EPIC MARATHON: MY THOUGHTS FROM THE 2011 CANADIAN GRAND PRIX

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So much to say about the meeting, so little space to say it in. I have tons of thoughts on Qually, the Historic Grand Prix cars (late 1970's-1980 era) after qually, the sizzling downtown Montreal night life, the epic Grand Prix itself, and hanging out in the rain Under My Umbrella.

But I'll just share some vignettes.

WRITING OFF A McLAREN VICTORY

I don't know how many times i'd written off a McLaren victory...but it seemed like umpteen times from Saturday 1:55 pm (i.e. half way through Q3) through to Sunday late afternoon (the race finished 5:05 pm following a 1 pm start). I started to get a feeling of dissappointment for McLaren mid way through Q3 when the temperature started to drop significantly - and in a hurry - and people started to put on windbreakers. With RBRs and Ferraris up at the top of the timing screens, I felt in my bones that the best times had been set and McLaren would have a tough Sunday.

A safety car start announcement - met by tons of 'Booing' - didn't enhance those feelings. When the booing subsided, we said that the only people who would love that would be Vettel and his group given Ferrari's new clutch system which Alonso had used to such good effect off the start line in Spain and Monaco.

When Hamilton got sandwiched between Button and the wall there was lots of debate around us as to who was at fault when, basically, it was a racing accident in spray/rain conditions. When he came limping towards us, I thought it (the 2011 WDC challenge against Vettel) was all over...least becuse he'd have to nurse it back for almost the whole lap. There were many disappointed Hamilton fans in the stands at this point...but equally as many Ferrari and Red Bull and Schumacher fans happy to see him DNF and clapping at his retirement. So, that was me writing off a McLaren win again.

RAIN...AND MORE RAIN

Then we wondered why Alonso was going in for Inters when, from our point of view, the rain was getting heavier ... but then I figured Ferrari had better radar intel than what we were 'feeling' and seeing in the skies at that time. Sure enough the rain intensified and that made me again write off McLaren/Button (and even Alonso) for the win because Inters were not the thing to have given the skies were looking more and more ominous and the 'ladies' in the stands were leaving to go find shelter.

RED FLAG

Then the red flag came out. A reprieve for the others in a way (including ALO, BUT) because Vettel had looked totally untouchable in the conditions out front. So eventhough Vettle benifited from it on Lap 1, All those Safety Cars didn't do him any favours for the rest of the event.

My friend from New York bailed about an hour after the Grand Prix's suspension (the race was suspended around 1:46 pm) because he had a flight to catch and he didn't think they'd be starting in time for him to justify staying. But I loved the rain and stayed out there watching the track workers pushing off the water at the Senna hairpin apex...Under My Umbrella-Ella-Ella-Yay-Yay...watching Rhianna give Lewis a big consolation hug on the TV...etc.

Speaking of Safety Cars, you won't believe the amount of booing that was going on at the restart every time the SC passed the pit entry to circulate again...and again...and again. It seemed to us mere mortals like Herr Maylander was being told to stay out way too long. I suppose people in attendence thought they had paid for a 'Grand Prix' ticket and wanted 'action' after getting soaked the the bone.

EPIC MARATHON OF A GRAND PRIX

And boy did we get 'action': Nando and Jenson went by looking like not wanting to give an inch and it wasn't surprising to see it all end in tears for all those Ferrari fans who'd come to see the red cars circulating. When I saw Alonso walking my way, I immediately left my seat and quickly ran to track side to walk alongside him as he made his way back to the pits. His adoring fans were saying "Fernando, Fernando" to get him to look up for a photo 'op'...but I suppose he wasn't very amused at how his Grand Prix had ended...and he kept looking straight as he trugged along. When I got to him on my side of the fence, I said "Fernando! Fernando!" but he didn't look and was soon gone...I then decided to stay at Ground level and walked to various points at the Senna haipin, getting a good glimpse of Maldonado binning his Williams after coming out too hot on dry tyres on a still wet piece of road continuing on from the pit exit lane.

