[LM24 Race] Anthony Davidson vs. Piergiuseppe Perazzini

[formerf1champ]

Regarding the defence of Davidson. I notice there's no "Well, I suppose the race does go for 24 hours. Clearly he was in a desperate situation."

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by m1fcf

Does it say 'Police' down the side of the cars as well? ;-)

Not sure blue flashing lights on the cars would make any difference. If you can't see the bright headlights on the current P1 cars, how is a blue flashing light going to make any difference.

But as we do seem to be looking for solutions how about the Sentinel system used by Dakar Rally vehicles - can be triggered by the following vehicle, and becomes an audible signal for the vehicle in front. Mostly useful for Trucks coming up behind Motorbikes, but no reason why it couldn't be adapted for P1 cars to trigger something inside a GT car?

But with closing speeds, it would happen very quickly - and often - more likely to distract than assist?

Originally Posted by formerf1champ

Regarding the defence of Davidson. I notice there's no "Well, I suppose the race does go for 24 hours. Clearly he was in a desperate situation."

'Desperate'? How do you figure that?

[Peat]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

'Desperate'? How do you figure that?

Perhaps he/she should have included a [/sarcasm] at the end for you.

[Aysedasi]

Or just not bother to post it at all....... We can all look and see who voted for what.....

[MGDavid]

Originally Posted by Kpy

Who is us? Do you mean no one on ten tenths speaks French?

The post Amicalemans2 refers to says:

Yes you can criticise the Ferraris but in this case:


where has the GT driver to go?

this is not the incident of the crash - what's your point?

[MGDavid]

Originally Posted by Rodger Davies

time yet for N24 style blue flashing lights for P1 cars?

how would this help? - when Perazzini is quoted as saying he saw the P1 coming, just didn't think he would overtake there.

[formerf1champ]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Or just not bother to post it at all....... We can all look and see who voted for what.....

Reeks of "So easy, blame the amateur"

[Aysedasi]

I'm not on any quest to blame the amateur. I'm one of those who considers the involvement of amateurs in the race to be absolutely essential. But on this occasion I watched the video and it was patently obvious to me. In much the same way as I felt that Bob Kaufmann was unfairly maligned last year....

[lemansfan]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemansf...7630250005006/

Was just busy to check some Pics as the Crash happened . 1 sec to late to have the Toyota on a Pic .

[Aysedasi]

That was pretty close Walter!

[chernaudi]

On Wind Tunnel, a fan wrote in and said that Scott Pruett wouldn't have made the pass attempt that Davidson did. Well, Scott was a co-host of the show and he said that he'd have tried to make that pass that Davidson tired to make, and said that it was an area of the track that, even that early in the race, you could easily make a clean pass of slower traffic. Pruett also said, just like last year with the deal vs Rocky and Kauffman, that pro-am drivers ought to be held to a higher standard in the WEC, ALMS, and in Grand Am. Agree with Scott's assessment?

[Mystery]

This was a World Championship event so of course "am" drivers should be at a very high standard.

That said the F1 and GP2 races saw several pieces of driving as bad or worse so who's to say the amateur here was below some unwritten standard. In the wrong for sure but not necessarily unworthy of a spot in the race.

[gregtummer]

So after thinking it over, how about having something like turn signals for the GT cars?

If you are a GT car, you see an LMP1 or LMP2 car coming up on you fast, you hit a turn signal just like on normal road cars, and signal the driver behind you which way you are going to go.

For example, if an LMP is coming up on the GT car fast at Mulsanne Corner, the GT driver could hit the turn signal "left" indicating that he (or she) acknowledges the LMP car is there and will stay offline to the left of the corner to let the LMP car past on the right.

Likewise, if the GT car feels he is entitled to the corner, because he will get there sooner than the LMPs, he could signal "right" indicating that he is taking the corner at its full apex.

[Peat]

Just as an aside, I drove down the Mulsanne last week and was struck by just how tight and short that kink is (Where Ant made the move).

Getting 2 cars through there would be HAIRY!

Also, Perrazzini's skid marks are still very present. Scary place for an accident.

[m1fcf]

Originally Posted by gregtummer

So after thinking it over, how about having something like turn signals for the GT cars?

If you are a GT car, you see an LMP1 or LMP2 car coming up on you fast, you hit a turn signal just like on normal road cars, and signal the driver behind you which way you are going to go.

For example, if an LMP is coming up on the GT car fast at Mulsanne Corner, the GT driver could hit the turn signal "left" indicating that he (or she) acknowledges the LMP car is there and will stay offline to the left of the corner to let the LMP car past on the right.

Likewise, if the GT car feels he is entitled to the corner, because he will get there sooner than the LMPs, he could signal "right" indicating that he is taking the corner at its full apex.

That might work, but as they have then installed now and don't use them, I can't see it catching on.

There is also the fact that the drivers are busy enough controlling the cars without having to think about turn signals for the car behind.

[Victor_RO]

GT cars already have turn signals. All cars have some form of turn signal, even LMP cars.

[gregtummer]

^^^Really?

I've never noticed them before. The only "turn signals" I remember seeing are LMPs flashing their lights to get out of the way.

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by gregtummer

^^^Really?

I've never noticed them before. The only "turn signals" I remember seeing are LMPs flashing their lights to get out of the way.

LMP turn signals are very discrete, very small lightbulbs in the headlights. GT cars should generally have turn signals consistent with the ones from the road cars. They do get used at the Nurburgring, drivers are far more conscious there of other cars.

[gregtummer]

^^^Okay, now that you mention it, I've seen them at Nurburgring, but I can't really remember them anywhere in ALMS, WEC, etc.

[Dead-Eye]

I actually saw them in use at Le Mans. Someone (may have been Ant himself via Rennen, not sure if I remember correctly) said that GT drivers had actually been instructed to use them, but not many did.

[chernaudi]

ACO/FIA advised drivers to use their turn signals to indicate where faster cars can pass, but they didn't make it mandatory.

[formerf1champ]

I was watching a review of the race yesterday, where this incident was highlighted. It occurred to me that the incident happened going into a chicane. Yet, those chicanes were installed there as a safety measure. "isn't it ironic...don't you think" Alanis Morissette, some time during the 90s.

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by formerf1champ

It occurred to me that the incident happened going into a chicane. Yet, those chicanes were installed there as a safety measure. "isn't it ironic...don't you think" Alanis Morissette, some time during the 90s.

Only it didn't, it happened going into the kink into Mulsanne Corner, which was there before the chicanes (put there before the 1986 race).

[Adam43]

Which makes it very much like the Alanis Morissette song, not really ironic, more just a bit unlucky.

What the chicanes do is reduce the approach speed to that corner. They were put there in 1990, my first year at Le Mans.

[formerf1champ]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

Only it didn't, it happened going into the kink into Mulsanne Corner, which was there before the chicanes (put there before the 1986 race).

You're right. A terrible oversight from me.