2023 Belgian Grand Prix - Spa-Francorchamps, July 28 - 30

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Bit of a positivity injection: Max has been extremely complimentary of oscar post-sprint to viaplay and in the press conference. Talking about how impressive it is to be where he is on pure pace already but also Oscar's consistency already as a rookie is remarkable

Personally I Can't help but feel piastri will be a future wdc with the right car

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Detail of damage on Perez' sidepod:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F2OR3AXXQAA ... name=large

Think it was caused by Merc’s SIPS wing?

I believe the front wheel of Hamilton based on all of the footage i've watched

[the EDGE]

Detail of damage on Perez' sidepod:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F2OR3AXXQAA ... name=large

Think it was caused by Merc’s SIPS wing?

I believe the front wheel of Hamilton based on all of the footage i've watched

Thanks, I thought they were more side on than that, I haven’t watched the replay

[holeindalip]

Red Bulls side pods are at the max width, same exact contact Russell had with max at Baku. Tire to sidepod…

[Sieper]

Also, something not discussed yet. Isn’t it a bit weird to start the race off, let the drivers loose, on tires that everyone already knew they would drop on the very first opportunity. It was an unsafe release galore waiting to happen. And it did happen but (rightfully so as none were really dangerous) nobody got penalized. And that is with ALL the teams restraining themselves and only calling one driver in. Couldn’t we have redflagged one lap earlier, changed to inters and then do 1 more lap behind the SC and then do the rolling start.

[Sieper]

Red Bulls side pods are at the max width, same exact contact Russell had with max at Baku. Tire to sidepod…

Max still somehow managed to hold on to P3. Granted, in the dry, but still.

[chrisc90]

Also, something not discussed yet. Isn’t it a bit weird to start the race off, let the drivers loose, on tires that everyone already knew they would drop on the very first opportunity. It was an unsafe release galore waiting to happen. And it did happen but (rightfully so as none were really dangerous) nobody got penalized. And that is with ALL the teams restraining themselves and only calling one driver in. Couldn’t we have redflagged one lap earlier, changed to inters and then do 1 more lap behind the SC and then do the rolling start.

Only reason they sent everyone out on wets is the ability to start the race whine the safety car and avoid a standing start. That way they could run numerous laps to ‘dry the track’

[Sieper]

Also, something not discussed yet. Isn’t it a bit weird to start the race off, let the drivers loose, on tires that everyone already knew they would drop on the very first opportunity. It was an unsafe release galore waiting to happen. And it did happen but (rightfully so as none were really dangerous) nobody got penalized. And that is with ALL the teams restraining themselves and only calling one driver in. Couldn’t we have redflagged one lap earlier, changed to inters and then do 1 more lap behind the SC and then do the rolling start.

Only reason they sent everyone out on wets is the ability to start the race whine the safety car and avoid a standing start. That way they could run numerous laps to ‘dry the track’

Yeah, and I 100% agree with that decision, the spray in the first laps was horrendous. But I was trying to find some way to get them to still start on inters as that was the needed tire.

[Hammerfist]

Regardless of who is involved, while making an attempt to overtake, the onus to keep it clean is on the driver attempting overtake. It has always been a rule.

Not according to the revised rules from 2022. If the attacking car on the inside has a significant overlap the defending driver on the outside has to leave enough room or be seen at fault. Merc should really appeal this penalty.

Incorrect. The attacking car (Hamilton) must leave room if the outside defending car is ahead "from the apex". The stewards clearly saw that Perez had his nose ahead from the apex and was entitled to space on the outside. They also saw the clear track Hamilton had to his inside and his understeer and determined he was at fault. The driving guidelines were followed to the letter.

Yea thats baloney sorry. That is not what it says in the rule book. There is no such definition of the defending car being ahead after the apex. You just nade that up? Here is the rule quoted from a planet f1 article regarding the matter:

“In order for a car being overtaken to be required to give sufficient room to an overtaking car, the overtaking car needs to have a significant portion of the car alongside the car being overtaken and the overtaking manoeuvre must be done in a safe and controlled manner, while enabling the car to clearly remain within the limits of the track,” the FIA have clarified.

https://www.planetf1.com/features/f1-ov ... ngagement/

Basically you must leave enough room on exit if someone is alongside you. Plain and simple. Its not like hamilton was not in control and pushed him off the track. He made contact because perez did not use all the available track. Theres always going to be understeer in that corner. Perez being a f1 caliber driver should anticipate it. Once you lose the inside line you have to recognize that you are in a defensive situation and your goal should be to avoid contact, not trying to save what is lost desperately trying to squeeze a car whose momentum is always going to go wide. Thats just dumb driving. I mean you can see hamiltons car from perezs onboard before he decides to turn in anyway. The fact hamiltons car is visible from the onbiard camera shows how far alongside he was. The fact perez got ahead before contact is a result of him faking an advantage he never had.

Alonso pulled a similar move with hamilton in bahrain. Different corner i know but hamilton conceded because alonso was too far alongside. Had hamilton squeezed there there would have been contact and the same stewards would have probably penalized alonso. That doesnt make it right though.

[denyall]

Also, something not discussed yet. Isn’t it a bit weird to start the race off, let the drivers loose, on tires that everyone already knew they would drop on the very first opportunity. It was an unsafe release galore waiting to happen. And it did happen but (rightfully so as none were really dangerous) nobody got penalized. And that is with ALL the teams restraining themselves and only calling one driver in. Couldn’t we have redflagged one lap earlier, changed to inters and then do 1 more lap behind the SC and then do the rolling start.

Only reason they sent everyone out on wets is the ability to start the race whine the safety car and avoid a standing start. That way they could run numerous laps to ‘dry the track’

Yeah, and I 100% agree with that decision, the spray in the first laps was horrendous. But I was trying to find some way to get them to still start on inters as that was the needed tire.

Max out front with the benefit of clear road said good decision when told about the plan on the radio.

I hope they can develop spray shields or some other mitigation to the spray danger.

[denyall]

I didn't see any discussion on why a full SC was called and not a VSC for Alonso?

In the Sprint format, wouldn't a VSC have been preferred?

[the EDGE]

I didn't see any discussion on why a full SC was called and not a VSC for Alonso?

In the Sprint format, wouldn't a VSC have been preferred?

Probably because of the weather conditions

[Mogster]

Only reason they sent everyone out on wets is the ability to start the race whine the safety car and avoid a standing start. That way they could run numerous laps to ‘dry the track’

Yeah, and I 100% agree with that decision, the spray in the first laps was horrendous. But I was trying to find some way to get them to still start on inters as that was the needed tire.

Max out front with the benefit of clear road said good decision when told about the plan on the radio.

I hope they can develop spray shields or some other mitigation to the spray danger.

The cars are just rain hoovers, I really don’t see what they can do. There has been some talk of rear view cameras, is an IR head up display worth looking into I wonder.

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I didn't see any discussion on why a full SC was called and not a VSC for Alonso?

In the Sprint format, wouldn't a VSC have been preferred?

I don't think they wanted a tractor out in those conditions under vsc...

[Farnborough]

I didn't see any discussion on why a full SC was called and not a VSC for Alonso?

In the Sprint format, wouldn't a VSC have been preferred?

Probably because of the weather conditions

Given the acknowledged risk here in wet conditions, it seems more logical to go straight to VSC in this scenario as it controls pace (if used correctly) for all the circuit to cover immediate risk in a situation like Jules Bianci was involved.

Can always then move to SC if required.