Inevitably there was a huge amount of discussion here yesterday about the controversial crash between Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber.
But did you see this horror crash on the last lap of the Indy 500?
Reports are Mike Conway suffered a broken leg in the crash – but it could have been much worse. Two spectators were wounded, but not seriously, by debris.
The post-race stats and facts will be up shortly as well as the rest of the team-by-team reviews. Here’s today’s round-up:
Links
“Q: Is there any reason why he had a jump on you on that particular lap?
Mark Webber: Hmm. Maybe.
Q: Did you come out of the previous corner a bit slower on that lap?
MW: Hmm. You guys need to dig more, somewhere else.”
Sebastian Vettel ruins hope of Red Bull one-two in Istanbul (Daily Telegraph)
“Vettel, furious as he left his damaged car – making the sign for a madman by twirling his finger around his head, a gesture perhaps for the benefit of Webber – denied he was at fault, and Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko, a close friend of Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz, agreed. ‘Sebastian was ahead, there was a corner coming so he had to move into his line,’ Marko said. ‘He couldn’t have braked on the dirt.'”
“Helmut Marko, company owner Dietrich Mateschitz’s representative, stood by Vettel. ‘It was Vettel’s line,’ he said. ‘It was Vettel’s corner. Mr Mateschitz is not happy.'”
Michelin stands firm on F1 tyre offer (Autosport)
“Several team insiders have suggested that there is a strong feeling in the paddock that Michelin would be the better option on pure technical terms, because it has most recent knowledge of F1. However, Pirelli’s attitude and commercial package have put the Italian company in pole position for the deal.”
Comment of the day
Most people laid the blame for the Red Bull crash at Vettel’s door – 71% out of over 2,700 at the time of writing. And that includes some of Vettel’s fans like Kallan:
As a Vettel fan I’ve been disappointed in his driving a few times now. He doesn’t seem to have a cool head or the patience in these situations. That said, he was in Webber’s view for a good second or so, maybe Webber had enough time to nove aside and open some space, but I don’t think he was obliged to.
Kallan
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to The Dutch Bear!
On this day in F1
The classic confrontation between Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell at Monte-Carlo took place on this day in 1992.
Having won the last three Monaco Grands Prix in a row, it looked like Senna’s streak of dominance at the Principality was finally going to come to an end. Mansell, who lost the 1987 race to Senna due to a blown turbo, was comfortably leading the Brazilian with seven laps to go in the ’92 race.
Senna had at least managed to split the dominant Williams FW14Bs at the start and that was about to pay off big-time. Mansell felt a strange sensation at the back of his car, and dived into the pits for a late tyre change.
As he blasted back onto the track Senna’s McLaren was heading into Sainte Devote – and Mansell knew the race was lost.
The final laps were epic. Senna’s McLaren lacked the performance of the Williams and had run almost an entire race on one set of tyres. But he doggedly covered every corner and despite Mansell’s car being far quicker he simply could not get past the McLaren. Senna duly took his fourth win in a row.
Those of you hoping to re-watch this classic race may be interested to know that the entire Grand Prix is available on Youtube in 13 parts, except for part 12 which has been taken down by Formula One Management. You can guess which part that is…
TommyB
31st May 2010, 0:53
When watching the Conway crash I got that sick feeling in my stomach when you think a drive must be in a serious way. I haven’t had that feeling since Massa’s crash in Hungary and before that Kubica in Montreal.
When the replay came up I was like, oh no this is really bad. I wish him a speedy recovery.
HG
31st May 2010, 1:51
yes, a bad crash. Reminded me of Dario’s two crashes in a similar matter two races in a row just a couple of years ago.
Hope Mike is ok and recovers quickly.
Speeking of which, keith was there any news on that driver hurt in that lamborgini crash?
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
31st May 2010, 10:14
He’s still recovering in hospital but his condition is improved. Which is incredible given how long he was trapped in that burning car.
Patrickl
31st May 2010, 8:04
That crash reminded me of Jeff Krosnoff. He also went into the fence but with the top of the car.
