Perez says he raced “hard and fair” in Monaco

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In the round-up: Sergio Perez responds to Kimi Raikkonen’s repeated criticism of his driving, saying his moves were “hard and fair”.

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“There may not be much to show from Monaco, but it was another positive race for me – we had stronger pace throughout the weekend, and I felt that I raced hard and fairly, earning my positions the hard way – by competing for, and winning, them on the track.”

Kimi Raikkonen on the Canadian Grand Prix (Lotus)

“We should never have been in that position in the first place [at the end of the race], but it was good to at least get a point at the end. In a way, it almost makes it more frustrating as when we had the clean air after the pit stop it was probably the first time you saw how quick our car really was.”

Time for Formula One teams to stop lobbing bricks and start working together, urges McLaren supremo Whitmarsh (Daily Mail)

“Most healthy businesses are trying to control costs and maximise revenue, and in my view we’re not doing a good enough job with both of those things.”

Ecclestone Says He Rejected King as Formula 1 Executive (Bloomberg)

“Ecclestone said he was introduced to [Justin King] the boss of the UK’s third-largest supermarket company and another executive from outside the sport ‘about a year ago’ with a view to one of them working with him and eventually replacing him. Ecclestone didn’t identify the other person.”

Analysis: Letter suggests that Pirelli broke ‘sporting equity’ promise to teams and FIA (Adam Cooper’s F1 Blog)

“The other teams were not told it was happening, they were not invited to attend as observers, and they have yet to receive any reports about either the Ferrari or Mercedes tests, in apparent contradiction of Pirelli’s usual policy, as outlined above.”

Mercedes can win again this season, says Hamilton (Reuters)

“Once we understand these tyres more, which we will eventually get to, then I think another win is definitely on the books.”

Video – Hamilton-Rosberg steering wheel comparison (F1)

“They may pilot the same Formula One car, the race-winning F1 W04, but Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton use subtly different steering wheels.”

The tyre scandal’s tangled implications (Autosport, subscription required)

“As Ferrari boss, Todt played a pivotal role in ‘Spygate’ – to which ‘Testgate’ has been equated – back in 2007, when McLaren was pronounced not (seriously) guilty before a subsequent hearing found the team guilty as charged of spying, being fined a headline-catching $100m during a trial in which then-president Max Mosley arguably overstepped the bounds of justice by acting as complainant, prosecutor, judge and juror, so he fully understands show trials.”

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Mercedes F1 drivers past and present Stirling Moss and Lewis Hamilton pose with their cars (Moss a 1955 W196, Hamilton a 2011 W02) in a publicity photoshoot for the British Grand Prix.

Comment of the day

Olav Kersen spies a potential route back into F1 for Kamui Kobayashi:

If Grosjean was dropped from Lotus this season, who would replace him? Who would be as experienced as Kobayashi, with the same level or recent results as Kobayashi had his last year in F1 and as ready and willing to race as Kobayashi is.
Olav Kersen (@Okersen)

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On this day in F1

Juan Pablo Montoya won the Monaco Grand Prix from third on the grid, passing Kimi Raikkonen at the start then jumping ahead of team mate Ralf Schumacher at the first round of pit stops.

Raikkonen finished second ahead of Michael Schumacher. But Jenson Button failed to start the race after this nasty crash during practice:

Image © Lotus/LAT

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96 comments on “Perez says he raced “hard and fair” in Monaco”

  1. Damn, weight of expectations really took a toll on Rosberg!

  2. The only thing Perez did was drive fairly hard into the wall. That’s not the type of driving that wins races much less championships.

    1. Traverse (@)
      1st June 2013, 0:49

      @n0b0dy100
      You’re right, only a complete idiot would crash into another driver at the Nouvelle Chicane. I mean, take this fool for example, Kimi should definitely punch this guy in the face!

      1. Raikkonen obviously lost control there. He didn’t try to out brake someone into a disappearing gap then blame the front guy. These last two years he has arguably been the best example of how to overtake aggressively and safely.

        1. @n0b0dy100

          These last two years he has arguably been the best example of how to overtake aggressively and safely.

          Like when he tried to go around the outside of Perez in China, at a corner were there are typically no overtakes, and predictably ran out of road because by following the natural racing like, Perez closed the door on him?

          It was opportunistic, but there was no way Raikkonen was ever going to make that move work. So I find it a bit rich of Raikkonen to accuse Perez of wrongdoing in Monaco given that he himself made a foolish move in China.

          1. To be fair if Raikkonen had got in there slightly quicker we’d have been praising him for a great and daring overtake.
            I don’t blame Perez for that one, but I hardly see it as a big incident either.

