Grand Prix 2012 European Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Valencia........

Even Abu Dhabi and Bahrain are more exciting in comparison. Valencia is the only grand prix on the calendar that I genuinley do not look forward to. It's dull, boring and hasn't provided an interesting race at all since its inception on the F1 calendar in 2008. Thankfully it won't be a regular feature in the future as it will be alternating with Barcelona in the future.

Going into the Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton is back as the Championship leader after becoming the 7th driver to win in 7 races with victory in the Canadian Grand Prix. After missing out on the podium in recent races he was back with vengeance after fighting back from starting second and being third with 10 laps to go but thanks to fresher tyres he made easy work of Vettel and Alonso in the latter laps who fell away after a gamble to one stop failed. In the end Roman Grosjean and Sergio Perez finished on the podium and it is testament to the unpredictably of 2012 that it wasn't the first time either of them have been on the podium this season.

From race to race no team has been consistently at the very front, in Spain it was Williams, in Monaco it was Red Bull and in Canada it was McLaren. Both Ferrari and Lotus have probably been the most consistent package over recent weeks but not enough to win races with podium places the highest they can manage, but considering the start to the season Ferrari made, that probably isn't a bad thing and Alonso is only 2 points off the championship leader with world champion Vettel just one point behind in third.

It's a complete reversal of 2011 as this time last year Hamilton left Canada with a world of problems after a DNF which involved a collision with team mate Button who went on to win one of the best races of his career passing Vettel on the last lap. But 12 months later Hamilton won the race with Button finishing a lapped 16th. What's worse for the 2009 champion is that was on merit as well and not down to any car failures or pit problems, it marks a horrid fall from grace after winning the opening race in Melbourne and an early run of podiums but now he is struggling to even get into Q3 and convert that into points finishes. Button appears clueless as to where the problem lies and it may not be a short term fix as the car isn't slow as Hamilton is currently proving. It could be already over as far as Button's title hopes are concerned as he is currently 43 points behind Hamilton and has roughly half the points total.

It is also interesting to note that Button was further behind the leader last season and he was second in the championship, while at the moment he lies in 8th behind both Lotus drivers who are the only front running drivers yet to win a race (excluding Schumacher) and having come close in Bahrain and Spain they will want to be the next winners and take the total to 8 winners in 8 races and with both Raikkonen and Grosjean closely matched it's hard to say who is the more likely. But it's Grosjean's form which is the most surprising, a lot of people questioned why he was given the driver role given the way he was outperformed in 2009 and a lot of people said he would be outraced by the returning Finn, but after 7 races he is only 2 points behind and that is despite several first lap incidents where he has been the innocent part in some cases but not others (Malaysia). With the pendulum swinging from race to race it is hard to predict who will have the upper hand in the Spanish heat.

For Galahad's brilliant circuit write up - http://cliptheapex.com/pages/valencia-street-circuit/

 

[Incubus]

Hamilton has a new hero and his name's Maldonado!
Think about it: South-American, feels victimised, takes the law into his own hands, settles scores and uses his car as a weapon.
Sounds familiar?

 

[Porceliamone]

F1ang-o
Had this been the other way round, and it was Hamilton who was forced off the track, would you be defending him as resolutely?

There are a number of drivers who have been involved in a relatively large number of incidents in recent memory. Maldonado is one of them, Hamilton is another. Yes, Maldonado has on occasion gone too far, but it is only a small distance from where other drivers have been and where Maldonado is!

The small distance makes all the difference though.

 

[F1ang-o]

@The Artist
A similar incident did happen to LH, Spa 2008, he did the correct thing, took the escape route, re joined in front, gave the place back...etc And he still got a penalty.
Maldanado has gone too far on too many occasions & I would not like to see anyone injured including him. IMO he has a problem & overstepped the mark again.....the punishment does not fit the violation.
But I respect your opinion & I am entitled to mine.

 

[LifeW12]

Heres one for the trivia buffs

When was the last race that none of the top 4 starters (after any penalties) scored points?

 

[F1Yorkshire]

My 1st thought would be Spa 98 when over half the field ended up out of the race.

 

[Hamberg]

There are a number of drivers who have been involved in a relatively large number of incidents in recent memory. Maldonado is one of them, Hamilton is another.

I'd be careful here, what I see from Maldonado is the type of thing that Schumacher has done against Hill and Villeneuve and that has never been acceptable.

