multi21

It all depends. There is one betting line that has a spread if he gets past T1, Lap 1. Odds significantly increase on finishing the race after lap 1.

Interestingly enough for Sato and Sato only, odds fluctuate during the race when he gets close to another car and whether he or the "other car" will DNF.

SundayDriver

I think that enduro911 solved the mystery as to why Sato continues to stay under the radar. He has cleverly disguised himself - Vettel is, in fact, Mr. Roboto. Have we ever SEEN a photo with both Sato and Vettel together?

I am playing the race card. FIA is biased against Japanese people and forced the magnificent Sato to disguise himself as a German to try to 'pass'. Max still has influence and we know how much he likes German 'things'. F1 needs a civil rights amendment. We need to organize a march.

fast_freddy

I smell a grid place penalty a comin'....


FIA investigate Massa false start

Reuters - Fri, 03 Sep 13:39:00 2010

Formula One's governing body is investigating how Ferrari's Felipe Massa was able to make a false start at last weekend's Belgian Grand Prix without any race officials or rival teams noticing.

An FIA spokeswoman added, however, that there was no possibility of the Brazilian losing his fourth-place finish from Spa.

Video footage taken from the crowd and posted on the internet after the race at Spa clearly showed the front of Massa's car was positioned well ahead of the line on the starting grid that it should have been behind.

Had it been noticed, the driver, who started sixth, would have collected a penalty.

"The problem was not brought to the attention of the FIA race director by either the marshals nor the automatic jump start system in time to be able to apply the appropriate penalty for jump starts," the spokeswoman said.

"As no further information or complaints were received before the publication of the official result on Sunday night, the classification of the Belgian Grand Prix will now remain unchanged.

"The FIA are investigating the causes of the apparent failures in communication with race control in order to ensure a repetition is not possible."

Normally a transponder on the car would send an automatic signal to race control to alert officials to the vehicle being out of position at the start.

A Ferrari spokesman, whose team will find out next week whether they are to be punished further by the FIA for a 'team orders' furore at the German Grand Prix in July, said he could only comment on the result, which was official.

Ferrari have already been fined $100,000 (£65,000) for illegally ordering Massa to let team-mate Fernando Alonso pass at Hockenheim so that the Spaniard could win.

The Spa incident marks the second time this season that the governing body has reacted to film or photographic evidence.

Photographs that showed the front wings of the Red Bull and Ferrari apparently flexing under speed were published in a French newspaper in July and subsequently led to the FIA introducing more stringent stress tests.
Reuters

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/030920...lse-start.html

ltc

The voice of reason. Makes sense to me, thank you.

SundayDriver

Sato never gets his due. Most people think that Al Gore developed the concept of Carbon Credits and the Carbon Exchange. BS - It was Sato. He even had a very efficient Carbon Exchange - no delay in transfers. I tell you, the man is a genius.

ltc

Agreed, but I fear that much like Tesla, he won't be appreciated in the manner and time he deserves.

theporscheguy

Second time to choose Webber for the win. Who knows what will happen next Wednesday with Ferrari and the FIA. So I guess your starting position is only an approximate area to start the race, give or take a few feet................

ltc

Ferrari will argue that the photos and videos were fake/photoshop or that the entire grid was out of position which made it look like the Ferrari was out of grid position.
Either way, clearly a conspiracy...Ferrari will be found not guilty or any wrong doing.

But, it will be interesting to see why Charlie and crew missed it, or why none of the other drivers/teams reported it prior to the lights.

ilko

Martin Brundle saw it and called it during the BBC broadcast but didn't mention it again after the race started. I can't believe that it slipped everyone's minds and the FIA learned about it from YouTube videos, since they are usually very diligent about that stuff. They have 40 people watching video feeds in the back and somebody must've been asleep at the wheel there...

I wonder how effectively they will enforce the rear wing passing strategy for next year if they can't catch a simple mistake like that.

My prediction for Monza:

1. Hamilton
2. Vettel
3. Webber

paradisenb

The biggest surprise to me is that Alonso didn't report it. It would have taken his teammate down a few spots in the results and made his DNF not look as bad compared to his lesser teammate's performance.

I say, too late, no penalty for Massa.

George from MD

I would love to see Massa finish ahead of the anointed one in points this year. It would be almost as gratifying as seeing Michael put himself in the wall while trying to take out Rubens.

At any rate I went for the Hambone but would be happy to see Webber win.

Keelaboosa

Who will win. P-SHAW!!! If you're gonna lay it on the line, lay it all on the line.

1- Hamilton, from pole
2- Button
3- Kubica
4- Webber
5- Alonso
6- Vettel (losing 4 places starting from 2nd due to dinking front wing on chicane)
7- Massa

ltc

How long are you required to wait before filing a missing person report?

Ferrari about to appear before the WMSC and the sudden disappearance of Sir A.Wayne?

Coincidence? I say not.

If someone is carried out of the room during the hearing, I guess we know where he was...

I miss him already...

fast_freddy

enduro911

Guys, I'm actually quite ashamed it took me this long to figure out that Sato is Vettel. It finally dawned on me after I realized that no one could possibly be THAT bad at avoiding people unless they were testing carbon fiber. That got me thinking... And that whole preferred wing controversy? The wing was still in its developmental stages...rigidity tests were taking place that day. Webber wanted every advantage he could get, but not after Takuma had his chance to try and break it.

What Mario Andretti could do to test the mechanical pieces of a car, Sato does for the body work.