2012 Singaporean GP - Marina Bay

[raymondu999]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEw_jPJ62jY[/youtube]

[Websta]

The message to Bruno Senna not to touch the car and ground at the same time because of the KERS issue made me wonder whether they should install "KERS safety lights" on the cars to warn track marshalls, or is there some other way to alert them to a possible KERS issue?

[foxmulder_ms]

I find Schumacher penalty extremely harsh. It was an accident, there was no ill intent there.

[beelsebob]

Re Vettel and Button:

An examination of the telemetry overlay for throttle, steering and brake traces of both cars did not indicate any erratic driving behaviour on the part of the race leader.
It is noted that Article 40.13 provides that the first car may dictate the pace.

[megz]

The message to Bruno Senna not to touch the car and ground at the same time because of the KERS issue made me wonder whether they should install "KERS safety lights" on the cars to warn track marshalls, or is there some other way to alert them to a possible KERS issue?

I'm fairly certain this is already a regulation and came into effect in 2009 when KERS was first introduced.

As for the race I'm glad I missed it and got the highlights (if you can call them that). Interesting at everyone belly-aching over Hamilton's bad luck at McLaren recently. Were they all as upset at McLaren when Kimi was having all the bad luck possible in 2005 and lost the title to Fernando despite having the fastest car? It's not the first time McLaren have produced a fast car that pushes the envelope and the drivers/team pay for it with some unreliability. It's racing - it's the nature of the sport. Interestingly Kimi went about signing a mysterious something with Ferrari the year after. (DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNN, what's Hamilton signing with someone else for 2014?) I kid.

Alonso is spectacularly fast when he needs to be and is a real thinker when racing. He is able to pace himself and keep out of trouble - hence his current lead in the championship. Massa has to be commended for his intense pass on Senna. What strikes me as a little harsh was Webber's penalty over the pass over Kamui - he was off the track but couldn't be on it due to being forced out there. I guess a precedent has been set.

The other thing that I've taken from this season so far is Kimi's race-craft it was always pretty darn good pre-"retirement" but the way he has managed to put his car up beside cars this year in ridiculously dangerous spots but kept it fair and without contact is immense. His attack on Grosjean last night and his pass on Di Resta in Germany being the first examples that come to mind. A pity not more drivers are capable of it - then we could see some seriously close racing without all the collisions ala Hamilton, Massa, Maldonado, Grosjean etc.

[GrizzleBoy]

Alonso is spectacularly fast when he needs to be and is a real thinker when racing. He is able to pace himself and keep out of trouble - hence his current lead in the championship.

These kinds of statements seem to grate more the further we get into this season.

Alonso has hardly done much that is special this season and can put his lead down to other cars in front of him simply stopping in place.

He never actually had high expectations for this season which led to the team being conservative. He just happened to be there in a pretty good car to sweep up points others were dropping on the floor.

It also comes down to the fact that the team behind him are easily the strongest of the front runners so far in terms of both strategy and reliability.

The F2012 is obviously not the overall "fastest car", but it actually works. One could even argue that the fastest car is the one that actually allows a driver to cross the finish line more often.

That's why Alonsos lead immediately looked in question the very minute McLaren seemed to sort out their reliability issues for a few grand prix.

Even in this race Alonso was gifted a podium due to other cars simply being incapable of finishing the race.

I'm not seeing where any of this is a credit to Alonso being able to think in the cockpit etc.

[Vasconia]

Now on MSC - as much as I admire him because I practically grew up with his domination and he is the one that made me follow F1, but I think it would be a wise decision to stop after this year, step aside and let the seat free for someone else.

I disagree :] This year he is really competitive - he has outqualified Rosberg on 8 occasions out of 14 this year and if not for unreliability and shoddy pit work he would be way higher up in the standings. Also, it's not yet completely clear if he really caused the accident today, because he has told that he braked earlier than usual and the car didn't decelerate at all. Anyway, we'll see :] Whatever the case, it took a long time but he's really getting back on form and he isn't driving like it is his last season (as in cruising just for driving's sake).

+1. Totally agree, I hate when people say he should retire when he has been driving so well(taking into account his age), he has showed that with a good car he can still be competitive. If todays accident has been a mistake(which is no clear) it cant erase all the good races he has done.

A mistake is a mistake, nothing more. Other drives have made mistakes and nothing has happened, well I must say that Alonso is the only driver who seems not to make any mistake.

[beelsebob]

So lewis confirmed that he was just cruising round and that he had a lot more pace available to him if Vettel ended up pushing harder. Such a disapointment for him.

[Joie de vivre]

real dissapointment for such a great driver (in my opinion Lewis And Fernando are top of the top)

[ESPImperium]

[FrukostScones]

An FIA spokesperson told AUTOSPORT: "Examination of video evidence of numerous cars on numerous laps, at the same point on the track, showed that Senna appeared to be taking his normal line on the lap when Massa was drawing alongside him.

"It was concluded that Senna was not 'defending' his position on a straight as reference in document TM/006 - 12 (pre-British GP driving clarification).

"It appeared that as soon as Senna was aware of the presence of Massa on his left, he moved to the right, thereby allowing Massa to overtake him."

Massa was unimpressed, however, that Senna was not punished for what he felt was a breach of the regulations.

"The only thing I know is that I was completely on his side and he pushed me in the wall," said Massa.

"So after everything that happened in Bahrain everything started there, and as I know they changed the rules – so if you have a car alongside then you cannot close [the door] which is what happened today."

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/senn ... 05113.html

Will they call it Formula Crybaby in the future. Massa/Perez/Button (maybe more, all that I could grab) crying like sissies in Singapore.

[beelsebob]

Nope, I have to say, I agree with Massa 100%.

They changed the rules so that if a car is at all along side you you cannot move across to push them beyond the edge of the track. That's what happened, so the defender should have been punished in my mind.

I can't really see the reasoning for being unaware being an excuse either – it's your job as a racing driver to be aware of them.

[ell66]

Nope, I have to say, I agree with Massa 100%.

They changed the rules so that if a car is at all along side you you cannot move across to push them beyond the edge of the track. That's what happened, so the defender should have been punished in my mind.

I can't really see the reasoning for being unaware being an excuse either – it's your job as a racing driver to be aware of them.

lets be honest the only reason massa was in a position to overtake was because he cut the chicane and got a great exit from it.
Also prett rich from him, given his history of turning in on people.

[beelsebob]

Nope, I have to say, I agree with Massa 100%.

They changed the rules so that if a car is at all along side you you cannot move across to push them beyond the edge of the track. That's what happened, so the defender should have been punished in my mind.

I can't really see the reasoning for being unaware being an excuse either – it's your job as a racing driver to be aware of them.

lets be honest the only reason massa was in a position to overtake was because he cut the chicane and got a great exit from it.
Also prett rich from him, given his history of turning in on people.

He had 2 wheels on or inside the white lines at all times, that's more than enough... Note, I'm usually Massa's biggest detractor, but I have to side with him this time.

[Nando]

They changed the rules so that if a car is at all along side you you cannot move across to push them beyond the edge of the track. That's what happened, so the defender should have been punished in my mind.

No he actually never did that. In fact it would have been impossible to do.

Squeeze him yes but he did not run him out of the track. I think Senna had no idea Massa was coming up there, and was simply running the original line trying to straighten the braking zone as much as possible.