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

It's finally time to bring the discussion surrounding the Canadian GP to a close as the whole band wagon moves back across the pond to the Paul Ricard circuit in France.

I've spent ages trying to come up with the perfect PQR thread for this GP.

After much thought. I came up with this.

All you need to know about the circuit is here: Circuit Paul Ricard - Wikipedia

Let's hope its a good race.

 

[RasputinLives]

the good news is that the stewards are now getting very consistent....the bad news, these may not be the rules we want enforced.

Interestingly, in the first race of the F3 this weekend a driver was given a 5 second time penalty for gaining an advantage, but then 7 laps later the stewards withdrew it! Never seen that happen before ever.

 

[Ruslan]

After the controversy surrounding what happened in Canada the stewards were bound to take a very harsh approach, in a sense they had to show that the decision in Canada was justified, it's very sad but that's how very often these things go. Let's hope that in a few weeks time, when the dust has settled, the powers that be will see sense and let the drivers race, as it is F1 IMHO is totally pointless

Well, FIA probably needs to gather together with of bunch of experienced stewards and driver-stewards and have a extended multi-day conference that reviews all the incidents in the last 5 or so years and how they were ruled on then and why...and then come up with a set of written guidelines for racing in the future. They clearly need consistency but they also need a set of rules/guidelines as to what they will penalized and what they will not. I also don't think they actually need to re-write the rules, but they do need some guidelines because right now, the approach appears to be penalize everything.

This might also be a good time to switch to paid professional stewards (because right now, I gather it is an un-paid volunteer position).

 

[Ruslan]

Interestingly, in the first race of the F3 this weekend a driver was given a 5 second time penalty for gaining an advantage, but then 7 laps later the stewards withdrew it! Never seen that happen before ever.

They clearly don't know what they are supposed to do. Tough job adjudicating the rules when you are not sure what they are.

 

[Il_leone]

RasputinLives Maybe but Prost was pushed over the edge at Mclaren that forced him to go to Ferrari and when he was fed up of the politics at Ferrari and not being able to compete with Mclaren and Senna .. he promptly got fired for speaking out

Certainly between 1990 and 1991 Senna was winning every battle on track and off track...

 

[RasputinLives]

I suggest you go back and watch 1990 again. Prost was mighty in the middle part of the year in a car which was not as good as what Senna had under him. He put so much pressure on him that Senna chose to end the championship in the way he did.

As for 91 - nothing to do with Senna - the Ferrari was crap.

 

[gethinceri]

I think both of Ricciardo's penalties are justified, the first because he had left the track and then rejoined in such a manner as to impede his opponent and the second because he voluntarily left the track in order to overtake, his opponent had closed the door.

 

[F1Brits_90]

He put so much pressure on him that Senna chose to end the championship in the way he did.

I thought id heard senna always said the 1990 incident was his way of getting revenge/justice for 1989. as he had never forgot, almost obsessed over it for the next yr which I glad he did because murray's "its happened immediately" is 1 of the best F1 commentary lines

I think both of Ricciardo's penalties are justified, the first because he had left the track and then rejoined in such a manner as to impede his opponent and the second because he voluntarily left the track in order to overtake, his opponent had closed the door.

I don't get why people are arguing this because its nothing like vettel. riccardio outbraked himself was in full control of his & then went all 4 wheels off the track to overtake both Norris & Kimi. it was slam dunk gaining an advatange

 

[Il_leone]

RasputinLives Yes Ferrari in 1991 was crap but Prost made this own bed by choosing to leave Mclaren because he could not take fighting with Senna in the same team. The Mclaren in 1991 was I thought just a bit marginally better as a car but Senna somehow managed to drag it over the line when it had no right to. The sort of thing that Prost use to do in a Mclaren and it was getting to Alain - the team he knows so well was getting the results and he was not at Ferrari and he was losing every battle with Senna on the track. The only thing Prost did do right for his own sake was to block Senna from joining Williams so he could have a free title

Back to 1990 it was a great championship but it was seemed to me that Senna was always a touch ahead in the title race and what came down to Suzuka is open to opinion whether Balestre rightly or wrongly interfered with the pole position starting point argument

 

[cider_and_toast]

Prost made this own bed by choosing to leave Mclaren because he could not take fighting with Senna in the same team.

Regardless of the fact that Prost was leaving McLaren the sight of Ron Dennis trying to get Senna's win reinstated at Japan in 89 thus denying Prost the Championship (at least carrying the fight on into Australia) must have seriously hurt.

Prost had delivered Dennis and McLaren 2 titles and was just about to clinch a third for himself and the team.

Prost should have walked away with his title and gave Dennis the middle finger after Japan.

 

[Il_leone]

cider_and_toast Maybe but Prost announced he was leaving at the French Grand Prix and you should see Ron's glum face next to him in the press conference

To add further fuel to the fire Prost throw his winners trophy to the Tifosi at the Italian Grand Prix after Senna spun out of the lead handing him the win and after he announced he was joining Ferrari much to Ron's disgust. It is said this was the reason Mclaren keep all the winners trophy.

Prost did say it was his worst season in F1 - he could not face Senna going to extreme lengths and intensity to beat him

 

[F1Brits_90]

why not the circuit couldnt possibly get worse

French GP mulling major changes to track layout

www.motorsport.com

 

[cider_and_toast]

And this response just sums up why F1 is shit:

While there have been suggestions that the track could be improved by removing the chicane on the back straight, Boullier says that is not an option being considered.

“Everybody says take out this chicane and have a straight line and it's going to solve your problem,” he said. “Yes, but it's creating more problems for me because I've got 10,000 grandstand seats there. And obviously the main revenue stream of a grand prix promoter is ticketing.

 

[gethinceri]

What a fucking ringpiece.

 

[gethinceri]

Yay!!! "Ringpiece" beats the swear filter.

 

[F1Brits_90]

And this response just sums up why F1 is shit:

While there have been suggestions that the track could be improved by removing the chicane on the back straight, Boullier says that is not an option being considered.

“Everybody says take out this chicane and have a straight line and it's going to solve your problem,” he said. “Yes, but it's creating more problems for me because I've got 10,000 grandstand seats there. And obviously the main revenue stream of a grand prix promoter is ticketing.

yes your right it is ridiculous we are in this situation but doesn't this still stem back to Bernie & CVC legacy

 

[FB]

I suspect that those avuncular American types that now F1 are even more motivated by the mighty dollar than Bernie and hoping that things will get better now Liberty are in control is like going to see Jim Davidson and hoping he won't make any racist jokes.