Kimi should be parked in Germany

"ncasolowork2" (ncasolowork2)
07/07/2014 at 15:37 • Filed to: None

Will Buxton wrote a well reasoned article on it. He even compared it to the same thing I compared it to... the stupidity of Grosjean at Spa in 2012. Kimi shouldn't be racing in Germany. That incident yesterday was totally unnecessary and avoidable. It nearly killed Max Chilton. Those track walks that the other drivers do but Kimi is too good to do? Might have helped him know about the potential issues with rejoining the track right there, but ignoring all that who goes off track and continues to accelerate and rejoins the track on lap one like that? You can't expect a gap to exist to slot in to. Had a gap not been there there's no way he could have avoided an incident based on the way he drove.

DISCUSSION (13)

Roberto G. > ncasolowork2
07/07/2014 at 15:41

Leave him alone. He knows what he's doing!

Because I never liked Kimi, and it was only for the idiotic Montezemolo, that he got hired by Ferrari. Kimi isn't worth one tenth of Felipe. What amazes me, is that lotta good people every year get hit by an 18 wheeler, but so far this never happened to Montezemolo. Too bad, indeed.

ncasolowork2 > Roberto G.
07/07/2014 at 15:42

Maybe he used to... getting on in years does things to the mind and he might have forgotten how to do it properly.

Viggen > ncasolowork2
07/07/2014 at 16:07

He should be parked, but he won't. He's one of F1's poster children, they can't do it to a driver who attracts fans to the sport.

Jonathon Klein > ncasolowork2
07/07/2014 at 16:08

I will agree he should have waited and left a bit of a gap while trying to come back in, but it totally looked like something broke on him and spun him real quick.

thevoid > ncasolowork2
07/07/2014 at 17:25

I think if anything, the stewards treat the drivers with more experience on the grid with more lenience. Alonso and Vettel didn't get reprimanded when both of them arguably gained advantage off track. In Austria when Vettel lost his front wing on Gutierrez he wasn't reprimanded. Perhaps it's the same thing here, when was the last time Raikkonen had a serious first lap incident?

I do see how comparing him to Grosjean could seem appealing, but it seems like an overstatement. 2012 was probably nightmarish for other drivers driving around him, for most of the year. A rookie year full of incidents vs. one mistake (at a track that is known for handing driver's asses to them when they least expect it). Hard to justify a comparison.

On a side note- I do like how Loldonado was more or less okay with being thrown airborne at Silverstone by Gutierrez. Almost as if he was thinking- fair game- I flip you- you can send me flying too, no hard feelings.

Finally- your analysis is appreciated.

That's Engineering? > Jonathon Klein
07/07/2014 at 17:27

Yeah it broke because he hit something off-track trying to re-enter the track at speed. Those suspensions are not designed to withstand that much vertical motion resulting from a force that, in this case, was caused by driver doing something unsafe

PushToStart > ncasolowork2
07/07/2014 at 17:40

I agree, what he did was very foolish, and he should absolutely be reprimanded for it. To compare it to Grosjean's issue though isn't totally the same thing, because he had caused several other problems previous to that, and so Spa was the last thing that made them say "ok, that's it, you're out next race", whereas Kimi hasn't had any recent incidents that would indicate that he's a risk on track. A grid penalty is probably in order, but total exclusion might be a bit much.

ncasolowork2 > Jonathon Klein
07/08/2014 at 08:17

Ferrari's official report indicated nothing broke. Ignoring the fact that he spun coming back on track because of an issue with the way the runoff rejoined there... no driver should ever accelerate and use the runoff as part of the racing surface like that. It is one thing to put all 4 wheels off on the curb just pushing hard. When you have to use the runoff and keep your foot in it you're begging for trouble.

Jonathon Klein > ncasolowork2
07/08/2014 at 08:21

He was definitely pushing it and looking for trouble, but everyone that was there talking about it says something on the front suspension broke, not sure why Ferrari would cover it up?

ncasolowork2 > Jonathon Klein
07/08/2014 at 08:23

NBC Sports commentary thought something on the back broke not the front. Either way you keep your foot in it and touch a rear wheel on the grass like that and you're prone to a spin.

Jonathon Klein > ncasolowork2
07/08/2014 at 08:30

With all that torque, he should have known that he had no traction. I just don't think his hearts in it any longer. I don't know why or what the fuck happened between last season and this season, but the Iceman goeth....to take a nap.

ncasolowork2 > Jonathon Klein
07/08/2014 at 08:37

You don't know what happened from 2013 to 2014? The rules turned the sport upside down. I have a feeling Kimi would be getting destroyed at Lotus by Grosjean as well. I just don't think the car drives in a way that is suitable to his style. The same can be said about Vettel. Mark Webber was no slouch and Vettel destroyed him. Ricciardo is good, but he's probably not better than Vettel in last year's car. There is a lot to be said about the way a car behaves and weather that suits a driver's style or not.

If I'm honest I don't think he'll see 2015. If the FIA do suspend him (I've heard nothing about that possibility) I'd love to see Bianchi replace him for the German GP. Eventually I'd like to see Hulkenberg in the car, but either way I don't think Kimi will be back in 2015. Alsono might not be either.

Oh and related to Ferrari the US broadcast implied that Haas Formula is about to become the Ferrari junior team similar to how Toro Rosso is Red Bull's junior team.

Jonathon Klein > ncasolowork2
07/08/2014 at 08:49

Right I know that, I just didn't want to go straight to it as the primary reason. These guys are supposed to be the top tier racing drivers, they should all be adaptable to any car. It hasn't turned out that way though.

I would like to see Ricciardo in last years car with Kimi and Vettel. I think it would be way closer than you think. But they all need to be a the exact same car and setup. Last year, Webber was struggling because he was effectively the B car and didn't have all the same stuff as Vettel. This year, even with the supposed B car Ricciardo is trouncing Vettel, which as a non Vettel fan has been quite funny.

I doubt Kimi will come back next season too. I think Ferrari will probably buy out his contract, and Bianchi would be an interesting replacement for the German GP. What other development drivers do Ferrari have? Any GP2 drivers? They might suit the car more.

Yeah I can't see Haas agreeing to be a junior team. He wants to compete, not just be at the back of the pack. I think it would be more like the Force India or Williams teams to Mercedes. They have their engines, but really no affiliation other than that.