          2. Traverse (@)
            1st June 2013, 13:08

            To be fair if Raikkonen had got in there slightly quicker we’d have been praising him for a great and daring overtake.

            The same could be said for Perez’s move on Raikkonen last weekend.

          3. To be fair if Raikkonen had got in there slightly quicker we’d have been praising him for a great and daring overtake.

            People already are (though not specifically referring to that move):

            These last two years he has arguably been the best example of how to overtake aggressively and safely.

            Personally, I think Raikkonen was well and truly out of line when he suggested that someone should punch Perez considering that he himself has made some bone-headed of his own moves in the past.

            If Raikkonen genuinely believes that Perez should be punched for trying and failing to pull off an opportunistic move, then perhaps Raikkonen should be punched for inviting it. It’s notoriously difficult to overtake in Monaco, and Raikkonen has been racing there long enough to know that opportunistic moves are usually the only way through. Given that Perez’s progress through the field had been well-documented, he should have been aware that Perez would have taken the smallest of opportunities if offered.

          4. Funny to bring up China, Kimi was further alongside Perez there, then what Perez was alongside him Monaco.

            Look at the pictures, Kimi in China:
            http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff496/BoudicaL/Picture1-39.png
            Kimi’s front wing was about halfway alongside Perez, and yet it was deemed a racing incident because Kimi wasn’t alongside enough and it was alright for Perez to cut him off the circuit. Yet the corner goes to the right ahead of them.

            Perez in Monaco:
            http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff496/BoudicaL/picture2.png
            Perez was no where near as much alongside Kimi. And yet it a racing incident once again because Perez was “alongside”. Also the corner in Monaco clearly goes to the left so Kimi was always going to turn left at some point, Perez on the otherhand would never have made the chicane.

            Looking at the two cases, there is clearly strong sense of double standards here, or inconsistent stewarding at the very least. Kimi has been getting the short end of the stick, either one of these cases are wrong or one is right.

            Kimi did hit Sutil, but he wasn’t trying to overtake Sutil, he lost control of the car on a wet track. He apologized to Sutil for it. Everyone does make mistakes from time, there is also nothing wrong with being aggressive. But at times you should also just apologize.

          5. Oh, of course. But when somebody does something as juvenile as suggest that you should be assaulted, then the status quo has changed. If anybody should apologise for his actions, it’s Kimi Raikkonen. Racing incidents, like the collision, can and do happen. It’s part and parcel of being a racing driver. But calling for physical violence as a first response to an incident any other driver would have shrugged off is in no way appropriate.

      2. Maybe Sutil punched Kimi in the face……

        1. He’s just lucky there were no champagne glasses to hand.

          1. @red-andy Funny part is that one of the commentators says: ‘Thank god Adrian is a calm and friendly person’

        2. Kimi lost control in the rain…in 2008..Perez nearly crashed into him twice before he actually did it..

          1. @hellotraverse, @rahim-rg, @prisoner-monkeys
            I am with Prisoner Monkeys on this one. That is the only way you can overtake in Monaco and Kimi knows this. Every single overtaking move have a greater than normal risk on colliding last weekend if we compare them against overtakes moves made in other tracks. If in U.K., check the iplayer, about minutes 23 of the race’s highlights to see Buttons move on Peres forcing Peres to leave the track twice to avoid collision (just an example – nothing against Button). And, Peres was asked to give the place/move back. I would probably pissed and do the same all through the race. Kimi should, once again, know better.

      3. What you don’t know is that there used to be huge bump in that place and many drivers including perez crashed due to it. Now perez moves were stupid in my opinion. At first it was good, but then he tried harder and harder when other drivers had started to close the doors in that corner. Inevitably he crashed…

        1. @vecho
          All the drivers know where the bumps are. Its their fault if they are caught out by one.

          1. The bumps in the tunnel have been smoothed out since the incident of 2008.

      4. And what is even worse than doing stupid move is denying it was stupid

      5. WOW. Kimi should have requested a change of shorts in the pit stop following that one.

    2. Perez did some amazing overtakes, but witch Kimi he did mistake.

    3. Why would Perez not expect Kimi to defend his line into the corner when Perez already tried to our brake him there once?

      1. Traverse (@)
        1st June 2013, 19:00

        @n0b0dy100
        I think Perez didn’t anticipate that Kimi would make such a late, sharp defensive move. Kimi’s last second lane switch left Perez with no opportunity to check his overtake, besides there’s a rule that drivers much leave a cars width when defending.

