2014 Santander German Grand Prix

Ferrari and Red Bull considered protesting the brake swap on the Mercedes.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/115071

GTP_Ingram
I'm a fan of Button, but this irritates me:

German GP: Button baffled by Hamilton's driving

Given that Hamilton apologised for the very minor collision, I don't see why Button needs to be so huffy about it. In fact, the comments he makes about Lewis driving the "much quicker car" just seem downright childish.
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He has a point. Hamilton is in a much faster car. There's no need for him to have been driving like he was, considering he broke his wing on Button's car, and nearly had a few other crashes.
 
GTPorsche
He has a point. Hamilton is in a much faster car. There's no need for him to have been driving like he was, considering he broke his wing on Button's car, and nearly had a few other crashes.
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Button was never in the same race as Hamilton. Drivers frequently allow others to pass when they know they are on different strategies. Several did not put up a fight to Hamilton, and in fact early on Hamilton himself didn't try to defend from Bottas when he knew he was faster. Now, Hamilton assumed that's what Button was doing, as he ran very deep into the corner (he wasn't "trying to get a better exit from the corner" as he claims, he ran out far too wide for that) and he made an error of judgement, which he apologised for.

I would have more sympathy for Button if A) it ruined his race (it didn't, not even slightly) or B) Hamilton refused to accept blame (he did.)

The wheel-to-wheel action was very close all race, not only by Hamilton, but by Raikkonen, Alonso, Vettel, Ricardo etc etc. It isn't something to criticise, it is something to applaud.
 
GTP_Ingram
I'm a fan of Button, but this irritates me:

German GP: Button baffled by Hamilton's driving

Given that Hamilton apologised for the very minor collision, I don't see why Button needs to be so huffy about it. In fact, the comments he makes about Lewis driving the "much quicker car" just seem downright childish.
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He apologized and no damage was done to Jenson's race, Hamilton said that Button gave him an easy overtake in Silverstone and thought he was doing the same here. Whenever Button goes wheel to wheel with a faster car he is usually quite generous to the other driver so it's a fair assumption to make.

Hamilton made some aggressive moves in the race but I think the incident with Jenson was more of a misunderstanding.
 
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GTP_Ingram
I'm a fan of Button, but this irritates me:

German GP: Button baffled by Hamilton's driving

Given that Hamilton apologised for the very minor collision, I don't see why Button needs to be so huffy about it. In fact, the comments he makes about Lewis driving the "much quicker car" just seem downright childish.
Click to expand...

Nothing wrong with those comments IMO, Hamilton is in a faster car, and it is strange that he felt the need to risk contact and assume other drivers are pulling over for him, when with a bit of patience, he could pass quite easily, which he did on the next lap. I don't read that has Button being huffy at all, just, IMO, rightly confused.
 
Spurgy 777
Nothing wrong with those comments IMO, Hamilton is in a faster car, and it is strange that he felt the need to risk contact and assume other drivers are pulling over for him, when with a bit of patience, he could pass quite easily, which he did on the next lap.
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I agree with you, he could have shown some patience. But given that in the last three races he has gained 29 places from his grid positions, I think one *very minor* error in judgement out of 29 overtakes should probably be excused.

I mean, Pastor Maldonado averages about 3 errors in judgement per overtake..

I don't read that has Button being huffy at all, just, IMO, rightly confused.
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Jenson Button
"I don't know if you've noticed but a lot of drivers do that line to get a good exit from the corner,"

"It's strange, when the car's so much quicker you'd think he wouldn't get into so [many] fights but there you go."
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Hearing Button speak, it's more than apparent these comments have a very sarcastic tone to them. When he's had a comparatively poor season, commenting about a former team mate who has effectively made a dream move to a vastly superior car, these comments really smack of jealousy.

I might also mention at this point that when Button failed to make Q3, he tried to blame a Lotus for holding him up. The on-board shots showed the Lotus to be more than a second clear of him, and on a fast lap. Button loves a good moan, and this seems like another example.
 
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Alonso and Ricciardo praising their fight:

Alonso -

Alonso praised Ricciardo's driving after several laps racing wheel to wheel.

"Daniel is a surprise since Australia. I think he's doing unbelievable. I think he's 7-3 in races in the first ten races with Sebastian [Vettel] so it's something that probably not one of us expected. He is doing a very good job, he's driving fantastically and today he was battling very smart.

"He was always taking the slipstream of me after I passed him and then braking very late, attacking very late and never missed the corner so he was very, very smart. Very respectful of the rules etcetera. It was a great fight."




