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Drago

Legendary Member
I think Russell.

Bottas did move across, but it was minimal and there was a good bitnof space remaining - he he wasn't being reckless. Russell misread what was going ro happen next, thinking Bottas was going to keep closing and moved over in anticipation of a continuing move that never came. Bottas is generally a clean racer and backed off, but by then Russell was on the grass and that was that. Watching it in slo mo shows there was always well over a cars width available up the inside, perhaps as much as a metre or more than a cars width, so the idea Russell was promulgating that he was squeezed off the track is laughable.

Remember as well that the business with defending mid overtake is gentlemans agreement, and not FIA sporting regulations. Even then, Bottas didn't aggressively defend by forcing anyone off - that was Russells own doing.

Also Russell's subsequent behaviour was ungentlemanly and reprehensible. Bottas was winded and battered, but for all Russell knew he could have been properly hurt and all Russell could do is gob off. No one expects another driver to start performing lifemsaving surgery, but in the event that Russell had stood there swearing at a severely injured or dying man then that would be the end of his career. That was neither the time nor the place.

Toto Wolff isn't happy with the whole thing and the subsequent expense for Mercedes when there is a cost cap in place - Wolff reckons the expense means the team will not be ablemto introducesome of their upgeades now necause that would put them over budget. Wolff, who manages both me, has described some of Russells post race comments on the matter as "bollocks". I suspect this incident alone won't keep Russell from a Mercedes contract next year, but another one like it, followed by more ungentlemanly and PR negative conduct, might well be enough to do his own legs.

They talk about their racing instincts and the drivers blood being up, but thats bollards - these guys are the masters of self control and discipline. Russell gobbed off because it was in his nature to do so, and because he wanted to, and for no other reason,
 
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Reynard

Reynard

Guru
Five years on the engineering side of the sport, a decade as a photographer and journalist plus the time I've subsequently spent as an archivist has shown me all too often that racing drivers will throw the toys out of the pram on a regular basis if things aren't going their way. They're all far too competitive for their own good because they all want to win. (Or score points, beat their team mate etc.)

The very best drivers tend to be arrogant, ruthless, self-centered pillocks with a complete absence of a moral compass. It's rare that they're not.

There are times when you tiptoe around the garages, paddock and pit lane at your peril. DAMHIKT.
 
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Location
Kent Coast
I watched the end of Formula E from Valencia. I have also watched highlights of the previous round (Rome?) on a street circuit.
1) Which do you prefer? Street circuit or "adapted race track"? It seemed to me that there was more scope for racing and overtaking on the latter, where mistakes did not necessarily end up with a car hitting a barrier.

2) What a fiasco at the finish! I really don't understand why the organisers feel the need to artificially reduce the amount of battery power left in a car because it has been held behind a safety car. In my simple world, whatever battery you have got left is whatever battery you have got left to beat the rest with. If that means you have the power to drive a few red hot laps in the closing stages of a race, then good!
 
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Reynard

Reynard

Guru
Mistakes ended up with cars beached in the gravel - which amounts to the same thing.

The power reduction has always been a thing in Formula E with the 2nd generation cars. I don't recall it with the gen 1 cars, but then they needed to switch cars halfway through the race as the batteries weren't big enough to last.

Energy management and the strategy of energy management has always been a part of this formula - it's why the majority of the good drivers come from the world of endurance racing, as they have to do similar with the fuel allocation. The point is, that if they didn't reduce the energy, you take away the whole tactical aspect.

Usually it's not an issue, but when someone gets the maths wrong, it kind of implodes.
 
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Deleted member 26715

Guest
Just watched race 1, what a F'ing joke, how to spoil a good race, the cars looked like they belongs there, apart from the stupid chicane on the start finish straight that was the best racing I've ever seen them do. But to play with charge levels after being behind the safety car WTF! if they were petrol cars you wouldn't pull them over & take fuel out.
 

icowden

Veteran
Location
Surrey
Energy management and the strategy of energy management has always been a part of this formula - it's why the majority of the good drivers come from the world of endurance racing, as they have to do similar with the fuel allocation. The point is, that if they didn't reduce the energy, you take away the whole tactical aspect.

I'm with Phaeton - you wouldn't take petrol out of an F1 car, why reduce the charge in an FE car? It makes no sense. If you benefit from a safety in F1 you conserve petrol and have more to attack with.
 
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Deleted member 26715

Guest
I'm with Phaeton - you wouldn't take petrol out of an F1 car, why reduce the charge in an FE car? It makes no sense. If you benefit from a safety in F1 you conserve petrol and have more to attack with.
Or as they do in BTCC extend the race length
But is it any more daft than the joker loop in rallycross?
Although it's daft at least they know at the beginning they have to do it & factor it in.this seems to have just been sprung on them
 
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Reynard

Reynard

Guru
Or as they do in BTCC extend the race length

Although it's daft at least they know at the beginning they have to do it & factor it in.this seems to have just been sprung on them

No, it's not. The energy reduction behind the safety car is something that's been done since they brought in the gen 2 cars some three years ago. It's part of the rules, and normally it's not a problem per se. OK, usually, one or two get it wrong, but rarely the whole field.

I don't think anyone anticipated five safety cars yesterday, particularly the two so close to the end of the race. It's much. much easier to make up an energy deficit earlier on in the race than right at the last minute.

If the cars constantly ran at full power, they'd only have enough juice in the battery to do about 20 minutes rather than the 45 mins + 1 lap that a race actually lasts.

If there's one thing I've learned about Formula E in the years I've been watching it (I started watching sometime in the first season!) is that preparing for the unexpected comes with the territory. It's just that some do it better than others LOL
 

icowden

Veteran
Location
Surrey
So what do we think about the "sprint" race idea for qualifying? Work of Genius or worst idea in the history of bad ideas?
 
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Deleted member 26715

Guest
So what do we think about the "sprint" race idea for qualifying? Work of Genius or worst idea in the history of bad ideas?
I thought all the teams had rejected the idea.
What decides the grid of the sprint race, the finishing result of the previous race, the position in the current championship? If it's the former 1 bad race could turn into a whole session of pain if it were adopted.
Under current rules once they have qualified they are in Parc fermé what happens if they sustain damage?
As overtaking is almost impossible at most circuits why do they think they will be able to overtake in a sprint race?
I think it will allow more Bottas/Russell moments, where a desperate driver is trying to push forward
If Hamilton/Verstappen are out front then it's not going to affect them, they will go & hide, but I can see it resulting in a rolling roadblock in the race for instance if a Haas had a good sprint race it would just hold cars up.
Personally I think it's just a gimmick, but if they don't try they'll never know
 

icowden

Veteran
Location
Surrey
What decides the grid of the sprint race, the finishing result of the previous race, the position in the current championship?

According to the Beeb, there will be 1st practice (2 types of tyre only), then a sprint qualifying session on Friday (softs only), 2nd practice (one set of tyres only) then sprint qualifying race (2 sets of tyres, no pit stop required, 1/3rd full race distance). Then the main race each team will have 2 remaining sets of new tyres with free choice for the start.

Apparently they are going to try it at Silverstone, then Italy on 10-12 September. 3rd race yet to be decided (was to be Brazil but they are having some corona issues)
 
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