Grand Prix 2018 German Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

So after an exciting British GP we move on to Germany. The Hockenheimring, where hopefully the excitement will continue.
It really is the home race of Mercedes, as the original circuit was used by Mercedes Benz to test their cars, but that was a very long time ago and the circuit then was nothing like the current, and in my opinion, strangely shaped circuit of today. Seen from the air it's a sort of square shape with a protuberance shaped like" Pinnochio's nose" coming off one side. Much has changed since the large triangular circuit that Mercedes Benz used. At one point the circuit became a large oval shape and ran through the forrest, and the race could be dry in the Stadium section and wet through the trees, which was always an interesting situation. However Herman Tilk got his hands on the place, and now the circuit is 4.75Km long and the forrest section is gone for ever.
It 's not a track with a lot of fast corners and it's quite slow through the twisty stadium section which is one of the original parts of the track that remains, and, where they have built a large number of grandstands. Obviously a good place to watch the race from.
The last race here was in 2016, and it was won by Lewis Hamilton in ... A Mercedes...But they haven't had it all their own way. Ferrari have had the most wins at Hockenheim over the years, so both teams will be going there with Huge expectations. I'm not about to pretend that I have any idea which car will be well suited to the track, or indeed which tyres should do well, the tyre choices are, I believe, Soft, Ultrasoft and Medium. But our CTA tyre expert will reveal all, I'm sure.

Qualifying at Hockenheim is quite important, as in, you qualify well, you do well. Although some of our younger drivers may not have got that point, I'm Sure Max will give it a go wherever he qualifies. Vettel now has 171 points to Hamilton's 163. Raikkonen is on 116 and Bottas is on 104. Obviously Ferrari are ahead, 287 to 267. Red Bull are doing their best but on 199 points total they are really going to have to hope for a miracle. The race is between the top two teams at the moment, and for once it really is a race. Lets hope it remains exciting in Germany. Lets hope Romain has a weekend where he doesn't hit anything or anyone. And lets hope for a miracle for McLaren as well as for Red Bull.
For anyone who is going to the race, if you walk through the old forrest section you will find a wooden cross a memorial to Jim Clark. There is a plaque behind turn 2 of todays circuit for him, but it's only there because the forrest section is no longer part of the circuit. One of the F1 greats.
 
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A reprimand. (1st reprimand of the current season)

The Stewards reviewed video and audio evidence, heard from the driver of car 44 (Lewis Hamilton) and the team representative. It was clear that there was an infringement of the above mentioned rule - the driver clearly crossed the line separating the pit entry from the track.
In deciding on the penalty for the infringement, we took into account the following mitigating factors:
(i) the driver and the team candidly admitted the mistake and the fact that there was confusion within the team as to whether to stay out or to enter the pits and that led to the infringement.
(ii) The fact that the infringement took place during a Safety Car period.
(iii) At no time was there any danger to any other competitor and the change in direction was executed in a safe way.

Taking all of the above into account, including considering previous infringements of the above rule, we are of the opinion that a reprimand would be the appropriate penalty for the said infringement on this occasion.
Competitors are reminded that they have the right to appeal the decisions of the Stewards (with the exception of those referred to in Article 12.2.4 of the FIA International Sporting Code), in accordance with Article 15 of the FIA International
Sporting Code and Article 9.1.1 of the FIA Judicial and Disciplinary Rules, within the applicable time limits.
 
I’m torn on this. On the one hand, I don’t want to see race results changed after the event, on the other, I can’t stand the inconsistency in terms of penalties, particularly with relation to Mercedes!

Vettel got in the way of Sainz in Austria, causing no harm, gets a 3 place penalty. Hamilton drags his broken car round the circuit, ruining several drivers’ laps, and then compounds the issue by pushing the car to try to get back to the pits (his words) on a live track, and gets no penalty! Then in the race cuts out of the pitlane, crossing the line, which is only allowed in force majeure. No penalty again!
 
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ROFL:whistle::facepalm::o:crazy::moustache:
 
So, let me get this straight.

If I was ever stupid enough to drink drive, as long as I'm candid with the judge, tell him how I was confused about how much I'd had to drink and tell him how I didn't endanger anyone because I only drove 100 yards then its slap on the wrist time?

The FIA don't do law courts but if they did they'd probably be the softest in the world.

