Motorsport on Monday: 26/05/14
Off-track action flares up in Monaco, why the WEC is wicked
It was a processional Monaco Grand Prix at the pointy end of the Formula 1 field, but you could have predicted that would be the case after the result of Saturday qualifying.
It usually is, and this year didn't (or should that be did?) disappoint. However, it was an interesting weekend not least for the off-track action.
Rosberg's lock-up here less controversial!
A quick re-cap for those who didn't see it - in the final stages of qualifying, Rosberg locked up going into Mirabeau and took to the escape road knowing that, according to him, he wouldn't have made the corner. He then reversed back onto the track as Hamilton approached turn five.
With the German sitting on provisional pole and the yellow flags scuppering any chance Lewis had of improving his time (he was on his quickest lap of the session up to that point) it all but secured Rosberg the Monaco win.
Hamilton was displeased, let's say, not claiming the German had done it on purpose, but refraining from saying anything, very conscious of making any accusatory statements and keeping his powder dry for Sunday.
Prost v Senna '89; to be repeated 25 years on?
The most interesting thing to take from last weekend was that the incident ramped up the intra-team tension this season, with more than a few similarities between Senna and Prost at McLaren back in 1988. The MP4/4 was the dominant force back then, winning 15 out of 16 races. The Mercedes W05 has won every race so far this year and could very possibly go on to make a clean sweep this season.
Man management
With the team effectively running two lead drivers, one not wanting to submit to the other, there could be another clash before the end of the year. So how to manage the potential spat between the two?
Processional at the pointy end again
Lewis even made reference to it himself, stating "I don't know if Senna and Prost talked about it, but I quite liked the way Senna dealt with that so I'll take a page out of his book." 2014 has got all the hallmarks of a big, bubbling season crescendo already.
If that's to be the case, it's going to have to be instigated on the German's side of the garage, we think. Not that we'd ever accuse or even begin to imagine Rosberg would do something like that to a friend he's grown up alongside and progressed through the ranks of junior formulae with, but with the car's build potentially biased more towards Hamilton for this season - shown by the Brit extracting more speed, more of the time - you can't help but feel it's going to take a serious situation to break Hamilton's resolve, given his recent comments on his hunger. More than a spec of dust in his eye and a second place finish to his teammate, anyway.
WEC 2014 shows sportscar racing at its best
If the Formula One rules are starting to show their merits, similar regulations in sportscar racing are proving even more popular. So popular in fact that Nissan last week announced its return to Le Mans for 2015 with a full factory LMP1 prototype, called the GT-R LM NISMO.
Although Nissan somehow managed to forget to take the covers off its car at the launch event, the buzz around endurance racing at the minute is properly palpable and the competition seriously close.
Audi, Porsche and Toyota are already duking it out, which will next year be supported by the Japanese team, too. Four confirmed manufacturer-backed entries in top-flight endurance racing means we're almost back to the halcyon days of the late 1990s. But it could get even better.
Finally, we have rules that create competition
It's no secret Ferrari, too, has been considering a reappearance at Le Mans, with top man Luca di Montezemolo making a lot of noise about a return to the big time. An F1-derived V6 turbo hybrid has to be a strong candidate there, too.
Can you imagine a Porsche vs Ferrari sports prototype battle - something we've not seen since the 1970s. I think those in the PH office would explode...
The fact that the World Endurance Championship is attracting so much manufacturer involvement is proof that, in sportscars at least, the fuel flow regulations work, properly equalising the different powertrains to give crowds diversity to watch and interesting racing - unlike the ill-adjusted petrol vs diesel balance of performance from recent years.
[Prost/Senna and Rosberg lock-up pics: LAT]
3 Brits in the top 5 but 4 manufacturers and 3 different engine configs in the top 5 in race 1 and different again in race 2.
2 races on the big day. 7 different riders in the top 5 or the 2 races. last weeks winner back in 6th this week.
Kamikaze overtaking, changeable weather and close racing.
Hamilton should watch some vids of Rossi pre and post race and enjoy and be seen to be enjoying what he is doing rather than acting like a muppet.
The endurance format works because the multi-class format always provides huge drama because there are so many battles to watch for all of the class leads, and because the longer length of the races gives time for strategies to transform races.
At the moment LMP2 in the European Le Mans Series is also really strong which is a tremendous bonus with 4 hour races and battles for the lead usually right up to the flag.
Its not on BBC or ITV but its available on line and usually on You Tube afterwards if you miss it, along with such gems as the Japanese Super Gt Series which is a kind of prototype racing with a road based GT class as well.
