P100 in F3 homologation row

[Junior Senior]

The Oulton P100 fire truck is in the official results in MN today, looking at the reg plate, should it have been in the scholarship class?

[noweels]

ooh but who was the driver?

[El_Gibleto]

Obviously he was "optically challenged" if he drove straight into a stationary F3 car!

Sounds like he has a furture as an observer or race steward!

[woody148uk]

THE FAULT WAS NOT OF THE P100 IT WAS THE F3 HE HAD ALREADY BEEN HIT BY ANOTHER F3 DUE TO HIM STALLING IN THE FIRST PLACE

[bella]

no need to shout

but yes. piquet had been hit by thompson (who has a habit of driving into stopped cars - isn't that the second this year??), and he was pulling off, but the firetruck mis-guessed which way.

apparently.

[woody148uk]

no the fire truck was taking avoiding action by going down the right side against pit wall because the rescue unit was on his left and piquet came across in front of him we new f3 drivers never use mirrors

[Mathias]

Oi! Bella!

"a habit of driving into stopped cars" is hardly fair on our boy Andrew! Two incidents ain't exactly a habit... that's almost as bad as one of the commentators on F3on4 who said, when Nelson won the first race at Silverstone something to the effect of "...and Nelson continues his winning streak by winning his second race in succession..."

Anyway, Andrew was unsighted on both occasions. So there.

[bella]

oh and i suppose 2 is a coincidence but 3 is a habit?

[Mathias]

Well, it's alright to kiss a nun, but don't get into the habit...

I'll get me coat.

[429CJ]

P100 fire truck? Do you mean Ford P100, that portuguese made, Sierra nosed pick-up?

[Muppet]

Yeah, 80's style Sierra nose in a mid pale blue colour, go faster stripe (I think) and now a black felt pen drawing of an F3 car with #33 written next to it.

Definitely a hit'n'run accident. Maybe the crew thought Piquet Snr was going to jump over the pit wall and lynch them... until they remembered he was away at Goodwood that day.

[Muppet]

Having seen the TV footage it seems strange that neither the Rescue and Fire Truck slowed down sufficiently to check that Piquet was OK after being hit by Thompson.

Piquet did the right thing by moving the car over to the right hand side. He would have been slated if he had just parked it in the middle of the track and hopped out.

[paulzinho]

D'oh, I keep missing the TV coverage.

[Mathias]

STUPID!!!

Neither the rescue nor the fire truck needed to slow down to check that Piquet was alright cos he (a) had been waving his hands like a maniac, and then (b) was actually driving his car!!!

Having seen the TV footage myself, it was clear that, firstly, Andrew only slightly clipped Piquet's car - it was hardly a massive shunt, although it did do some damage to both their cars, but it didn't slow Andrew down at all or knock him into a spin or anything. Piquet remained where he was - stalled on the grid - but just managed to start the car as the fire truck and rescue vehicle were bearing down on him.

Like the complete idiot that he is, however, and without indicating his intention to do so, he pulled over to the side of the track directly into the line of the fire truck which was doing what it was supposed to be doing, i.e. following as fast as was practicable the pack into the first corner - ready in case anyone had a REAL accident.

And Piquet pulling over would only have been the right thing for Piquet to do in any situation if he had checked behind him for oncoming traffic.



Pah! and Bah!

[Muttley]

Having now seen the footage, I have to ask, Why did the fire truck think it would fit between the F3 and the pit-wall? Even if Piquet had stayed where he was, it would have been a tight manouever for the truck to pull off at speed he was going.

[DSM]

I'm sorry guys but I thought the Fire Truck was well inside and had the line when Piquet turned in on him. If it had come off we'd have all been saying 'what a great overtaking move!' and so on but becuase there was a collision we have to find someone to blame. Can't we agree it was just a racing incident?!

[Mathias]

Muttley - what drugs are you on? Piquet was stationary in the middle of the circuit just in front of his grid position when the fire truck had to make the choice of either jinking left and risking a tussle with the rescue vehicle, or going to the right into the ENORMOUS gap between Piquet and the wall, when Half-Nelson just takes it into his head to drive at the wall.

And DSM? Yeah, let's just call it a racing incident, because it's Piquet. No: let's call a spade a garden implement for digging with shall we?

[DSM]

If you read what I said Mathias, you will see, instantly I would hope that I was joking! Unless I missed sonething and the truck was actually in the race?

[Muttley]

Mathias, when Piquet stalled on the line, he managed to get the car re-started and after being hit, pulled the car to his right, the fire truck then went into this gap, a tight gap between the car and the wall. Perhaps you should re-watch the footage.

Were you there? if so Where were you stood? startline?Pitwall?? I'm not going to continue this in an open forum, just let it drop, each person sees things differently, If you want to continue this please PM me.

And what what has Piquet done to you to deseve your vitriol in numerous posts?

[Mathias]

Don't like 'im.

[Muppet]

Have you actually met him? He really is a nice bloke.

[paulzinho]

So just because you dont like someone....for whatever reason, you feel a reason to discredit him for ANYTHING he does, thats what it seems like anyway.... Come off it!

[Piglet]

Ok, I've stayed out of this until now.

My opinion: Having seen the footage I think it would have been tight for the fire truck to get through the gap between Piquet and the pit wall even if Piquet hadn't of moved. Oulton has a two by two grid for F3 unlike the most other circuits.

The rear facing camera on Piquet's car shows that the chase vehicles had a good amount of run up to the stalled car after the rest of the F3 cars including Thompson had passed it. IMO it would have been more sensible for the fire truck to back off slightly and to follow the rescue unit on the wider side of the track.

Race starts are exactly the time where incidents happen, cars stall and drivers then either get the car going again and leave the grid; or they will attempt to get the car off of the racing line to get into a slightly safer position. I don't think it is unusual or unforseeable that Piquet moved the car. I don't think it is for Piquet to signal his intention to move the car, he's in a race car, the rest of the grid has left and I'm not sure that there is much of a need for mirror, signal, manoevour.

The alternative of course is that Piquet may have just got out of the car and made for the pit wall - that's an alternative that just doesn't bear thinking about.....

Matthias, I think some of us are out for reasoned debate rather than a slanging match. This is an incident that mercifully ended with no injuries. It is better that it is discussed in a sensible manner, perhaps as something that could be learnt from not just used as a stick to beat people with.

[Junior Senior]

I only started this as bit of a joke..........BLOODY LIGHTEN UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lager]

I was fortunate to see the whole episode unfold in front of my eyes and basically after Nelsinho stalled( obviously in 2nd gear not 1st) he then tried to get moving and moved some 5mtrs forward indicating that all was well to the driver of the now legendary P100 unfortunately Nelsinho not being aware that he was still !! in 2nd gear stalled again and then trying to do the right thing moved to the safe side of the track ( he hoped ) the poor old P100 driver tried valiantly to avoid him but it was too late! Hey Ho **** happens.