When Schuey was up to 2nd after Koba nearly Samba'd Massa off the circuit, there were a lot of his fans in a state of frenzy yelling "See, I told you so...Michael's still got it". Hehe, Fun Times. Speaking of a Mercedes being up in second, I was alarmed to see Nico continuing on with his front wing flapping. Given what had happened with Kubica here (in 2007) and to Heidfeld earlier just passed us, I thought that was a big accident waiting to happen. Mercifully, the accident happened more 'gently' than anticipated...and right in front of us when Nico's wing folded under and sent him flying across the grass. More fun times.

PODIUM

Lastly, there was mild booing of Vettel on the podium. I enjoyed seeing the drivers up there but I didn't like Vettel being boo'd. Whether some boo'd him for losing the race at the last, or because he'd lengthened his Championship lead over their beloved Hamilton or beloved Alonso, I couldn't quite make out. Kinda not on, to be honest. Lots of Aussies, Brits, Germans, Brazilians, Americans at the circuit.

I missed not having my live timing in Qually and on Sunday...but you can't have everything. I imagined you guys would know more about what really happened/was happening...but it's a totally different feeling at the track. [The two Renaults sounded totally different under acceleration from any other car, for instance.]

Anyway, that was a truly Epic Grand Prix and these are just my initial thought from the circuit.
 
Yep. Booing just isn't on, no matter how much you are annoyed with the result.
 
There was lots of booing of the Safety car start...and of the SC staying out for what seemed too many laps at the restart. I imagine there were a lot of wet folk who wanted to see some 'racing' after waiting it out so long. But booing a driver is not on. I mean i'm no Alonso fan, yet I ran down to ground level just to see his face close up and walk side by side with only a chain link fence separating me from him.
 
The few television shots of Fernando, he didn't look pleased at all, sense of humour failure I think. I read his article on f1fanatics(I think) seemed resigned to just soldiering on and seeing what happens, didn't really get into any heated tyrade as it was irrelevent for the result anyways. It was a bummer as Montreal is very pro Ferrari and they looked good for most part this whole weekend.

Agh well move onto Europe and hope for some better fortune.
 
Can't say I wasn't thinking about ya in that cool Montreal rain Ray. I think we all figured you'd have just a few thoughts about this GP. :D

There was booing from all quarters regarding the SC start (s). Brundle was quite vociferous in his opposition to both the GP start and length of SC periods. The CTA chat log might prove this out as well. :whistle:
 
Yeah I noticed that booing of Vettel - totally unnecessary. I mean by all means it is up to the individual not to cheer him but jeers are totally out of order, unless for a VERY serious incident e.g. Schumi on Barrichello at Hungary last year, especially for a laid back guy like Seb. I can't recall Button being jeered for waltzing it for the first half of 2009!

Seems like Jenson had some nice words for Vettel on the podium after this.
 
Loved the red flag period, managed to get all my Polish language homework done after wasting spending the whole weekend watching cycling, tennis and, of course, Le Mans and F1..... know I'm too old for school but you gotta learn the lingo when you live in a place.

Kept one eye on the in-action in Montreal in the hope of seeing that CTA placard of yours, Ray, but I didn't spot it :disappointed:
 
...any thoughts on Button's performance Ray? :cheer:

Honest thoughts?

First thought is "Safety Cars 'bailed' out Jenson" but that's too simplistic.

It cetainly was a tremendous drive carrying the hopes of the whole of the McLaren team after the tangle with Lewis and then his initial decision to change to Inters and then being way back at the tail end of the field. I took a photo of him in last place! Jenson went "toe-to-toe" with Hamilton and Alonso and, basically, 'wasted' them...and then he went toe-to-toe with Webber/Schumacher when his car was best...and then Vettel made his one error when Button was in his mirrors. Button made errors like everyone at the track...but I think the Safety Cars played a big part in Vettels leads continually being shred and bunching up the field time and again. Great drive by Jenson. Yes. But Vettel was mighty to get Pole from the Ferraris and then pull away time and again in tricky racing conditions not putting a foot wrong until the final lap. I set my watch for 17:04 ( the two hour rule) and it was at 17:04 that Vettel half spun. Button richly deserved his victory.
 
Honest thoughts?

First thought is "Safety Cars 'bailed' out Jenson" but that's too simplistic.