Of course Endurance racing is the thinking mans racing; and therefore will not pull in the punter who watches just because its on telly and there is a load of chatter about it in the media. This kind of fan can attach their allegiances to some driver or other and that is all there is to it. However I would point out that in endurance racing there is plenty of GENUINE overtaking throughout the classes based on guile and skill not on the entirely artificial means of one guys wing opening up giving him more speed and the other competitor no chance.
Even in the Audi verses private entrants LMP1 years there was always plenty of action to keep us happy throughout the field, then the wonderful Peugeot and Audi battle, and now its allcomers going to it with very competitive cars and high quality racing: What more could a person want if they have racing in their blood and a brain in their head to exercise?
NB. Forgot to mention with so many cars there is always going to be the sound of real racing engines.
As for the Hamilton Rosberg situation I think Lewis needs to show some class (this is from a Lewis Fan) Nikki Lauda confirmed that Lewis used an illegal power mode in the Spanish GP which denied Rosberg the win!
Lewis apologised to Rosberg saying it was an accident & not deliberate, Rosberg had to accept Lewis at his word & didn't go around the paddock spitting his dummy out.
Now when Rosberg makes a mistake Lewis is crying pouting saying they are no longer friends etc just shows a lack of class & that Lewis has a short memory!!!
I'm not defending either of them for their supposed mistakes but saying that Lewis needs to show some tact especially seeing as he accidentally chose the wrong power mode!!
Plus the difference between Vettel /Webber and Hamilton/Rosberg is massive as Webber was no real match for Vettel whereas Rosberg and Hamilton are much closer making it much more exciting and comparable to Senna/Prost..
Plus the difference between Vettel /Webber and Hamilton/Rosberg is massive as Webber was no real match for Vettel whereas Rosberg and Hamilton are much closer making it much more exciting and comparable to Senna/Prost..
Either way, the BES race at Silverstone was fantastic. Andy Meyrick put in a blinder of a stint before Steven Kane did the same. Absolutely top effort by the lads and Meyrick's move on Ortelli around the outside of fan was from the top drawer.
Webber for some reason was nowhere in the 2013 championship, in fact thinking about it, I think 2010 was the only year he ran anything like competitive to Vettel. So although the relationship was 'frosty', it's not comparable to what maybe developing now at Mercedes.
WEC represents true competition, that between manufacturers, not primadonna celebrities, which is where F1 began with the likes of Auto Union etc.
And has anyone seen a better race win than Tom Sykes, from 11th on lap one to winning race one from his team mate. One of the best rides in any formula other than Rossi's win at Philip Island on the Honda when he was awarded a 10 second penalty during the race, so went on to win by 20 seconds.
The fact is, F1 has always had its dominant teams, Lotus, Tyrrell, McLaren, Williams, Ferrari, Red Bull and others who have all had their periods of inter team bitter rivalries. Nothing changes and the powers that be will watch Mercedes dominate until they can find a way to 'level the field', at which point, another manufacturer/team will find a trick that makes them dominant.
Hamiltons use of an engine setting was perhaps against Mercedes instructions, it was certainly not 'illegal'. I also believe Merc are using 2,000 rpm less than the competition and are still crushing everyone.
Thankfully though, we all now have a choice of what to watch, when and how. We can record and FFWD the boring bits of F1, watch Superbikes, World Rallycross or WEC events live or online. The global spectating spectrum of motorsports gives us all the choices we petrolheads have been screaming for over the years. I can now sit for virtually the entire weekend and watch a variety of races for 8 months or so of the year.
Sadly and predictably I miss the anticipation I used to get from a two week wait before settling down for a 90 minute F1 event with no introductions, grid walks, analysis, brolly dollies or celebrity WAGS. The innovations of the first dodgy aerodynamic wings on spindles, the Renault turbo 'kettle', ground effect, the amazing Brabham fan car, Tyrrell's six wheeler, active suspension and of course some beautiful sounding V12's.
Vettel vs Webber? Well, they only cheated on one car, so a comparison isn't really fair. Why do you think all the rules were changed?
Plus the difference between Vettel /Webber and Hamilton/Rosberg is massive as Webber was no real match for Vettel whereas Rosberg and Hamilton are much closer making it much more exciting and comparable to Senna/Prost..
Either way, the BES race at Silverstone was fantastic. Andy Meyrick put in a blinder of a stint before Steven Kane did the same. Absolutely top effort by the lads and Meyrick's move on Ortelli around the outside of fan was from the top drawer.
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