        FIA Driving protocol and penalties:

        20.4 Any driver defending his position on a straight, and before any braking area, may use the full width of the track during his first move, provided no significant portion of the car attempting to pass is alongside his. Whilst defending in this way the driver may not leave the track without justifiable reason.
        For the avoidance of doubt, if any part of the front wing of the car attempting to pass is alongside the rear wheel of the car in front this will be deemed to be a ‘significant portion’.

        So Raikkonen definitely takes some of the flack (if not all of it) for this one.

        1. Kimi has been taking the same defensive for many laps, Perez knew what to expect but still he dived into a gap that was never there.

          Perez would not have been able to make that corner, so clearly he wasn’t using a correct entry.

      2. Because the approach Perez took into that corner was to use Kimi’s car as a cushion for slowing and altering direction of his own. We already saw him do it once when Kimi let him cruise over the chicane instead. Why it should work when he is even less alongside the other car and having to break even later is a mystery to me.

        If that’s considered an overtaking attempt then anybody can overtake in Monaco: Just go faster into the corner than you can possibly take but make sure you have another car on the outside to shield you.

        In go-karts it’s a very effective technique as they don’t damage easily. In F1 though, I thought the rules were pretty clear in that regard but apparently not.

  3. Traverse (@)
    1st June 2013, 0:39

    Perez has nothing to apologise for, he raced hard and in doing so lightened up what was otherwise a dull race weekend. More of the same please Perez!
    As for Raikkonen, can someone please shove a 99(without a flake) in his gob…thanks.

    1. May I suggest watching NASCAR? This should be sport first and show second and you shouldn’t “lighten up what was otherwise a dull race” by making unsportsmanlike moves.

      1. Traverse (@)
        1st June 2013, 3:25

        Unsportsmanlike moves!? When did attempting to overtake a competitor become unsportsmanlike? Perez tried to overtake Kimi and unfortunately it didn’t come good for him, that’s racing.

        I’d much rather have drivers attempt risky (not dangerous) overtaking manoeuvres and relentlessly push the car to its limits from start to finish (with minimal need for tyre conservation, thank you very much Pirelli), than see the leading cars coasting around 2 seconds per lap slower than the midfield bunch whilst not even thinking about overtaking the car ahead.

        Perez was one of the few drivers that actually turned up in race mode as opposed to coast mode, and despite being under scrutiny recently he still had the balls to go for it. If he keeps this up and shows this sort of fire and passion regularly he’ll earn himself a new fan…me. :)

        1. @hellotraverse

          Well, yes, it was unsportsmanlike.

          The only way that move would have worked, is if Kimi saw him and then cut the chicane to avoid him.

          However, in motorsport, the guy in front does not need to jump out of the way. Perez did not position his car far enough alongside Kimi to be able to claim Kimi turned in on him. I highly advise you to try go karting and see how much you can see to your sides and behind you. It’s entirely his own fault, for ruining his own and also Kimi’s race.

          Can I just make a clear point here. Risky = Dangerous.

          1. Traverse (@)
            1st June 2013, 4:34

            I see it as a racing incident (something seldom seen anymore as every incident is needlessly micro-analysed), both drivers could’ve taken action to avoid the situation.

            Can I just make a clear point here. Risky = Dangerous.

            I beg to differ. There’s a degree of scale involved when comparing the words risky and dangerous. Most people (myself included) would reach the conclusion that the word dangerous carries more clout than the word risky, in the same way that the words huge and gargantuan technically mean the same thing, but most people would say the word gargantuan alludes to a much bigger object/matter than the word huge. The beauty and versatility of the English language is marvelous isn’t it. :)

          2. @mike I see no problem with doing that: putting a driver into a position where they have to yield or crash. That’s good racecraft as far as I’m concerned. He couldn’t be banzai anyway, as if he hadn’t made the chicane he’d have to give the place back.

            Senna was the best example of a driver who would put the other in a position where they either conceded or crashed. I don’t see many criticising his overtaking skills.

          3. It certainly was not unsportmanlike @mike. I think Alonso captured it best with comparing it to his own driving in 2008-2009 – he mentioned that it was aggressive driving based on the knowledge that the others have more to lose (for the championship) than you do.

            Its why Alonso is a multiple champion and has been oh, so close to more titles for several years in a row now – he gives up a place to make sure he finishes. Kimi might be more a “pure” racer not giving up, but for the championship that is not always the best approach.

