2013 Monaco Grand Prix

steelmaker83 said:He braked far too hard, the car completely lost its footing, and both wheels locked up... it was a pure driver error, though he was lucky enough that it was only both wheels locking instead of something much worse.

And which amateur on earth thinks braking like that is acceptable?🤣

On a side note, the weather is absolutely gorgeous today—not a single cloud in sight (just sitting here watching the Renault series).

stormybadger8 said:Jerry Rogers6, we already agreed—no fighting...🙂😁
Behave yourself, or I’ll give Mark a call and tell him to bring his toolbox over and have some fun messing with Mark Webber's KERS 😬

☕

Brian Campbell36 said:So, what kind of load was he carrying on his back? 🤣

Weather's actually decent today. Not a single cloud in sight (watching the Renault series)

Oh, so we're back to racing ties again ☕

Bradley Nelson2 said:So, we’re looking at another penalty from the race again ☕

I'd much rather see a legitimate, deserved penalty than some total lottery, IMO.
Luck is what people rely on when they're incompetent.

Raymond Anderson4 said:On a different note, I am under the impression that a driver starting on the outside of the grid actually possesses a decent probability of gaining at least one position during the initial surge.
Consequently, I anticipate seeing Fernando ahead of Kimi once they clear the first corner, especially considering that Kimi isn't exactly known for being particularly aggressive during those opening turns.
As for Mark Webber, he will likely execute a classic Webber-style start, so there really isn't much to worry about there.

The true issue in Monaco is that the start depends so heavily on the drivers positioned directly ahead. Given that reality, I struggle to see how Fernando could possibly secure a superior start if he finds himself stuck behind Mark Webber. The track is simply far too narrow to permit any sort of grand acrobatic maneuvering. Still, I suppose we shall just have to wait and see what unfolds.

http://www1.skysports.com/formula1/live/#pod-hub

Formula 1 Scandal!

If these reports are actually true—specifically regarding testing being conducted after the Spanish Grand Prix—then we are looking at a massive blow to the integrity and transparency of Formula 1 itself. How can the sport claim to be fair when such shadows persist?

I am certainly not expecting any miraculous leaps in performance from Fernando Alonso... as I have maintained before, if he manages a top five finish, I will consider that a success.👋

Sebastian Vettel is going to be incredibly dangerous right off the starting line...

Nika says they'd be totally fine with it if the FIA actually let them pull it off and kept everything strictly by the book 🤣

Jerry, Mark is generally recognized for his exceptional starts. While I hold him in higher regard as a driver than most, one has to wonder about those launches, doesn't one?🙂

darkmarlin16 said:Nick tells them that if the FIA permitted it, then everything was strictly according to the regulations 🤣

But why weren't the other teams allowed to test then? Surely in F1... everyone is supposed to be equal under the law...

They gain an immediate advantage heading into 2014 because, unlike their competitors, they will possess critical data regarding tire behavior for the upcoming season...

It is time for the FIA to grant testing rights to the rest of the field... after all, 622 miles is quite a significant amount of 🤣

darkmarlin16 said:Nick told them the FIA cleared it and everything was strictly by the book 🤣

And that’s not even the best part.😳
Apparently—or at least that's what they're claiming on Sky Sports—Ferrari ran the exact same test back in Bahrain.🤣

Great. Just wonderful. All we need now is Lotus and FI to chime in, and then it'll be crystal clear why everyone is running the same damn tires.😁

stormybadger8 said:And it doesn't even stop there.😳
They're claiming—at least according to what they're reporting on Sky Sports—that Ferrari ran the exact same tests back in Bahrain.🤣>

How wonderful is that? At this rate, we'll soon hear about Lotus and F1 too, and then it will be perfectly clear why the tires remain identical for everyone.😁

And who is to say when Red Bull Racing might decide to run their own tests...
Are you honestly suggesting, from a purely biased standpoint, that Red Bull Racing hasn't already done so? I find that hard to believe. Given the recent friction between them and Ferrari, they would likely be the first ones to kick up a massive fuss about it.

stormybadger8 said:If you go by the numbers, the odds are slim. And once you look at who’s actually sitting in those top three spots? They're practically non-existent.
Nico Rosberg.
Even if Mercedes weren't absolutely shredding their tires, a win would still be a massive stretch.
Look, Nico Rosberg has the absolute worst record when it comes to grid position versus where he actually finishes—we're talking a drop of 12 spots on average, plus two DNFs to boot. He was holding his own pretty well last year and he’s clearly in great form right now, so I can see him potentially grabbing a podium. But a win? Yeah, that’s a long shot.

