Comments on: Belgian GP: analysis vid

By: James

James — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 02:29:59 +0000

This was taken from another article on this website:
“Move on to the FIA official press conference, and the inevitable question: ‘What did you make of the Hamilton incident at Spa?’ Giancarlo Fisichella, Sebastien Bourdais, Jarno Trulli, Nico Rosberg and Felipe Massa said that Hamilton definitely did gain an advantage by taking to the run-off area but
all five agreed that the 25-second penalty was harsh.”

Here are a bunch of real F1 drivers who were there that day, and they all agree that Hamilton definitely did gain an advantage. I feel more inclined to trust their view on the matter.

By: scottyd72

scottyd72 — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:15:54 +0000

Hamilton was at the start of the video more than one one length behind Kimi. Lewis had better braking in the wet so could brake later and pass Kimi. Lewis started from the outside line and halfway through the chicane he was on the inside line and hoping that Kimi would give him the place. However, this is not the case, as Lewis hopes for Kimi to stay wide but Kimi cuts across Hamilton because Kimi had a better line into the corner and therefore more speed and repassed Lewis. Within Kimis manouvere there is very little time to react and Kimi has made his move as well as Hamilton. Lewis is slightly behind as Kimi is about to touch the apex. Lewis has little chance of avoiding a collision with Kimi and has the only option of cutting the corner. Braking on the apex is dangerously slippy and would most certainly made Hamilton maintain speed and cause a collision so his only option to avoid the collision is to cut the corner. Kimi has better acceleration out of the corner and Lewis allows Kimi to pass (at this point the two cars are in the exact same position as they were going into the chicane). Going down the straight Kimi moves left for a better line into the corner, however, Hamilton moves to his right and attempts to get in front of Kimi and defend the corner (this is similar to what happened going into the bus stop chicane but the drivers have switched places) and Hamilton successfully makes the pass. I do understand that the rules were stretched a little but Hamilton did give Kimi his place back even though it was only for a short period. Does it really matter that Hamilton passed Kimi anyway? Hamilton gave the position back again later on in the lap (by accident), Kimi was in the lead and then he crashed and Kimi was forced to retire. Lewis then claimed victory. The McLaren team were also confirmed twice that his manouvere was ok and that he had given the place back succesfully. Hamilton was clearly the faster car and was able to outbreak Kimi and accelerate earlier, Hamilton was bound to pass later on anyway and Kimis crash was a stroke of bad luck. Hamilton would of won regardless of the incident.

By: Anon123

Anon123 — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:45:08 +0000

Firstly nice vid and good explanantions…
The penalty was completely wrong, Hamilton didnt gain any real advantage by cutting the chicane, Kimi had a much better drive out of the corner and comfortably overtook him. Any comments about the distance prior to the chicane are wrong, if you watch it you will see they were side by side coming into the chicane, Hamilton could have braked and followed Kimi through the corner but he elected to cut it so as to ensure there was no accident, he then ligitametly overtook at the next corner when Kimi took the wrong line and braked too early because of the conditions. I’m sure if it was dry Hamilton would have stayed in second at the next corner and overtaken him later in the lap.

By: infinite loop

infinite loop — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:37:56 +0000

next time Hamilton should just take Raikkonen out…

By: Karel Strosse

Karel Strosse — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:52:39 +0000

Stupid move by Hamilton, clearly shows he’s a rookie… No matter how much i dislike the guy (and I really do!) he was way, way faster than Kimi in that lap. Making his move in the Busstop was stupid and impossible. As I see it he could have easily overtaken Kimi on the straight past eau-rouge. Ok, he avoides collision…what a gentleman(ironic!)! If they had collided it would have been he’s own stupid fault in the first place. He should have taken it like a man and should have hit the brakes, there was plenty of room to do so. He would have payed for his own over-enthousiasm and would have lost maybe a second. No problem he would have taken Kimi anyhow later in the lap as he was furiously faster. Cutting a corner to get on a guy’s tail is not what racing is all about (everybody must admit that the advantage was obvious), and I don’t care what senile niki lauda has te say about it.

Anyhoe, I enjoyed that last two laps very much, it was one of the great duels in F1, the aftermath doesn’t change that at all…

The punishment was very well deserved, the championship is not dead either! On the contrary, it is very much alive. Next stage, monza – home of the tifosi, I’m looking forward to it.

By: tominwales

tominwales — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:37:20 +0000

great, shame the officials where watching another race at the time.

By: Rekkers

Rekkers — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:05:27 +0000

Some valid comments. I support the view that Hamilton correctly ceded position to Raikkonen after cutting the chicane, and then what happened thereafter was just bloody good racing. The Stewards should ghave (IMHO) kept their noses out of it – as I understand it there was no protest from Ferrari over the incident. However, let’s wait and see what happens at the appeal. It’ll be nice hearing the opinion of a bunch of folk that know sod all about F1 (present company excepted – well, most of them anyway)

By: Damien

Damien — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:27:56 +0000

This has rendered the race pharsical in the same way that the medals were taken back from the paralimpians after the wheelscahir race is pharsical. Ofg courrse there should be uproar, its affecting the credibilty of the sport !

By: DaViega

DaViega — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:40:39 +0000

oh what a bulls*it…

If Hamilton would stayd in track, there is no way he could had overtake Kimi on following straight…

Its clear case, i dont understand hasllin’ around it…

By: MaxN

MaxN — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:26:07 +0000

The only advantage that Hammy gained, was still having a car in one piece from the attempted Kimi-chop.

Had he not got out of the way, he would have had a Ferrari in his lap.