ilko

That's true if the overtaken car is behind the overtaking car. However Button was never ahead of Massa. If you watch the video you'll see that Massa was a good 2 ft ahead at the closest point, and never behind Button.

M758

Firstly NASA is not F1. NASA despite talking about "Pro-Racing" is club racing. Pro racing is different. Ever watch British Touring cars? Those guys complete a pass by shoving the other guy off track often by side by side contact. Of course someone else is paying their bills.

In this case Massa never forced Button off track. He merely forced Button to the wrong part of the track for the right hander. Legal in NASA too... At this point Button was approach a tight right hand bend from the right side of the track. He had three options. 1) Brake side by side with Massa and make the corner. In this case the corner would be his owing to track position. 2) Brake earlier and slow down more vs Massa not because he wanted to, but because he would not make the corner any other way. 3) throw in the towel and cut the turn cause you recognize you are going to fast to make the corner and then give the position back.

I have been in spots just like this in NASA races and had other drivers force me in to bad spot. Nothing dirty or illegal about it. Just racing. Massa gave Button 3 options that did not involve contact and in racing that is quite good.

One technique for holding position in racing is position your car in such a way as the passing car "runs out of room" or is forced to "go soo deep they can't make the corner". However good racing dictates that you give the driver the choice to run out of room or back out. Never leave him no options as that is asking for crash.

When you go side by side in NASA you are expected to give the other car some room, but that does not mean you give them all the space they want and just where they want it.

Flying Finn

I hate that guy for screwing up Formula 1 more than any Bernie or Max could even dream of (you want more passing? Ditch all Tilke tracks and bring back the real tracks, hello Todt, are you listening?) but Albert Park is not one of his screw ups.



It couldn't be any better! No more Ms. Sunshine etc.

Designer Vagina...

jaje

Got to 50 seconds out of the 1:24 to watch Button actually get ahead of Massa under braking on the outside of the corner into the first corner where he was side by side at the track out - Massa pushed all the way to the right at the apex of the turn - meaning Button had the inside line but choose to forgo contact when they tried to enter the 2nd turn by going off track. I'm not forgiving Button for his action of doing this but believe both should have been penalized b/c Mass pushed it too far. I understand they don't write the check for the car and it is not NASA amatuer racing but there's the guys who will do this to you and eventually they will create contact b/c they fight too hard when someone has the right to be next to them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q3_xOVtc2E

Notice Alonso within just seconds of this move is given a cupcake pass. To me that's too much team orders with Ferrari for me to support them. Alonso is their #1 driver and Massa is there simply to help him win - whereas with other teams they do let their drivers actually race for the win regardless of position.

Veloce Raptor

LMAO thought you'd like that name!

Tilke is designing the track here in Austin....

PPo

Button could have stayed on the track, he had the room.... But he would have had to almost stop to make the next corner. Massa put his car exactly where he should have to avoid the pass. Good move by Massa IMHO.... If Button would have made the right call and let Massa re-pass... this all would have been a no brainer discussion.

If the exit road was not there, Button would have conceded the next corner... without question, he was out of position.

jaje

I guess I won't ever concede this point as I don't think Massa is a fair player and his only role is a patsy for his teammate to win or improve his position by slowing down other drivers. I'd rather Ferrari field a 1 car team and focus on that driver they only really care about winning with. I don't see this clear #1 / #2 order at most other teams than I see at Ferrari. There is of course the don't take each other out rule that all teams have. I'm depressed the two Brazilian drivers in the series this year are Rubens and Felipe. Bring back Bruno and give him a ride in a worthy car.

Flying Finn

I know he is, and have looked at every track map etc. I've managed to see of it and have to say I'm very disappointed about it.

No doubt it will have great facilities and they will look impressive etc. but it will not be good for racing.

I don't get it. Jean Todt has finally called out the tracks and FIA is looking into improving tracks so that there can be more passing possibilities and that in future, track layouts will be more closely looked, not only for safety, but also for racing.

WTF have they been thinking in past years?!

They haven't realized it's mostly the tracks that make the racing bad?!

Haven't they seen awesome races in Spa, Suzuka etc. and then the boring races in all Tilke tracks (except Turkey which is good)?

They couldn't put two and two together until now?!

They've let this guy who designed some passage road in Nurburgring to go ahead and screw up huge amount of races in F1 while trying to come up with all kind of gimmicks to increase passing?!

Talk about stupid.

A.Wayne

Racing .. F1 ?... it's a show Bud ....

PS: A year ago i told you Kimi was going to NASCAR....LMAO...Guess what?

A.Wayne

What if there was a wall there instead of an "escape Rd" ..Yep Button was at fault , very dangerous driving IMO..

morganabowen

The Pirelli tires have been a topic of discussion in this thread. I thought that was an interesting statement from an article I read on the internet

In terms of tyre management, the best performance arguably came from Sergio Pérez, but the Mexican did more than just making the rubber last. His fastest lap was set on Lap 39, 17 laps into a 36-lap run on the Option tyre, almost precisely the midway point of the stint. It was an impressive feat, especially for a Grand Prix debutant with limited experience of driving a Formula 1 car.

It looks like we may see longer drives in future events this season. After all, if a rookie can do it, five World Driver's Champions should be able to figure it out

Food for thought

Larry Herman

And we're back to 2010 again.

AutoAtlanta

Keep in mind that the Australia race was unseasonably chilly. The warmer weather in Malaysia should help with some tire wear. I was surprised that the tracks weren't rubbering in, rather they were only being filled with "Clag". I wonder if P tires will be changing the compounds to make that happen...

My993C2

I must have watched a different race, because the race I watched the current World Champion raced his way to a very dominated win during the entire race weekend, while another former World Champion did very well coming in second considering the damage he had to the bottom of his car. Not to take anything away from the rookie Mexican who had a decent race, but 3 of the 4 top finishers in this race were all current or former WDCs.

A.Wayne

LOL... yes you are Special ......