Vitantonio Liuzzi says he would have easily passed Jaime Alguersuari if the Toro Rosso driver hadn’t cut the chicane during the Belgian Grand Prix.
Alguersuari was given a 20-second time penalty by the stewards after the race, demoting him to 13th and promoting Liuzzi to tenth. Liuzzi said:
We could have easily passed him, but he did a mistake in the last corner two laps from the end, he just cut across. He gained around two seconds, and I would have easily passed him on the straight because our top speed is always strong. It was disappointing initially because we finished 11th, just outside the points, but we had to wait for the stewards to take a decision about Alguersuari’s move.
Vitantonio Liuzzi
The move was not shown during the live broadcast of the race.
He also said his front wing was damaged before his contact with Sebastian Vettel:
At the restart on the first lap I had a little contact ahead of me at Les Combes and a part of my nose was broken. So we suffered a lot with understeer and snap oversteer, because all the aero balance was affected. It was costing a lot of downforce, but not enough to stop for a new one.
[I pitted early] because of rear graining on the soft tyres. When I came in the team didn’t change the nose because they didn’t realise how bad the damage was, so I changed it only the second time, after the accident with Sebastian. When he ran over my front wing, it cost me a lot.
Vitantonio Liuzzi
He believes he would have finished closer to team mate Adrian Sutil, who was fifth, had it not been for the collision with Vettel:
It’s a shame, because without the accident with Sebastian Vettel, we could have finished in eighth position. This is what can happen in a crazy race, but I enjoyed it a lot.
Vitantonio Liuzzi
2010 Belgian Grand Prix
BasCB
3rd September 2010, 10:10
He did finish in the points, so he can be satisfied. And it seems FI will keep him on for another year.
By now he seems to be a decent driver, but not the amazing one we once thought he migth be. Another Italian who will hope for a Ferrari seat in vain, i think.
Marco
3rd September 2010, 13:40
Yes, he can be satisfied with “points”, but absolutely not with his pace… Compared to Sutil, it was definitely Liuzzi s weakest weekend of this season, even worser then in Turkey…
fordsrule
3rd September 2010, 10:40
He said he wants to drive for McLaren :D
Scribe (@scribe)
3rd September 2010, 11:57
Liuzzi? Well beyond the obvious talent barries, thats rare huh? There havn’t been any championship contender italians for a while now, wonder if the next one will actually have to do it at arms length from the red team
F1 Novice
3rd September 2010, 11:30
If’s buts and maybe’s
mfDB
3rd September 2010, 16:57
yea, exactly. I’m tired of Liuzzi’s babbling
wasiF1 (@wasif1)
3rd September 2010, 11:31
Liuzzi is one of those driver who isn’t secure for 2011 in Force India & if he is thrown away from there then I don’t think he have anywhere else to go.
xtophe (@xtophe)
3rd September 2010, 13:55
With Yamamoto being a certainty at HRT, maybe it’s time for Chandhok to go to the most obvious team for him on the grid.
Steph (@)
3rd September 2010, 14:52
Mallya would hire an Indian but only if he’s competitive. Karun’s a nice bloke but he’s been in a HRT so who knows where he really is pace wise and he lacks experience. They may as well keep Liuzzi if that’s the only option.
adam23
6th September 2010, 3:50
Mallya said in an interview earlier this season something about there being no truly talented Indian pilot in the field, effectively ruling out a Chandhok-FI move.
Seems a bit of a premature judgement to me though, Chandhok has been closely matched to Senna in the first half of the season so they’re both fairly unknown quantities really.
F1 Novice
3rd September 2010, 11:33
There was a great quote I remember from Jamie Whitham once re: If’s buts and maybe’s
He said whilst commentating on WSBK round ” if we had some ham, we could have some ham and eggs if we had some eggs”. – summed up the IF excuses really and made me chuckle….. simple things and all that :)
Ads21 (@ads21)
3rd September 2010, 15:18
and as Guy Martin might say, “If ifs and buts were pots and pans we’d all be scrap metal merchants”
verstappen
3rd September 2010, 12:44
Was his radio broken? I mean he could have told the team how bad it was?
Then again maybe he tried:
“the car has understeer and snappy oversteer”
..
“Yes vitantonio, now drive”
(to other guys at pitwall:) “what’s with this guy, always whining”
Marco
3rd September 2010, 13:36
Yes, and that s why Alguersuari was over 4 seconds faster in the last lap…:D
Liuzzi should pay attention on Sutil, who is destroying him on tracks with fast corners like Spa, Istanbul Park, Barcelona or Silverstone and not playing “a hero”… Alguersuari was driving a slower car, but still was able to go faster then Liuzzi in qualifying and also in race…:D
Todfod
3rd September 2010, 14:39
Yes yes Luizzi…. I’m pretty sure you would have made up the gap to Lewis within two corners as well. I really have no idea why people do not give you the respect befitting of a phenomenal number 2 driver without a 2011 contract.
David-A (@david-a)
3rd September 2010, 19:41
You could’ve passed Alguersuari easily. Yeah, and I could drive the Force India faster than you do. Easily.
Rob S
3rd September 2010, 21:43
When are Force India going to get rid of luizzi all he has is excuses for why he failed to do as well as his team mate. Give Di Resta the seat for a whole weekend and see how he does.
Todfod
4th September 2010, 7:43
Agree. I was happy for Luizzi when he got an oppurtunity last year to fill in for Fisi, and although he has put in a couple of solid performances, he is just not good enough to deserve that second seat. Bring in Di Resta as the 2nd driver and Chnadhok as a test driver.
madhu
4th September 2010, 18:20
if sutit leaves FI(which shouldn’t happen) then its only luizzi and di resta for the 2011 gp….
so it ll be luizzi praying for sutil and renault contract for 2011…..
Mike
5th September 2010, 23:36
If Sutil goes to Renault then Liuzzi will most likely be kept as the “experienced” component… But I doubt he’ll get the boot anyway, unless it’s for Di Resta…
Liuzzi isn’t sooo bad… but, it seems on pace he is like a rookie should be, and Liuzzi is not a rookie anymore…
Rob S
6th September 2010, 0:13
If Sutil goes to Renault and FI keep Luizzi alongside Di Resta Luizzi would again be made to look like the weak link in the team and would have to come up with new excuses.