Grand Prix 2019 Canadian Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Back in 1991 Nigel Mansell had been persuaded not retire after his time at Ferrari and re-joined Williams. What took him back to Williams was the first Adrian Newey design Williams F1 car, the FW14. The 1991 car did not have the infamous active suspension of the FW14B but it was still a very advanced racing car.

The car proved fast but unreliable in the early races. Patrese took a second place in Brazil and Mansell the same in Monaco, in the other races the Williams failed to finish.

Then came Canada.

Patrese put his car on Pole, 0.4 seconds quicker than Mansell. At the start of the race Mansell took the lead and there he stayed for 68 laps. Meanwhile Patrese was having trouble with his gearbox and was passed by Nelson Piquet in the Benetton and Stefano Modeno in the Tyrrell.

Mansell was cruising at the front. On lap 65 he set the fastest lap and was stroking the car home. On the final lap he was over a minute ahead of Piquet and looked set to take his first victory on his return to Williams. As he approached the hairpin for the final time the car slowed, it rounded the hairpin and as Nigel attempted to accelerate down the straight towards the chicane the car simply wouldn't go. The Englishman vented his frustration and beat the steering wheel as the machine dribbled to a halt in front of one of the main grandstands. He got out and left the car where it was.

How could Mansell lose the race so close to the finish? When the car got back to the pits the engine started, the gearbox worked fine and it probably could have done another race. Unfortunately Nigel had let the revs drop too low as he approached the hairpin which lost electrical and hydraulic power causing the gearbox barrel to get stuck.

Meanwhile his nemesis, Nelson Piquet, over half a lap behind, kept it all together and cruised past to take what would be his last victory in F1 in his last season in the sport.

What of 2019? Expect a Mercedes front row with Hamilton on pole. Lewis will take a lights to flag victory and, I suspect, a Grand Chelem. Enjoy.

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

FiA is your (fake) friend.

 

[Angel]

But it would help for consistency if you had the same group of stewards at each race.

Didn't they bring it in that there was a variety of stewards to prevent favouritism? I think I recall them saying that. Yes if you had a consistent set of stewards the penalties may be more even handed, but if they have people they like and others they don't it would be unfair on those they 'judged more harshly' shall we say.

 

[olegg]

But it would help for consistency if you had the same group of stewards at each race.

First, it does not guarantee anything, because of the arguments listed earlier.
And second, am confident, that for permanent stewards in terms of arguments for critics
appeared something type "command preferences".

 

[Publius Cornelius Scipio]

Do we know who the other stewards were apart from Pirro? They used to list the stewards after each race but I can't find that for this race. Pirro isn't exactly inexperienced himself as he raced in 31 Grands Prix and won Le Mans 5 times.

whenever I hear Pirro's name being mentioned it reminds me of an interview that I saw many years ago on the magazine of the Italian karting federation (Pirro's dad was its chairman, and a board member of CSAI, the Italian equivalent to the BRDC) when rather than talking about his racing, at the time he was doing F3 with Euroracing and finished second in the european championship behind his team mate Oscar Larrauri, he said that he cared a lot about his looks and if he had to go to a party and everybody was going to wear black (it was the early 80s) he would be wearing white, he just wanted to make a point (he also said that his dad didn't help him get Marlboro backing despite not so great results). I know that this has nothing to do with his decision in Canada but whenever I think of him I remember this interview that he gave so many years ago

 

[Ruslan]

Didn't they bring it in that there was a variety of stewards to prevent favouritism? I think I recall them saying that. Yes if you had a consistent set of stewards the penalties may be more even handed, but if they have people they like and others they don't it would be unfair on those they 'judged more harshly' shall we say.

Well, that is why I think you need a "pool" of professional stewards. Maybe 10-15 with 5 attending each race.

 

[F1Brits_90]

 

[F1Brits_90]

also I might just mention
Chinese Baku Spanish GP - 319
Canada - 326

I guess no such thing as bad publicity just wish that we were talking about vettel in Canada 2012. not vettel in Canada 2019

 

[Izumi]

Well, that is why I think you need a "pool" of professional stewards. Maybe 10-15 with 5 attending each race.