:facepalm:
 
If Hamilton had done the "right" thing and committed to the pit entry, Mercedes were concurrently ballsing up Bottas' stop, not having the correct tyres ready - so Lewis would have had to either stack or be waved through, potentially costing him track position to Raikkonen and Verstappen (depending on the extent of the delay, of course).

I don't have a strong view on the penalty but thought this was worth noting.
 
... so by breaking the rules, Hamilton effectively saved himself from a big penalty (by not stacking)... I would suggest that this means that the next time the stewards try to penalise someone for this “offence” that the driver/team should refuse to apply the penalty!
 
Well, pretty interesting and entertaining race. Not sure I understand everything that happened.

Teams:
1. It does appear that the Mercedes and Ferrari were roughly equal. Not sure one was faster than the other this weekend. This bodes well for an interesting championship.
2. Ferrari's seemed to have a problem with tire wear compared to the Mercedes. As these were not the thinner walled tired that favored Mercedes, this was kind of a surprise.
3. The Red Bulls were clearly not within reach. Their only hope is Hungary, bad weather or other slow tracks.
4. McLaren and Williams did look a little better. But, not at the level of Renault, Haas and Force India.
5. I don't know what Haas did to screw up what should have been a secure 5th and 6th.

Drivers:
1. Hamilton drove a good race and certainly deserved a podium position. I will let others debate when and where they should imposed penalties, but I would not have.
2. Bottas is a good soldier.
3. Raikkonen was not as good of a soldier. I do suspect that Ferrari pitted him early so as to mess with Hamilton. It is clear already at the half way point of the season that both Mercedes and Ferrari are running #1 and #2 drivers.
4. Max kept his nose clean.
5. The Hulk as usual produced.
6. The two Force India drivers somehow worked their way up to the top ten. Not exactly sure how that happened.
7. Not sure the cause of Vettel's crash. Has it just driver error or was there a mechanical problem he was dealing with? Also, how and when did he loose his wing endplate?
8. Leclerc had a bad day and a spin or two....but hell, this is his first year in F1. He still looks great to me.

Shame we have to take a month off. This is getting pretty interesting.
 
Career Most Gained Position to Win (for active Formula 1 drivers)
Driver – Gained 2 Win – Finish – Start – Race
Kimi Räikkönen - 16 -
1 - 17 - 18/2005
Fernando Alonso - 14 -
1 - 15 - 15/2008
Lewis Hamilton - 13 -
1 - 14 - 11/2018
Daniel Ricciardo - 9 -
1 - 10 - 8/2017
Max Verstappen - 3 -
1 - 4 - 5/2016
Sebastian Vettel - 2 -
1 - 3 - 3/2010
Valtteri Bottas - 2 -
1 - 3 - 4/2017
 
Career Most Gained Position to Win (for active Formula 1 drivers)
Driver – Gained 2 Win – Finish – Start – Race
Kimi Räikkönen - 16 -
1 - 17 - 18/2005
Fernando Alonso - 14 -
1 - 15 - 15/2008
Lewis Hamilton - 13 -
1 - 14 - 11/2018
Daniel Ricciardo - 9 -
1 - 10 - 8/2017
Max Verstappen - 3 -
1 - 4 - 5/2016
Sebastian Vettel - 2 -
1 - 3 - 3/2010
Valtteri Bottas - 2 -
1 - 3 - 4/2017

Interesting stats. One can make three arguments here:

1. Raikkonen, Alonso, Hamilton, Ricciardo are real racers...Verstappen, Vettel and Bottas can only win from the front.
2. It is the nature of things in modern F1 that the top drivers invariably start from the front and win from the front. There are no wins like in Long Beach in 1983.
3. This is just a statistical anomaly.

Suspect there is a little truth to all three points. The TV commentators did make the point that no one has won a race from that far back since 2008....which I think is a (sad) commentary on modern F1.
 
If Vettel wants to narrow down when he lost the title, he needs to look no further. Good for Hamilton who started from the back and made it all the way to the front. The stewards were somehow lenient in their punishment but that’s their call. Botas asked to hold station sealed the race for me. At least Kimi saved the furniture by finishing a distant third.
 
I am of the opinion that if the first 2 cars had been reddish and the location had been of the Italian persuasion, then the penalty would have been similarly ruled. Had Hamilton been in a non-Merc car then I think a bigger penalty WOULD have been given. T'was ever thus.
 
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