BasCB
31st May 2010, 8:36
Amazing nobody got hurt badly in that. Cownway might have got a bang on the head, the cars around might have got hit by conways car etc.
MouseNightshirt
31st May 2010, 10:44
Absolutely horrendous crash. Best wishes to Mike and family.
But I’ve noticed that there are a lot of these absolutely horrendous accidents on ovals. They’re exceptionally dangerous.
macahan
31st May 2010, 23:15
Seeing how the car desintegrated and how high it hit the fence I was almost certain someone would get seriously hurt. But the fence held and Mike got away without any serious damages. Very scary thing. To see the reaction of the driver right next to him basically turning his own car into the wall to get out of the way was freaky.
matt90
31st May 2010, 1:53
Wow that was a shocking crash. I suppose the safety cell seemed to stay intact, but the rest of it disintegrated so quickly, and what was left didn’t look massively protective. Hope he recovers quickly.
LookingSpiffy
31st May 2010, 2:03
Ryan Hunter-Reay, the driver of the car Conway made contact with, was extremely lucky there. His onboard camera shows just how close he came to having part of Conway’s car strike him in the head. Lucky boy.
Macca
31st May 2010, 6:41
Not just parts, the whole car was lucky not to fall on him.
macahan
31st May 2010, 23:24
you can see his reaction on the onboard how he turns his mostly out of control car towards the wall. Didn’t look good with the pod skidding upside down like it did. But obviously very safe and solid construction wish regular cars was half as safe. To survive a crash like that at over 210mph (330kph). Best drivers hit 226mph average laps speeds (a good setup indycar on oval will have full throttle on top gear for entire lap). At the end of the race when they where saving fuel they where still doing reportedly 200mph.
Enigma
31st May 2010, 9:07
Hunter-reay said on twitter: “Thanks for all the well wishes. Hope Conway is ok, that was horrible. I’m scheduled for surgery on my hand tomorrow morning.”
Glenn
31st May 2010, 2:05
Watching the Entire race there where so many crashes, it makes me wonder if the Lack of downforce these guys are allowed to run is safe? The goal is for straight line speed so they run as little wing as possible to make sure they carry only the amount of downforce that will get them through the corner. IDK, I give props to the drivers because they are literally driving these cars on the limit of adhesion. At speeds that would blow the doors of an F1 car. But i think it may be time to enforce higher downforce to these cars.. Surely just for the sake of the drivers.
Choltz
31st May 2010, 4:09
People have to stop with this quest for perfect safety in racing. A crash at 100mph can kill too, and more downforce won’t help when you drive offline into “marbles” and when a car slides over another one, etc etc etc etc. The sport should be about proving who is the best driver, which is pushing the cars to the edge. I don’t want to see crashes, but that will happen, and deaths will still happen, the only way to stop it is to stop racing.
Maciek
31st May 2010, 5:48
Few things make me genuinely angry when it comes to sport, but one of them is people who react to dangerous accidents as if ugly crashes were ‘nothing special’ because they are ‘just part of racing’ or as if safety were somehow detrimental to the spirit of the sport, because you know, ‘real men’ aren’t afraid to be maimed. Armchair drivers….
HG
31st May 2010, 6:10
That is not what he is saying Maciek, and i agree with him. I do not, and i repeat, do not, want to see people get hurt. There will always be a risk when you are travelling at that speed. We are being dillusional if we pretend there is no risk associated with racing. That does not mean we should not try and make things safer, such as composite helmets (there is a new one that mimicks human skin on the head by moving seperatly to the helment, reducing the risk of rotational injuries), hans device, safer barriers, medical crews, centers and helicopters, and composite safter cells.
Macca
31st May 2010, 6:45
On a side note, did Penske run over a black cat, 3 stuffed up pit stops (2 for Will Power and 1 for Helio Castroneves) and the only car who was having a good run (Ryan Briscoe) hit the wall.
