Singapore Night GP 2008

[Project Four]

Great result for Alonso and Renault and fully deserved to both. Also, good result Rosberg and Williams. Hamilton also did very well a controlled race driving for points rather than wins.

Nice to see the FIA still being inconsistent again with penalty’s, as in the drive through for Massa, when others including Massa have done the same and not been punished. I think F1 needs the same set of stewards / race director at ever race through the season so race results are skewed by a different set of stewards with different views and interpretations.

What a strange but exciting season with so many different winners drivers and teams. Looks like this year the WDC will be the driver, not necessary the best of the year, but the one and the team whom makes the fewest mistakes.

Quick quiz question when was the last time five different teams won a race during the season ?

[vyselegend]

A friend just mailed me this link he found on another forum:

http://scouseknight.com/f1player.aspx

YOU HAVE TO PUT THE SOUND ON! (but be carfull because volume is quite strong by default).

I think even Ferrari fans can laugh at it if they have the slightiest bit of humor.

[coreybaxter]

HAHA

That must have been the song going through the mechanics heads!

[Ciro Pabón]

Pure Benny Hill. Lacks only the conga line of girls with Benny in first place.

Luca di Montezemolo explains the incident during post race conference

[donskar]

The GOOD thing for us Ferrari fans is that there will be imporvement FAST or new faces next season. Can't imagine Todt coming back, though. Peter Schetty? Anyone remember his tenure running the Group 6 (LeMans) team?

[modbaraban]

Felipe Massa explains the incident during post race conference

[Miguel]

Quick quiz question when was the last time five different teams won a race during the season ?

You won't believe it. It's 2003 with races won by Ferrari, Williams, McLaren, Renault and... Jordan!

[andartop]

From F1technical news section:

Luca di Montezmolo, President of the Scuderia Ferrari, has expressed his displeasure about the "circus" that took place at the Marina Bay street circuit in Singapore this weekend. According to di Montezemolo, it is "humiliating" for F1 that a safety car period is needed to spice up the race.

Andartop, Member of the F1technical forum, has expressed his displeasure about the "circus" that took place at the Scuderia Ferrari pit box at the Marina Bay street circuit in Singapore this weekend. According to Andartop, it is "humiliating" for a World Championship challenging F1 Team to mess up a pit stop like that.

[donskar]

From F1technical news section:

Luca di Montezmolo, President of the Scuderia Ferrari, has expressed his displeasure about the "circus" that took place at the Marina Bay street circuit in Singapore this weekend. According to di Montezemolo, it is "humiliating" for F1 that a safety car period is needed to spice up the race.

Andartop, Member of the F1technical forum, has expressed his displeasure about the "circus" that took place at the Scuderia Ferrari pit box at the Marina Bay street circuit in Singapore this weekend. According to Andartop, it is "humiliating" for a World Championship challenging F1 Team to mess up a pit stop like that.

I'm a Ferrari fan, and I'll admit there is a kilo or two of "sour grapes" in Montezemolo's statement. Looking beyond that, though, he has a point. The regs concerning SC periods need o be carefully examined. Let's not succumb to the temptation to become an open-wheel NASCAR. I'm suspect Bernie would do ANYTHING to make F1 more attractive to $pon$or$, governments, anyone with a dollar or Euro.

[Spencifer_Murphy]

Sorry its late guys, race was quality I thought (okay not too much going on up front - until the Ferrari's pitstop fiasco - but a fair bit behind) I also thought the cars look amazing under the lights (also notice the blue "flames" from the exhaust on the over-run from the engines?!)

Lewis penalty not being overturned was the correct desicion, firstly we really can't have another championship appearing like its being settled off the track. Its like a referee in football disallowing a goal, letting the game =finish, then letting it stand again. (Although this does not mean the decision was nessecarily the correct one to begin with.) and secondly according to the rules, you cannot appeal against a drive-thru penalty. Clear enough to me.

I'm soooooo pleased Fernando won the race, for both him and for renault. It's about time we saw him on the podium (where a driver of his calibre belongs) And it almost seemed like devine justice after the fueling problem he suffered in quali.

Speaking of devine justice I was working out some maths: At Belgium Lewis won and Felipe 2nd, 10points to Lewis against Felipe's 8 (+2 net gain for Lewis). Then the penalty gave Felipe 10points and Lewis 6 points (thus Lewis may feel he has lost 6 points) Felipe retired from the race thus scoreing nil while Lewis finished 3rd scoring...6 points. So the net gain/loss for each driver after events conspired against the two is nil. (Or if you prefer Lewis lost 6 points at Belgium because of questionable steward intervention and Massa lost 6 points at singapore because of a system faliure in the pits)

As you were then...we can have no complaints (with regards to the championship outcome...with regards to the FIA's running of things may or may not be different). Its a neat "solution" (almost too neat lol). So lets look forward to a great season finale.

