Trip Report: Canada (Montreal) - June 8, 2008

Robert Kubica pulled it off. I’m not totally sold on all the arguments flying around, but let’s be real—it was pretty obvious that BMW Sauber wanted him to take the win. I mean, if Nick Heidfeld had won, nothing really changes for the standings, right? But by letting Kubica go through, he jumps into the lead and suddenly has a much better shot at grabbing more podiums than Nick ever would have. It feels like Nick was basically the sacrificial lamb here. Don't get me wrong, I’m a massive fan of BMW as a whole, but they had to make this call for the good of the entire team. So, I’m actually on the same page as Edward Howard2 on this one. Nick needed to secure that advantage for Robert, which is exactly what happened. There’s just a much higher probability that Robert will be back on that podium scoring points at the next race compared to Nick.

It was a smart move, sure, but I wouldn't exactly call it a "fair" decision by the Sauber team. But hey, that’s just how the game is played. In the end, there’s only room for one winner at the top.

neonharbor18 said:It’s honestly bizarre to me how Kimi Räikkönen and Robert Kubica were positioned right next to each other. Given how Lewis Hamilton drives, I’m surprised he didn't slam straight into Kimi the second those lights went green during the pit exit. Honestly, they probably would have totaled both cars trying to squeeze past one another.🤷 It just feels wrong seeing them lined up like that at the signal. Is that even legal?😕

Looks like you've missed a few races if you haven't seen this yet. 🙄

David Smith4 said:Robert Kubica took the win. I don't buy every single excuse they throw out there, but it’s pretty obvious that be BMW Sauber wanted him on top. If Nick Heidfeld wins, nothing really changes for the championship hunt. But with Robert winning, he jumps to first in the standings and honestly has a much better shot at more podiums than Nick does. Heidfeld was basically the sacrificial lamb. I feel bad because I'm a huge fan of BMW in general, but they had to pull the trigger for the good of the whole squad. So, I'm with Edward Howard2 on this one. Heidfeld had to play backup to secure Robert's lead, and that's exactly what happened. There's just a way higher chance that Robert lands another podium and grabs those points next race compared to Nick.

It was a smart, if not exactly fair move by the Sauber team. But hey, that's just how Formula 1 works. There's only room for one winner at the top.

Well, there you have it. 👏
I seriously don't get why some people aren't seeing this...

Why on earth would you feel bad about something being unfair?😕
Do you really think Ferrari felt bad for Irvine, Barrichello, or Massa all those years? Or do you think McLaren fans felt bad when they grabbed the title last year through spying?🙄
Nobody feels sorry for anyone as long as it gets them results and championship trophies.

Henry Sanchez64 said:What do you mean Robert Kubica? When has he actually won a race? When? Where? Against who?
So yeah, quit talking nonsense, both you and this other guy.👍

Just ten days ago, I stumbled upon some "expert" response to a post about how Robert Kubica might actually pull off a win.
😂😂😂

Edward Howard2 said:

It seems like we're just focusing on how Kimi Räikkönen had already crossed the line by the time he lost control, and the fact that there wasn't any room to maneuver around a semi-truck on the left side. 🤣

I think Robert Kubica had actually already come to a stop, whereas Kimi was still in the middle of braking during that exact moment of contact. I mean, if you're asking me, it feels like it would have been incredibly difficult—maybe even impossible, really—to bring a car like that to a complete halt in such a tiny fraction of a second without clipping the line.☕

neonharbor18 said:Robert Kubica had already come to a halt, while Kimi Räikkönen was still braking during that split second of contact. And yet, you’re trying to tell me he could have just slammed on the brakes in that exact microsecond to avoid crossing the line? I honestly think it would have been nearly impossible to stop that car in time without overshooting the mark. Is it really even realistic to expect that kind of precision under those circumstances?☕

It looks to me like he was actually debating whether or not he should pull into the pits... Lewis Hamilton didn't seem puzzled at all; he simply reached the conclusion that staying out was the right call.

I’ve been sitting here staring at this footage from the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix, and I can't help but feel a sense of profound melancholy. It is one of those moments in racing history that stays with you, isn't it? You watch the chaos unfold, and there is this heavy realization that everything is about to shift. Watching Robert Kubica navigate those conditions—it was masterful, truly. But even when you perform at that level, the sport has a way of throwing a wrench in your plans. One minute you are looking at a potential podium or even a win, and the next, you are left wondering what might have been. Does anyone else find themselves dwelling on those "what if" scenarios long after the engines have cooled? It makes you think about the sheer unpredictability of it all. We crave order and logic, yet Formula 1 thrives on the exact opposite. It’s a beautiful, frustrating mess. What do you all think? Was it just bad luck for the drivers involved, or is this simply the nature of the beast?

neonharbor18 said:Robert Kubica had already come to a halt, while Kimi Räikkönen was still braking during that split second of contact. And you honestly think he could have stopped the car in that microsecond without crossing the line? I find it hard to believe he could have timed a stop perfectly without stepping over it.☕

So, what’s the takeaway here?

Did Kimi cross the line?No way!...until Lujis gave him that shove.
Does Kimi being that close to the finish line somehow clear Lewis Hamilton?Not a chance!

