GP2 - R04 Magny-Cours - Event thread

[chunterer]

I would've thought that it was stopped because some attention needed to be paid to the line of fire extinguishers that Viso ploughed up along the wall needed replacing and some attetnion to gantries and signage around that area etc..?

[racecontrol]

yes, that's sounds really reasonable... they could have hardly checked all the advertising boards without stopping the race...

[bella]

actually, good point, they were picking bits of hoardings out of the greenery for quite a bit, and the marshals kit did need replacing (very stylish accident. maximum damage to surroundings, getting air AND a series of smoke bomb fireworks let off afterwards. superb ).

[racecontrol]

yes... if it was a scene of a moovie I would have said "Come on, it's exagerated!"

[Alfonso de Orleans]

Actually, on the screens in the pitlane, the red flag came on a few seconds after the accident. You did not see it on TV, but the teams knew about it immediately. So the reaction from race control was split-second. In my opinion, couldn't have been quicker.

[strider]

Originally Posted by bella

what *are* the rules for driving when the safety car boards are out? are you supposed to go around at a slow speed as soon as you see the boards, or are you supposed to wait until you pick up the safety car?

I don't know what the rules are in GP2, but until this year the rule in F1 was once the flags and SC boards were out everyone had to drive slowly. Only then was the Safety Car despatched and was obviously able to pick up the leader.

Unfortunately the drivers spoilt what was a good plan by hurrying around to take a pit stop, thus leading to the introduction of this year's rather daft rules in F1.

[bella]

i'm interested in the non existance of advice on *how* to slow the field. i mean, evidently there was quite a significant speed differential in a short space in this and quite a few similar situations (but without the flying cars, fortunately) i've seen in the past few years. some drivers seem to react like the proverbial old lady, and slam on the brakes regardless while others seem to maintain a fair pace until they get to the safety car and *then* slam on the brakes.

alfonso has a point, thinking about it. there wasn't a single lap done under the safety car, was there? so the decision was perfectly timed, avoiding the cars having to pick through a field of debris on the circuit.

[Mystery]

Originally Posted by racecontrol

actually I don't understand why, after a long period with Safety car, the decided to suspend the race: the cars were outside the track , there were many debris but I don't believe this was the reason for the red flag. I believe that as soon as the driver was on the ambulance the safety car could have pull in and race restart. But maybe there were some other reasons to stop the race... do you know anything about it?

I agree but the driver was not on the ambulance for a good 10-15 minute after if not longer. I'd have to check the video i recorded at the circuit to be certain but it was at least that long.

Originally Posted by chunterer

I would've thought that it was stopped because some attention needed to be paid to the line of fire extinguishers that Viso ploughed up along the wall needed replacing and some attetnion to gantries and signage around that area etc..?

Sounds plausible but there wasn't a heck of a lot of checking going on in the area, but that's not to say a marshall didn't wander down to have a look. Probably a pretty reasonable reason, but again I ask what actually changed. If there was a delay anyway.....

Originally Posted by Alfonso de Orleans

Actually, on the screens in the pitlane, the red flag came on a few seconds after the accident. You did not see it on TV, but the teams knew about it immediately. So the reaction from race control was split-second. In my opinion, couldn't have been quicker.

You would know, but from standing with a marshalls post directly in front of me it certainly didn't look that quick - I assume marshalls were told. Again, I'll check my recording to confirm, and am happy to be proved wrong.

Originally Posted by bella

alfonso has a point, thinking about it. there wasn't a single lap done under the safety car, was there? so the decision was perfectly timed, avoiding the cars having to pick through a field of debris on the circuit.

That's not my recollection but you were there too, so as above I'm happy to be proved wrong when I check the tape. To be honest I don't remember cars filing through either, but then again I was focused on the scene of the accident.

[strider]

Originally Posted by bella

alfonso has a point, thinking about it. there wasn't a single lap done under the safety car, was there? so the decision was perfectly timed, avoiding the cars having to pick through a field of debris on the circuit.

They didn't show this on TV, because they were concentrating on Viso, but if the red flag was shown on the teams' monitors almost immediately, how come most drivers managed to pit and change tyres?

In BF3, for example, if a race is stopped before 2 laps have been completed by the race leader, it is null and void and a new race is run for a shortened distance but using the original grid, or as much of it as is still around.

In Magny Cours they re-started behind the Safety Car in the order in which they had been racing...

[bella]

Originally Posted by Mystery

That's not my recollection but you were there too, so as above I'm happy to be proved wrong when I check the tape. To be honest I don't remember cars filing through either, but then again I was focused on the scene of the accident.

me too, but i could swear they didn't go past... but they must have done if they all managed to pit. arg, this is annoying trying to remember!

regarding the number of laps done and starting with the finishing order at the restart rather than the starting order... it's got to be completing a full lap in f1 type stuff, hasn't it? i couldn't remember whether they'd do one of those daft aggregate races, or whether they'd just start where they left off...

[Alfonso de Orleans]

Now I am confused as well...

I remember clearly on the monitor the red line across the top and bottom of the screen for red flag. Everyone was waiting for it due to the accident.

Did we all have a time lapse? Something is missing here...and I am the first to admit I am confused because we did pit, everyone did.

[Hazard]

There were two laps done under the safety car. Red flag marker appeared with 39 of 41 laps to go (just checked - tis not my magic memory or anything).

