Poll 2015 Austin Race start and first turn

[Dario Resta]

I propose that pole position is always on the inside for the first corner. As things stand all the driver on the inside has to do is brake too late, not bother too hard to make the corner and bounce off the car on the outside. If that's the way it's going to be then the pole car should be the one with that advantage. I thought it was a driver's responsibility to not force another car off the track regardless of when in the race it happens. Let's be honest, forget that it was wet, the onboard showed Lewis didn't exactly turn the wheel too hard to give Nico a bit of room.

 

[-WBF1-]

Just read the radio transcript on F1 Fanatic. I suppose Hamilton could argue he was following team orders


Lewis Hamilton to Peter Bonnington: Question just to you guys. On the start, on the right it looks like its drier, there’s more water on my side. Do you want me to start downhill and then cross over or head that way and try to get ot the drier stuff sooner?

Peter Bonnington to Lewis Hamilton: You probably going to want to get yourself onto the dryer line sooner rather than later, rather than pointing yourself downhill. Remember don’t get sucked into the apex in turn one.

 

[racecub]

I propose that pole position is always on the inside for the first corner. As things stand all the driver on the inside has to do is brake too late, not bother too hard to make the corner and bounce off the car on the outside. If that's the way it's going to be then the pole car should be the one with that advantage. I thought it was a driver's responsibility to not force another car off the track regardless of when in the race it happens. Let's be honest, forget that it was wet, the onboard showed Lewis didn't exactly turn the wheel too hard to give Nico a bit of room.

But you can't forget it's wet because it was wet. And if you turn the wheel too much when it's wet you spin. Remember the conditions had been changing all weekend and the drivers really didn't know what they were going to find regarding how slippy, how much grip. They were reacting to what they found on the track.

Also the stewards have said they will be lenient in interpretation of rules reagarding track limits/ leaving room etc in the first lap. Obviously if a big incident occurs like the one triggered by Grosjean a few years ago when he took out alonso and Lewis , that's another matter. But marginal racing incidents they won't investigate at a race start.

On your point about where pole is positioned, I agree. It should be in the most advantageous place. This was the point made by Senna when he drove into Prost after they changed the pole position place.

 

[Westy]

And that move from Senna was mental. That was a horrible way to win a championship. He may have deserved the championship, and the FIA (might be wrong about that) were completely wrong in changing Pole position. However, he shouldn't have done it that way. If it were recreated today and Rosberg had been in Senna's position and Hamilton in Prost's the Internet would react in a very different way.

We should judge moves and their legality based on the move, not those involved. That's why I was so frustrated at RoGro's incident at Spa with the wording "due to the involvement of championship contenders" (or words to that effect). It doesn't matter who is involved, it matters that there was an incident.

 

[FB]

Anyone else see Vettel's comments during the qualifying press conference? Made me chuckle.

F1: Vettel asks Mercedes teammates to take each other out

 

[Bill Boddy]

Anyone else see Vettel's comments during the qualifying press conference? Made me chuckle.

F1: Vettel asks Mercedes teammates to take each other out

Even that wouldn't have helped him in Mexico.