Jason Campbell70 said:So, what's the real takeaway here?

I mean, did Kimi actually cross the line?NO!, not until Lujis gave him that shove.
And does the fact that Kimi was right there on the edge somehow excuse Lujis's actions?ABSOLUTELY NOT!

1. That's true, though I suppose he probably would have cleared it even without the nudge, so that part holds up.
2. I'm completely with you on this one;👍he's the one at fault, plain and simple.👎

neonharbor18 said:Exactly. He would have cleared them regardless. It's just the truth.

Did you see that? He passed her without Lewis Hamilton even making contact. Seriously?

He was inching toward the line at a snail's pace. He was only a few dozen centimeters away when Lewis Hamilton tagged him from behind. If you consider that an F1 car traveling at 200 km/h needs roughly 35 meters to brake, and we’re looking at a speed about twenty times slower than that... wouldn't Kimi Räikkönen have managed to stop before the line?

If Lewis Hamilton had decided to pull up or just steer clear of Kimi Räikkönen, he would have done it. You can count on that.😉.

Good grief, Massa... that guy.🤣Can he really pull off a sharp maneuver at over 150 mph to dodge the leader on the home stretch? Meanwhile, the runner-up can't even sidestep another car at 40 mph. Is there actually any room left on the track? It seems like there's plenty of space out there if you know how to take it.

Frank Collins85 said:It honestly looks to me like he was just debating whether he actually needed to stop or not... I don't think Lewis Hamilton was surprised at all; he just seemed to decide in the moment that staying on track was the way to go:

http://www.natelki.net/video/8141/pi...-montreal-2008

Personally, I don't really care about that part. What really matters to me is how Sebastian Vettel 😉 flies past Kimi Räikkönen, Lewis Hamilton, and Nico Rosberg all in one single, high-speed move😬

Vettel 🙏🙏🙏

neonharbor18 said:I honestly don't care about any of that. All that matters is how Sebastian Vettel 😉 blew past Kimi Räikkönen, Lewis Hamilton, and Nico Rosberg in one single move. 😬

Sebastian Vettel 🙏🙏🙏

That was pure Bourdais style.☕

Edward Howard2 said:I don't get why you'd feel bad about someone being dishonest.😕
Do you honestly think Ferrari felt sorry for Barrichello, Barichel, or Felipe Massa all those years? Or that McLaren would have cared if they won last year's championship through spying?🙄

Is this funny, pathetic, or just plain tragic?
It’s the same old story. Every time someone tries to claim Michael Schumacher only got his points, wins, or heaven forbid, his championships, because guys like Barrichello were ordered to step aside.

Pathetic. Just pathetic.
As if the universe revolved around Barrichello. Give me a break.

Take a look at the actual stats from MSC's career and tell me—seriously—how many "handouts" he actually received in your eyes?

Look, I only said one single time that Kubica was going to take the win, and I said it before this race even started, so nobody can come at me and claim I've got zero foresight. 🙏,
And honestly, his brother Robert is definitely next in line too

Jason Campbell70 said:Did you see how he passed her without Lewis slamming into him? NO.

He was crawling toward the line, and he was still a good few feet away when Lewis clipped him from behind. Look, if an F1 car doing 125 mph needs about 115 feet to stop, and we’re talking about speeds twenty times slower than that here, I'm pretty sure Kimi could have stopped before the line.

Besides, if Lewis had actually decided to brake or just avoid Kimi, he would've. Believe me on that one😉.

For God's sake, Felipe Massa (yeah, THAT Massa🤣) can dodge a flying hat at over 150 mph right on the starting grid, yet the runner-up can't avoid another car going 40 mph? There was more than enough room to miss him

I think the car reacts way faster to 124 miles, than it does slowing down from 50 miles

Robert Reed5 said:I honestly feel like the car reacts way faster to 124 miles, rather than actually picking up speed coming out of 50 miles

👍

I mean, where on earth was Lewis Hamilton looking while he was driving from his pit box to where those two guys were standing? He definitely had enough time to notice them sitting there...

Robert Reed5 said:I think the car reacts way faster to 124 miles than it actually picks up speed from 50 miles

Exactly—screw physics, kinetic energy, and all that other nonsense. F1 clearly operates on its own set of rules, far above those stupid laws of nature. 😵

rowdytrucker72 said:I mean, where was Hamilton even looking while he was driving from his pit box to where those two were standing? He definitely had enough time to see them there.

Who knows—maybe he was checking his watch, staring at the crowd, or maybe he just thought Mass was still back in the pits with Raikkonen...

Those "slow" speeds can get sketchy fast—one second you glance sideways and boom, you're in trouble.

Hamilton is totally at fault and that's that—everyone saw it happen except for him. Now he’s trying to pull this nonsense where he blames Raikkonen just because he was standing next to the side of the Mercedes instead of directly behind it. Honestly, he has every right to stand wherever he was standing since there aren't even any rules telling him otherwise. You always, and I mean always, keep your eyes glued to that light!
his stupid excuses are🤮

Robert Reed5 said:I honestly feel like the car handles the much more sharply when it comes to 124 miles, rather than just picking up speed from 50 miles

Look, if you ask me, the response time is definitely faster 👍