Chinese GP: All just gone Pete Tong

[questier]

seemed as though mclaren were taking risks they didnt need to take, all he needed to do was finish ahead of alonso!

 

[Happy Seagull]

1st 2nd or 3rd in Brazil will do it I think?

1st or 2nd and he is champ for sure, but if Alonso won then 3rd wouldn't be enough.

 

[Marc]

Bathurst 1000 was amazing, fantastic finish to the race in slippery conditions, beats F1 hands down all day long

 

[Turkey]

Actually fuel had a lot to do with it.

They left him out because by coming in when he did, he fitted into the pitstop 'window' which basically means he wouldn't need to pit again.

If he'd gone in a few laps early he'd have had to pit again.

It was the wrong decision, obviously, but you can see the logic.

 

[Dr Q]

I really hope Lewis doesn't fall into the Mansell frame, terrific driver, dogged by bad luck stories at crucial times!
He had the race in his pocket, but as Turkey says, McLaren were bound by their pit strategy.

Better luck in Brazil I hope.

 

[Easy 10]

It was clear Hamilton needed to pit urgently, he was skating round the track by the time Raikennon overtook him, having to fight every inch to keep the car from sliding off at every corner. f*** fuel, at that point he just HAD to pit, it was madness staying out there, specially as he didnt necessarily need to win the thing anyway - any kind of finish in the points would have either wrapped it up, or made the title a virtual certainty in Brazil.

I noticed that Massa also kept his worn intermediates on after the first pit stop and didnt sem to have anything like the amount of handling problems Hamilton was having. I suppose Hamilton was CANING it for the first part of the race though, opening up that 9 second gap, so his tyres were clearly shagged when Raikonnen was reeling him in.

The decision to stay out on those tyres was utterly bone, whatever way you slice it.

 

[Pavilionaire]

You wonder if Hamilton had had 5 years more experience he would have had the balls to ORDER a pitstop from his team managers. Clearly, he was the only one knows how the car was handling.

 

[Easy 10]

You wonder if Hamilton had had 5 years more experience he would have had the balls to ORDER a pitstop from his team managers. Clearly, he was the only one knows how the car was handling.

That was the thing though Pav - it was clear from the pictures that the car was all over the shop. I found it inexplicable that he wasnt pitting. He was never going to fend off Raikonnen anyway, that was clear from the fact that he was lapping about 10 seconds slower per lap than before, and the 9 second lead he;d built up was gone within moments. The error going into the pits was the end result, but it was a catastrophic decision to continue for those extra few laps on worn out intermediates in the rain. Hope that doesn;t end up costing him the title, what a way to lose it if he does.

 

[Icy Gull]

I noticed that Massa also kept his worn intermediates on after the first pit stop and didnt sem to have anything like the amount of handling problems Hamilton was having. I suppose Hamilton was CANING it for the first part of the race though, opening up that 9 second gap, so his tyres were clearly shagged when Raikonnen was reeling him in.

The decision to stay out on those tyres was utterly bone, whatever way you slice it.

Hamilton had made the point that the Ferraris didn't feck their tyres as badly in race trim as the McClarens in one of his pre race interviews. i know what you're saying but if he had made that corner in the pit lane there wouldn't have been a problem. I think it's one of the few times he's made an error this season but I reckon he has to take part of the responsibilty for flying off the track.

 

[Easy 10]

i know what you\'re saying but if he had made that corner in the pit lane there wouldn\'t have been a problem. I think it\'s one of the few times he\'s made an error this season but I reckon he has to take part of the responsibilty for flying off the track.

He was struggling to make ANY corner by that stage though.
It was a combination of him not TELLING the team \"look, this car is now getting uncontrollable, I am coming in right now\", and the team failing to call him in sooner, they;re both culpible. The canvass on the tyre was clearly visible at one stage, yet they STILL left him tip-toeing round the track for another lap. Why I will never know, its not as if it was ever going to improve, it could only get worse.

Monumental cock-up all round.