Australian Grand Prix 2018: Grand Prix Weekend Thread

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by F1Guy

If we are going to discuss being consistent on penalties, what happened to the penalty for Raikkonen for what he did to Bottas??

The consistency comes not in the differing nature of incidents, but in the application of penalty for similar incidents.

Ricciardo's obvious transgression is different to an incident requiring judgment calls.

[FAS33]

my man Dan can start 45th and still win this race.

put your house on it.

[E.B]

Well it is very wet at the moment and from the state of the sky the rain is set in for the day. Im only a few klms from the track so it wont be different there.

[E.B]

All the support races have been started behind the SC.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

It's a safety issue Not race advantage issue. Fines mean nothing to deep pockets. Grid penalties hurt. I think is not a bad idea to make an example out of someone. However, now they need to be consistent on that penalty.

No one is denying this is a safety issue but grid penalties are usually dished out because of a technical infringement, that could give a team and driver an advantage, like a new gearbox or engine.

This was in free practice.

[tux]

Whats with the fake noise being played in the background of the support race coverage. V8 Supercars had the ambient sound of a TCR race during replays and onboards. Some random V8 during the GT race.

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

No one is denying this is a safety issue but grid penalties are usually dished out because of a technical infringement, that could give a team and driver an advantage, like a new gearbox or engine.

This was in free practice.

Here is a quote from this page which speaks to on track behavior and resulting penalties. Note, these are not about technical regulation infringement. Penalties range up to and beyond grid penalties...

https://www.formula1.com/en/champion...penalties.html

In extreme cases stewards may choose to enforce tougher penalties. They can drop a driver any number of grid positions at the next Grand Prix; impose time penalties; reprimand a driver; exclude a driver from the results; or suspend a driver from the next race.

The offense happened during the event. Safety rules are not suspended during practice. I would say they felt it was serious and gave him a grid penalty for the next race (which happens to be days away).

We complain about drivers not slowing when they should. We point fingers at someone like Bianchi as having a hand in his own death by not slowing when he should have. Clearly they are sending a message to the teams and drivers...

There is no wiggle room here. Play outside the boundaries of this area at your own peril.

Richard

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

Here is a quote from this page which speaks to on track behavior and resulting penalties. Note, these are not about technical regulation infringement. Penalties range up to and beyond grid penalties...

https://www.formula1.com/en/champion...penalties.html



The offense happened during the event. Safety rules are not suspended during practice. I would say they felt it was serious and gave him a grid penalty for the next race (which happens to be days away).

We complain about drivers not slowing when they should. We point fingers at someone like Bianchi as having a hand in his own death by not slowing when he should have. Clearly they are sending a message to the teams and drivers...

There is no wiggle room here. Play outside the boundaries of this area at your own peril.

Richard

When was the last time a driver was given a grid penalty in a free practice session?

[F1Guy]

The penalty options should be opened up further. The options they have now simply take away from the core reason we as fans have an interest, and why we all watch the sport of F1, that being for the racing. You take away a key contender/top driver by placing him further down the grid (specially for a transgression that was not deserving of a grid drop), you take away the spectacle of the racing, in turn the race is negatively effected, and that effects the fans interest in F1.

Did Ricciardo deserve a penalty? Yes. But dropping him further down the grid is not the answer. The penalty options should be opened up to give the stewards the option to deduct points from his championship too. That and the 2 points DR lost from his license would hurt him enough, and would have been a fairer outcome IMO. Add a monetary fine from his race fees if that is an available option as well. But please, do not hand out grid penalties for such a minor driving transgression, that was very much unintentional (unlike Bianchi who was speeding intentionally!!). It takes away from the spectacle of the sport.

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

When was the last time a driver was given a grid penalty in a free practice session?

I have no idea and IMHO, it frankly doesn’t matter. I think a better question is when was the last time this rule was broken in free practice (which I also have no idea about). Maybe it’s a first?

Quick point to make. I feel that a number of posts I have made today (or recently) seem particularly argumentative or at odds with long standing members. I just wanted to say that it’s just a passionate discussion and there is no ill will intended. I will try to find something cheerful or positive to post before the end of this race weekend!