LAK
31st May 2010, 2:10
Oh my!!! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a car literally being smashed into pieces like that! Thank God his head was safe, hope he gets well soon and wish him and his loved ones well, must have been terrifying for them to watch!
sato113
31st May 2010, 2:37
What part is part 12???!!!! i want to know what you mean!
wasiF1
31st May 2010, 5:04
Really can we see the full race up to part 11?
Fer no.65
31st May 2010, 2:46
why are you all shocked about that crash?…
that’s oval racing. Crashes are, sadly, inevitable. They go so fast, that just a slight touch and you’re airbone praying to be able to tell the story.
IMO it’s just stupid to race on ovals. Crashes are part of oval racing. It’s not that its dangerous but you can get away with it. It is CERTAIN that you’ll crash some day and it’ll be horrible. Because you crash into the wall and you’re left vulnerable, going slowly to the racing line hoping everybody behind see you while going 360 kp/h.
But well… people still thinks: “OMG look at that! it was horrible” after such accidents. Not at all shocking.
HG
31st May 2010, 2:59
yeah, but they know the risk – they are big boys and girls. And actually oval racing, not F1, have been responsible for some big saftey improvements in racing i.e. hans device, safer barriers
F1Droid
31st May 2010, 5:31
Don’t know but maybe its because we’ve seen so many similar crashes to that on the ovals that, as a clip in isolation of watching and the emotion of the race, the crash was not shocking for me.
However, the fact that debris met spectators obviously needs investigation.
I wish Mike Conway a speedy and full recovery.
Prisoner Monkeys
31st May 2010, 3:08
Oooh, that’s an ugly crash. I saw it this morning on one of those breakfast television shows (I like to have the news on first thing in the morning). However, the reporters used it as a (joking) commentary on women drivers. I’m guessing they mistook Conway for Beatriz.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
31st May 2010, 10:15
You’re kidding? That is pathetic.
BasCB
31st May 2010, 11:03
Wow, that is realy sad. Goes to show how much an pro-female initiative is needed in perception of motorsports.
wasiF1
31st May 2010, 5:22
That was nasty thanks heaven that the drivers are ok.
F1Droid
31st May 2010, 5:41
In my mind there is definitely Vettel favouritism at the high levels of Red Bull, consider the nationalities of Vettel, Marko & Dietrich… their words are effectively “he can do no wrong” which sickens me. These guys are racing, Mark was completely correct & fair, Vettel was impetuous & naive.
I used to like Red Bull but not anymore… if it ain’t McLaren for both championships then I hope it is at least the Constructors, and Mark for the Drivers and 2 fingers to Dietrich.
macahan
31st May 2010, 23:42
wow that is pretty cynical. So all the things McL done over the years even been found to be at fault in court etc is ok? So I guess before you will like RedBull they have to become as bad behaving as McLaren and Ferrari showed over and over again year after year?
Why am I not surprised over the reactions of fanatics (cross the line of being just a simple fan).
Choltz
31st May 2010, 5:51
My biggest problem with this crash was the reaction of the abc coverage, the Chip Ganassi crew, and all the celebration of franchitti’s win when there is a terrible crash on track. ABC coverage just shows Ashley Judd running and waving to the crowd like she matters and everyone is jumping around happy. I think most people in this forum that would have seen this live would have had that slinking feeling.. and to celebrate was a display of disrespect. It is like ABC tried to ignore the fact that there could have been a dead man on the track, oh wait, owned by Disney, reality is not their thing.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
31st May 2010, 10:17
It was a difficult one. We only got a glimpse of the Conway wreckage but it was enough for anyone to know this was a serious crash. I thought they should have down played it a bit. (I was watching Sky, which I think is just the ABC feed).
Mike-e
31st May 2010, 14:31
sounds reminiscent of schumacher imola 94…
David A
31st May 2010, 21:05
Some people will always find a way to drag him into a discussion…
Kapow32
1st June 2010, 0:00
I was at the track and didn’t see the crash or a replay until well after franchitti took the checkers, of course they have tv monitors in the pits but the team will always be focused on their car
Macca
31st May 2010, 6:56
I was wondering if anyone new of a link to a replay of the BBC’s Red Button Forum. My internet connection stuffed up and I missed it.
