French GP 2008

[JamesS]

So... when all of you LH fans will agree that he's not quite there as a racer? Sure, he's great driver, but these days there're plenty of really fast guys, and among the rest LH hasn't shown anything that can be considered exceptional like MS shown at the start of his carreer.

As if loosing out to the championship by only 1 point in his rookie season isn't good enough evidence of his abilities?

Without the drive through penalty, he had a solid chance of a podium. He would have been in a similar position to how Heikki finished up. From 13th on the grid, that would have been a very good drive. He also made up three places off the grid.

I think the drive through penalty was unwarranted. He was already well past the other car before entering the chicane. If he had then over taken another car while cutting the chicane then I could see the point. I want to resist the whole "they are against him and McLaren" routine, but in recent weeks it is hard not to think that way!

The championship is by no means over and I just hope his run of bad luck is over for the time being.

[timbo]

As if loosing out to the championship by only 1 point in his rookie season isn't good enough evidence of his abilities?

Let's not repeat this again. Yes, he's good, but quite honestly his style of loosing last year title (China and Brazil in a row) is symptomatic. Seems like he can't take any pressure.

He was already well past the other car before entering the chicane. If he had then over taken another car while cutting the chicane then I could see the point.

I'd repeat once again. He missed chicane because he didn't brake at the right place. He brake much later than Vettel and that's why lost line on the enter. Had he brake at the right place he won't overtake Vettel there.

[Saribro]

So did the whole, or part, of the header come off or was it just the bodywork? I followed the race on F1Live because, sadly, they don't aloow TVs at work for us to lounge and watch racing on. :D

There's definitly parts of pipe missing:

[ESPImperium]

Looks like we are still at Magny-Cours till 2010: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsp ... 467887.stm

Now if they could do something more with the track, maybes make the Nurburgring chicane a bit more "twisty" making a overtaking chance there,

[timbo]

what is surprising to me is how did gearbox and rear suspension survived that long on Kimi's car - I wonder if that could lead to gearbox and/or engine change and grid penalty for the next race.

[FLC]

Domenicali already said they might use "the joker" for Kimi in Silverstone. So there will be no penalty.

[JamesS]

I'd repeat once again. He missed chicane because he didn't brake at the right place. He brake much later than Vettel and that's why lost line on the enter. Had he brake at the right place he won't overtake Vettel there.

Watch the replay, he was well past before entering the complex. It wasn't a case of cutting the chicane and then he was past Vettel, he was already past before entering the complex.

[WhiteBlue]

As if loosing out to the championship by only 1 point in his rookie season isn't good enough evidence of his abilities?

Let's not repeat this again. Yes, he's good, but quite honestly his style of loosing last year title (China and Brazil in a row) is symptomatic. Seems like he can't take any pressure.

He was already well past the other car before entering the chicane. If he had then over taken another car while cutting the chicane then I could see the point.

I'd repeat once again. He missed chicane because he didn't brake at the right place. He brake much later than Vettel and that's why lost line on the enter. Had he brake at the right place he won't overtake Vettel there.

I wonder how Scott-Andrews would have decided this. The stewards judgement is very poor and I would recommend McLaren to appeal against this decision. It is either incompetent or malvolent to punish Hamilton where he did not have an advantage.

[Scuderia_Russ]

LH has a great potential but all the media hype prevents him from seeing his weaknesses and improve.

You really have an amazing grasp of the inner workings of Formula One. Do you think Lewis' on track actions are decided by what he reads in The Sun because I don't?!

[Miguel]

You really have an amazing grasp of the inner workings of Formula One. Do you think Lewis' on track actions are decided by what he reads in The Sun because I don't?!

You mean they don't talk about trail braking, contact patches and late apexing in the Sun? I always thought they had a weekly issue on car setup!

Now, seriously, we saw last year how hindered a lighter car is in magny cours starting from the back (i.e. Alonso). The starting lane is really short, hindering good starts (but not bad ones) and it is tough to overtake after the quick Estoril. And, when you have to pit soon, you are back into traffic. Had he not been penalised (too harsh IMHO), he would have had a tough time matching Webber, because the strategy was playing against him. He would have needed a Clark@Italy 67 kind of performance to get big points.

BTW: Spainn has beaten Italy!!!! Woaaaa!!! The ultimate football challenge, and ina penalty shootout.

[Ray]

LH has a great potential but all the media hype prevents him from seeing his weaknesses and improve.

You really have an amazing grasp of the inner workings of Formula One. Do you think Lewis' on track actions are decided by what he reads in The Sun because I don't?!

I don't think the Sun has anything to do with it. It's the constant ass kissing of F1 media the world over that's doing it. How can you compare a rookie that got a really good start to his career, a few wins and almost won a championship but choked massively at the end, to a man that many consider to be the greatest of all time and 3 time world champion at that?!?! You can't. Not in a million years. THAT's what I think Timbo is trying to get at. Everyone puts him on a pedestal where he's untouchable, and it seems to have permeated his attitude to the point where he thinks rules like red lights are silly and there is no way anyone could see them. That's all I have to say about Hammy, other than he done pretty damn good for starting so far back. Good to see that he can at least not freak out and crash.

There's definitly parts of pipe missing:

DAMN! It was alot more damage than F1 Live commentary made it out to be. My perception was that the end of the exhaust had vibrated loose. I was thinking along the lines of the collector end all the way out to the tip, not that bad. It's amazing the thing made any useable power at all, and even more amazing it didn't set the rear of the car on fire or melt away anything structural. If Kimi had been in a McLaren years ago with that problem, it would have definitely blown up. Mabye, just maybe, the anvil over his head has decided to go have a bit of time off. I sure hope so.

[Rob W]

I've got to say I too think the drive through penalty for Hamilton was harsh, as he was well past Vettel before they entered the chicane...

...One thing I liked more than anything, seeing Truli on the podium again. Well done him and a great result for Toyota and Ove RIP.

At first I thought the same but after watching the replays repeatedly today he definitely missed the corner because his overtaking move went too deep. The overtake happened in the braking zone so it is fair to say he did it in the process of going around - but in his case, missing - the corner. In that respect it was a fair call on the marshall's part I think.

Hamilton even said:

"I believe I was ahead on the outside and I couldn't turn in on the guy otherwise we would have crashed so I took the outside line, lost the back on the marbles and went over the kerb..."

Isn't this sort of the point? Either you're ahead and you can turn the corner or you aren't ahead and you go straight-on instead of braking like most other drivers would.

As for Trulli. I totally agree. Really good to see him have some success after such a solid drive.

R

[ss.vamsikrishna]

Kimi was too good , he was flying , he was the man to catch
but unfortunate as well he just cannot escape the bad luck ...
I am very happy he finished the race...
Trulli was too good , he raced really well with a slower car..kudos to him

[Rob W]

..If Kimi had been in a McLaren years ago with that problem, it would have definitely blown up.

I agree. Especially with this chocolate fire-guards they were using at the time.

R

[shotzski]

I'm a big Mclaren fan, but I am starting to doubt they can win this season's championship;with things going so bad for them: Penalties, driver mistakes, and bad criticisms. I hope thay can put things back together, and prove to many what they are really capable of doing. But I do think this season (so far), though bad for Mclaren, will be the building ground for their sophomore drivers to gain more experience and confidence. Heikki and Lewis, very talented drivers, still lacks the experience their competitors already have.