Webber:my race is screwed

[Dare]

maybe they need spotters around the track
to stop this from happening

Planet F1

Mark Webber is not expecting a repeat of his Chinese GP podium after his Bahrain race "was screwed" when Adrian Sutil held him during qualifying.

In the final few minutes of Saturday's Q1, Webber was blocked by Sutil at the final corner of the Sakhir track, costing him the possibility of progressing in qualifying.

Webber qualified down in 19th place but has subsequently been promoted one position as Sutil was penalised by the stewards after the race, dropping him to 19th place.

"Traffic. I had traffic on the last corner and therefore wasn't quick enough to go through," Webber said.

"I don't usually get caught out with that problem and that was the worst place to get nailed, as it wrecked both my flying laps.

"I had nowhere to go in the last corner of my first lap and then Sutil slip-streamed past me for the start of my second, so it was a disaster.

"Q1 is the worst session to have had that problem, as now we're at the back for tomorrow - my race is screwed."

[Jericoke]

Aren't the drivers supposed to be blue flagged on in/out laps too?

[John S]

My advice to Mark is quit whingeing and get out a bit earlier, or get your team to find a better slot for you to start your lap in. Just because your car is faster you can't expect an easy ride, I'm sure it's infuriating but please don't go all "Nando Pandy" on us Mark.

I thought the teams had personnel responsible for looking at gaps on the track to put their cars into, that's sort of spotting isn't it?

[Scott]

RBR should have paid better attention to the gap, but Sutil not only blocked him at the start of the straight, but then decided he should slipstream past him into the next corner, which absolutely held him up and slowed Webber on the straight.  Crappy driving by Sutil if you ask me.

[Number 38]

Does anyone remember the old Qualifying system.......ONE HOT LAP.  We'd wait an hour to see our favorite driver do ONE HOT LAP.  Now there are time periods to complete your qualifying lap but the drivers/teams still use the old ONE HOT LAP mentality except now it's ONE HOT LAP ....  WITH TRAFFIC !!!!!!  Too bad Mark, whinging and belly-aching ain't in the F1 cards. Get over it. As for Sutil .... I got puzzled when he was passed and repassed. I thought he had completed his HOT LAP and was running slowly (or slowing) preparing to exit to the pits when Webber came up behind him, he remained to his left waiting for Webber to pass,  this drew Sutil past the pit entrance line and now he had to complete another lap to exit. Webber who gave up his last lap was now slowing in front of Sutil. RE-passing Webber was probably not necessary and only agrivated the Australian whiner and earned Sutil an un-derseved penalty. When was the last race without a penalty?   

I sometimes wave the flag for Trulli, have for years, so many races are won from the pole but in my heart BOTH Toyotas on the front row looks like a recipe for disappointment.
I'd rather he won from 3rd and Glock did another points from pit land race.  Glock is a talent in hiding.

[romephius]

Sutil Deserved the penalty, he plainly did wrong, he apologised to Mark and Red Bull.  Mark is just expressing disappoinment as any of us would.  Mark and Adrian will let their driving do the talking in the race.

Rom

[Wizzo]

I agree, anyone who inhibits another driver (deliberate or not) should be penalised, unless the FIA in their infinite wisdom can make a rule change to allow the driver to 'have back' what he had lost.

Situations like this change championship points and indeed world championships. The situation itself is unavoidable as the drivers are only human, the question is 'How do we resolve it fairly for both drivers after the event?'

Sutil: Penalised = Fair

Webber: Stuck at the back of the grid in a potentially race winning car through no fault of his own = Not fair

[johnbull]

I agree, anyone who inhibits another driver (deliberate or not) should be penalised,

I beg to disagree. This is the result of another of Max's stupid ideas.

It's about time we let the drivers drive, so long as they don't take each other out too obviously.

Perhaps I'm too much of the old school, when drivers were men, and were treated like men not puffs.

[romephius]

I agree, anyone who inhibits another driver (deliberate or not) should be penalised,

I beg to disagree. This is the result of another of Max's stupid ideas.

It's about time we let the drivers drive, so long as they don't take each other out too obviously.

Perhaps I'm too much of the old school, when drivers were men, and were treated like men not puffs.

I personally watch formula 1 to see examples of the best drivers in the world, If I want to watch a bunch of cars punting eachother off the track instead of displaying true courage and skill I'd watch nascar or V8 Supercars.  We are after all watching 'racing' not dodgem cars at a carnival.


As always this is just my opinion and I mean no offence to anyone.

Rom

[johnbull]

We need a middle of the road approach.

We don't have it at the moment. 2 cars touch wheels and there is an inquest. I'm not saying: Go NASCAR.

We seem to forget that the most talked about and viewed dice was that between Gilles Villeneuve and Rene Arnoux. It was motor racing at it's very best.

How many times did they make contact? Were they sanctioned? Were they hell.

That's why I say we need a middle of the road approach, and not what we have at present.

[rmassart]

I agree with johnbull, can we just let drivers race please? I can't remember there being so many penalties, inquiries and court hearings in the 80s when I started following F1. It was all just "that's racing...". Maybe things are too commercial now, the stakes too high so to speak. After all if you're spending 400m/season you don't care how you get that Nr. 1 on your car...

in reply to Number 38: "Does anyone remember the old Qualifying system.......ONE HOT LAP"

I remember the even older qualifying system: 2 one hour qualifying sessions. Do what you want with it. The result: everyone piled on the track in the last 10 minutes as that was when it was quickest and Senna ended up on Pole. Sure people complained about being held up, but Senna's 65 poles prove that, more often than not, at the end of the day the quickest drvier was on pole.

The good old days... and I am still in my 30s.

[Wizzo]

I should have made myself clearer JB, if a driver inhibits another driver because he is warming his tyres during qualifying then this in my opinion should be penalised. If however we are under race conditions then its every man for himself (within reason), hell I wish they would even scrap the blue flag.

It used to be down to the drivers skill how he negotiated back markers whilst being hunted down by the car behind, this all added to the excitement for me.

[cosworth151]

If I recall correctly, Sutil had slowed and was on an "in" lap. Webber was on a flyer. In such a circumstance, it should be incumbent upon the slowing driver to stay out of the way. The problem is that Sutil, the guilty party effectively lost nothing. Webber, the victim, lost a great deal.

[johnbull]

The good old days... and I am still in my 30s.

Please don't start me off on the good old days. I started following F1 around 1960, and whilst we lost many a driver due to unsafe cars (spaceframes as opposed to carbon tubs) the racing was much more HONEST. A driver did everything in his power, and a bit, to try and gain a position during a race.

Nowadays drivers are scared to make anything that may in any way be considered daring or risky, in case Max's boys come down on him. Ask Lewis H?

It's pathetic.

[Jericoke]

Nowadays drivers are scared to make anything that may in any way be considered daring or risky, in case Max's boys come down on him. Ask Lewis H?

I know I'm not the first to suggest this, but it should be repeated:  only F1 drivers are qualified to differentiate between daring and dangerous.  Let the former champs, and only the the champs, decide. 

Just the thought of Schumacher discussing legal moves in a room with Hill, Villeneuve and Hakinnen should give you all goosebumps!