            And in the end, Kimi had to bear the consequences of putting a stop to Perez trying to get by. And Perez himself did pay for overdoing it too by not finishing. To me that is exactly how it should be. Had Kimi realised better that Perez would go for it, he could have finished in the top 5. And Perez could have understood Kimi was not going to let him get away with it and stayed put behind Kimi too, and he would have gotten a good result too. Neither did, and that was racing.

          4. @vettel1

            Senna was the best example of a driver who would put the other in a position where they either conceded or crashed. I don’t see many criticising his overtaking skills.

            Except maybe the Alain Prost who said some harsh words like “he was disgusted …..”
            If you want a translation to the words in this video i can do it

          5. Perez deserves credit for going for some gutsy moves, and pulling most off. The one in question was completely fair, and not unsportsmanlike in the slightest. All the evidence has been shown by the people above who didn’t see it as ‘unsportsmanlike’ by Perez. Plus the FIA didn’t punish Perez so that tells you enough. I hope Perez keeps racing and pushing the limits like he has been doing recently, because he’ll only keep improving by doing so. McLaren didn’t hire him to cruise around, not going for overtakes. There are lessons to be learnt for both drivers here.

          6. I can’t agree guys,

            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rpaATQkzUs

            There was no room for Perez, he simply misjudged it. I’m not saying that he should be punished in any way, he shouldn’t be. But it’s not a do or die move, it was a silly mistake.

            At no point was he anywhere near far enough up on the inside to be able to take the position.

        2. It is funny how Perez is applauded for trying any move he wants to overtake. But at the same time, the same people expected Kimi should just meekly have stepped aside to let Perez through.

          Racing is about overtaking and defending. There was nowhere for Kimi to go, that section of the track is not very wide. You cant expect Kimi to just drive off the circuit, to make place for Perez. Perez’s front tyres was barely level with Kimi’s rear tyres. That is not exactly alongside.

          Monaco is always a boring circuit it doesn’t give someone the right to suddenly do whatever he wants on track.

          1. Traverse (@)
            1st June 2013, 22:33

            It is funny how Perez is applauded for trying any move he wants to overtake. But at the same time, the same people expected Kimi should just meekly have stepped aside to let Perez through.

            Nobody is suggesting that Kimi should’ve moved over and waved Perez past, as I’ve said before I see it as a racing incident, nothing more. It’s Raikkonen that implied Perez had done something far more heinous by suggesting a talking to wasn’t good enough and that GBH would better suffice.

            Kimi’s over-the-top reaction has highlighted an incident that would otherwise not be a major talking point, and you know what they say, if you point the finger of blame at someone else, there’s always three fingers pointing back at you (at least that’s what my mum told me when I was a wee nipper).

    2. @hellotraverse Look Perez drove a beautiful race up until that point, proving why he is driving that McLaren. The move itself was not only stupid, it was also very dangerous. Making this look like he was doing a Senna like overtake where one has the choice to crash or to avoid him and give up the position is just nonsense. Senna however would have never dived into a gap that doesn’t exist anymore.

      Just because he was having a feisty afternoon doesn’t give him the right to banzai into there and demanding Kimi just move out of the way to ‘avoid a crash’. The main thing people forget is that the car in front chooses the line. Kimi decided to close the door early. That should have been a clear message that it’s not going to work this lap.

      Unsportsmanlike? The move itself not, optimistic would more suit that but that he acts like he drove fair that is unsportsmanlike. Trying to divert blame on Kimi, that is unsportsmanlike.

      Driving a McLaren does not give you privileges!

      1. Traverse (@)
        1st June 2013, 13:15

        Trying to divert blame on Kimi, that is unsportsmanlike.

        Kimi encouraging others to commit GBH IS unsportsmanlike. ;)

  4. I think most of Perez’s moves in Monaco were fair, the problem with his overtakes were that the other driver had to “co-operate” in order for the moves to be successful. The last one with Raikkonen however I thought was a bit too optimistic, although Raikkonen could have done more to avoid the contact.

    1. @slr I assume you mean the last two moves on Raikkonen were too optimistic, given that Perez made the failed attempt on about lap 53 and would have hit the Lotus if Kimi hadn’t gone straight on at Nouvelle Chicane.

    2. Magnificent Geoffrey (@magnificent-geoffrey)
      1st June 2013, 8:35

      I think that’s a fair assessment, @slr . I think that because of the nature of Monaco, any overtaking move requires “co-operation” from another driver to some degree, and that’s why I had no problems with the majority of Perez’s moves.

      I agree with @helloTraverse – it was great to see him making some ballsy moves and showing up two world champions in Button and Alonso by nailing them both into the chicane. Even Alonso came up to Checo on the red flag grid to shake his hand, as if to say ‘it’s all good mate’, which I thought was great to see.

