F1

[Duncy H]

That was very enjoyable to watch. Hamiltons overtake on vergne was brilliant, I could feel it coming on from the second corner. Some great driving by Ricciardo and alonso.

Not sure if I missed something though but Button seemed to have a great opportunity but then had his second pit stop incredibly early and ended up being nowhere?

[manuel]

The mclaren weather system...

[Mark W]

Not sure if I missed something though but Button seemed to have a great opportunity but then had his second pit stop incredibly early and ended up being nowhere?

They sent him out on Intermediate tyres on a drying track whilst under the impression that it was going to rain again. As a result he had to pit again to get the same tyres that everyone else had already correctly been fitted with.

[bing]

Jensen button is widely regarded as one of the best wet weather drivers, and usually follows his own strategy, and it pays off. This time it didn't though. Doesn't work everytime

[Mark W]

It wasn't his strategy in fairness - he was questioning it before he'd even gone in for fresh tyres, and on team radio was constantly asking the team about it. Post-race he was definitely less than amused.

[bing]

I bet. He likes to have the final say, and its usually right

[Rusevelt]

Belgian GP practice session

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/28881163

[Duncy H]

I'm so suprised that Maldonado has crashed...

Hope Hamilton gets chance do his job and has no bad luck again over the weekend.

[Duncy H]

It's so hard being a Lewis Hamilton fan.

Be interesting to see what comes of this http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/28922696

At least mr smiley won again and showed the grumpy German how it's done again, good lad!

[Simpson]

Ah shittttt...............

[Mark W]

When I saw the headline about Hamilton coming out of the debrief and saying Nico had done it deliberately I thought it might be him going OTT with the media again, but after Toto Wolff said that what he was saying was "broadly accurate" it seems that Nico might actually just be a dickhead.

[craigjames]

Call me racist but is it just a running theme that the last three top German drivers have all been, well, just c**ts?

[Simpson]

Saw this at the time which I thought looked pretty bate that it was intentional but I dont know how over-steer works with an F1. To quote Brundle though, "It was poor judgement but I am concerned that he turned out then turned back in. He really did turn back into Hamiltons car.

(dont know why they chose to put this effect on the video mind)

better here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/28918779 @1:10

Edited August 24, 2014 by Simpson

[manuel]

Wolff has now backtracked so the fia don't take action and merc lose points

[Rusevelt]

Nothing more than a racing incident.

[Duncy H]

I did believe it was a racing incident, but then when it's come to light that he may have said he's done it on purpose made me raise an eyebrow.

Mercedes have said they are going to let everything cool down before any action is taken, I think rosberg has to just come out and apologise to the team and Hamilton and that can be an end of it.

[manuel]

If you truly believe an apology is going to change anything, you are mental.

Unless there is a serious penalty imposed by either the fia or Mercedes I see a massive incident next time they are close on track.

[Mark W]

The FIA have announced no f**ks are being given by them, so that's basically that. With how badly Mercedes handled the fall-out from Hungary, I don't exactly see this really being dealt with in a better way or going away any time soon. Nico's consistently said that it wasn't his fault and that Lewis should have let him through, so I don't see them kissing and making up. Maybe Nico should check this out, then explain why he thought he'd ever be able to get through from that far behind:

[manuel]

Run off the road at parabolica...

[Mark W]

Now they've re-designed the Parabolica and put a massive tarmacced run-off area there there isn't an 'off' to run him to any more I imagine it'll also mean that Vettel will be taking his "f**k Track Limits" roadshow to a slightly new location.

[Rusevelt]

Italian Grand Prix live practice session. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/29065521

The run off area of the Parabolica here appears to have been widen a bit, and drivers are already taking a wider line.

Edited September 5, 2014 by Rusevelt

[JD™]

A bit?! They've pretty much taken the gravel away...

This shows the difference.

Edited September 5, 2014 by JD™

[Rusevelt]

Yeah, a bit wider was a bit of an understatement after seeing that link JD. Some karting style driving going on with a few drivers.

Edited September 5, 2014 by Rusevelt

[Mark W]

I imagine it'll also mean that Vettel will be taking his "f**k Track Limits" roadshow to a slightly new location.

09:33

Sebastian Vettel and Valtteri Bottas run wide at Parabolica, the final corner. They get away with it this year because the gravel trap has been replaced by asphalt.

A phrase I expect will be repeatedly fairly often throughout the weekend...

Related to that, part of the drivers press conference about it.

Q: (Rosie Bailey – F1 Plus) Question to all of you: what do you think about the changes to the run-off area at Parabolica and how will it affect the way you approach that corner now? Will you take more risks because there’s tarmac instead of gravel?

KM: I do think we will take more risk… well, you’re not really taking more risk because it’s more safe and you can just go off the track and come back again and generally I’m not a big fan of that. I think it adds to the experience of driving at circuits if there is a little bit of a bigger consequence of going off the circuit. I’m not saying we should compromise safety but in my opinion, I don’t think we’re making the track more unsafe by having gravel there, but it’s still an awesome circuit – I’m sure – and I’m still going to really enjoying driving here, I know that for sure. But yeah, I haven’t driven it yet so we will see how it is.

VB: Yeah, I agree quite a lot with Kevin. I really think last year it was maybe a bit more challenging in a way because on the exit we were always going with the outside wheels just on the white line and you knew that if you went a couple of centimetres too wide that that would be it, you would go off, but now it doesn’t matter if you go a bit over the white line, you just need to keep at least two wheels on the track and that’s it. It’s still a good track. It’s just that one corner is less exciting.

MC: Yeah, I’m not a huge fan of it. I think it’s maybe allowed us to go for slightly more risky overtakes but I don’t see why they needed to extend it so far around. As Valtteri said, it was a bit of spice, the old circuit, where we used to run up against the white line and if you went slightly too far you would hit the gravel and you knew it was over. Now, to me, it looks like we can get away with it so I’m not a big fan of it but that’s the way it is.

LH: They’ve pretty much said everything. I think the FIA are very very conscious of safety and I think that’s nothing to shy away from, I think that’s a very very important issue but I’m old school, so I like the old circuits, back in the nineties when there was no tarmac run-off areas, where it was grass, because even last year, here, when you went round that corner, you didn’t, as I said, you know… and I experienced it last year, I went wide through a mistake and you pay for the mistake. But what is really important is that of course if you do have an incident the tarmac does slow the car down better, so that is a good move but you can’t win, both sides.

FA: I think they’ve said everything. Nothing to add.

NR: It was one of the more risky corners that we still had in our calendar so it definitely makes things a lot safer and that is the right direction to go in.

Nico totally bitching out of saying what he thinks there to just put out some corporate PR.

[AdamR28]

I was waiting for:

KR: Yes.