Ricciardo -

"That was awesome fun, one of my most enjoyable races I've had. I mean, not on the first lap, obviously, that was just the wrong place at the wrong time. I wasn't as worse off as Massa and hopefully he is okay. I was on the outside and the collision happened, I had to avoid it and went pretty far down the field, I don't know exactly how far back. From then on I just got on to the radio and said let's make an amazing recovery and make ourselves proud today. And I think we did that, we fought hard and we didn't leave anything on the table. These are the moments and battles that I personally thrive off and enjoy. Fernando is known to be a tough racer and I thought who better to have a good fight with. I was on the Primes and he was on fresher Options and I gave it the best fight I could and, well.., nearly!"


Read more at http://en.espnf1.com/


 
One of these races, it would be nice to have a battle for the lead that isn't just the two AMG Mercedes cars. Especially if it was a battle like Alonso and Ricciardo had.
 
Surprisingly enjoyable race. Ricciardo really showing what he can do. Real shame for Massa to be out so early again. Alonso really showing why he was multiple world champion, and Kimi really showing that perhaps F1 isn't quite right for him anymore.
 
i'm in camp HAM and i absolutely understand why Button said what he said. Especially that "let me overtake him" bit. It's offensive to a race car driver and even if it was true, you be thankful, you nod, but you don't go around talking about it.
 
Turns out Jenson agrees with me :P
14698750371_52dccf6d78_b.jpg
 
Glad I stayed up to watch the race. Who says Tilke designs a boring? I don't think the old Hockenheim ever produced a race like that.
 
Yes, yes... a great race, for every position but the lead....
Daniel and Lewis having to come thru the field, provided us with plenty and a mixture of strategies, added to what is usually a little bit of a procession other than the long straight and a hairpin manoeuvres we always see there.

Daniel and Valteri are the drivers we shall see for some time to come, their ability is as good as any of the world champs out there.

Hungary should see the Ferrari and RB a bit closer to the pace of the Merc and Williams. Short turn around too :)
 
Really enjoyable race. Ricciardo was very good again.

Thought Lewis was a bit too eager. He strolled past Jenson way before the hairpin on the next lap and JB was due to pit as well but I guess it was a honest misunderstanding that can happen. I would've still been acting like Button didn't know I was there in the same situation. Lewis came from very far back towards the hairpin.

Think the new nose for Lewis could've been better over losing time with graining. He caught Bottas very early and would've done so with a new nose in my opinion. Credit to Bottas as well, he said he saw the graining in his mirrors, raced the line and knew the tyres would go off pretty soon on the Mercedes to hold on.
 
Funny stats prior to the German GP, see how they have changed today (for more trivia check the source page where I got this from):


Reuters
- Vettel is the last German driver to have won at home (at the Nuerburgring in 2013).

- The last time a works Mercedes team won the German Grand Prix was at the Nuerburgring in 1954 with Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio at the wheel.

- Three German drivers have won the German Grand Prix since the championship started in 1950 - Michael and Ralf Schumacher and Vettel. Michael Schumacher won four times, once with Benetton and three times with Ferrari.

- The last German to win his home grand prix in a German car was Rudolf Caracciola in 1939 for Mercedes. Ralf Schumacher won for Williams in 2001 when they had BMW engines.

- Five of the eight races to date at the redesigned Hockenheim (since 2002) have been won from pole. Only once has the winner started off the front row (Alonso from third in 2005).
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My favourite is the one that makes Nico Rosberg bypass Vettel, the Schumachers, and even Fangio, and puts him right there with Rudi Caracciola.


Yesterday, this was the appropriate picture to show the world the last German GP win by a German GP car driven by a German GP driver

tumblr_ltoxyv7iy91qzldlpo1_1280.jpg


Today ... it's this one:

nico-rosberg.jpg
 
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Solid performance by Hamilton. He got a little impatient with the Button incident but he drove almost at the limit throughout the race, one tiny miss judgement can be excused. His mentality at times can be weak and this affects his driving, just hope we don't see another Silverstone where one thing goes wrong and he completely shuts down. Ricciardo showed an amazing display of fast and intelligent toe to toe racing with Alonso, definitely see big things for him in the future.
 
GTPorsche
For the one that wasn't deployed when Sutil's car was parked on the main straight?
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Everyone figured it surely would've brought out a safety car... but then nothing happened. If it had, Rosberg's massive lead would have evaporated, as it would have had Hamilton been leading, since safety cars have helped Rosberg twice this year.
 
IceMan PJN
Everyone figured it surely would've brought out a safety car... but then nothing happened. If it had, Rosberg's massive lead would have evaporated, as it would have had Hamilton been leading, since safety cars have helped Rosberg twice this year.
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Sutil's car wasn't exactly on the racing line though.
 
After a few hours of thinking it over, my opinion about what happened after Sutil's spin hasn't changed one bit.

Not deploying the safety car was an affront to the safety of both track marshals and drivers. I cannot comprehend anyone making such a foolish call sending multiple people out onto a front stretch to a car in a vulnerable and difficult to remove position and yet, it happened. I understand the need to maintain race integrity but sacrificing safety in that fashion is unacceptable. 👎
 

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