Oh btw, I know James Allen often talks drivel but he said after the Massa Pit fiasco something like "The cheif mechanic didn't release him so he might not get a penalty for unsafe release." I'M SORRY?! who cares if its human error...he was released - in an unsafe manner - from the pits by way of whatever system was put in place. The system that does it is irrelevant in terms of whether or not the release was unsafe. When I heard that I couldn't quite believe what he was saying. Which got me thinking...

...This semi-automatic "traffic light" pit-release system Ferrari use is a good idea on paper...but in reality its costing them. How much longer do you guys think they'll use this? OR how much longer till such a system is banned. Because I know that people are faliable, but if the lollipop guys lifts too early he can at least lower the thing and hope the driver will react. If the system fails you're buggared (Did you see how far that poor Ferrari pit mechanic was flung?!) Crazy system. I think they should at least fix or change the way the system recognises when the fueling hose has been released.

One more thought on the matter...lets say the fueler removes the hose, the lights go green and the driver leaves the pits...only to find there's been a problem getting one of the rear tyres off, and the new one either isn't on at all or isn't on properly...then what loose wheels rolling down the pitlane into unsuspecting mechanics? The system works well on the assumtion that:
A) It works correctly/there are no electronic faults in the system
B) The refueling takes longer than the changing of the wheels (as it usually does)
But what happens when one of these prerequisits sin't met? Well at Singapore I think we found out...time to change it I think, both for Ferrari's championship hopes and for safety.

[rjsa]

From F1technical news section:

Luca di Montezmolo, President of the Scuderia Ferrari, has expressed his displeasure about the "circus" that took place at the Marina Bay street circuit in Singapore this weekend. According to di Montezemolo, it is "humiliating" for F1 that a safety car period is needed to spice up the race.

Andartop, Member of the F1technical forum, has expressed his displeasure about the "circus" that took place at the Scuderia Ferrari pit box at the Marina Bay street circuit in Singapore this weekend. According to Andartop, it is "humiliating" for a World Championship challenging F1 Team to mess up a pit stop like that.

Well pointed in another forum, if the race was a circus Ferrari was kind enough to provide the clowns.

[casper]

Let Ferrari keep the refueling system. By the time the GP reacehs Brazil, they'll be down 18 points in the driver' and constructor's championships. Looks like good plan to me.

BTW, Alonso cut the chicane at the start (in autosport) but the stewards were looking at their thumbs while fiddling.

[myurr]

Let Ferrari keep the refueling system. By the time the GP reacehs Brazil, they'll be down 18 points in the driver' and constructor's championships. Looks like good plan to me.

BTW, Alonso cut the chicane at the start (in autosport) but the stewards were looking at their thumbs while fiddling.

Kubica as well, who then went on to push Kovaleinen off the track damaging his car. Thought that one was quite bad as Heikki was more than half a car length ahead, and on the racing line not off the circuit. He lost two places because of that.

I'd accept it as just hard racing - in fact I really want to accept it as that, as I'd prefer more proper on track fights like this - but the inconsistency of the FIA and the stewards really hacks me off.

[Spencifer_Murphy]

I agree myurr, I'd like to see some scope for some hard cut-and-thrust racing. I accept that Alonso and Kubica had to cut the chicane at the start, it was either that or crash lol.

But if the FIA choose to penalise everybody who steps a wheel off of the track, I won't be happy but I'll deal with it. What I cannot deal with is inconsistency when it comes to enforcing these rules.

EDIT: Also I meant to mention but I was pleasently suprised by Lewis & Fernando after the race. When comming into that room they go to before the podium the first thing Lewis did was walk over and shake Fernando's hand in congratulations and on the podium Fernando had a little word with Lewis and both appeared to be smiling. OK yes, there is clearly some tension and Lewis was cleary more amicable with Nico than he was with Fernando. BUT in eachothers eyes you could argue that they see eachother as the reason that neither of them won the 2007 WDC. The fact that they are making an effort though is not only the right thing to do (These guys are role models for millions) but also goes to show that blame for the animosity must surely go to the media who like to hype up the tension between them because it sells papers.

[roost89]

I was reading this on Reuters: http://f1.uk.reuters.com/f1/news/India-357734-1.php
Red Bull blamed an electrical surge, passing from tram-lines beneath the circuit, to cause Webbers gearbox to break. Is that possible? I thought rubber was an insulator, so electricity can't pass from ground to car, or car to ground.

Thoughts?