Massa & Kubica last lap battle.. On Board Video!

[shhh]

Pure class.. got me interested in F1 again!

http://www.motorsportmad.com/view/23...of-japanese-gp

[Hazard]

It's pretty incredible. Never giving each other racing room either - usually what would be called dirty racing and almost incident certain - just proves wet gravel/grass can provide decent run off areas.

Still, a fantastic tussle.

[Piglet]

Pretty incredible!! How they didn't rub wheels and launch each other I don't know!

There seemed to be more grip off the track though!

[shhh]

Here it is from an outside camera angle

http://www.motorsportmad.com/view/23...tle-japan-2007

[Born Racer]

There has been much said about how the constructors championship penalty for McLaren situation is sad. However it has inadvertently produced a wonderful situation whereby things like this occur- neither Ferrari's nor McLaren's drivers had to think about this championship, thus you have (well in Massa's case by this point he knew he was out of the drivers championship running anyway) the drivers able to race for the sake of the race and not the long-haul more careful approach of thinking about the championship.

And how about the battle between Hamilton and Alonso? They certainly haven't had to think about the constructors championship and talk about "us" so much anymore. Although I notice Hamilton still seems to make a point of saying that the team did a great job!

[Bononi]

Wonderful battle, worth watching the race till the end.

[btcckid]

just like dijon 1979!
great battle-what formula 1 should be!

[Kirk]

Incredible battle and Massa topped it off at the end by retaining the edge, when it looked like he was nowhere. A little bit nasty but both coming out unscathed makes it all ok.

Oh, and kudos for some excellent coverage to catch that on TV. Usually it would have been lost with Kimi and Kova, ahead, fighting for 2nd .

[JeremySmith]

Just great stuff..It is racing like this that makes F1 special..

[shiny side up!]

That was quite dirty on both drivers' parts, although I think there were more dirty moves from Massa in the battle than Kubica. Exciting, yes, but shoving eachother off the track is not really fair play.

[willb]

the onboard shows massa passing kubica, kubica repassing massa, massa going inside and forcing kubica out, kubica getting back on and forcing massa off, massa forcing kubica off, and then kubica forcing massa off. seems pretty even. heard they shook hands afterwards so it doesn't seem that they were mad at each other. looked like a great fight.

[Hepatic]

yeah, both as dirty as each other tbh but considering the conditions and it was the last lap, i'd let 'em go for just giving us some cracking "door banging" action for once

[Super Hans]

I think both drivers slightly over-stepped the mark, but hey, they'd both had difficult races and they'd both been given drive-through penalites. Who can blame them for letting off steam with a good old-fashioned scrap for position?

[NAC]

"door banging" action Did these boys think they were driving tin tops.

Nice to see a superb battle. I am amazed they both held it together

[Bononi]

Dirty, not very "legal", whatever.

One thing they are: racers.

[bestfit]

Interestingly the battle wouldn't have made it past the first corner if there were gravel traps instead of the much maligned tarmac runoff areas.

[johnh875]

What a great fight, certainly came as a bit of surprise but a very welcome one. It was good to see the drivers showing such spirit and determination, a real contrast to what we have come to expect in F1, ie "I won't pass him, I'll wait for the pitstops". When you look at it in context of the tarmac run-off areas (as discussed in the main thread on the race) they weren't effectively knocking each other off the track. The fact they acknowledged each other after the race is significant also.

[djb]

its more of the new fad of 2007 (thanks to tarmac runoffs) of forcing another driver off the track.

"You say potehtoe, I say potahtoe" it really was a tit for tat force-off back and forth, although it looked like Massa did the first one, prompting the return favor from Kubica--which I can understand more than initiating it ("oh yeah you s.o.b, you want to play like that, here take this...)

1979 did not involve this sort of absolute forcing off the track, this wasn't pretty and them shaking hands for me doesnt make it fine, as deliberate pushing off aint cool in my books.

[Chatters]

This is the kind of racing we need to see more often! Formula 1 cars going "door to door" fighting for position. Sadly it will probably only happen in the wet, where those who believe they can go faster can...

[Fiorentina 1]

very cool!

[JamesH]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

Just great stuff..It is racing like this that makes F1 special..

Er, you mean the sort of racing you see every weekend at a Clubman meeting? In the dry.....

[ljakse]

After Massa pulled that first 'illegall' move I thought 'faul', but then KUbica returned... so I guess it's OK...

I mean, if Kubica didn't do the same, he'd make an official complain, and Massa would probably get penalized (no need to favour Ferrari now ).

BTW, yesterday afternoon on TV here they showed movie 'Ferrari' - near the end, there's footage of Dijon '79, and still, that looks far more racing than this Massa/Kubica...

[spider]

Both drivers enjoyed it, was like a kart race. Great stuff...

[Kirk]

I hope Lewis and Fernando don't see the replay.

[Wrex]

Hmm how odd. It was shocking driving by both, but brilliant at the same time.

Both should be penalised for dirty driving, and a parade thrown for each.

PS It was not like Dijon though, they never forced each other the road, always leaving a 'little' racing room. Was as exciting to watch though