WOW! Was that a crazy European GP or what? As I think the only race to equal it in terms of drama so far this season was the Canadian GP.
And how fast my emotions changed from gleeful humour over the “Shtick” of crass comments over Michael & Kimi’s relationship to Hamilton’s horrifying crash.
You see apparently Michael Schumacher still doesn’t know exactly what his role with the Scuderia is these days. Yet Bob Varsha quipped. “Hope it’s not fuel strategy?” While Varsha wondered out loud if Kimi Raikkonen had run out of fuel during the mad cap race? To which tongue in cheek was noted. “Yes Kimi you can go one lap further!” Crackled the imaginary radio transmission.
As the crack crew of SPEED TV was playing up the fact that the Finn is NO fan of having the German mucking about the garage. And the interview with Peter Windsor was hilarious. Kimi what happened? Aaaahhh. Uuuuhhh. Eee? Err, Hydraulics. Yeah that’s the ticket! As Professor Matchett pointed out how you need petrol to run the lump which makes the hydraulics operate.
Yet all of the playful banter was broken immediately upon Lewis Hamilton’s major shunt during Q3 final Qualifying. As the right front tire quickly deflated and hurtled the McLaren off into the tire barrier. Nearly hitting the top of the structure or possibly high jumping the barricade all together.
That was almost as scary of a crash as Robert Kubica’s Canadian shunt. Of which the Polish driver sustained 73 G’s. Thankfully Hamilton was uninjured after spending a few hours in the hospital for observations and started the race in 10th place.
And as Scott Speed has rightly pointed out, six cars spun off the track while hydroplaning about the circuit. With such names as Hamilton, Button and Rosberg to name a few. Yet Hamilton kept the car idling while a crane reset him onto the track.
This coincides with Windsor’s piece of how the top teams are now able to idle their precious lumps up to 4+ minutes. While waiting at the end of pit lane in order to be first out onto the track in Q3.
Apparently the engine manufacturers are utilizing the same hybrid technology of cutting cylinders as current road cars do. Therefore when sitting at the end of pit lane, these 2.4 liter V8’s are effectively V4 Singer sewing machines.
And is it just me, or was Felipe Massa robbed of what seemed a certain victory? As Fernando has apparently been watching ‘ol PT’s utilization of the Chrome Horn. As Ferdi was heard telling the fuming Massa in parc ferme that “Racin is Rubbin!” Yet I enjoyed Massa’s post race comments better. If I wanted to take him out, I’d have put him in the grandstands! Perhaps you’d better do that next Felipe!
And the BMW Sauber boys were busy breaking the golden rule of motor racing. Whatever you do, do NOT take out your teammate. As both drivers blamed each other for their early race contretemps.
