OT: Racing 2012 (Spoiler Alert)

[toonarmy]

Grosjean suspended for 1 race and a fine of 50k euro. The concluded he's been involved in several 1 st incidents and was serious enough that someone could have been badly hurt. I'm sure taking out Capt. Morgan did him no favors with the stewards.

Not enough IMO. I love Lotus and Kimi, but Grosjean has way too many incidents. Today's was the straw that broke the camel's back. Taking out two championship contenders, including the man in first place, at the start of the race in an utterly senseless manner is ridiculous. Thank goodness he doesn't race IndyCar. He would kill half the field every time someone got within 5 feet of him.

[Gurantsu]

Just got home from another great weekend at the Grand Prix of Baltimore. Crowds were smaller than last year, which I guess is expected since it wasn't a definite go until just a few months ago. Still, it was a pretty good crowd, and things overall ran smoother.

Here's a couple of pictures. First, this was the view from our room:



The start-finish line is just in front of those two towers.

And of course, a picture of my favorite driver Rubens, with some other guys around him...



Right after I took that picture, they had the whole crowd sing happy birthday to Simona de Silvestro.

It was another great weekend of racing, and it's a no brainer that we'll go next year if they do it again.

[GB_Simo]

That looks incredibly cool, Grant, and that level of fan access is something you don't tend to get much of in the more Euro-centric major open wheel series. I've got to come and do one of these IndyCar races one day, hopefully the 500, hopefully as soon as I convince the good lady that houses are overrated and we should buy a static caravan instead.

Taking out two championship contenders, including the man in first place, at the start of the race in an utterly senseless manner is ridiculous.

Herein lies the problem. I don't suppose it'll end up being an issue, because somehow it never does, but the wording of the ruling that saw Grosjean banned rather suggests that they did it because of who was affected, not because of what he did. In the ruling, the stewards specifically cite the fact that Grosjean took out several "leading championship contenders". The offence is the same no matter who got taken out and that wording could set a very, very dangerous precedent.

In terms of the incident itself...I thought his effort at Monaco was worse in terms of overall driving standards. His mistake here was more destructive, yes, but in terms of outright driving I've seen worse, not just from Romain but from various other members of the grid, some of whom are Venezuelan.

Those who've got me on Facebook have already seen me say this: I think a message needs to be given, not just to Grosjean but to those in GP2, GP3, Formula 2 and wherever else who seem to think they can't be hurt in a racing car, that motor sport is dangerous and the standards of driving on show need to reflect the presence of that danger. If this helps to convey that message, then it's overdue - several years overdue, in my eyes - but it's a start. I'm not absolutely convinced that's why the stewards did it, mind, but if it helps, it helps...

[toonarmy]

I think Fernando was very diplomatic in the way he handled the incident, and made a very good point in mentioning that Grosjean has had a first-lap incident in 7 of the 12 races thus far. Something else to consider is his 2009 season, in which he took out the driver's points leader (Button) on the first lap at Spa, and drove recklessly that year as well. The problem with Grosjean is that he is very fast and shows flashes of brilliance, but that is combined with a below-average driver's IQ during races. He possesses a piss-poor decision-making mechanism in his head. Maldonado is in that club as well. The sport is dangerous enough when drivers are making well-reasoned judgements on the track, but when idiots like Grosjean and Maldonado are out there it makes for a much more dicey situation. One or two mistakes are understandable and can be forgiven since no driver is perfect. A major issue arises when drivers do not learn from their mistakes and their stupidity becomes a pattern.

[GB_Simo]

Fernando didn't separate involvement from responsibility, which he probably ought to have done - Romain was involved in Di Resta's incident at Silverstone, for example, and it'd be cock-eyed in the extreme to say he caused it - but it's a fact that Grosjean's having more than his fair share, isn't it?

There's perhaps a distinction to be made between him and Maldonado, in that Grosjean's lapses tend to take place on the first lap while Pastor's happen suddenly, without warning and with no obvious trigger. I wonder if Grosjean's are more about a desire to catch the eye after that very ordinary 2009 cameo - where better than the start to make up a bundle of places, after all - and Maldonado's more about the vacant area behind his eyes. Same outcome, yes, but going wheel to wheel with the Williams would make me much, much more nervous.

It's also tempting to wonder aloud why, if Grosjean hitting cars by accident merits a ban, Maldonado doing so deliberately on two separate occasions doesn't...

[Gurantsu]

It's also tempting to wonder aloud why, if Grosjean hitting cars by accident merits a ban, Maldonado doing so deliberately on two separate occasions doesn't...

Wow, for as much as Bernie hates NASCAR it seems they have more in common than he'd like to admit!

Sorry, I couldn't resist!

[pk500]

Grosjean suspended for 1 race and a fine of 50k euro. The concluded he's been involved in several 1 st incidents and was serious enough that someone could have been badly hurt. I'm sure taking out Capt. Morgan did him no favors with the stewards.