      I’m quite excited by Perez, as I was when he was a Sauber driver. I reckon he should keep on doing what he has been doing, because he’s only going to hone his racecraft and get even better as time goes on.

      1. Traverse (@)
        1st June 2013, 13:13

        +1

    3. His moves were stupid, if anything. All of the overtakes were “give me the position, or we both crash”, and in the end it was for nothing. Kimi closing the door was inevitable, and he should have known that wouldnt end well. I didnt mind his move on Button, I thought the one on Alonso was pushing the limit and both times he tried to pass Kimi, his moves were just stupid. I hope his brake failure taught him something.

      1. totally agree

    4. Perez should already have received a warning for his first move on Kimi. He skipped over that chicane a lot, drivers used to be punished for that. Just because there is run off doesn’t mean you can constantly drive off the track. The FIA was very lax the whole weekend they should have punished driving over the chicane much sooner.

      In Perez’s first incident, he not only drove over the chicane himself but he pushed another driver off the track as well.

      If that chicane was gravel, would Perez even have attempted his moves? Or if the chicane was an actual wall I guess people would be happy with Perez pushing other drivers into a wall, for the sake of entertainment.

      The track boundaries are there for a reason, if everyone just drove off the circuit whenever they want, what is the point of racing?

  5. Oh wow, I’ve just noticed the white circle and a red race number that Mercedes-Benz have been using on their F1 cars since 2010 is actually a nod to their classic F1 cars back in the 1950s. That’s a really nice touch.

    1. Yeah I think they mentioned it when they launched the 2010 Mercedes.

  6. after Perez done he’s second overtake I knew it would end in tears. too try an take kimi when it failed before was a rookie mistake that come the end of the season cost kimi the title.let’s hope not. the fact that Perez’s front right hit kimi’s rear left says it all.even Jenson in code was saying “have a word” much earlier. when whitmarsh said earlier in the season it’s time to stick your elbows out I am sure he didn’t mention leave your brain in neutral. as for cotd coundnt agree more….( should say perezs second overtake in the race+In response to the merc old style post, one of the 1955 cars had the number 10, can’t remember who drove it but am sure it will be answered in minutes by a fanatic :-)

  7. There is no doubt that Sergio’s move is ambitious or maybe even “suicidal”. However, I am happy it happened for two reasons: first one is that at least someone is trying, driving in the edge instead of just coasting. Perez seems way much more comfortable now in McLaren and I am sure we will see great racing coming from him as he pushes the limit constantly. And finally, I am glad he crashed with Kimi. I know you guys might crucify me for this but I seriously dislike that side of Kimi when he shuts down the door or gets into a scrap with other driver and he always takes to the radio with insults or profanity. I think he feels he can’t be challenged, specially by a young pup like Sergio, so maybe he will learn a lesson here as well.

    1. Kimi always closes the door? Perez was never alongside enough. Kimi is one of the fairest racers and that is according to other drivers on the track, he had some of the best overtakes from last season. He is really not one who complains a lot.
      Perez on the otherhand have been involved in more incident in this past year then Kimi has been in his whole career. Kimi also tend to admit when he is in the wrong, young drivers like Perez could learn a lot from him. I would love to hear these hundreds of examples where Kimi has insulted other drivers over the radio and otherwise.

      Perez may be pushing but he is not exactly being efficient, he has collected 12 points for the season so far, his team could have been ahead of Force India in the WCC and they are not because of him.

  8. have to disagree, even if kimi jumped out the way Perez would never of made it around the chicane, so I think kimi didn’t contemplate someone trying to overtake on a racing line that was going nowhere, that’s why I imagine kimi was so livid, it was a hothead rookie overtake that was never gonna work.

  9. Sergio’s racecraft has been on a downward spiral ever since he signed for mclaren. The move on kimi reminded me of that banzai move he tried on hamilton at suzuka. He hasn’t achieved anything so far in his career, yet the massive ego is there for all to see. If he continues driving like that then a race ban is not far off.

    1. @sandy He hasn’t had a single penalty and you’re talking about a race ban?
      I actually agree with Sergio that his style his both aggressive and fair, his only problem in my opinion is having that driving style in Monaco, a place where he should have known there is no margin for error, with more experience he’ll know when to be aggressive and when to risk or not.

      1. how many penalties did grosjean have before his race ban? And i think perez was penalised in Abu dhabi last year for causing a collision.

