When do you own the racing line?

[WhiteBlue]

In the following images we see Michael Schumacher passing Jenson Button on the outside into turn 1 of the Spanish GP on Sunday.



This is the racing line through turn 1 and turn 2.

Jenson claimed that Michael cut across him and he had to break to avoid an accident.

I do not follow Jenson's criticism that Michael did not leave him enough place. It is clear that Jenson always had enough space to go round the corner.



Here they are both on the straight, Jenson in the pit lane exit and Michael on the racing line on the outside of the track but behind.



They both turn in and Michael is still behind but clearly faster.



Here we see that Michael is still on or perhaps a little outside the racing line while he is still behind.



This shows them at the apex with both cars head to head. Michael leaves Jenson just enough space on track but leaves him the racing line which is on the inside here.



Accelerating away from the apex.



The situation evolves.



Positioning for turn 2.

I think Jenson was ahead for most of the turn 1 up to the apex. Michael was coming from behind and left him space but denied him full use of the racing line with comfortable space.

Do you think that Micheal did the right thing here? Was this just hard racing? Jenson had to take a very tight line to claim the racing line in turn 1 without safety margin. Had they crashed who would have been at fault?

[Pandamasque]

Yes
no
no
no
no
no
no
yes

Hope that helps.

[nipo]

Yes
no
no
no
no
no
no
yes

Hope that helps.

=D> =D>

[ISLAMATRON]

Jensen is just sour that he cant pass MS in the same car that his teammate was over 30 seconds ahead in.

Who, of any importance, has Button passed in the last 22 races while he has been in a top car.

[WhiteBlue]

Yes
no
no
no
no
no
no
yes

Hope that helps.

That is a bit cryptic. I think Michael did ok here. Jenson was a bit squeezed but the racing line was on the inside and he could have just stayed on track with the space he got. You can see that Michael is still left of the racing line when they come up for turn 2. So I think Button has not much to complain. If Michael had left 50 cm less Button could have a reason for complaining that he was forced on the curb. But although he used the curb he elected to do so all by him self.

[Poleman]

Michael did nothing wrong here,fair and square thats racing...If he was in Schumachers place he would do the same,if not worse.Button should stop bitching and start to focus on how to match his teammate level and the cars potential.End of story.

[ringo]

Button should have continued straight here to force shumacher wide then turn in last minute leaving shumacher out. He should not have went round the curve as he came out the pit exit.
That only made MS job easier.
Button is lacking in some of the racing skills department, got to used to passing rookies like grosjean, alguashari and nakajima last year; who yeild easily. He is playing with the big boys now.
Might see some fireworks from him and micheal in monaco again, cause i know he's going to qualify around 5th or 6th beside shumacher as always. If he's fifth shu will be sixth and vice versa. Massa, another hard headed guy when it comes to passing will cause him trouble as well.

[raceman]

What Michael did was absolutely right. Jenson just couldn't believe he was being overtaken and was angry; what he said was just an excuse to try to get himself away from criticism - utter rubbish was his comment! save-your-skin type comments, I say.

[lebesset]

fine by me ...ok michael should have left him another foot but that is nit-picking

michael always had the momentum from the straight , would have been pretty poor if he hadn't got past in my view

[myurr]

Button should have continued straight here to force shumacher wide then turn in last minute leaving shumacher out. He should not have went round the curve as he came out the pit exit.
That only made MS job easier.
Button is lacking in some of the racing skills department, got to used to passing rookies like grosjean, alguashari and nakajima last year; who yeild easily. He is playing with the big boys now.
Might see some fireworks from him and micheal in monaco again, cause i know he's going to qualify around 5th or 6th beside shumacher as always. If he's fifth shu will be sixth and vice versa. Massa, another hard headed guy when it comes to passing will cause him trouble as well.

Which is pretty much what Hamilton did with Vettel - he had the excuse of the back marker, but he just pushed wider and wider earlier in the turn than usual, defending the corner and causing Vettel to elect to run over the curbs. Perfectly legitimately I may add, although I still think Vettel gave up the corner too easily. Maybe he had carried too much speed into the corner and wasn't sure he could make it stick?

[ISLAMATRON]

WB, can you do a shot by shot of the Hamilton/Vettel for comparison please?

[Hangaku]

It's racing - nobody owns the racing line, it is what it is. If someone is travelling through a corner slower, and you're racing for position, it's fair game (so long as it's within the rules).

I think Button was caught napping here - indeed, if he was on his toes he should have taken a wide line around T1 (which he is obliged to do), and forced Schumacher to slow. That's how motor racing is supposed to work.

[speedsense]

Button opened the door and didn't defend the corner. He needed to run wider at the beginning of the turn (at turn in), to defend the outside, Jenson owned the racing line until they got to the apex, when they were wheel to wheel. As soon as Schumi was slightly ahead, it became his corner.
Jenson got squeezed into the apex by Schumi. Had the situation been reversed, with Schumi on the inside and Jenson attempting the pass, it would have been Jenson going off into the grass on the exit. IMHO.

[WhiteBlue]

WB, can you do a shot by shot of the Hamilton/Vettel for comparison please?

done

[pgj]

Michael had too much speed and traction for JB. He did no wrong.