARI TWO. GREAT RACE BY TWO GREAT RACING DRIVERS. Once again the critics... insert foot in mouth!!!

 

RB showing that he could pass makes it all the worse because he never does. Lame Duck by contract.

 

Can you imagine the crap on this forum if this all occurred in the French GP? Lol. Maybe the US should stick to hosting oval races only. This whole team orders thing with MS is starting to piss me off, it must be so frustrating for Rubens to only be able to race competitively when MS says it's ok to. Can you imagine Senna or Prost ever putting up with this kind of BS.

 

In the post race press conference RB said that he had "tire spin" on the restart - and that allowed Michael to get a jump on him.

 

Yeah I guess, you have read the signed copies of what the contracts say. I am sure you know the contracts of Rubens and Michael word for word. I saw the entire race.... Rubens did everything short of ramming into Michael to try to get ahead. Many can't stomach the fact the Michael is simply the best driver in F1 and it is too hard to overtake him. Rubens was driving competitively.. and unless you ave a copy of Rubens' contract you should be making such comments.

 

Unless you have one too, I would not be so bold. It has been pretty clear for years now what a 2nd driver @ Ferrari is expected to do. You will NEVER see RB pass MS on track for the lead unless something brakes on his car OR MS lets him by as a token move. Now don't get me wrong, I think that RB is a great driver and I have enjoyed watching him for years but his job at Ferrari is not to race MS for the lead.