Lewis Hamilton.
Not a chance.
He was great in Monaco, especially when things got unpredictable. If we’re talking about lost ground, he only slipped back twice in 2012—just by two spots. Looking at the big picture, he’s actually gained 11 positions in Monaco.
The only thing that actually looks like an issue is whatever's going on with the car at Virginia.

Mercedes needs to find more pace. They’re losing ground somewhere, and they need to figure out where those positions are slipping away.
Even if they try that double-stack strategy, they’re going to be the first ones stuck in a bottleneck at the pit lane. And then what? Where exactly are they supposed to go once they've lost their window?

I just hope it stays dry.🙂
Honestly, they aren't even in the same league as Ferrari. It’s really just those two guys close to Alonso who pose any kind of threat. Look, Monaco isn't exactly the place where you can go out there acting entitled or getting carried away with blind optimism. Everything is going to depend on how things actually play out on the track.

I’m not digging how close Perez got at the start either.

We’ll have to see how things actually play out during the race, but looking back at the discussions from the last three days, I’ve got a feeling everyone is going to opt for a two-stop strategy.
It just doesn't seem right otherwise; if that specific setup was truly faster, it would have been more efficient than when Fernando Alonso had to pull off those four stops in Barcelona.

Brian Campbell36 said:And who actually knows when Red Bull Racing ran their tests...
You really think Red Bull Racing didn't pull something? I don't buy it. They’d be making a massive scene about Ferrari right now if they had any reason to, given how things have been going between them lately.

Red Bull Racing definitely didn't.☕
If they were certain, they would've filed an official protest. They wouldn't just sit there and bite their own tails like that.
Now the FIA is stuck. They either have to penalize Mercedes and Pirelli, or basically admit that Mercedes gets special treatment compared to everyone else.
As for what Ferrari is doing—Niki Lauda is probably lying through his teeth, or nobody truly knew what was happening. If it were real, someone would've leaked it already, and you can bet other teams would've been filing complaints left and right.

Raymond Anderson4 said:We'll just have to wait and see how it plays out on race day—but honestly, based on everything I've read over the last three days, I'm getting the vibe that everyone's going for a two-stop strategy.
If that faster setup actually works, then it’d be just like when Fernando Alonso's four stops in Barcelona ended up being quicker than doing three.

I'm feeling the exact same way—trying to pull off a two-set tire strategy this year feels like a total pipe dream.

It’s honestly painful to watch. 🙂

stormybadger8 said:Red Bull Racing certainly isn't the one at fault here.☕
If there were actual proof, they wouldn't be wasting their time with an official protest, as doing so would essentially be digging their own grave...
Now the FIA is left with no choice but to either penalize Mercedes and Pirelli, or explicitly signal to everyone that Mercedes enjoys preferential treatment over the rest of the field.
As for the claims regarding Ferrari, Niki Lauda is likely being dishonest, or perhaps this was truly unknown to the public; if it were fact, it would have surfaced much sooner, and I can guarantee other teams would have already filed complaints.

That is undeniable... Every move Ferrari makes is scrutinized under a microscope...
It seems Lauda and his crew are opting for the path of least resistance, attempting to draw more teams into these irregularities so that everything can eventually be settled through a quiet compromise.

Here is the statement from Ross:

Team Boss Ross Brawn insists Mercedes have done nothing wrong:

"We'll have to wait and see what the stewards have to say. But our position is clear: We were approached by Pirelli to conduct a tyre test because they were very concerned about some of the problems they were having recently and they didn't feel the car they had been using was representative. In their agreement with the FIA, there is a provision to ask any team to do for a 622 miles test. We ran that past the FIA to make sure they were happy - and they were."

Jason Campbell70 said:Man, this is just painful to look at. It’s actually hurting my eyes. 🙂

Just fly the flag already. ☕

wiredcanyon39 said:Put the flag up. ☕

Done before most of you even rolled out of bed. ☕

Unbelievable. This guy is actually citing Gary Anderson. 🤣🙏

Brundle's grid walk.🙏
You’re standing right next to the car, getting ready to hop in, when you turn around and see Martin lunging at you, jamming his microphone straight up your right nostril.