It cetainly was a tremendous drive carrying the hopes of the whole of the McLaren team after the tangle with Lewis and then his initial decision to change to Inters and then being way back at the tail end of the field. I took a photo of him in last place! Jenson went "toe-to-toe" with Hamilton and Alonso and, basically, 'wasted' them..

Smacked that nail on the head.
 
Brilliant article Ray and sounds like you were having a good old time in that rain (that rain that was never going to happen LOL)

Hope you've dried out mate - be interested to see if any of your thoughts change after you watch the highlights.
 
Smacked that nail on the head.

Ya. Jenson not only 'smacked' Hamilton and Alonso into walls...he also smacked down their WDC chances. ;) I don't think i've ever seen Button drive so aggressively since stepping into a Formula One car way back as a baby-faced kid in 2000. His 'playboy' period at Benetton seemed to have messed up his persona. That drive yesterday certainly laid a few ghosts to waste. There was a point where it felt like Button was using his McLaren like a battering ram :snigger: ...but i'm sure passing Webber/Schumacher must have tasted sweet as honey...and then helping Vettel 'crack' under pressure was the icing on the cake. Like I said, I took a photo of him in last place behind HRTs/Virgins and the next thing is there I was besides the lights under the starting gantry taking another photo of him on the podium lifting our Victory trophy. Stunning!
 
I think it is disingenuous to suggest that Button was deliberately crashing into Alonso and (even more so) Hamilton. In the Alonso case, he picked up a puncture and was somewhat saved by Maylander's retake of the lead!

PS. The thread title amuses me, when something's typed in all caps it seems like the author is shouting it!
 
I think it is disingenuous to suggest that Button was deliberately crashing into Alonso and (even more so) Hamilton.

I was merely being funny in my own way. Like I said in the OP, I think the McLarens tangling was a 'racing' incident in unusual conditions...and that when Alonso and Button blasted past me, it felt like neither was looking remotely interested in giving the other an inch. That's Formula One! LOVED it! :)
 
...sounds like you were having a good old time in that rain (that rain that was never going to happen LOL) Hope you've dried out mate .

Never truly dried out cause my jeans and running shoes were SOAKED! It was driest when we were on the starting grid watching the podium ceremony...and then it started to rain again. Hard. About 17:45...and it was getting dark and cold too. :)
 
So, I checked the Canadian GP thread to review the log of what was being talked about on CTA by members having the benifit of tv commentators and umpteen different replays and was amused to find that many of the posts in that thread (around pages 33-36) had people in a bother about Jenson losing his win because of a time penalty.

Well, just to let you know from a paying spectators point of view who was there for hours and hours through thick and thin, there was absolutely no talk anywhere amongst the throngs of people in attendence about any penalty. We had seen Button winning the Grand Prix and, fan or no fan of Jenson's, we were happy for him to see him win and beat Vettel.

I have no idea why people on this site were willing to lose sleep when the incidents involving Button were of a purely racing nature in very tricky conditions. If there was a tangle, well...they were RACING for position and there was nothing malicious about any of it. Gaps were seen and people were going for it.

No spectator in the stands or on the circuit after the race had any thought of ANY kind of Jenson's victory being taken away by some silly steward. Not on this occasion. No way. People paid good money and, unless someone had a flight to catch, they stayed to watch racing drivers 'racing' each other for positon and there was little we saw that merited a 'time' penalty for any tangles we saw live or on replay. The trophies were handed out to the ones who deserved them...and that was that. End of.

No one thought Jenson deserved any penalty on Sunday for anything other than Speeding Under the Safety Car...and, appearently, neither did Race Control or the Stewards Of The Meeting.

Funny how it is watching a race live while it's unfolding right in front on location vs debating it on the internet after seeing it on tv...hours later.
 
I was merely being funny in my own way. Like I said in the OP, I think the McLarens tangling was a 'racing' incident in unusual conditions...and that when Alonso and Button blasted past me, it felt like neither was looking remotely interested in giving the other an inch. That's Formula One! LOVED it! :)

I saw Alonso beached on the curb and we before any hi-lights were shown thought he had spun on the inters, then the replay and when we saw Button and Alonso flat out there was only one explaination...........I really enjoyed the Fillipe and Kobayashi duel at the end too..........great excitement......though I think this week I will wear my "peeved with Button" cap.
 
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