Not enough IMO. I love Lotus and Kimi, but Grosjean has way too many incidents. Today's was the straw that broke the camel's back. Taking out two championship contenders, including the man in first place, at the start of the race in an utterly senseless manner is ridiculous. Thank goodness he doesn't race IndyCar. He would kill half the field every time someone got within 5 feet of him.

A one-race ban is appropriate punishment considering the last ban to be issued by the FIA came in 1994, to Mika Hakkinen. There has been some atrocious driving that didn't receive such strict punishment in the last 18 years. I think Grosjean's amalgamation of errors warranted one race in the garage, but no more.

[GB_Simo]

Don't fall over with the shock or anything, but I've updated the blog.

For some words on the rocks in Pastor Maldonado's head, why I'm still not that fussed on Sergio Perez, confusion over which STR driver is which, some praise you absolutely won't have seen coming and the return of that recurring gag about Kimi Raikkonen's holiday home, please feel free to visit the usual place. Share your thoughts, tell your friends, all the usual.

Oh! As a bonus, I've also included a YouTube clip of that bit at Hockenheim in '82 where Nelson Piquet tries to chin Eliseo Salazar, which is always good for a laugh.

[GB_Simo]

This makes me smile very widely indeed. What a thoroughly inspirational man:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/disability-sport/19493510

[Gurantsu]

So whats the consensus on the combining of the ALMS and Grand Am series? I think it will make for a heck of a neat series, and it's very cool that the LeMans series in Europe is going to work with them to make sure that some teams can still qualify for the 24 Hours.

[GB_Simo]

You'll understand this, because you probably miss him as much as I do.

[pk500]

You'll understand this, because you probably miss him as much as I do.

LEGEND. An overused word that absolutely fit that Scottish madman.

I miss Burnsy, too.

[tjung0831]

Looking forward to the IRL race at Fontana tonight! Should be a great race to end the season! Cannot wait to get back to Iowa next season to see them race again! Such a great time!

[Gurantsu]

Great race. I could not believe Powers spin, and how close he came to taking Hunter-Reay out!

[pk500]

Will's head must be f*cked. The guy simply cannot deliver when it counts. Too bad -- he's a quality dude. But so is RHR. I really had no big rooting interest in this compelling duel because both guys are good dudes.

Not crazy about Barfield changing the rules mid-stream and throwing a red flag at the end to gin up the show. Maybe he announced that as a possibility in the drivers' meeting, but open-wheel racing normally doesn't resort to those parlor tricks to spice up the finish.

Superb race. Happy to see former USAC short-tracker Ed Carpenter earn the overlooked victory, too.

[Rodster]

Just thought i'd post some of the new photos of the McLaren P1.

[F308GTB]

Love the streets of Singapore. The on-board shots are great and even though the course may not be set up as the most entertaining for passing, it is great for the challenge it provides the drivers. Despite the tight roads there was some good passing today. Schumacher screwed up big time again. Perhaps it's time for him to retire a second time and for good. Massa's save was spectacular, as was his performance up to 8th, though I wouldn't hand him the keys to a Ferrari next year based on today. Poor luck for Lewis. He had the race in the bag.

[GB_Simo]

It seems odd that we're talking about Schumacher retiring when he's made fewer screw-ups this year than in his previous two comeback seasons and is currently outqualifying Nico Rosberg 8-6, but then last weekend's departure was a fairly impressive effort. It also ties in fairly neatly with this:

http://adamcooperf1.com/2012/09/27/hami ... on-friday/

Though Adam's suggestion that Herr Schumacher leaving Mercedes doesn't equate to Herr Schumacher leaving F1 is an interesting one...

Edited to fix my duff counting. Also to add that the Daily Telegraph report on a Perez deal with McLaren being announced as early as tomorrow.

[pk500]

Edited to fix my duff counting. Also to add that the Daily Telegraph report on a Perez deal with McLaren being announced as early as tomorrow.

That move fits very neatly into the rumors that Vettel already has signed to team with Alonso at Ferrari starting in 2014. It's absolutely silly for Di Montezemolo to say Perez isn't ready for Ferrari. Of course he is -- he's faster than Massa in an inferior car. Luca D said that because Vettel already is locked up for a long-term spot at Maranello.

So it only makes sense that Ferrari will keep Massa as a placeholder for 2013 or insert another driver willing to stay one season with the Scuderia, keeping the seat warm for Vettel. Someone like Kovalainen or Hulkenberg.

[pk500]

What about Schumacher to Sauber if he's willing to take a massive pay cut? His last stop before F1 was slightly more than a season in the World Sportscar Championship in 1990-91 in the Sauber-Mercedes.

Hmm ...

