nitro_2003
(Banned)
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Post here your opinions as to if ralf schumacher caused the german gp pileup at the first corner.
Is Ralf guilty?
- Thread starter nitro_2003
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GilesGuthrie
Staff Emeritus
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- Edinburgh, UK
- CMDRTheDarkLord
I don't see it the same way as the TV commentators seem to. They're trying to decide whether it was Ralf's fault or not, but it's more complicated than that.
If you remove Kimi Raikkonen from the equation, then it's clearer cut. Rald moved and moved and moved across the track. He went from his grid slot to the other side of the track, past Rubens' line. He was being quite extreme. And the irony is that with his Williams' superior power and launch control, he could have stayed straight, and he would have arrived at the first corner first, and on the racing line. Without Kimi therefore, Ralf was unquestionably to blame.
However, Kimi was there. This changes matters. In response to Ralf's movement across the track, Rubens moved also, thus squeezing Kimi. The penalty really arises from Kimi's accident, not from any discipline issue. Therefore, Rubens should have moved toward Ralf, thus protecting himself from a Ferrari/McLaren accident, albeit increasing the risk of a Ferrari/Williams accident. If Rubens hadn't moved, Ralf would have had to stop moving, and that would have prevented the Raikkonen shunt.
Ralf (and this was the core of the Williams defence) couldn't have known that Kimi was there, and that's fair enough. However, Rubens did know that Kimi was there, and by continuing to move in response to Ralf, Rubens caused the shunt. Therefore, Rubens was to blame.
IMO, of course.
If you remove Kimi Raikkonen from the equation, then it's clearer cut. Rald moved and moved and moved across the track. He went from his grid slot to the other side of the track, past Rubens' line. He was being quite extreme. And the irony is that with his Williams' superior power and launch control, he could have stayed straight, and he would have arrived at the first corner first, and on the racing line. Without Kimi therefore, Ralf was unquestionably to blame.
However, Kimi was there. This changes matters. In response to Ralf's movement across the track, Rubens moved also, thus squeezing Kimi. The penalty really arises from Kimi's accident, not from any discipline issue. Therefore, Rubens should have moved toward Ralf, thus protecting himself from a Ferrari/McLaren accident, albeit increasing the risk of a Ferrari/Williams accident. If Rubens hadn't moved, Ralf would have had to stop moving, and that would have prevented the Raikkonen shunt.
Ralf (and this was the core of the Williams defence) couldn't have known that Kimi was there, and that's fair enough. However, Rubens did know that Kimi was there, and by continuing to move in response to Ralf, Rubens caused the shunt. Therefore, Rubens was to blame.
IMO, of course.
nitro_2003
(Banned)
- 1,017
ah but i watched on itv f1 qualifying 2day the meeting the FIA had with ralf and the other drivers involved and there were these charts given out showing the steering movements of the car and on kimis one it showed that he had started steering into barrichello via his line and on ralfs his line didnt change and some said like me that kimi was to blame. he went to a hearing, but got off, the rotten pillock!!
GilesGuthrie
Staff Emeritus
- 11,038
- Edinburgh, UK
- CMDRTheDarkLord
Yeah, I saw that too. It was the stupidest period of interpretation I've ever seen. Kimi was steering away from the edge of the track.
nitro_2003
(Banned)
- 1,017
exactly so thats why i voted for kimi to blame on the poll!
GilesGuthrie
Staff Emeritus
- 11,038
- Edinburgh, UK
- CMDRTheDarkLord
What, you think he should have driven off the track? Yes, there's a 'one move' rule, but there's also a 'do not impede' rule. Barrichello was imeding Raikkonen.
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racing incident no doubt about it
- 210
nobodys guilty its just a risk involved in the sport
Indeed - if you watch the replay shot taken from behind, you'll see Raikkonen's left rear wheel is actually just on the grass side of the white line defining the edge of the race track.
The other argument about him being able to take to the green concrete is a nonsense - the patch of concrete is a wheel width wide, and lead on the kerbing, which isn't an ideal place to have your loaded up wheel on turn-in.
I'm inclined to call it a racing incident - I think Reubens had about six inches either side of the car to play with.