        1. he did cause a collision, then came the race ban

  10. I’m still amazed Kimi got away with not being punished by the stewards for causing the crash. He was illegaly moving over in the braking zone into the chicane and bumped Perez into the wall way before the turn in point for the chicane. If he’s fighting for points and championship he should have reacted like Alonso to the move and collected way more points as a result.
    Love that Perez was racing instead of complaining like Kim, button and vettel about the pace. if you think your faster than the guy in front then try to get past!

    1. I dont think you have ever heard of trail braking.

    2. Perez definitely told by Mclaren not to make any comment, because other drivers like Button, Alonso, Vergne already put fire on Perez. Perez faster than Kimi? Maybe in 10 years if Perez still allowed to race..lol

    3. Perez should never have been where he was, Kimi drove that same defensive line for many laps. There is a left turn in front, Kimi was always going to go left, the ciruit does not go straight on. Perez would not have made the chicane, and he had already skipped the chicane a couple of times. That is illegal, drivers should stay on the circuit, that is really racing 101.

      Why are you so happy to see Perez racing but when it comes to Kimi you expect him to just disappear or roll over and not to challenge anyone? He is not allowed to race because he is in the WDC hunt? Why should that be? Very inconsistent ideals there for racing, and for different drives. It must seem very foreign but the driver in front is actually allowed to choose his line and he is even allowed to defend his position. It is impossible to always be looking out for what others behind you might be doing. If Perez wasn’t going make that corner, then that was his own mistake.

  11. Re: COTD. What’s with the rose-tinted glasses regarding Kobayashi? If Lotus were to drop Grosjean, surely they would want to go with someone who is a) quicker and b) less crash-prone? Kobayashi is neither of those things.

    I think some people just need to accept that Kobayashi’s time in F1 is over. In the mould of many good-but-not-spectacular drivers, he’s had a decent chance, but not shown many reasons why he should get another one.

    1. with all the respect, but i might not agree. Kobayashi is not the quickest on lap, that’s a fact, which casts shadow on his sunday chances. but on sundays, i believe he is one of the fastest drivers on a track that has massive traffic on it, and Kobayashis strength is constant and consequent driving, and clean manouvering in traffic. i would say 90-95% of his moves are clean and clinically executed. you are maximally as quick as your car lets you be, Kamui has never had the chance to drive a top, which Grosjean happened to drive in his first full season.

      he had a chance. finishing behind Perez only a couple of points would be enough for Perez to earn a McLaren contract, and would not be enough for Kobayashi to stay even in F1?

    2. Is Kobayashi really that accident prone? He is recorded as having failed to finish eight times due to accidents, but three of those were not his fault (a crash in the 2010 Australian GP due to a failed front wing, being taken out by Liuzzi in the 2010 Chinese GP and by Grosjean in the 2012 Monaco GP).
      Five DNF’s due to self inflicted damage over 61 races is not that high – it is not far off the average for most midfield drivers with the same level of experience – and certainly less than Grosjean has racked up. Grosjean has racked up seven DNF’s due to crashes in 34 races, so his accident rate is considerably higher than Kamui’s.

      As for out and out pace, whilst not the quickest over a single lap he was pretty evenly matched with Perez in terms of pace in qualifying (the average difference between them over the entire season being a few hundredths of a second) and, although not finishing as high as Perez did in the points, was a more frequent points scorer than Perez. All in all, whilst Kamui might not be the fastest driver out there, he is a more consistent finisher and cleaner driver than you give him credit for.

    3. One would think that with the current GP2 champ as their reserve, Lotus would not have to go too far to find a replacement for Grosjean @red_andy.

      While it was a bit harsh to hear it say that way, It was probably significant what Withmarsh answered to a similar question about taking Kamui on in last weeks episode of Peter Windsors “The RacersEdge”. He literally said, that a team like McLaren takes on drivers they feel have the capacity to become world champions (making it clear that Kamui does not fit that bill for them)

    4. I agree that his time in F1 is over. Kobayashi showed some progress in his last year, but I don’t think it was enough over 3 and a bit seasons to justify a return really, let alone at a team like Lotus. There are drivers in GP2 and FR 3.5 that would be considered before Kobayashi.