Cheers!

Richard

[Richard C]

To F1guys’s post above. I agree that they should have more options. But the penalty should hurt. I have zero faith in the typical financial penalty that is given for driver infractions.

I also have nothing against Ricciardo. I don’t think he was trying to be dangerous or reckless, but rather he was the unfortunate soul who inadvertently selected himself to be used as an example for others. It’s also unfortunate it was his home GP.

Let’s say they have decided to crack down on this. If they let Ricciardo slide on this one (popular with the crowd, etc), but then brought the hammer down on the next guy... everyone would point to the inconsistent application of the rules.

Richard

[Go Harder.]

Local weather HERE

Should be dry for the remainder of P3

[JHamilton]

I hate to beat on about it, and hopefully I wont even see it in a few races, but the halo kind of ruins in the in-car shots.

[bathurst77]

Wish they would put the car number on the halo to make it easier to work out who you are riding with

[275 GTB-4]

Shock Horror!! Water has got into the electrics of the Starters Box and the LIGHTS wont work, Porsche Carrera Cup up cars starting under Safety Car...what are we gunna do!!!??? I know!!

WAVE A FLAG!!

[starting procedure is raise the Countrys Flag after several countdown boards...wait 5 seconds then "drop it"]

[F1Guy]

Originally Posted by 275 GTB-4

Shock Horror!! Water has got into the electrics of the Starters Box and the LIGHTS wont work

Apparently, it was all tested during pre-season testing and Charlie had a solution fabricated and installed at the 11th hour (literally, it was still being worked on at 11pm on Thursday night!) and approved just in time for the first race of the season!!????

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by F1Guy

Apparently, it was all tested during pre-season testing and Charlie had a solution fabricated and installed at the 11th hour (literally, it was still being worked on at 11pm on Thursday night!) and approved just in time for the first race of the season!!????

Brilliant!! I'm so glad Charlie don't design safety critical systems like you find in aircraft and space shuttles etc

[rpolinski]

Hmmm, Toro Rosso. First indication that McLaren made the right choice?

[Skam85]

Big hit by Bottas! Dark clouds looming...little bit of a red flag period, this could be an exciting Q3!

[btracing82]

Does anybody have a video or link of Bottas' crash? I lost TV signal right before and only got it back with 6 minutes left.

NVM found it should have looked harder

[Moneyseeker]

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

To F1guys’s post above. I agree that they should have more options. But the penalty should hurt. I have zero faith in the typical financial penalty that is given for driver infractions.

I also have nothing against Ricciardo. I don’t think he was trying to be dangerous or reckless, but rather he was the unfortunate soul who inadvertently selected himself to be used as an example for others. It’s also unfortunate it was his home GP.

Let’s say they have decided to crack down on this. If they let Ricciardo slide on this one (popular with the crowd, etc), but then brought the hammer down on the next guy... everyone would point to the inconsistent application of the rules.

Richard

Just to add perspective, they threw the red flag to investigate a loose cable, there was no stricken car or marshalls on track.

Sent from my SM-T310 using Tapatalk

[Ospi]

Originally Posted by Moneyseeker

Just to add perspective, they threw the red flag to investigate a loose cable, there was no stricken car or marshalls on track.

Sent from my SM-T310 using Tapatalk

There wasn't really any other option for that situation though. A timing cable which is well grounded elsewhere down it's length can be quite dangerous if it finds itself between passing wishbones.

[Hammerdown]

Originally Posted by rpolinski

Hmmm, Toro Rosso. First indication that McLaren made the right choice?

Or looking at it another way, McLaren are in about the same position as they were at the end of last year. :-)

[Hammerdown]

Rules should never be an exercise in beaurocracy. They have an aim and a purpose, and if that is complied with then all well and good. To argue over a few percent either way is ridiculous. He slowed down and presented no danger, as the stewards noted. Spirit of the law is always more important than the letter.

[E.B]

FWIW Danny Ric was given a lenient penalty.... the offence carries a 5 place penalty but because he made the effort it was reduced to 3 places.

As for Bottas one would imagine he will need a new gearbox which will put him starting in 15th rather than his current 10th, if that is the case.