notsofast wrote: ↑09 Apr 2017, 22:18
Can we discuss the inability of Verstappen to pass Grosjean in the closing laps please. Sure, it's possible that Verstappen went to Red Bull whining school. Sure, it's possible that his tires were shot. But let's assume that he was right, that he was indeed impeded by Grosjean's dirty air. In another topic on this forum we discussed that the new aero rules may cause different cars to create different wake structures, which in turn may impact different trailing cars differently. If it is indeed true that these wake structures can impede a car that is trailing 2 seconds or so, doesn't that mean that the FIA should take a look at the "blue flag" rules? I mean, why should it make a difference HOW a car is being impeded by a competitor who is effectively one lap behind? If the intent is for almost-lapped cars not to influence racing between the lead cars, then lead cars should not be impeded by the wake of an almost-lapped car. Thoughts?
thoughts are you're talking absolute nonsense in cheap shotting 'whining school'.
Verstappen overtook a huge amount of cars in the first laps, had a absolutely stunning pass on Danny Ric and repeated such many times on-track. There's a reason he was 'driver of the day'. Verstappen had DannyRic tailing him like crazy. The problem was not neccesarily not being able to overtake because of some wake, but there were multiple reasons. Obviously the dirty wake has an effect, and causes him to be hampered, but thats with any car in the field. Difference is, it was not for position, and now he deals with the wake of a non-batteling car, which he doesn't want when he's in danger of losing P3 to his teammate. second of all, DannyRic was within DRS range, Max wasn't compared to Grosjean, so Max has to battle Grosjean like he would battle Vettel not to gain a place, but only get a blockade out of his way.
Also, Grosjean was not really being a 'gentleman' about it, driving the racing line that made him similarly an opponent to overtake despite being lapped. You can argue he has his right to do so because of the rule change, but likewise, he had no opponent around him, and he would not gain nor lose anything. It rather makes him a annoying little *** that is living only for his own d*mn space. It would have been a 'gentleman's thing, or, the 'correct' thing, to simply move aside so the RB's could pass. he would have lost NOTHING.
Taking on Grosjean would put Max too much at risk to lose his position to DannyRic, which he had a hard time covering off. Despite having a DRS advantage and arguably faster car at that point in the race, DannyRic could not pass. Overtaking Grosjean could put that in danger.
Max was complaining because of a simple fact; up until this year, backmarkers/lapped cars need to get blueflagged for the faster cars so they can easily pass and not affect their race, which they are not involved into directly. Instead, the blue flag rule is dropped for this year and now the backmarkers have the right to stay on line. Essentially, they screw up the guys behind them. They don't benefit themselves from it, they only negatively impact the cars that lap them.
Verstappen was being political there, and that's the smart thing to do to hope getting the blue flags reinstalled. Remember vettel constanly crying over the board radio 'blue flag, blue flag, blue flag, blue flag!' 'this is rediculous'! 'come on!'. was it impossible for Vettel to overtake them? Hell no, but he's got every g***amn right to complain that a slow backmarker who isn't even fighting for a single point could be the reason that all his hard work goes down the drain when he must slow down for somebody and the competition can take advantage and pass.
is that racing? perhaps it is. is it annoying for the driver? definately yes. Would the driver prefer to see otherwise? most definately. Would they thus call for change in that? offcourse.
Nothing more, nothing less. No need to go tabloid crazy and turn this into some rediculous theory that he can't overtake, and the new design is a 'problem', whilst of anybody in China, Verstappen was THE example of overtaking.
Apart from that, i do agree that backmarkers should not negatively influence the cars they are not racing with, which is exactly the reason why the blue flag should be re-installed.
If a backmarker is hampered because they need to move aside for a frontrunner, then tough luck. To be fair, at the very best, it's only about a meager point. For the frontrunners, it's all about the WDC and the WCC. The frontrunners MIGHT ruin a meager point if that same backmarker doesnt act accordingly towards their competitor closeby. But the backmarkers WILL destroy WDC outcomes like this, which is really not done imho.
Also seriously impressed with Sainz, despite the clumsy and unnessecary start.
. Why wasn't Magnussen penalised in Aus, they didn't have clear rules to do it either? How on earth were other drivers penalised ever for similar transgressions since there are no rules? BS.
