Belgian GP 2008

[WhiteBlue]

What a shame that the rain did not come a bit earlier. Most of the race was boring after a thrilling start. The race director was absolutely incompetent again and for most of the race FOM Live Timing did not work for me. Was it Bernies Server or what was it?

Bourdais and Kovalainen messed up the start if I saw it right. Heidfeld was the biggest looser of that action I believe. The Toro Rosso's were incredible in the race and I would have cheered for Bourdais on the podium.

Its a shame that they have so much downforce that Eau Rouge is flat now in the dry. It is still an amazing corner and the helicopter shots were simply amazing.

Pouhon gravel trap was asphalted and saved Kimi's bacon on the first trip out. I absolutely love the track and hope that they will never change it from the present layout.

When Hamilton caught up with Kimi in the last three laps it was fantastic. Hamilton had so much more car control in the wet it was amazing. It reminded me of Silverstone where he also went closer to the limit than anybody else without a serious shunt. Kimi was clearly rattled and was fighting with his back to the wall. It was obvious that Massa had much more cool due to his more comfotable poiunts position. After this race Kimi's situation in the championship is very difficult. He will be called to support Massa if the opportunity arises.

The chicane cutting at Bus Stop was ok in my book. I don't see why Ferrari was complaining. Earlier in the race Hamilton was weaving up from Eau Rouge on the strait to the second corner. I thought that would have merited an investigation by the stewards.

Heidfelds decision to go on inters was very courageous and brought him the much needed breather. He passed five cars between turn two and the finish. Great thinking.

Toro Rosso catching Williams in the championship was the hoot of the year. BMW was saved by Heidfeld. They looked old. Alonso was very good this race. It is the driver and not the Renault that made the points. Picquet demonstrated that again.

Horner must be in trouble with the Toros hauling the points and his team shooting only duds. Mateschitz with his Marko expert looks dumb compared with Berger. I think that Gerhard is doing a super job and hope he will manage a good car design next year and find a good investor.

I see that Hamilton is denoted to third. What a load of bollocks.

[nae]

someone with more tech savvy than me start a petition and ill sign it

[modbaraban]

Looks like I'm the only one who's gonna question that overtaking manouver. The penalty might be kinda harsh... but face it. It wasn't fair and square.
Alonso in Suzuka 2005 was made go off the throttle and let the car by to later attempt to overtake again for exactly the same thing! Remember? It was near 130R corner. He wasn't handed a penalty because there was enough time left and Charlie Whiting contacted Renault telling them about possible penalty unless he doesn't gives the position back. Because what he did was technically letting the car go by and then counterattack from the slipstream right away.

... you'll see that LH couldn't by any means be that close to KR if he'd stay on the track exiting the last corner. But what he did was an unsuccessful overtaking attempt after which he ran wide cutting the corner and then got right up the rear wing of KR's car. That means he took advantage of cutting the track.

What a stupid ending for such a brilliant race. I mean LH could easily waited till the Kemmel straight and snatch a win without major problems.

[chasefreak]

is it even worth watching F1 now
they only want to give ferrari points and make them win
how can we revolt against this

[Scotracer]

someone with more tech savvy than me start a petition and ill sign it

http://www.petitiononline.com/petition.html

I am not a great writer so someone else a bit more eloquent write it up and I'll gladly sign.

[pliskinrob]

It might be worth doing one of those petitions and pasing it around a few other F1 forums.

After all F1 is ment to be the ultimate spectator sport, and if the spectators revolt, who else is going to take interest?

[timbo]

I think all questions would be answered if we could see LH telemetry data. I'm wathing race (I recorded it) and it seems like LH wasn't going to let Kimi pass, it is that Ferrari accelerated faster. If stewards saw that LH didn't put his foot off the throttle they have some serious evidences of unfair advantage.

[SoundMan]

an utter joke.

and look at the GP2 pit release incident this week, a drive thru handed out IN THE RACE. so Ferrari last week escaped track side penalty why?

the FIA need to take a long hard look at where this 'Ferrari Are Great' tour ends... i'll tell them...

the FAG Tour must end now.

[Scotracer]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/70402

Good.

[wesley123]

an utter joke.

and look at the GP2 pit release incident this week, a drive thru handed out IN THE RACE. so Ferrari last week escaped track side penalty why?

the FIA need to take a long hard look at where this 'Ferrari Are Great' tour ends... i'll tell them...

the FAG Tour must end now.

I agree with you, they won the championships in 2007 in a unfair way so i hope that hamilton will drive them crazy and take the championship. The formula 1 became a joke and i am sure that it wasntstarted in 1950 as a joke.

[i70q7m7ghw]

I'm disgusted with that penalty. It was a brilliant race, and an excellent finish and now I can only look back on it with pure disgust. I guess it's to be expected the same silly stuff happened last year and Ferrari were handed a championship on a silver plate.