[chunterer]

Bloody hell, this really is getting a bit deep tangled up isn't it?

There's about 5-6 different lines of thought from posters as to when the race was stopped/red flag came out and which drivers/officials actually saw yellows and SC boards let alone reds!

I think we all have to agree what did happen in the end was in the best interests of safety etc after Ernesto's crash. However I bet it wouldn't have been stopped if it was either the Sunday morning round or in fact the Sunday afternoon an F1 race?!!

My own opinion and I know the regs obviously don't allow for it, would've been to declare a completely new start.

Is it now time to switch our attentions to the Silverstone preview thread? (of which by the way, I cunningly neglected to advise everyone that I had changed the title, it was the RE Shopping List thread!!)

Apologies for that, but the eagle eyes among you will have already noticed it i guess?

http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=98023

[Mystery]

Ok - the red flag most certainly did not come out immediately because right now I'm watching a clip I recorded of the safety car with the line of cars behind it, picking its way exceedingly carefully past the scene of the accident. Also I have a separate clip of my companion on the day being heard pointing out the safety car driving in front of the stand with no-one behind it - presumably because everyone was in the pits

Anyway, I think we lost sight of my original concern which was why it took so long for the red flag, if they were going to have one at all. Seems that the SC board came out pretty much instantly, but the start line incident might have brought that out anyway - we'll never know.

I think since I brought the subject up I think I can answer this as to why it took so long for the red flag to come out. Looking at the way the safety car had to negotiate a car to the left of the circuit and then the medical car to the right maybe the SC driver asked race control to red flag it. Its the only thing I can imagine that changed - the drivers condition won't have changed in that 5 minutes, the circuit conditions didn't change, but what did eventually happen is that the SC came through with a line of cars and I wonder if he asked control for the decision.

A good decision regardless, but one that really should have been instant IMHO

[racecontrol]

OK... maybe I've got it! What about this explanation:

A little before Viso accident Race Control realize that there is no time to clear the grid from the debris left by Zuber and Glock and they decide to employ the safety car. But this happens just before Viso accident (in the video, at the beginning of the first lap there are no flags or safety car boards -> I have a picture of a marshal post, after turn 5 I think, with the yellow flag still on the ground while all the cars are approaching)

Some drivers see the flags, some other don't. Some slowed down, other not.... and CRASH!

Race control decides immediately for red flags and this appears on the pits monitors, but.... the safety car was already on the track, so they had to make a lap behind it.

As most of the cars were in the pit lane when the red flag signal was given, they should have also taken the new start from the pit lane... as this would have been really funny (just 2 drivers were on the track) race control decided to open the pit lane exit to allow all the cars in the pits to reach the safety car before the race was stopped.

Only Carrol, who was the last one to enter the pit lane found the red light at the end of it and he was indeed penalized.

[strider]

I think you have it, racecontrol. Very interesting discussion. My queries have been answered. By the time the red flag was shown the drivers had completed too many laps for a restart from scratch. And I was wondering why Adam Carroll had been black flagged. Running a red light seems quite topical these days. If they do it F1, so why not GP2?

In Adam's defence, the situation was obviously pretty confusing, even to those who were there.

[Go_For_Pole]

Guess AirViso's adventure saved the iSport duo from being laughed at here for 10 pages at the very least Are those two guys in good terms after their accident or not?

[Alex K]

Dunno my Greek friend, but Zuber should kick his own ass, because having such a well prepaired machine, good engineered he's doing Lopez 2006 job (although Zuber has better car than Lopez had last year). He shows nothing in races! Even his Arab 'roots' () might not help him if he will finish 2007 outside Top-3.

[TWRv12]

Originally Posted by strider

And I was wondering why Adam Carroll had been black flagged. Running a red light seems quite topical these days. If they do it F1, so why not GP2?

In Adam's defence, the situation was obviously pretty confusing, even to those who were there.

Bad influence of his new boss

[Alfonso de Orleans]

I think Racecontrol has got it. Because I remember clearly seeing the red on the screens. Then I was obviously off to see what happened to Viso, so have no idea what happened next. I just remember soon after the pitlane flooded with cars.

As for Carroll, I think that they should have let him out with the rest of the bunch, especially considering the circumstances. But then again, I was not around to see if he was really much later than the rest, which then might have worked against him.

[Jackman]

Originally Posted by Alfonso de Orleans

I think Racecontrol has got it. Because I remember clearly seeing the red on the screens. Then I was obviously off to see what happened to Viso, so have no idea what happened next. I just remember soon after the pitlane flooded with cars.

As for Carroll, I think that they should have let him out with the rest of the bunch, especially considering the circumstances. But then again, I was not around to see if he was really much later than the rest, which then might have worked against him.

I have to say I remember it differently - I didn't see the red line come up on the monitor until they'd almost completed the lap after they made their pitstops.

[Jackman]

By the way, the GP2 blog for Magny Cours is probably worth a read: http://blog.gp2series.caradisiac.com/

[bradrive]

Originally Posted by Jackman

I have to say I remember it differently - I didn't see the red line come up on the monitor until they'd almost completed the lap after they made their pitstops.

I remember the redflag on the screen during lap3 (end of lap2 we all made the tyre change under sc regime.