Chinese GP 2010 - Shanghai

[Giblet]

As FLC said on another thread:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the following article from appendix L addresses this pit lane entry issue?

Entrance to the pit lane
a) The section of track leading to the pit lane shall be referred to as the “pit entry”.
b) During competition access to the pit lane is allowed only through the pit entry.
c) Any driver intending to leave the track or to enter the pit lane should make sure that it is safe to do so.
d) Except in cases of force majeure (accepted as such by the Stewards of the Meeting), the crossing, in any direction, of the line separating the pit entry and the track is prohibited.

The rules are clear, once and for all. The only problem is I don't think the stewards have seen this before on the pit lane entry, but it is something they should certainly know about.

Again Seg, see my post in the other thread. The white line in the rules separates the race track from the pitlane, you will notice the white line we are questioning here actually separates the pitlane from OFF TRACK area.

Therefore, according to the rules you can't pass another driver off the track, and unfortunately, when Lewis passed, he was not entirely off tracks.

If you go off track in front of another driver, and reenter, that is fine.

This is my logic, what is yours?

[Just_a_fan]

There are faults on both sides

Which is why the stewards gave them both a reprimand. I bet it went something along the lines of:
Hamilton, don't be an ass by trying to overtake in the pitlane!
Vettel, don't be an ass by trying to crowd a driver in to the garage lane!
Now, both of you kiss and make up...

[Just_a_fan]

I think once the Merc is upgraded and the F1 circus gets to some of the proper European tracks we will see more of what we all hoped to see from Schumacher. I hope! [-o<

Some of us might already be seeing what we hoped from Schuie...

A great driver in his day. But his day is gone; time to leave it to the younger, hungrier guys Michael.

[Richard]

There are faults on both sides

Which is why the stewards gave them both a reprimand. I bet it went something along the lines of:
Hamilton, don't be an ass by trying to overtake in the pitlane!
Vettel, don't be an ass by trying to crowd a driver in to the garage lane!
Now, both of you kiss and make up...

Exactly. It's been nice to see that sort of common sense stewarding this year.

[Just_a_fan]

Exactly. If they'd run down the pitlane side by side and then nailed it the exit we'd all be "wow, great racing". Vettel moved across the lane in a big way. And that's Hamilton's fault apparently.

Wow, I certainly hadn't heard that ruling. Any driver who is in front and has track position should just...........get out of the way. Priority is reserved for Lewis Hamilton.

Nuts. Just nuts.

How on earth did you arrive at that conclusion? Nothing to do with Vettel getting out of the way for Hamilton. It was a response to a comment about people only being interested in the pit lane thing because there was a bit or argy bargy going on. Thus, my comment that had they just driven down side by side we would have been impressed by their skills/commitment and then focussed on something else...

[komninosm]

Exactly. If they'd run down the pitlane side by side and then nailed it the exit we'd all be "wow, great racing". Vettel moved across the lane in a big way. And that's Hamilton's fault apparently.

Wow, I certainly hadn't heard that ruling. Any driver who is in front and has track position should just...........get out of the way. Priority is reserved for Lewis Hamilton.

Nuts. Just nuts.

Strawman fallacy. He didn't say get out of the way and give position to Ham. He said not to push another car on your side to the pit crew (or the pit wall if Ham had done that instead).

[komninosm]

Again Seg, see my post in the other thread. The white line in the rules separates the race track from the pitlane, you will notice the white line we are questioning here actually separates the pitlane from OFF TRACK area.

Therefore, according to the rules you can't pass another driver off the track, and unfortunately, when Lewis passed, he was not entirely off tracks.

If you go off track in front of another driver, and reenter, that is fine.

This is my logic, what is yours?

I don't know I kinda feel that at some point both Alonso and Hamilton had all 4 wheels off track there, but I might be wrong and it's too close to call.

[Giblet]

I don't have the video to double check, I'm going off possibly wrong memory.

[komninosm]

I don't have the video to double check, I'm going off possibly wrong memory.

There's some vids in this thread, but they're pretty bad and mostly on-board cams of the wrong guy.
It's pretty funny though that Massa goes out on the grass a bit and lays back, while Vettel stays on the road and attacks Ham right after the turn like mad. Red mist for sure, there was no room there even if it wasn't so near the break line for pit speed limit.

[Giblet]

They should change the pit entrance to a 1 km twisting, tight Kart track.

[Richard]

They should change the pit entrance to a 1 km twisting, tight Kart track.

With instananeous electrocution for any infringement of the sacred line.

[andrew]

How about just making the rules for the pit entrance clearer.

How's this for an idea? The pitlanes for the ovals, they have two lanes between the pit wall and the concrete apron where the cars get worked on (sorry not sure of the official name of that area). Maybe F1 should have a similar thing. If nothing else, this would give more space in the pitlane for any shenanigans.

(Before anyone points out the obvious flaw, I know this would mean a shed load of building work to fit in the wider pit lane).

[andrew]

They should change the pit entrance to a 1 km twisting, tight Kart track.

With instananeous electrocution for any infringement of the sacred line.

Does carbon fibre conduct electricity?

They could just make all pit entrances elevated like a bridge, only without the sides. A car goes over a white line, they go off the side. The drop would only have to be enough to beach the car.

[komninosm]

Vettel forgets so fast...
http://altf1.blogspot.com/2008/07/germa ... lewis.html
On the exit of the pits there was a somewhat controversial incident involving Vettel and Alonso. The Toro Rosso team released Vettel right alongside Alonso, something that according to the regulations they shouldn't do. It resulted in Alonso effectively being pushed wide on the exit and running over the white line. It was a bit naughty from the Toro Rosso team, and I'm a little surprised they weren't punished for it. It would have been extremely harsh for Vettel as it was completely out of his hands, but Alonso was rightly furious about it.

[komninosm]

How about just making the rules for the pit entrance clearer.

How's this for an idea? The pitlanes for the ovals, they have two lanes between the pit wall and the concrete apron where the cars get worked on (sorry not sure of the official name of that area). Maybe F1 should have a similar thing. If nothing else, this would give more space in the pitlane for any shenanigans.

(Before anyone points out the obvious flaw, I know this would mean a shed load of building work to fit in the wider pit lane).

All that is needed is that the pit lane is wide for 2 cars and everyone keeps on the outside and isn't an a$$ like Vettel.