Vergne’s Monza crash caused by suspension failure
F1 Fanatic round-up
In the round-up: Toro Rosso confirm Jean-Eric Vergne crashed out at Monza due to suspension failure.
Links
Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:
Dusting himself off (Toro Rosso)
Jean-Eric Vergne: “After the race, we established it had been a failure with the rear suspension. In the end you just have to put it down as one of those things that happen when you go racing. I do feel pretty stiff across my back and neck but I think that will go away over the next day or so and I’ll get on with what is going to be a pretty busy schedule until Singapore.”
Mercedes: Drag Reduction Device (ScarbsF1)
“The additional ductwork emerging from the engine cover routed up to the rear wing and back to beam wing, apes the Lotus device. This device was run again in the Young Driver Test this week and closer images show the device departs from the Lotus design in the way it blows the rear wing to stall the airflow.”
Bird encouraged by Mercedes updates (Autosport)
“We covered the mileage necessary for the testing of the new components, and there is now a lot for the team to go through. That will be down to the guys at the factory, but my feeling is positive.”
Sid Watkins dies, aged 84 (The Telegraph)
“Sid led neurosurgical units in New York and then London, pioneering brain surgery for Parkinson’s disease and the first implantable electrodes to relieve crippling disorders of the brain and spine. If the remarkable drugs we now use for Parkinson’s had not been developed, he would have been as famous for his neurosurgery as Christian Barnard was for the heart. His sports achievement would have been but a footnote in the career of a medical genius.”
Obituary – Professor Sid Watkins OBE, 1928-2012 (F1)
“‘I said: ‘Brain damage, foot damage, it doesn’t make any difference. You’re not fit to drive.’ [Nelson Piquet] cried on my shoulder, begged and screamed, but I said to Bernie [Ecclestone]: ‘If Nelson gets into a car, I’m leaving this circuit.” Years later, Piquet admitted that he didn’t feel right until the end of the season.”
Brawn tips Schumacher to move into management after retirement (Daily Mail)
“We are not discussing that in detail because that is not a consideration at the moment. But Michael’s experience of motor racing, his judgement and so on, would be an asset to any team.”
Hamilton’s tough decision (BBC)
“Already on about half of what Alonso earns at Ferrari, one can imagine how that has gone down with Hamilton – especially as McLaren’s portfolio of sponsors makes it very difficult for a driver to do personal deals elsewhere to top up his earnings. That’s because almost anywhere he looks there’s a clash with a company that has links with McLaren.”
F1 track now fully funded (Austin-American Statesman)
“In all, slightly more than $200 million (£124m) in financing was raised to construct the 3.4-mile circuit.”
Countdown underway for third F1 Korean Grand Prix (Korea Times)
“For 2012, organisers said an additional 132 accommodations, including traditional Korean houses for bed and breakfasts, will open for the race. A web site providing information on accommodation can be reached at http://f1lod.koreangp.kr*. It’s available in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese.”
*This URL did not appear to be working when the round-up was finished.
“Italy has a way of its own, so it’s not travelling the right way around the circuit and there’s a marshal sat in the car enjoying a little play with the wheel. Red Bull mechanics were probably a bit unhappy when he arrived back outside their garage! It just sums up the Italian Grand Prix in a way, as there are so many punters without tabards that are able to get trackside; it’s a bit corrupt in that sense because all of the ‘Controllo’ and people in a position of power seem to help their mates get close to the action without the necessary clearance.”
Tweets
It felt so so good to drive a f1 car in anger again!! Let’s just hope it won’t be the last time:) big thanks to everyone at @mercedesamgf1
— Brendon Hartley(@BrendonHartley) September 13, 2012
HRT’s @maqinghuaf1 will drive again in first practice at Singapore, in @narainracing‘s car. #F1
— F1 Fanatic (@f1fanatic_co_uk) September 13, 2012
Comment of the day
Is Luca di Montezemolo wrong to suggest Sergio Perez isn’t experienced enough for Ferrari? @JayMenon10 tries to look at it from the Ferrari president’s point of view.
On the flip side, Montezemolo’s comments makes sense. I don’t think he has any doubts about the potential Perez has to go on and become world champion somewhere down the line..and the best for him to do that is with Ferrari.
Everybody looks at his performances this year and says he a shoe in right now, but that’s just our opinions, the fans will always have emotional leanings toward any debate of this nature. The point Montezemolo is trying to make here is that, Ferrari want to hire a driver that is seasoned and well rounded in all aspects of F1, a driver like Alonso essentially. No doubt Perez is fast, but at this juncture, he probably hasn’t developed his abilities in other areas that will ultimately make him a Ferrari driver.
You may wonder why they would not want to blood him starting next year. I think they just want to sign a more experienced driver, who is quick enough to bring the car home on the podium every race, possibly nick a few victories and help develop the car and team while he’s at it.
I guess after Felipe’s catastrophic demise in recent years, they probably want a safe bet and Perez isn’t one at this point. I would have loved to see Mark Webber in the Ferrari next year, but that’s not going to happen now. My personal pick for Massa’s replacement would Adrian Sutil or Timo Glock.
@JayMenon10
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On this day in F1
The only time the Italian round of the world championship was held at a track other than Monza was on this day in 1980. Imola, appearing on the calendar for the first time, held the 1980 Italian Grand Prix.
Ferrari demonstrated their forthcoming turbo-powered car in practice and Rene Arnoux put his turbocharged Renault on pole position.
But the usual turbo unreliability struck on race day and the points places were filled by Cosworth-powered cars. Nelson Piquet won for Brabham followed by the Williams pair of Alan Jones and Carlos Reutemann.
During the race Gilles Villeneuve had an enormous crash when a tyre failed at the high-speed kink before Tosa, which was later named after him:
Image © Red Bull/Getty images
marshad said on 16th September 2012, 15:17
What bothers me is that i didn’t notice any discussion about these high Monza kerbs. It was just a week ago that we’ve seen quite a dangerous accident for which RG got a race ban (i do realize it wasn’t just for this accident). Now we’ve got a very similar situation! If there would be some cars in the corner it could be the same (or worse) outcome. This is the longest braking zone in F1 (~140m) with speeds reaching 340km/h just before it and we put a sausage kerb in this place? Luckily in previous year (2011) Liuzzi missed this kerb on his excursion at the start of the race.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 16th September 2012, 16:12
They did lower the kerbs there two years ago for precisely that reason:
Kerbs eased at Monza for safety reasons
But after Vergne’s crash you have to wonder if they need to go a step further. There’s an obvious risk had a car been on the track where he went off and there have been other near-misses there: think of Liuzzi’s crash last year, or Stephane Ortelli’s LMS shunt in 2008 (not that he needed the kerb to get airborne!):
Video: Stephane Ortelli survives horrific crash at Monza