French GP 2008

[Ninad13]

Hi, I starting a thread where all of us can discuss about French GP.

Kimi on pole and Massa 2nd. Looks like it will another Ferrari race.
Hamilton will start 13th after after qualifying 3rd, due to his 10 place penalty.
Good qualifying by Trulli and Alonso.
Cant believe BMW and Heikki were so slow, Nick especially.
I think Heikki is heavier, and I feel he is on 2 stopper. Compared to Ferrari and Alonso, who I think are on 3 stopper. On this track with shorter pit lane and more tire wear, 3 stopper can actually be the best strategy.

Your views about tommorow's race?

 

[teabagyokel]

Well it looks like another REDWASH race today. I think Ferrari will be delighted to see Alonso and Trulli on Row 2 as well! Kovalainen was extremely dissapointing in my opinion today - I think McLaren were expecting more. The BMW is clearly not tuned in, Kubica struggled to get to Q3 and therefore Heidfeld didn't make it. Red Bull as usual solid; James Allen seemed to be expecting an STR backlash against them which never materialised. Piquet was as usual way behind Alonso, Vettel also worse than we expected... Hamilton is between two Toro Rossos (also known as THE CRASH ZONE). Williams were disappointing, Honda were nowhere and kudos to Toyota. For Ove!

 

[Andrea_Moda_Rules]

To be fair to Hekki, I dont think overall Hamilton was that great either, It seemed like a piece of insipration from Lewis to get third in Quali, Im suprised br BMWs lack of pace, the car usally looks very consistant on all tracks, but here the car looks like a bucking bronco, understeer and then oversteer, i think they mey even struggle to get points here. Hopefully the thunderstoms come and stir things up a little but if it doesn't only a crazy person would back anyone other then the ferraris, If it does rain, then anyone in the top 6 can win, Ferrari, so far havent looked great in the wet or cool tracks.

 

[Galahad]

Seems that Heikki is going to be penalised 5 places on the grid for "blocking" Webber...terrible decision that. So a really tough race in prospect for McLaren.

I'd say Ferrari will win this one by a mile. Renault and Toyota look better because McLaren and BMW are having problems - I'm particularly surprised by BMW as they've been so consistent this year.

Hopefully we'll have a clean run over the first stint of the race so we find out how much fuel they all had on board and where they stand in terms of relative performance. I'd love to believe Renault are competitive again but I can't help but doubt it to be honest.

 

[bogaTYR]

methinks LH was on fumes. He looks like trying a 3 or even 4 stop strategy. huge huge chance he'll have a DNF cos the frustration will be huge. Even Kovy looked uncomfortable. And suddenly no one talks about the magic and superb speed and performance of the McLaren anymore.

BMW are bricks, they will go on and on. renault, no idea but it looks promising. Too bad about in qualifying... so close!

 

[Guest]

I feel sorry for Heikki ... what was that penalty about ... seems very harsh.

I was hoping we'd get a chance to see him shine when not having to play rear gunner for Lewis, looks like McLaren will be struggling tomorrow barring the safety car or some other mishap.

I think McLaren will go for an unusual strategy tomorrow, they have nothing to lose IMHO. Maybe a 4 stopper. I can't see Lewis having a heavy fuel load and what with his tyre degredation problems 2 long stints seem a big risk.

 

[largeflowered]

HK penalty = something very odd about this.

Methinks possibly this was Renault motivated, engine and all that, but wouldn't be surprised by the revelation that some clandestine FIA (ie masonic) "electronic handshake" had accidently been triggered to CW based on TV footage.

Oh, ok then, just call me paranoid...but bear in mind, if I can get power of attorney...I might just sue

 

[teabagyokel]

What the hell are Ferrari International Assistance* doing this time? They've given Kovalainen a 5 place grid penalty for that!? I mean, watch the actual incident my friends! Wasn't Kovalainen trying to get out of the way but he was blocked by Nakajima. The man who was making no attempt, ie. Nakajima, gets no punishment at all. I can't understand this at all. Are the FIA trying to do stuff for the good of the sport or for the good of Ferrari (the team who backed them during the USGP fiasco in 2005)? I would suggest the latter. I assure you that if Ferrari had been found in possession of secret McLaren data, they wouldn't have had a £50,000,000 fine and they certainly wouldn't have been ejected from the Constructors' Cup. And when Renault had the better car in mid-2006, the FIA took the unbelievable step of banning an integral part of the car, and watching the end of the season in 2006, that benefited only one team!

This is just yet another one sided and unbelievable FIA decision, which will probably end up with the GPMA starting a FISA vs FOCA war round two, if this rubbish continues!

*© Paul Stoddart

 

[Andrea_Moda_Rules]

Well, suprise, surpise, It was a Ferrari Win then,

I cant belive ITV rhink that haimlton penalty was dubious, He outbraked the corner trying to overtake Piquet whent off and gained an advantage from it by keeping the postion. Although I do think the decsion for penalty should of come quicker perhaps Hamilton would of been avle to let piquet back again.
Glad to see Toybota on the poduim, it makes a nice change from the usual top three.

 

[Stoppemfloppen]

I only saw a brief snippet of the Heikki qualifying incident in the race coverage today but it seemed like the punishment was fair - Heikki was on the racing line and I guess that's why he got the penalty.