In my opinion that was nothing more than a racing incident. They were side by side with Hamilton probably infront in the chicane, Hamilton bailed out, let Kimi pass and then regained the position fairly again. Kimi got his position back further into the lap as rain caused carnage and then he spun and lost it agian... I mean come on it's not like McLaren released Hamilton into the path of another car in the pits I hope McLaren protest this to the fullest extent - then the FIA will throw in the "bringing sport in to disrepute" card and I say bring it on! Where's the petition I'll sign it!

If they wan't to penalise Hamilton for whatever then fine. The fact is Massa clearly broke the rules in Valencia and got a fine. Then here Hamilton get's a win taken away for something that probably gained him the same amount of time Massa gained from that pit exit in Valencia... It's just so rediculous!

I'm not one for conspiracy theories but I can't help but feel sometimes that these championships are fixed - last year in Brazil Kimi was down in third in the championship - Bernie Ecclestone says "I think Kimi will win it"...

[Shaddock]

Looks like I'm the only one who's gonna question that overtaking manouver. The penalty might be kinda harsh... but face it. It wasn't fair and square.
Alonso in Suzuka 2005 was made go off the throttle and let the car by to later attempt to overtake again for exactly the same thing! Remember? It was near 130R corner. He wasn't handed a penalty because there was enough time left and Charlie Whiting contacted Renault telling them about possible penalty unless he doesn't gives the position back. Because what he did was technically letting the car go by and then counterattack from the slipstream right away.

... you'll see that LH couldn't by any means be that close to KR if he'd stay on the track exiting the last corner. But what he did was an unsuccessful overtaking attempt after which he ran wide cutting the corner and then got right up the rear wing of KR's car. That means he took advantage of cutting the track.

What a stupid ending for such a brilliant race. I mean LH could easily waited till the Kemmel straight and snatch a win without major problems.

There are big differences !

Ron Contacted Charlie and he gave Lewis the all clear to carry on.

Lewis let Kimi back past him on the start straight, which put him BEHIND Kimi going in La Source. Kimi then ran into the back on Lewis and he accelerated out of the hairpin. (but he drives a Ferrari and the stewards develop a case of myopia.)

It could be argued that Lewis let Kimi back past him again after he took avoiding action to miss the Williams on the corner after phouon. Kimi ran at wide at phouon and used the run off area to catch Lewis on the straight leading to this corner.

How did Lewis gain an unfair advantage in the race as a whole when Kimi spins onto the grass when leading the Grand Prix on the same Lap? and then into the wall approaching bus stop?

[axle]

You cannot give a 25sec penalty for that, it's a disgrace!

How can you have a system whereby the race director is over-ruled all the time?

It was good racing, fair racing, and a damn good spectacle.

[mx_tifoso]

Thats twice into the barriers/wall for Kimi during this weekend! FP2 and the race! At least with the mistakes he has managed to do he makes Massa look a bit better error-wise. As supposedly Kimi was the better of the two and made less mistakes, but sh*t happens to everyone, and his 'all or nothing' belief royally screwed him over. At least Kimi can't lay the entire blame on his car if he doesn't win the DC. I just watched videos of the race again and my hearbeat increases so much during their battle!

And I don't know how Vettel managed to end up in fifth, but congrats for that.

Possible consolation for everyone mad at Hamilton's penalty, Glock also recieved a 25 sec penalty after the race was over, dropping him out of the points. It was for overtaking under a yellow flag.

And please everyone, lay off of the swearing. Let's not go too far with this penalty reaction.

[SZ]

Sure the race got ruined, but you're not looking hard enough at what kicked this off. It's the right call by the FIA, and a particularly stupid move by LH/McLaren. Don't know which race you were all watching, I saw that pass and what let up to it and thought "that's fcking marginal". I'm with modbaraban on this one.

Cutting a corner and then dropping back in the tow/falling into a better line/maintaining your momentum to help overtake thereafter and calling it fair is about as obvious as stalling your car in the dying seconds of qualifying on a tight track and bringing an early end to the session after you've P1'd. You can debate all the way into the night with regard to what degree you've met the rules, but it's clear that you've made a premeditated effort to get beyond their intent and adversely influence the race result.

And in both instances the culprit got done. Even the guy in the red car. So Ferrari International Assistance my ass. LH+team knew better and it wasn't exactly as if he had no hope whatsoever of catching KR if he'd done it right.

+1 to KR for not openly commenting on getting screwed (along with his title race) in the post race comments. Let alone by the same (eager) guy that'd taken him out in pitlane earlier on in the season. I'm certainly no Ferrari fanboy but KR was 100% right.

If only LH had similar decency on and off track we might see some racing and less controversy. McLaren will appeal and he'll probably get off - it is marginal. And yet the move still could have been done later. The intent of the rules is clear, LH - back the fck off and let the racing resume in a manner not influenced by previous events - he's been in racing for years, he'll know this well, if it had been another driver pulling the same --- on him you'd see the entire LH entourage in the FIA's doorstep screaming blue murder.

Be like KR and let the racing do the talking.