All drivers are involved in incidents and where there is blame it's often been because of stupidity. Maldonado is showing signs that he can be malicious and bad tempered. Do what you want off the track, fine. But to display this behaviour using your car is most certainly not.

I don't think what Maldonado has done can be compared to the idiotic/careless moves of Hamilton.

 

[Incubus]

Can't be because eventual winner Damon Hill had qualified in third.

 

[F1Yorkshire]

My knowledge of F1 history is up to its usual standards then! What other races have had a high casualty rate?

 

[tooncheese]

Monaco '96 the top 4 all crashed out.

 

[F1Yorkshire]

Was that when Panis won?

 

[tooncheese]

Yes

 

[ZakspeedYakspeed]

The irony of the LH-PM scrap was it was rather similar to a number of incidents last season of which LH was involved... which typically resulted in LH being penalised or retired... the drivers all know who is more likely to race hard and fair... and those who might push it a little further...

LH has had a great measured season to date... this is but one mere flat spot... it justs needs a "meh, that's racing" from him, a hug from his missus and a quick "hey Sam, look over their"...followed by a quick kick to the cruits for that second pit stop pallava... deep breath.... ok... I'm ready for Silverstone...

 

[LifeW12]

Monaco '96 the top 4 all crashed out.

What about the last race where none of the top 5 starters scored??

I'm thinking Spa 87

 

[F1ang-o]

If you allow people to bully you, then they will continue to do so,
Driving into another car is not right, you have a choice....whatever the situation, it cannot ever be right....?
LH is hard but fair

 

[F1 Shift.net]

Especially so if the stewards continue to issue cowardly and inconsistent punishments for these road rage incidents. As it involved Lewis opinions will always be split but It's inevitable Maldonado will hit another driver. Outside the cockpit, he seems a likeable guy and i do like his competitive spirit but it is blatantly obvious he has a serious issue with self control.

Keeping Rubens with Maldonado with a competitive car would pay big dividends for Maldonado this season and for the future. He's a good driver, but seems a little bipolar in the car.

 

[Chad Stewarthill]

There has understandably been much discussion of the Maldonado/Hamilton incident and I see no merit in adding to it, but can anyone explain why Senna was penalised for being hit up the backside by Kobayashi? I was pretty sure at the time that Senna was blameless, as I seem to remember the commentators also thought, and was staggered when Senna was given the drive-through. Without that, he may well have finished in or near the top four.

 

[F1Yorkshire]

That incident I thought the stewards had right, Senna was struggling with tyres and was moving backwards rapidly, he should have checked his tiny mirrors before retaking the racing line. Kobayashi had a gap in front of him that was closed once he arrived.

 

[no-FIAt-please]

Martin Whitmarsh's opinion

My own view is that it was Maldonado's fault, and it is deeply frustrating – but he is a racing driver and that is it. I am sure in hindsight you have to say that dealing with someone like that you have to take a different approach, but you cannot anticipate it.

(I emphasised like that because it is very telling...)

 

[soccerman17]

Chad Stewarthill I was confused by that also. It definitely wasn't Senna's fault but I don't think it was Kobash's either. In my eyes it was just a racing incident. As for Hamilton and Maldonado I would said both are at fault Lewis for giving Maldonado absolutely zero room to get around the corner but Maldonado for attempting to make the corner and not backing off completely or taking the escape route.

As for the race in general it was brilliant race that this circuit really needed. A season where overtaking has been so easy it looks effortless at times meshed perfectly with a track where overtaking has been too difficult in the past. Overtakes were clearly possible, but they were so hard to pull off that most of the ones we got were brave but brilliant manuevers. Not all overtakes went right (perhaps , leading to crippled cars, retirements and a safety car. In an extra twist to the drama, the staggering heat ruined two Renault alternators. And so finally Valencia has hosted its brilliant race, and while I don't think the big teams enjoyed it too much, I know we the fans certainly did.

 

[The Artist.....]

With some drivers- such as Ayrton Senna, Schumacher, Hamilton and maldonado (and even Massa to some extent) are drivers who never give any ground to other drivers. If they come up against other drivers, their style often means they will be better off. However, when 2 of these drivers are together, there is always the possibility of fireworks!

For instance, look at Ayrton's early career- and especially the experience in f3 with Martin Brundle...