European GP 2007

[Spyker MF1]

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http://www.planetf1.com/story/0,18954,3 ... 70,00.html
The crane lift was illegal and at the bottom of the page it says how it has been reported Hamilton ignored the commands of the marshalls.

[Tom]

There is nothing illegal about being lifted by a crane if you are in a dangerous spot and you are manouvered to a safe one, be it on the race track. Esspecially as Ham gained no position advantage through it. He ended 9th anyway so what does it matter? Also he provided some stunning overtaking so quit yer bellachin!

[deluge]

Marshals can move cars from a dangerous position, this is true. But, that means dangerous to the competitors on track, as well as the stranded driver on-track, i.e. MS stuck with half of his car on the tarmac and half in the gravel with the engine running and tires spinning. A simple push, the car is away, the obstruction is cleared, and the marshals retreat.

If Lewis was in a dangerous position, it was only because he didn't exit the car like the other 5 drivers did. No one on track was threatened by Lewis, and if so, they were also threatened by the other 5 stranded cars.

So, to make things less dangerous, let's move a heavy piece of recovery equipment in, lift a car and driver, a car with the engine running, a car with about 15 laps of fuel in the tanks, and then move toward the danger of approaching cars, and deposit said driver and car on the tarmac to continue racing.

This has to be the most dangerous option available to marshals, other competitors and race control. And, it is unprecidented.

Well said.

I just repeat my point because what is allowed , under a predudiced interpretation of the regulations, and what makes sense are two different things.

Plus, I do not remember in my 30 year involvement in racing that this has happened.

There are those who want to argue about whether or not this is "allowed", but I prefer to argue that this action is nonsense and outside of the "spirit" of the rules. If Ham is your guy, you argue for an interpretation. If Ham is not your guy, you argue against an interpretation.

The question is how you would argue if you had no stake in the game.

A driver runs off course and is stranded. He's done in my book. A driver is lifted onto the circuit while stranded in his car, he's done in my book. The driver who was stranded is then allowed to rejoin at the back of the leading lap even though they passed him while stranded, he's done in my book.

Ferrari, Macca, Spyker, et al, they're done in my book.

I am a Ham fan, but whip their ass on the tarmac, please.

[Sawtooth-spike]

Plus, I do not remember in my 30 year involvement in racing that this has happened.

A few years back Schmacher was helped off a gravel trap for the same reasons as hamlton. I admit it was not with a crain.

Its one of those funny rules, that nobody quite understand, I would class it as cheeky to be put back on track and start racing again. He go no points so it does not matter. Its kinda like a scaletrix in a way.

[jddh1]

I am a Ferrari fan (see left), and I have no problem with Hamilton being craned back on the track. What I have a problem with is why they did not help the other ones. I mean, the race stopped, so they had time to help them out. It's not about favoritism. They always talk about raising the action on track. Well, it helps if you have more cars on it.

[Tom]

But the others had shut their engines off or stalled and exited their cars, that's why they weren't craned back on track.

[pRo]

We already went through this on the previous pages. Hamilton was the only driver who kept his engine running.

If a car stops during the race (except under Article 142c) and d), it must be removed from the track as quickly as possible so that its presence does not constitute a danger or hinder other competitors. If the driver is unable to drive the car from a dangerous position, it shall be the duty of the marshals to assist him. If any such assistance results in the engine starting and the driver rejoining the race, the car will be excluded from the results of the race.


What I find interesting is that Hamilton could keep his engine running that long without overheating. It must've been few minutes.

[Tom]

Yeah, but it was cold and wet, plus the sidepods would be quite big as Germany was just emerging from a heatwave (according to BBC world).

What surprised me was it survived a whole race after the impact it had the day before!

[pRo]

What I find interesting is that Hamilton could keep his engine running that long without overheating. It must've been few minutes.

And we got explanation for that. According to F1 Racing, the Merc engine can run on 4 cylinders when it idles and that allows it to idle without moving at least 4 minutes before it starts to overheat.


Apparently there was also a change of rules. In the future track personnel can only push a driver back on track. If a driver gets help from a crane, he has to drive into the pits and cannot continue racing. Anyone else saw this? Just wondering if it's official?

[Belatti]

Hey, that´s the same rule that was not applied when, in 1989 Japan GP, JMB and AP stole 1989 World Championship to AS.

Honda engine running... car in a dangerous position... marshalls pushing... brazilian genious winning... politicians stoling...

For more info read Santo´s Senna biography...

[pRo]

Hey, that´s the same rule that was not applied when, in 1989 Japan GP, JMB and AP stole 1989 World Championship to AS.

Honda engine running... car in a dangerous position... marshalls pushing... brazilian genious winning... politicians stoling...

For more info read Santo´s Senna biography...

I do remember that race and the talk afterwards very well. But I can't remember if that rule has been same all these years...?