  12. to the Perez thing: it was nice to see some action in the narrow streets of Monaco, but if you want to finish your race in piece, you don’t make your moves where you can’t. you don’t force your teammate to get out of your way just to save both the cars, you don’t force Alonso having find himself place out of the track just because you dived into the only place you can make the chicane (and i obviously wasn’t delighted the Alonso had to let Perez pass), and you don’t put your cars nose into places it does not fit and will damage both cars. so in the end, i don’t think Perez has managed anything in Monaco. looked like he was brave enough to take on 3 world champions, but if Button had not been his teammate, he would most possibly have ended up in the barrier, he was never ever close enough to be a real threat to Alonsos position, so it was ridiculous that the palce was handed to him, and he had absolutley no chance to get even side-by-side with Räikkönen. wasting so many good points for nothing in McLarens current situation is everything but not mature. i have nothing against Perez, he really has got what it takes, i like the way he wants to attack and race, but Monaco is not to place for doing it. or just take a look at what Sutil did, with his clean overtakes that did not threaten any of the cars…

    about Kobayashis return… if any team would want an experienced and quick replacement for one of its drivers, the choice range was never that wide as it is today, many-many drivers have been ousted recently eagerly waiting for their return, including Kobayashi. however, it is also their tragedy as well, because they still don’t have the sponsorship money behind them that would make teams pick them instead of a pay driver. and what Grosjeans tragedy might be, that he does not bring in money, se he could be easily replaced any time. okay, the team boss is his manager, but we saw similar things in Enstone before…

    1. And I think Perez learnt that lesson by not finishing @andrewt. Now we will have to see next races, whether he has taken a hint and reel in before going one too far.

  13. If Monaco was Perez’s fault, then China was Raikkonen’s fault.

    1. Perez on Raikkonen in China = Chilton on Maldonado in Monaco.

    2. In China Kimi’s front tyres were actually halfway alongside Perez level with the sidepods, and that is exactly what the rules state where should leave space. On top of that the corner ahead was a right turn. But still Kimi was pushed off the track. But it was apparently a racing incident because Kimi wasn’t alongside enough, yet the track was wide enough and there was a lot of space for Perez to actually go:
      http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff496/BoudicaL/Picture1-39.png

      In Monaco Perez hits Kimi’s rear tyre with his front wing his front tyres only barely aligns with Kimi’s rear tyres after he bumped into the wall, he was never as much alongside Kimi, as what Kimi was in China. The circuit in front makes a left turn, and there isn’t any space to leave expect if you actually drive off the circuit.
      http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff496/BoudicaL/picture2.png

      Only one of these situations can be right. I would love to see an explanation for the inconsistency.

  14. But seriously, if Perez hadn’t crashed into Raikkonen: he still needed to cut the chicane because from that angle it was virtually impossible to take that corner! (cf. his first attempt) Seriously, I don’t understand how anybody can defend him on his move on Raikkonen.

    1. If so, then Kimi would not have had to close the door on him at all (making it a stupid move from Kimi) because if Perez would have cut the chicane to gain a position, he would have to give it back immediately @paeschli!

      1. Perez would have to cut the chicane because Kimi closed the door, making it impossible to overtake him at that point. Perez shouldn’t have tried it at all, that’s it: he came from too far.

        If you look at the images, you see that Perez never was side-by-side with Kimi before the braking point.

  15. Regarding Perez: it’s difficult to say whether Perez’ moves should be considered ‘fair’ or not. He basically threw his car in front of his opponents, effectively taking the position by leaving the opponent no other way out than to take the escape road.

    I believe Coulthard said a few days ago in his column, that the way Perez overtook was comparable to the way Michael Schumacher overtook, basically saying: “either you give me this position, or we’re gonna crash”. That works fine, until you come across people like Raikkonen who don’t want to play the game.

    Is overtaking where you don’t give the other opponent a chance ‘fair’? Well, from the way I’m phrasing it you already know my opinion. And just to be sure: the best judges are the other competitors, who haven’t been very happy with Perez, one even suggesting he should be punched in the face (which I find a disgraceful thing to say by the way). So: it’s effective, it’s allowed, but it doesn’t earn you respect from the other drivers – which is what it’s all about, imo.

    1. The other problem comes when people don’t realise he’s there. To throw your car up the inside of somebody and force them to the escape road is one thing in theory, but it has to be remembered that rear and sideways visibility is poor at best in those cars so unless he’s actually slightly ahead come turn in, its entirely possible they won’t know he’s there.

  16. Alexander (@)
    1st June 2013, 9:58

    A picture is worth a thousand words

    1. Alexander (@)
      1st June 2013, 10:09

      http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=474247865988951&set=a.401234903290248.93314.401220693291669&type=1&theater
      The link to the picture, for me Perez just tried something impossible when he went for that gap, which Kimi closed already early on the straight, and the speeds that he tries to do it at..