As a Red Bull fan I have to say that my internet stuffing up at this point was not the best timing.
If anyone can help, it would be much appreciated.
George
31st May 2010, 10:33
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00srcx4/Formula_1_2010_The_Turkish_Grand_Prix_Forum/
I guess that’s only available to Brits though
Macca
31st May 2010, 12:34
Yep, UK only, I can’t see it.
Patrickl
31st May 2010, 18:38
alt.binaries.formula1
Calum
31st May 2010, 7:41
F1 forum was replaced with French open tennis, grr. But it should be on iplayer buy tonight.
Macca
31st May 2010, 10:34
I’m in Australia so I don’t think I can watch it on iplayer
MouseNightshirt
31st May 2010, 11:03
So many people have brought this up.
Jake said at the end of the race “Join us in the forum on the red button, unless you’re on freeview. If you’re on freeview, you’ll need to watch the forum online”.
And ‘lo and behold, it was live online.
Calum
31st May 2010, 7:44
*by,
stupid typo
Wateva
31st May 2010, 8:18
WIth regards to Marko’s comments, James Allen has an article about potential favouritism at Red Bull
http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2010/05/so-is-vettel-the-favoured-son-at-red-bull/#comments
MouseNightshirt
31st May 2010, 11:04
Is it just me or has JAs site been really unreliable as of late?
Ned Flanders
31st May 2010, 12:57
What, you mean the content? I still think it’s good. Though I haven’t read that article yet
Ned Flanders
31st May 2010, 13:01
Or… do you mean technichally unreliable. Because I’m getting a ‘database connection’ problem now apparently
W154
31st May 2010, 14:06
When I read Marko’s comments I think of that old schoolyard taunt ‘Liar, liar, your pants are on fire’
Patrickl
31st May 2010, 18:46
I think Marko is the only one actually telling the truth.
Especially when he says things like:
“Webber was slower and Vettel had immense pressure from Hamilton,”
“Unfortunately, Mark was not told about the situation accurately by his race engineer,”
He’s the only one who blatantly admits that they were trying to get Vettel ahead of Webber.
Charlie Watts
31st May 2010, 10:38
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00srcx4/Formula_1_2010_The_Turkish_Grand_Prix_Forum/
F1 forum for Turkey yesterday.
Macca
31st May 2010, 13:32
You can only watch that in the UK. It no good.
HG
31st May 2010, 14:04
you need a uk proxy.
Macca
31st May 2010, 14:55
Yer, that kind of thing goes straight over my head. I’m not very good with computers.
HounslowBusGarage
31st May 2010, 20:50
Well, try Googling UK proxy servers, but you’d better be well protected because some of the links that come up are seriously toxic.
Graeme Hunter
31st May 2010, 11:20
Dario was very lucky that the crash happened when it did, he was slowing massively due to lack of fuel, and Wheldon was closing in quickly. Obviously we’ll never know now, but that last lap might have been a classic but for Conway’s horrible crash (was so glad he came away with “just” a broken leg from that). Dario was the class of the field up until that point, but they had cut it really fine. Very impressed to see three Brits in the top three, good work!
Ned Flanders
31st May 2010, 12:59
That is one scary crash. And the concerning thing is that cars getting airbourne and ending up in the fence is not unusual in Indycars.
Perhaps the crash will remind all the people wanting an F1 race on an oval (and yes, that usually includes me) why it might not be such a good idea after all…
The Genuine Jim
31st May 2010, 20:15
Guys, I saw an intersting article on the motorsport industry in Britain: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/10161744.stm
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Britain’s motorsport industry is the very last thing that we as a nation can be proud of. And to think that we used to be known as the workshop of the world…
John H
31st May 2010, 20:48
Thanks for the link.
I bought some ‘shoe storage’ for my girlfriend from Argos on the Brooklands site today…. but thank goodness that the rest of the oval is now protected land and the museum is there.
I’m always quite proud to say that Britain is the home of motorsport and long may it continue… as you mention, I can’t think of much else nowadays!
As for the shoe storage… don’t ask.