Join Paul and me as we review the Formula 1 German Grand Prix from Hockenheim. We review each team as they finished, each driver and each incident as you’ve come to expect from us. We even discuss the pit lane violation and more. We hand out awards and answer your email and do all of this from a laptop in a remote part of my holiday. Apologies for dodgy headset microphone.
"You can't take F1 to America, you have to take America to F1."
Negative Camber
Chief Opinion Officer, TPF
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Is it too early to start to talk about the Ferrari Curse post _Schumacher?
If testing was allowed… put Alonso in the other car and Alonso will tell you what’s different.
In your answer to the Christian’s question about starting the race on the tyres used in Q2 you didn’t remind them (us?) that this only applies to the cars getting into the top 10. In the example used Lewis only had 14 laps on his tyres at the time shown as he didn’t drive at all in Q2. Perhaps an expansion on Christian’s question would be “what would happen if someone qualified in the top 10, but was demoted due to an engine issue? Would they be able to choose their tyres, and would the person who has now moved… Read more »
Ah yes, those outside of the top 10 can choose their tires.
Those getting through to Q3 have to start on the set of tyres used to set their best time in Q2. It doesn’t matter if subsequent grid penalties drop them out of the top ten to start. It is one of the reasons why Ricciardo didn’t run in Q2.
On the subject of team orders; Merc – On the whole I think they do a good job at implementing team orders. Haven’t they made it a habit of having the drivers hold station after the last pitstop(?) or was that Red Bull? Mercs approach just seems a bit more sportsman-like to me. A point though about the comment where it was suggested Lewis would not move over. If we look back a year ago at Hungary he did just that by giving back his position. Many thought that would be the difference between winning or losing the championship and… Read more »
So team orders are more palatable within Merc…they’re nicer about it and Lewis ceding the position back last year shows that over his career, he’s always taken the Bottas approach to team orders? I’ve watched a different Lewis Hamilton and I’ve no issues with Merc’s team orders, what I find abrasive is their berating Ferrari or others when they engage team orders.
I’d agree with you on the Merc berating Ferrari thing and vice versa. Red Bull do it also. It’s not very sportsmanlike (from a gentleman’s point of view). I for one do not like these antics and feel they should all concentrate on their own houses. I do feel like Mercedes team orders are to protect the Constructors fight vs Ferrari seem to be favoring both the Constructors and Drivers title for Vettel. Which is fine, but I think they have lost critical points on the constructors as a result and probably need to think about that. Now, I also… Read more »
Personally I am not in favour of any team orders. Ferrari’s were clearly favouring Better, and Raikkonen seemed to be using his compliance as part of his contract negotiation for next year. I initially thought Mercedes were favouring Hamilton, however their subsequent insistence that they were protecting their constructors points is slightly less objectionable to me. It does however indicate that they don’t have full trust in their drivers not to run into each other.
For me, it’s the way Ferrari do it, they’ll often totally hang Kimi out to dry, leaving him on ancient tyres until he’d held up a Merc for as long as possible, then pit him. Whilst I don’t like team orders generally, I find Mercs approach more “tolerable”, sure.
…on the subject of the pit lane penalty / not penalty. Surely it’s already been pointed out that Baku is not a comparable situation as the Stewards had issued a very specific directive for that race about pit entry limits?
I haven’t read the article that the Stewards said LH was in breach of, so only going off what Brundle thought during the race – there are rules about not diving in late (after the bollard) and crossing the white line on exit… So, did he actually break a specific rule?
On the subject of the pit lane incident… I think both of you missed the fact that a reprimand is a penalty. 3 of those in a season and you get a grid drop.
“No further action”, on the other hand, is not a penalty.
The stewards deemed the correct penalty to apply in this case was a reprimand, given the other factors mentioned in the release.
3 Points
1 I think there is additional context on the pit lane incident is that the stewards waited until two hours after the race to start to investigate it. In my mind they had donkeys of the race.
2 Why no discussion about Kimi not pitting when safety car first avivated and waiting a lap?
3. Williams got into Q2 and qualified 12th. Surely some love for that given the last race.
#3 it was good that Williams feel they are making some progress on their underfloor and the aero issues, so yes, that’s a move in right direction.
#2 I read Kimi’s statement and he said he was ok with the call and felt the stop was correct. Could be a lap late though. :)
#1 I did find the wording on their timing interesting. both stewards and Merc kept discussing how chaotic things were and perhaps things were from their perspective but it’s not the most hectic race I’ve seen.
I’ve not seen much discussion on Vettel damaging his front wing a few laps before his crash. I’m beginning to wonder if I imagined it or not. I would have thought that could have contributed to his crash, but I’m not very good with aerodynamics, so I’m not sure what kind of impact it would have. Just curious about others thoughts.
Hi Steve, I watched the race, but don’t recall any incident where Vettel danaged his front wing.
Have you got anymore details of the incident?
If the wing were damaged, it certainly could affect the load on the front wheels, the balance of the car, and the braking load the car could develop without locking up.
I watched the Sky feed and they mention some debris from a Ferrari around the beginning of lap 47 right before they show Verstappen pitting. Then they show a video of it coming off of Vettel’s car around the end of lap 47.