      1. I agree with you. Kimi’s line out of the tunnel was a cars length more to the left than Alonso’s. Kimi was saying to Perez: “NO GAP”. But he still went for it. It’s like stuffing the elephant into rabbits’ hole .There was no gap. But I think people who defend Perez won’t change their minds.

        1. *cars width. Sorry

          1. no need to be sorry, length and width are true both.

      2. which Kimi closed already early on

        And there was the problem. Kimi should have known better than to close the door in that section. Not saying its Kimi’s fault, but he effectively invited the collision. Because when a driver commits to brake late there, there is nothing they can do. However, if Kimi had kept the outside line, I doubt Perez would have overtaken him anyway.

        1. Perez should have known better and never have gone for that closing gap.
          Perez already tried the move and it didn’t work, instead of using good judgment he just tried it again, and this time there was even less of a chance that it might work. Kimi drove that same line for 10 laps before, exactly because Perez already tried to overtake him there. Kimi took the widest line he could to still be able to turn at the chicane. Perez on the other hand was committing to a move and and a line that would never have made the chicane.
          If the move has to be done so far ahead and you cant stop it, then why on earth did he commit to a move where he would not have been able to make the chicane? That just doesn’t make any sense.

    2. @alexanderfin

      And so it does…
      I’ll quote one of the comments beneath that picture.
      “Racing driver goes for gap (that his car will physically fit through…..shocker!)”

      Perez did well, he’s a racing driver, went for it as the car could fit there, there was space… boohoo Kimi, he must go drink his vodka with ice-cream… What does Kimi, a special flag to inidicate drivers behind when it’s okay to overtake him? LOL

      I like Kimi, got his Ferraris on my desk, but here, Perez is right.

      1. But the gap was never there, to begin with. Why did Perez crash into Kimi if there was a gap? Perez has driven many laps around Monaco he knows there is a chicane there and you have to turn left if you want to take the chicane.

        Perez cant expect drivers in front of him to drive off the circuit for him. The onus was on Perez to realize that there wasn’t a gap there, and other drivers dont have to drive off the circuit so that he can pass them.

        1. @angelia

          LOL, even on the link above, the gap is there. Why do people only choose to see what they want to see.

          1. The quote was from someone who died in racing.

  17. I hope Martin B makes full use of Twitter to publicise his new book…
    #martinbrundlescrapbook

    1. Martin Brundle’s crap book?

  18. Last year when Perez has a car capable of podiums and consistent point finishes when Pastor crashed into him & destroyed his race doing the same move that Perez did to Kimi & Fernando (hopefully Alonso was thinking of the WDC), he called him “STUPID” and now he says about himself that he raced “HARD & FAIR” , schizophrenia at least for me
    This argument “Hard & fair, racing drivers…..” is not valid when you cross the lines, it is just like a professional boxer punching his rival with his head or legs …… and then saying that he is “brave & strong”…
    Just watch the battles between Mark Webber & Fernando Alonso with breathtaking moves absolutely on the limit and the drivers still respect each other that’s “hard & fair” but trying to pass at any cost even crashing into the others that’s not “hard & fair” that’s “crash or let me pass” & that’s not fair play

  19. Michael Brown (@)
    1st June 2013, 15:38

    I think Perez raced hard and fair except when he collided with Raikkonen

  20. Someone please punch him in the face for me.

  21. I always thought Kimi was an aggressive driver, just in a cold and measured way. I think his move on Perez was aggressive (and he had every right to make it), and he might have been able to get away with it without damage to himself.
    Perez, on the other hand, drove like the idiot he is, and admitting he was at fault would be the only grown-up thing to do. This ******** about him racing ‘fair’ only makes him look even more stupid.

  22. If Kimi didn’t want Perez passing or attempting to pass him then he simply should have driven the same speed as Perez — which he should have been able to do considering he’s in a much faster car.

  23. For the new KIMI fans just to let you know that Kimi is not new at ruining other drivers monaco gp same spot btw, to Sutil while running in a very strong fourth position in Monaco with six laps remaining, he was hit in the rear by fifth placed Kimi Räikkönen who lost control of his car while braking for the harbour chicane. A crash a few laps earlier had resulted in the safety car being deployed, with Sutil losing his considerable lead over the Finnish driver. Sutil’s car suffered damage to the rear diffuser, and he was forced to retire. Mike Gascoyne called for Räikkönen to be punished over the incident. No punishment, however, was given.
    Sutil should of have punch Kimi then ! Perez was all over Kimi and Kimi lost it under pressure, Alonso & Button didn’t , Perez didn’t hit anyone, sutil, button, grosjean, chilton, hit other drivers and Kimi create the accident again.

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