But, he did drive an excellent race today, probably his best this season. Shame he missed out on the podium but Jarno was in impeccable form too.

I thought Lewis's penalty was correct too and I thought he did himself no favours, both with his bullish, almost arrogant behaviour in the pre-race interviews on ITV and the fact that I thought he drove poorly today. He needs to step back and calm down a bit.

The BMW's were well off the pace today, I think Kubica got about the best result he could today.

Great shame for Kimi, the race was his and he was in control until the exhaust problem, but Massa benefitted - for a change. The best possible result for him and now he leads the WDC.

JB had a nightmare - again. I think he'll be glad to see the back of this car too! But I have to say that it seems that Honda are desparate to keep him and Barrichello (although that'll depend on how he feels about retirement I think), so it's clear they know where the deficiencies lie and they aren't with the drivers.

And what a coup for Nelson Piquet Jnr - beating Alonso fair and square. Nice one and that couldn't have come soon enough. Now he needs to build on it.

But in all, a boring race really - as they often are at Magny Cours.

 

[Andrea_Moda_Rules]

hey compared to most years, this was a thiller lol

Forgot to mention piquet, Im really happy for him too, I dont like to see drivers eaten alive by thier teammates, and everyone has been jumping on his back, at least now hes shown that theres somat talent there, He hasn't done well until now, but some people have been talking like his olny has good as the deltraz's Ide's etc etc.

 

[RickD]

Well, what a farce of a GP. Felt sorry for Button, especially as the Hondas seemed to have gone backwards in the development.

HKs qualifying penalty?!? Obviously the FIAt F1 stewards really have it in for McLaren, do you think they even bothered looking at the incident, because if they did, they might have seen that Williams in the way.

As for the race, how come the only footage we saw of the LH overtake on SV was from LHs car? Is there no camera in SVs car then? To me it was obvious LH was past SV at that point, either that or SVs front wheels were level with the back wheels of LHs car and they touched, but LH was past, if he hadn't been, then why did he only just miss the apex on the way in? Was SV over the kerb? I think the punishment was undeserved and MB said it best when he said, "Its a McLaren, it seems that you can nearly guarantee they will get a penalty, just for that fact". Or something very similar.

KR, so why was he not shown the black and orange flag?!? Surely an exhaust hanging off is a danger to other drivers and the marshalls? Can you imagine if that had come off and killed someone (very possible)! It really does seem that there is one rule for Ferrari and another for everyone else. If the FIat F1 can not be consistent in their judgements, then I really think that the sport needs new regulators.

Feel happy for JT coming in third and for NPJ beating his illustrious team mate, but am surprised Flab let that happen.

All in all, one of the most boring GPs I have seen in a while and shame on the stewards for their poor descision making.

 

[RickD]

For some reason, posted twice.

 

[teabagyokel]

I agree that Hamilton's penalty was merited, although I'm also 100% sure if he were in a Ferrari there'd be no action taken... (remember Schumacher straight-lining chicanes in Hungary '06). I don't want to sound bigoted, but there does seem to be some level of inconsistency.

Can't believe Raikkonen got away with having a dangling exhaust without the ol' black and orange flag, but credit to Ferrari they were far enough ahead to stop him losing a position! I don't know if Hamilton started 3rd whether they'd be so far ahead, but tbf on the evidence of the 2007 French Grand Prix they probably would've.

Massa did well, quiet GP, content with 8 points for second place (win was bonus), excellent drive from Jarno Trulli too. We didn't even have a reference to the Trulli train either!

Kubica made the best of a bad weekend for BMW, Webber did similar for Red Bull off the grid. It looked like their team-mates, despite being on the podium in Montreal, thought that was good enough...

Great for Nelsinho Piquet. I've asked this forum if he should be given a chance, no-one voted to immediately remove him and I'd say more performances like that and he need not worry! If he's in inferior machinery (which has been suggested) beating Alonso will have been even better than it appeared at the time. I get the feeling that Alonso is not as good a driver as he thinks he is. Alonso is talking big but falling off the track like that won't impress any team shooting for a title!

Kovalainen was excellent as well yesterday. He took his pen, dealt with it and ended up an excellent race, aboard the Trulli train (sorry, cancel what I said earlier) for the last 10 laps, you have to say he did well to challenge for 3rd!

And then there's Hamilton. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! He'd have got past Vettel eventually anyway, just let him back through, Lewis! After the drive through he may as well have been at McDonald's Drive-Thru, because there was no chance of points...

We're not looking at 2009. We're looking at 2010... We'll be the only team to prepare for two years and so will have a great shot at the championship!

Jenson Button

This shows the frustration at Honda. They were, yet again, awful! Get it right, Honda, it was going so well at the end of 2006...

 

[Penske666]

I loved it when Piquet Jnr overtook Alonso then wouldn't let him by - good one Nelson.

Am really piffed off about Kovy's penalty - there was no need for it.

Kind of agree with Hamiltons he was off the track at the end of the move. so thats 20 possible points lost due to Canada

 

[Ninad13]

Piquet drove a good race. First he held back Hamilton and then Heikki till 1st round of pit stops AND the overtook Alonso...........

 

[RickD]

The only problem I have with Lhs excursion and subsequesnt penalty is that there was only ever the view from his car shown. If there was any other footage, which I guess there must have been, why was this not shown?!?