OK, so, instead 3 stewards rendering wrong judgement, now it will be 5 who are wrong. "Pushing off the track" someone should not be judged at all, because

also I might just mention
Chinese Baku Spanish GP - 319
Canada - 326

I guess no such thing as bad publicity just wish that we were talking about vettel in Canada 2012. not vettel in Canada 2019

How about this one?
WATCH: Hamilton has similar block to Sebastian Vettel's in 2016 but WITHOUT penalty

 

[Jimbob]

... the race at Indy where most of the cars had to pull off. That truly hurt F1 in the U.S. Some controversy is good for publicity but it can hurt.....

I was actually at that race and thoroughly enjoyed it. The evening before, there were all sorts of rumours going around, which continued right up to race time. When all the cars appeared for the parade lap, the fans thought it might be a normal race but we all know what happened next.

Anyway, I remember saying to somebody: one thing about that race is that it will never be forgotten and you will never forget you were there!

 

[Johnny Carwash]

Felt at the time the the result of the race was unfair to Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel was harsh. But after 2 weeks of “well this happened in 2016 and here was no penalty how is that fair” sort of attitude, I hope Ferrari lose whatever appeal they lodge and also that they don’t win a race all season.

 

[Ruslan]

OK, so, instead 3 stewards rendering wrong judgement, now it will be 5 who are wrong.

Well, it was five stewards at Canada....but you prefer the current system where at each race there is a different set of stewards?

 

[Ruslan]

I was actually at that race and thoroughly enjoyed it. The evening before, there were all sorts of rumours going around, which continued right up to race time. When all the cars appeared for the parade lap, the fans thought it might be a normal race but we all know what happened next.

Anyway, I remember saying to somebody: one thing about that race is that it will never be forgotten and you will never forget you were there!

Did you get a refund?

It was a shame to loose that venue though.

 

[Izumi]

Well, it was five stewards at Canada....but you prefer the current system where at each race there is a different set of stewards?

No, for reasons stated in past comments, I want to re-write all rules, and take subjective judgements out of the equation. Second guessing driver's intent is a problem IMHO. We have over-regulated series, full of redundancies. Be careful, drive safely...its all useless. These are racing drivers ffs.
Let drivers sort out their problems among themselves during a race. Driver changing his racing line and uses the zig-zagging as a block (Verstappen vs Raikonnen), deserves intervention by stewards. What happened in Canada requires stewards do noting but sit tight and quietly sip their Tim Horton coffee.

 

[Jimbob]

Did you get a refund?

It was a shame to loose that venue though.

IIRC, a full refund plus an option to get tickets at reduced price for following year. Pretty decent, I thought.

 

[Jimbob]

Sebastian Vettel: F1 officials to meet on Friday over Canadian GP penalty

Now where can this go? My suspicion is nowhere but maybe Vettel gets first place back? At least, everybody will know before this weekend's proceedings commence.

 

[Ruslan]

IIRC, a full refund plus an option to get tickets at reduced price for following year. Pretty decent, I thought.

Well, the only time I was at Indy....they kicked me off the track.

I had a business meeting in Indianapolis of all places....so during some down time, drove over to the track, wandered in, and decided to walk a lap of the track. Got about 3/4rds the way around before they asked me to leave.

 

[Ruslan]

No, for reasons stated in past comments, I want to re-write all rules, and take subjective judgements out of the equation. Second guessing driver's intent is a problem IMHO. We have over-regulated series, full of redundancies. Be careful, drive safely...its all useless. These are racing drivers ffs.
Let drivers sort out their problems among themselves during a race. Driver changing his racing line and uses the zig-zagging as a block (Verstappen vs Raikonnen), deserves intervention by stewards. What happened in Canada requires stewards do noting but sit tight and quietly sip their Tim Horton coffee.

Yea, not that impressed with Tim Horton.

 

[Jimbob]

Yea, not that impressed with Tim Horton.

Don't say that to a Canadian! Even though the Tim Hortons chain has been owned by foreign investors since 2014, most Canadians think it is theirs.

 

[Ruslan]

Don't say that to a Canadian! Even though the Tim Hortons chain has been owned by foreign investors since 2014, most Canadians think it is theirs.

Yes, I am amazed at the passion they have for a perfectly mediocre donut place.

 

[Izumi]

I had to make numerous trips by a car between Michigan and Toronto, and despite being finicky about quality of coffee I drink, you have no idea how many times at 4 am before hitting highway I've parked by the window at Hortons, ask for big one, double-double, because it was so needed... (My working breakfast.)