The F1 thread

[Raid]

I wouldn't say I was sympathetic to Max exactly, but I did think he'd earned that victory up until the point of the accident. And has he been in Ocon's position that often? Being passed by a car on the same lap is very different to being passed as a back marker.

[DjchunKfunK]

Well it's more in terms of him being in the wrong during a passing move.

[Raid]

https://www.racefans.net/2018/11/12/why ... ving-ocon/

I have to agree with this. Max's shoving of Ocon was entirely pre-meditated, he said as much during the post-race interview. He needs to be brought down a peg, to be told in no uncertain terms that this behaviour is not acceptable. If people like Christian Horner keep feeding his ego, he's not going to get any better.

[Wrathbone]

I don't get why Verstappen didn't just let Ocon past when he'd been holding him up for several laps and it made no difference to position. Ocon was careless, but Verstappen was needlessly obtuse.

[Drarok]

Horner should probably receive some form of retribution for this, too:

"I think Max has been pretty restrained," Horner told Sky Sports F1 when quizzed about the shoving incident.
"It's cost him a grand prix victory. He's driven his heart out with a damaged car.
"Esteban was lucky to get away with a push, to be honest with you. Emotions are running high.
"I told him 'just get yourself under control' on the cool-down lap because he's lost a victory through no fault of his own today and it's hugely frustrating for him and for the team.
"We'd done everything right, we had Mercedes on the ropes, we'd passed Ferrari. Hugely frustrating for everybody to lose a victory through a backmarker."

[source]

Absolutely Max should have left enough room, but equally Ocon should have backed out of the overtake once it was clear it hasn't stuck. A great counterpoint to this coming-together was later on when Bottas backed out at the same corner. Ocon receiving the penalty and not Verstappen (for his on-track behaviour, at least) shows that the rules show Ocon to be at fault overall, which makes sense. You can un-lap yourself, but there's absolutely no need to be attacking the lead car. Pass them cleanly or not at all.

[DjchunKfunK]

I'd forgotten the stuff about Vestappan Snr. Nice role model.

[Raid]

Yeah, Jos is by many accounts a nasty piece of work, and I detested the fact that whenever Max did something on track the feed would cut to a reaction shot of Jos' expressionless face for no reason. I'd like to think that Max is old enough to realise his Dad perhaps isn't a good example to follow, but yesterday's antics don't exactly suggest maturity.

[Rossell]

From the Macau GP this morning. She's in hospital but conscious and no other reported injuries. I'll take it down if that changes.



Also, massive idiot.

[Raid]

What a horrific accident. I think it's lucky that her car was facing backwards by the time it took off, though I'd be fascinated to see how the accident started and the car rotated like that.

Edit: Apparently she's suffered a spinal injury but not paralisis. She's been tweeting and is going in for surgery tomorrow. I've seen the crash from another angle; the car actually slams into that temporary structure top side first. Hopefully the roll-hoop that stops a car deforming when flipped took the brunt of the impact rather than the driver's head.

[eny]

Better angle....

https://imgur.com/a/oxTXTxi

She's had spinal surgery, but should be ok, remarkably.

[Raid]

Jesus, I didn't realise there were photographers in the structure the car hit. I hope they're alright too.

[eny]

I think there were 4 people treated for injuries, quite astonishing tbh.

[Wrathbone]

I'm amazed that she's apparently going to be okay after that. Easily one of the worst crashes I've ever seen.

I'm not sure if there are any extra safety measures they could take prevent something like that. It looks like she'd collided with someone and then when the front of the car lifted, the underside clipped another car and it just took off. Bit of a freak accident and a miraculous survival.

[Raid]

I don't think it's actually that rare; I've certainly seen it happen a number of times (the one that always sticks in the mind is Mark Webber's Red Bull flipping at Valencia after crashing into Heikki Kovalainen who braked unexpectedly early). It's more common in open wheel racing because two tyres colliding can force one car upwards, and the cars rely on aerodynamics that immediately stop working when not at the right angle to the air flow.

[Raid]

Sliding off the track at Hockenheim no longer Vettel's biggest mistake in 2018.