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The no-wheel no-race rule has only been known since the Alonso incident of Hungary 2009.

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

Vettel finished in front of Hamilton in Melbourne. Was catching Hamilton in Malaysia. Today I don't know. It was a tyre gamble from Vettel which give him a 5th place. I think the race pace is ok, but they need to improve in qualifying quickly.

I think Red Bull can be happy that McLaren is not too far away in the championship at this moment.

Problem for Red Bull is that their 2011 strategy was founded on this:

- Put it on pole
- Get out of DRS zone
- Respond to others pit stops
- Control from there.

It's how they won most of the races. They don't have the straight line speed to overtake, which is what troubled Webber so much last year - he kept getting stuck around P3/4/5. Now Vettel has been dragged into that too because he's finding it difficult to work around the RB8.

"Cyril Dumont, who works with German Vettel through Red Bull’s works engine supplier Renault, admitted to RMC Sport that the balance of power from one side of the team’s garage to the other has changed. “Mark tends to be able to get around the problems and adapt,” he said. “But for Sebastian, each ingredient needs to be at its optimum for him to have full confidence and get the performance out. The car has worked well for him in the previous two years, while it is true that at the first two grands prix (of 2012) he has been less comfortable. Mark seems to be suffering less"

McLaren has the best race pace, while they're ahead on qualifying. Vettel will win races, but I think the loss of the EBD has hurt him as that really suited his style.

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Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

And considering this is something post-94, Schumacher had a considerable drive on 3 wheels at Spa-98.

I couldn't agree more. I'm sure it's happened multiple other times prior to Hungary 2009 without penalty.

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

Don't think that counts as an unsafe release though, which is the main concern here IIRC

Nor does Vettel in Aus 09, before anyone asks?

I remember how at the time, I was wondering if he could actually continue and finish the race on three wheels, because he had quite a big lead over Hill...I was only 8 years old and had just started watching F1 though

That was an awesome race.

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Gael

But it does count. Unsafe release is one part, but as already pointed out, had Schumacher not parked as soon as he did the penalty would have been greater. The point about Vettel in Aus 09 supports that and contradicts your own point, as he / RBR were penalised for continuing on with 3.5 wheels attached.

The point I was making, is how is travelling around the circuit with flailing rubber thanks to a puncture safe, when travelling on three wheels due to losing one isn't?

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

Just caught up with the thread now as I didn't watch the race live.
Was stuck in a Massa train somewhere and had to watch a recording

Exciting race. I'm not a Nico fan but good for him. He moves out of Danica Patrick type mediocrity - ties her pro career win level at 1 but he's ahead as she never got Pole (except Bobby Rahal's and her husband's, of course).

Nico should celebrate this by manning up and growing a Keke-stache.
I've always wondered how that'd look on him!

PS - post race they asked Nico about him talking to his dad later on on the phone. That reminds me I can't remember ever seeing Keke at a race as "dad". What's he up to these days and how come he doesn't come to the races like Mr. Hamilton or Mr.Button or Petrov'sMum®?

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Here's the usual spam post from me. But, if you have five minutes to kill then give it a read.
http://www.f1zone.net/news/rosberg-a-wi ... sis/13535/

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Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

About the wheel issue, I don't think it's drivers going around with 3 wheels which is the problem, it's the wheel coming off in the first place which the FIA don't like. The Alonso incident happened just after Henry Surtees and Massa's accidents, and they've been hyper-sensitive about it ever since.

Oh I get that, it's fairly obvious that a loose wheel can become a dangerous projectile. But when the wheel has departed why do they insist drivers have to stop? I guess it's because the car becomes a slow moving object which is a sitting duck for anything following. But then again, so is a car that's travelling with a puncture. See what I'm saying?

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

How do you know it's the FIA ordering them to stop and not the team or the driver himself, fearing they could make damage to the car?

I'm guessing it's because the drivers are under strict orders to stop as soon as they know a wheel is loose, under threat of severe penalties. If a driver carries on after his wheel's fallen off and justifies it by saying "oh well, it's a bit late now, it's only like a puncture anyway", I imagine the FIA would see this as a bit of a 'fuck you' and would dish out even harsher penalties.

Like I say, I'm only guessing. The FIA are very sensitive specifically to wheels falling off, so I suppose when a driver stops it's more to show intent than for any practical reason. If that makes sense!

Because of the example set with Alonso in Hungary 2009. He and the team were heavily reprimanded for firstly letting him leave the pit box with a loose wheel, secondly for driving half a lap with the wheel hanging off, then lastly for continuing to drive without the front wheel.

Also, it's been mentioned by the commentators quite a few times over the years.

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

Vettel is not impressed

Surely boarding on a bannable post

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"An idea whose time has come cannot be stopped by any army or any government"


3x TBKL rFactor Hillclimb champion

Or at least worthy of changing his member status to "shitty image maker"

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Massa led only unofficially - he was never leading at the line. Rosberg, Perez and Button did.

The record is eight from Italy 1971. Canada 1973, Britain 1975 and Canada 2008 had seven.