[toonarmy]

Pretty entertaining race at Suzuka early this morning. Alonso got in a bit of trouble with Raikkonen and found himself out of the race early on, which certainly makes the driver's championship more interesting. Webber called Grosjean a nutcase after the race. Normally I would agree with Webber, however I do not think Grosjean was entirely at fault in the incident with Webber. If Webber would learn how to keep pace in corners then he wouldn't have to worry about being hit from behind in tight quarters. Grosjean certainly bears some of the blame, but it sure wasn't as cut and dry as many of his antics this season. One thing is for sure, the guys on the grid have to be cringing any time they see Grosjean anywhere near them on the first lap. The most fun part of the race IMO was seeing Kobayashi on the podium. It's about time!

[GB_Simo]

The man himself seems quite content to take the blame:

"Ever since I came back in Singapore my priority has been to be very cautious at the start, and I was watching Sergio on my left to make sure there was no contact with him. There was quite a big speed difference between me and Mark as I came into the first corner which caught me by surprise and we collided. It was a stupid mistake. Mark came to see me after the race and was obviously not happy, but I apologised and we have to move on. We'll sit down and look at things again before the next race to see what we can do to improve these situations."

Mark was a little slower than the two cars ahead through the opening corners but I find it very difficult to argue that he was sufficiently slow to contribute to that accident - certainly the gap between Kobayashi and Webber didn't seem to grow enough to account for the contact. Grosjean looked to me as though he got so caught up in Perez, who had space to work with on the outside of the turn, that he just didn't consider the presence of Webber.

All the same, I find the vilification of Romain through today to be a bit excessive. It was clumsy, yes, but this particular crash is being magnified because of who triggered it, not how it happened.

[toonarmy]

Given how many stupid mistakes Grosjean has made this season I think that he's developed such a reputation that he's going to get the blame for about any incident he's in. At least the one today was somewhat understandable and forgivable, which is quite a departure from previous boneheaded moves he's made. I wish he was more competent in traffic because he's a hell of a driver when it's just him and the track and fun to watch.

Speaking of boneheaded moves, Tony Stewart made one of the most dangerous and dumb moves I've ever seen in NASCAR. I still respect what he's done over his career and think he's an awesome driver, but what a joke of a hypocrite he has become. All his bitching about reckless driving and blocking this year looks ridiculous now that he caused a 25-car pileup in a key race due to his ridiculous attempt at blocking today. Thank goodness car safety is where it is or else that wreck today could have been deadly. He needs to shut his piehole for the rest of his career about how bad every driver not named Tony Stewart is.

[pk500]

Given how many stupid mistakes Grosjean has made this season I think that he's developed such a reputation that he's going to get the blame for about any incident he's in. At least the one today was somewhat understandable and forgivable, which is quite a departure from previous boneheaded moves he's made. I wish he was more competent in traffic because he's a hell of a driver when it's just him and the track and fun to watch.

Speaking of boneheaded moves, Tony Stewart made one of the most dangerous and dumb moves I've ever seen in NASCAR. I still respect what he's done over his career and think he's an awesome driver, but what a joke of a hypocrite he has become. All his bitching about reckless driving and blocking this year looks ridiculous now that he caused a 25-car pileup in a key race due to his ridiculous attempt at blocking today. Thank goodness car safety is where it is or else that wreck today could have been deadly. He needs to shut his piehole for the rest of his career about how bad every driver not named Tony Stewart is.

Fair disclosure: I'm a Stewart fan. Here was his post-race quote:

"I just screwed up," Stewart said. "I turned down and cut across Michael and crashed the whole field. It was my fault, blocking and trying to stay where I was at. I was trying to win the race and I was trying to stay ahead of Matt there and Michael got a great run on the bottom and had a big head of steam, and when I turned down, I turned across the front of his car. Just a mistake on my part but cost a lot of people a bad day."

Smoke took full responsibility for the wreck. He drove like a fool and knew it.

And probably most of the elite drivers in the garage accepted Stewart's apology, considering the lunacy of plate racing at Talladega. Jeff Gordon did.

"The 55 (Waltrip) was coming hard (on the inside), and the 13 (Casey Mears) I believe was pushing him," Gordon said. "They were going to go right by him, and he just made a late move, and, unfortunately, he turned himself and caused a big wreck.

"But when you look at the bigger picture, is that what really caused it? Because with this type of racing and the way the aerodynamics are and the power of these cars, that's what happens. When you lose momentum, you lose a ton. You're going backwards in such a hurry and the other guys are coming forward with so much momentum, it's inevitable that those types of things are going to happen.

"You're trying to judge making that move, but it's almost impossible to judge it because they're coming so fast. That's aerodynamics, that's power, and that's just the nature of the type of racing that we have right now at Talladega.

"Tony is a guy who takes blame for things, and you've got to respect him for that, but I think there's a little more to it."

[GB_Simo]

Would anyone care to venture a guess as to what the hell this is about?

http://whatwillkimidonext.com/