Circuit Motorsports

Brakes that triple the braking zone and tires with a VERY small sweet spot would make that happen.

gums

And the lead car staying on line....

Ray S

F1 is not a DE, or a club race. These are the some of the very best drovers on the planet and there is nothing wrong with them defending their position. The rules allow them one move to block and during the race I didn't see Massa violating that rule. In my opinion he did a great job making his car w i d e.

morganabowen

Apparently, Massa agrees with you:

Felipe Massa says he had a "good fight" with Jenson Button in Australia, even if it did result in the Brit being rather upset with Ferrari.

Immediately after he ran off the track, Button told his team via his radio that Massa had "forced me off the circuit."

Later he told journalists: "He pushed me wide. I couldn't go around the corner anymore, so I cut it. I was in front before I entered the corner and then I didn't know what to do."

Button also implied that Ferrari may have intentionally pitted Massa when the stewards announced they were investigating the incident as this left them with no choice but to penalise the McLaren driver.

However, if he's looking for sympathy, he shouldn't come crying to the Ferrari driver.

"It was a good fight, no?" Massa told Autosport. "I was holding my position and he was not able to pass me.

"He tried many times and I was able to stay there many times. Then, when he passed me, he passed me in a not allowed situation.

"He had to give me back the position or they penalised him, which was the case."

the flyin' scotsman

that was awesome.....thx for sharing brought back some great memories.

as written on the startéfinish line of La Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.......Salut Gilles

9.5 Degrees

The race was very entertaining and had a lot of everything. The tire strategy was interesting to see, especially since the track didn't seem to "rubber in".

With any luck, we'll see rain during the race in malaysia and see how the Pirelli wets work.

Drive of the race has to go to Perez, the Mexican rookie..... especially on a 1 stopper. Incredible drive and hope to see him be the breakout driver of the year. Could we see 3 races in North America if Mexico gets behind this kid?

MJSpeed

..

Rich Sandor

I dunno it looked to me like Massa bumped him off the track into the runoff. It may have been Jenson jerking the wheel right.

What is the call if two cars are going into a corner nose to nose, and the inside car literally pushes the outside car off the track by running wide? If you are the outside car do you stay your line and wait until you get bumped off the track, and hope the other driver gets a penalty and your car isn't broken??? And if you get bumped off the track but you come back ahead, do you still need to concede the position?

Land Jet

It's kind of sad that Massa has been reduced to driving to block rather than driving to win. He'll be in retirement soon.

Ray S

Here is the 2011 FIA regulation that applies here;

20.3 Drivers must use the track at all times. For the avoidance of doubt the white lines defining the track edges
are considered to be part of the track but the kerbs are not.
A driver will be judged to have left the track if no part of the car remains in contact with the track.
Should a car leave the track for any reason the driver may rejoin. However, this may only be done when it
is safe to do so and without gaining any advantage.

"without gaining any advantage" was were Button had a problem

M758

Massa was slower than Button. Massa however earned the position due to a good start. That mean Button despite being faster had to take it away. Massa earned the right to defend using all his skill. Defending means positioning your car in such a way as to prevent a pass. There is not requirement in and rule book to stay on line. The lead drive may chose any line he likes. Blocking is when you make to moves such as moving to the inside and then back to the outside approaching a turn. Massa never did that, but he often moved off line to gain for Button to pass him in place where he did not have advantage.

In the turin in question Massa had the lead and held a tighter line into the sweeping left hander. That forced Button to the outside. They went side by side for a time, but no pass was ever completed. By the time they got to the right hander Button had approached it too fast from the wrong part of the track. he had no place to go and short cut the course. Better to do this than to crash, but you are not allowed to gain an advantage by doing that. He should have let Massa back passed right away and did not.

It is easy to pass a guy on the outside of one turn by short cutting the next turn.

I don't blame Button for making the short cut, but he should have given the pass back. He would have had a better race result because of it. Now had Button been able to make the corner properly he would have been in position to pass Massa as he had the inside to the corner. Massa did what a racer should do and that is make it very hard to get passed and if you do get passed force the other driver to finish the move they start. Just becuse another car pulls up along side does not mean the spot is theirs. No that car must still complete the pass and that usally means making the next corner. I have had other drivers come up for pass and despite getting along side they cannot make the next corner. So the shoot through and go off wide and get them right back. That is often consider to be "sucking the other guy" and forcing them into an error. Of course some times they can make the corner and well. You just got passed by good move, but you make them work for it.

ilko

FWIW Sutil and Vettel both made passes outside the track but were not penalized. There is an empty parking lot with a bump strip between turns 3 and 4 I believe and both cars had all 4 wheels over the yellow line when overtaking. Vettel passed Button there at his out lap after the tire change and Sutil passed Di Resta for position. Neither were penalized by race control.

M758

I saw Vettel's pass there.. However a pass on the outside is viewed differently form short cut on the inside. The outside pass happens when there is room and you just move off line a bit. Speed really don't change.

Short cutting a chicane is clear and is easy to see how much faster it is to cut the course than make the turn. Not only is the course now shorter, but you make the turn much faster. Clearly and edge and all racers know this.

jaje

My issue is the overtaken car must give 3/4 to a car width of room for the overtaking car when he legitimately gets door to door. Massa did not give any room at all and went all the way past track out to force Button to either hit him or shortcut the corner b/c of bad racing etiquette - that is why the FIA should have taken exception to what is normally not allowed. Remember FIA has gray areas they use all the time. I'm not saying Massa should give it up easily b/c he's slower (you are allowed to race as hard as you can and defend your position) and Massa did a good job for many laps and he did a good job for his teammate by slowing up Button so he gained a position easily. But at least in NASA when I race I'm not allowed to push you off track to pass or maintain my position if you get door to door with me - I'm required to give you just enough room to stay there but not give you the pass.

ilko

I'm not defending Button at all, what he did was against the rules. But so were Vettel's and Sutil's overtaking maneuvers. 4 wheels outside the yellow line. It's no different whether you take a short cut or extend the track.