Chinese GP 2010 - Shanghai

[piast9]

And there was a racing and overtaking even before the rain in the middle of the reace in relatively dry conditions. That banked curve leading to long straight resulted in many slipstream overtaking. Also the wide and very long tight turns allow many racing lines and we saw some overtaking at these too. Apparently not all Tilke tracks are dull and boring.

[Pierre6]

Thank you! So i was on the right topic

@thestig84: i hope the Spanish GP will be as exciting as this one. That is when the vulcano stops erupting at this rate! [-o<

Cheers

[andrew]

Good race by Button and a deserved win.

So now lets see what Hamilton did in this race:

He went the wrong way on the race track.
He overtook Vettel in the pitlane.
He raced Vetel in the pitlane.
Did I miss any thing?

So how the hell did he only get a slap on the wrists?! I suspect that the former long term McLaren test driver, Alex Wurz is not impartial. Alonso only got a slap on the wrists for his move on Massa in the pitlane. Vettel got a slap on the wrists also, which to be fair was correct as his actions can be put down to red mist. Hamilton and Alonsos antics were inexcusable.

This stupid scheme of former race drivers being race stewards is really not working which is exactly what I thought when I heard about it.

[PlatinumZealot]

What Alonso and Hamilton did is very legal. They are just a little more clever than other drivers that's all.

[andrew]

Overtaking / racing in the pitlane is illegal.

Typical Hamilton fan bending the rules to suit.

[Giblet]

Overtaking / racing in the pitlane is illegal.

Typical Hamilton fan bending the rules to suit.

The pitlane is the area after the speed limit line (or maybe the warning line before that).

Everything else before that is the race track.

[andrew]

Still not meant to pass there no matter if you class it pitlane or not.

Still doesn't excuse the other antics and the poor decision of the so-called race stewards.

[Giblet]

Wrong.

It is the race track, you can pass there.

Sorry, but opinion and rules are different things.

Also, Wurz is only one of the Stewards. He doesn't have veto power.

[myurr]

Still not meant to pass there no matter if you class it pitlane or not.

Still doesn't excuse the other antics and the poor decision of the so-called race stewards.

As was pointed out to me when I criticised several Red Bull releases into side by side conditions down the pit lane, including several that Vettel benefited from, the pit lane is actually deemed part of the race circuit and there aren't any rules about not overtaking, etc.

As I've already said I think this should be changed, but until it is you cannot possibly argue that Hamilton or any driver should be penalised for a rule that does not exist. Especially all the Red Bull fans that either kept quiet or defended all the times Red Bull have released cars early.

[andrew]

Wrong is only a matter of opinion.

Passing there is just plain stupid however you dress it up, especially when the other driver gets shoved off the track.

[siskue2005]

Overtaking / racing in the pitlane is illegal.

Typical Hamilton fan bending the rules to suit.

where did he overtake IN the pitlane?

the way into the pitlane can be used to race!
its part of race track ...not the pitlane
that is not the problem here

and Vettel and Lewis were released at the same time
and they both were side by side
And did you see how Vettel pushed him towards the pit garages
And neither one did concede .... Lewis nearly spun off trying to overtake vettel

And this is what was the problem...and rightly spo they both got reprimanded

[PlatinumZealot]

Wrong is only a matter of opinion.

Passing there is just plain stupid however you dress it up, especially when the other driver gets shoved off the track.

But it's a part of the race track! lol

http://totalf1.com/full_story/view/3375 ... onso_move/

http://totalf1.com/full_story/view/3375 ... ationship/

For the time when Vettel was pushing Hamilton into the garage; Vettel should have stuck to the left side. The speed of the cars is limited in the pit lane, that means that Hamilton could not come out ahead of Vettel, Hamilton would have ended up behind Vettel in the end anyway. Vettel only ended up putting Hamilton in unnecessary danger as Hamilton could not brake because his front tyre would ride over Vettel's rear and Hamilton could not turn right because he would have ridden over a wheel gun or something. Therefore Hamilton did what was best by driving alongside Vettel all the way. Vettel's move was very dirty in my books.

[Giblet]

Wrong is only a matter of opinion.

Passing there is just plain stupid however you dress it up, especially when the other driver gets shoved off the track.

Andrew, seriously, you can be wrong, it's not a big deal. I've been wrong my fair share of times, and readily admit to it to everyone benefit.

The rules say it's OK, and sports/contests are contained within their rules, nothing else.

Just because a driver does something that is not liked, doesn't make it wrong.

In fact, the new Abu Dhabi track was designed with a pit exit that the drivers must race on in order to not lose time. Should they go slow because it's kinda of part of the pits? Of course not.

[andrew]

Overtaking / racing in the pitlane is illegal.

Typical Hamilton fan bending the rules to suit.

where did he overtake IN the pitlane?

the way into the pitlane can be used to race!
its part of race track ...not the pitlane
that is not the problem here

and Vettel and Lewis were released at the same time
and they both were side by side
And did you see how Vettel pushed him towards the pit garages
And neither one did concede .... Lewis nearly spun off trying to overtake vettel

And this is what was the problem...and rightly spo they both got reprimanded

A reprimand is nothing more than a telling off like everyone gets when they a 5 years old (and who listens to them? ) and is just a waste of time really.

If you watch the pit stops, I think Vettel was moving first. If they were released at the same time, then they would not have been side by side and Vettel has further to travel.

The way I see it is, the driver who is already in the pitlane has right of way and the other should concede. Vettel didn't help things by moving over a little bit, but that can be chalked up to red mist at being passed where a driver probably doesn't expect to be passed and a telling off is closer to the appropriate punishment for Vettel, though is still light.

Personnally, I would think that these would be appropriate punishments:
Vettel - 5 or 10 place drop in qualifying in Spain.
Hamilton - considering the stewards have already had reason to have words (Malaysia), he should start at the back in Spain.

[andrew]

Wrong is only a matter of opinion.

Passing there is just plain stupid however you dress it up, especially when the other driver gets shoved off the track.

Andrew, seriously, you can be wrong, it's not a big deal. I've been wrong my fair share of times, and readily admit to it to everyone benefit.

The rules say it's OK, and sports/contests are contained within their rules, nothing else.

Just because a driver does something that is not liked, doesn't make it wrong.

In fact, the new Abu Dhabi track was designed with a pit exit that the drivers must race on in order to not lose time. Should they go slow because it's kinda of part of the pits? Of course not.

Well in that case I may have made an error!

I've always taken the pitlane as including the entrance due to its narrowness.