Grand Prix thread Official Not606 Monaco Grand Prix Chat and Predictions

Where's the get in the sea button?

 

There really wasn't an advantage gained. Hamilton's cockup allowed Ricciardo to make an attempt there. An attempt that was never going to come off.

I do feel for Ricciardo too. It was totally his race... but the race wasn't lost on track. It was lost by an absolutely stinking error in the pits. That's what robbed him of victory.

 

Lewis missing the chicane is an interesting one. It looked like he out braked himself due to pressure from Riccy. So while he didn't 'gain' an advantage he didn't lose his position which he might have done had he braked early enough but I don't actually remember seeing any overtaking on the entry to the chicane this year. So would Riccy have had a chance of overtaking there? In my mind I doubt it and even though he must have been steaming mad at the pit stop balls up, surely he would have rather had second to a dnf? The exit and Lewis squeezing him I think he left Riccy a cars width. The problem, as you can see with speed and throttle displays was the track that Riccy had was wet so he had to short shift to second and use less throttle. So he had no grip, had it been a dry track I think Riccy might just have managed to out accelerate Lewis out of the chicane.
So overall I think Lewis made a mistake, got lucky and maintained he position. I think Riccy should have won, he drove so well all weekend and Red Bulls Q2 strategy might have payed off if it was dry. Just a pity someone forgot to tell the pit crew which tyres were to be fitted! Feel really sorry for Riccy he is doing every thing right and not getting the results he deserves.
I think max showed he level of experience but he did have a few good overtakes. So hopefully he just needs more miles under his belt.
Great race for Force India and so bad for Sauber. I can't see Sauber lasting much longer, the crashes must be costing them plus how are they going to attract sponsors when their drivers act like that? Maybe they could get a 'where theirs blame there's a claim' type law firm to sponsor them......

 

As a random aside I have a random fact. Since McLaren dumped Perez the podium tally is:

Perez 3 - McLaren 2

...awkward

 

Oops

 

There were a few overtakes there, Verstappen on Button being one I remember. and, IIRC, it wasn't the first time Hamilton jumped a chicane that going around could've put him behind Ricciardo.

 

I agree with you about VES v BUT. Seems our posts on Awards thread overlapped because I'm typing so slowly and having to tread it back at laest twice.

Don't quite agree about Hamilton's error though: in my opinion, his braking error did not gain a measurable advantage: indeed, it compromised his exit and presented an opportunity for5 Ricciardo, albeit slight*.

*Should add that I believe Hamilton did not unduly crowd RIC because despite it being the most difficult of all tacks to do it, he still allowed a car's width. Ricciardo had only one choice: to go across a far damper bit of track surface. Together with his inputs on throttle and steering, this resulted in a big twitch which made him instinctively back out of it and the moment was lost.

 

That Andrew Benson lol Rosberg had brake problems virtually all race yet he's staying how slow he was. Love to see Hamilton beat Rosberg with brake problems.

 

The whole wall squeeze thing is just wishful thinking, yes he put him close but Formula 1 is actually supposed to be a race. I don't think there's a rule on making a car take to a wet part of the track so I think it's all fair and dandy.

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As for cutting the chicane, well I think he got away with it because Ricciardo wasn't making a move at the time and by cutting the chicane it actually allowed Ricciardo to close up. If it had become a regular thing then I can see a penalty being handed out, but it wasn't so nothing happened.

 

Nothing about Ricciardo making it clear the team was to blame, not sharing in podium celebrations and generally having a grump on?

Absolutely he has a right to all the above, but certain other drivers seem to get lambasted for doing that when they also have been screwed over through no fault of their own and vent some frustration.

Just saying.

 

Having seen it again now (elsewhere), whilst it's close, I can see that there is just enough room left. The video above doesn't really show the critical point very well, which is just as Ricciardo approaches the start of the barrier - the red and white striped SAFER part. From Daniel's on board (which is what I saw originally) it looks like a much more aggressive move towards him, where as off board you can see that Hamilton just takes a wide exit to close the gap and it looks much more progressive.

 

He was sat sitting on jacks after being called in, he didn't spoon his start, or blame his mechanics who had been working all night.

Did you enjoy his rehearsed for PR celebration?

 

Didn't watch any of the post race stuff (fell asleep for the final 10 laps), was it bad?

 

It was as expected really, a bit cringeworthy but totally understandable.

 

Congratulating the mechanics? Shocking behaviour, so contrived.

If you meant Bieber, was hoping Ricciardo would have run him over.

How can you say it was rehearsed? He was probably expecting his car to break down again.

 

He was understandably annoyed at the team for its tactics and the pit screw up and didn't hide it. Made it clear where the blame lied (correctly so, but as said some drivers get slated if they do that, not team players apparently)

 

And he doesn't have a car miles and miles quicker than the rest of the grid.

 

Never seen Ricciardo like this in his whole career. 'I don't know where to go from here'. Prelude to a team change perhaps?

 

That would be silly. While the team have let him down on operational issues it's clear that they have a car that can be as good as the Merc. Would be rather stupid to leave now.

 

Like I said I'm not convinced on the squeeze and ultimately Lewis would have had the inside line for the next corner.

In relation to the chicane I disagree, an advantage is an advantage. Whilst I'm sure Cosi with his knowledge will justifiably debate otherwise, I'm involved in Motorsport and there is nothing more frustrating than a passable driver not sticking to the race track - the lines define the race track - that is a regulation.

Now whilst I don't believe Lewis gained an advantage - how could he, he was in the lead - he negated the disadvantage of possibly being passed or further out of position for the next corner approach. None of us can say he wouldn't have been passed because he would have had to slow the car down so much more to make the corner that he would have been even more compromised than he was on position and speed.

The issue for me isn't with Lewis, it's with Charlie. If Lewis had done the same thing twice he would have got a warning and a 3rd time possibily instructed to concede position. We've seen this before. So hence there must be an advantage? In a world of F1 where there is often only one opportunity to overtake, it's ironic. Maybe Charlie should have had one his favourite keep right bollards, after all it was one of only several overtaking spots? Nah God forbid!

I'm conscious of not turning this into a Lewis debate, for me the rules of overtaking and defending have got so muddled it's becoming unfathonable.