Motorsport OMG / WTF moments - Racing Funnies, Fails, Crashes, And Randomness

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Thats not really that surprising...F3 Cup is a cheap alternative series for young drivers who are progressing up from karts/Formula Ford. Most of the drivers in that series are several years in experience behind da Costa.

If you look back further this year, other drivers have also been guest drivers and delivered similar gaps:
http://www.f3cup.co.uk/news/lynn-reigns-in-spa-qualifying.aspx

Not to mention that the series encourages the participation of pretty much any F3 car prior to 2005 - which can cause quite big variations in equipment quality, spare parts, etc.

Plus it was a wet qualifying which is a huge advantage to experienced drivers.
 
Ardius
Thats not really that surprising...F3 Cup is a cheap alternative series for young drivers who are progressing up from karts/Formula Ford. Most of the drivers in that series are several years in experience behind da Costa.

If you look back further this year, other drivers have also been guest drivers and delivered similar gaps:
http://www.f3cup.co.uk/news/lynn-reigns-in-spa-qualifying.aspx

Not to mention that the series encourages the participation of pretty much any F3 car prior to 2005 - which can cause quite big variations in equipment quality, spare parts, etc.

Plus it was a wet qualifying which is a huge advantage to experienced drivers.
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He' s not that experienced, though clearly more than their average. But mostly IMO he is very fast.

But I may be biased in this case :D
 
hornet_burnout
He' s not that experienced, though clearly more than their average. But mostly IMO he is very fast.

But I may be biased in this case :D
Click to expand...

Yes he is "that" experienced.

Compare:
http://www.driverdb.com/drivers/antonio-felix-da-costa/career/

With one of the F3 Cup leading drivers:
http://www.driverdb.com/drivers/tristan-cliffe/career/

Da Costa is actually more experienced than his career first looks because he's managed to complete double-seasons or partial seasons in 2 different series in the same year (e.g. 2 different Formula Renault series in 2008 and 2009, GP3 and British F3 in 2011 and GP3 and FR3.5 this year).

Whereas most of the regulars in F3 Cup appear to be drivers still trying to get their career started with very little experience - as most of them are the drivers that don't have the budget to compete in Formula Renault or F3 and can't afford testing.

Just because Da Costa is young, it doesn't mean he's inexperienced. He's got far more experience than his peers as he seems to be able to afford driving in 2 different series each year! Most drivers can't even afford a full season of 1 series!

Not to mention Da Costa has proven himself good enough to mount a title challenge in FR3.5 - merely one step below F1.
 
Ardius
Yes he is "that" experienced.

Compare:
http://www.driverdb.com/drivers/antonio-felix-da-costa/career/

With one of the F3 Cup leading drivers:
http://www.driverdb.com/drivers/tristan-cliffe/career/

Da Costa is actually more experienced than his career first looks because he's managed to complete double-seasons or partial seasons in 2 different series in the same year (e.g. 2 different Formula Renault series in 2008 and 2009, GP3 and British F3 in 2011 and GP3 and FR3.5 this year).

Whereas most of the regulars in F3 Cup appear to be drivers still trying to get their career started with very little experience - as most of them are the drivers that don't have the budget to compete in Formula Renault or F3 and can't afford testing.

Just because Da Costa is young, it doesn't mean he's inexperienced. He's got far more experience than his peers as he seems to be able to afford driving in 2 different series each year! Most drivers can't even afford a full season of 1 series!

Not to mention Da Costa has proven himself good enough to mount a title challenge in FR3.5 - merely one step below F1.
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He can afford it cause he's fast, not cause he bought those seats.

His acomplishments, driving different cars in different series and producing results, is not smaller than a driver concentrating in and winning one series. Quite the opposite.

He looks like he could drive a lawn mower to the podium in an F1 race right now.



Edit:

But like I said, he is not 'that' experienced (like, a GP2 winner and or F1 drivers) but, comparing him to the likes of those in this series (like wanna be/ never has been Cliffe) he is more experienced.

Still I prefer to account his performance (and invitation to race everywhere, and test last year Vettels' WDC wining F1 car) to his speed.
 
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The point is that he has vastly more experience than the drivers in F3 Cup. My point about money is less about Da Costa and more about those drivers in F3 Cup - the whole point of that series is to provide a cheap series for these drivers to compete in.
By virtue of this fact, these drivers don't have the same experience as Da Costa because:
1. They're either just starting their careers or have been struggling to string together a career.
2. They don't have the money to test and compete in other series.

Thats not me belittling Da Costa's achievements - I'm not saying he's 9 seconds faster due to money. I'm saying he is 9 seconds faster because he has more experience and because the other drivers can't afford to increase their experience.

As I pointed out, Alex Lynn also pulled a similar gap earlier in the year and he's run full seasons of Formula Renault and British F3 along with races in New Zealand.

These are drivers who are already accomplished really and well on the way to the top, who have the backing and experience to get the best equipment and make the best use of it. To compare them then to drivers who can't afford to even go testing and are trying to race with the cheapest equipment available is pretty obviously going to produce a large gap.

Plus as I said before, the cars in this series vary quite a bit. A driver can enter and go with a weaker but far more reliable engine that can last a few years and therefore make their money go further. But it also means they're going to be a few seconds slow instantly.
I don't really know what Jonathan Palmer is trying to achieve getting such drivers to guest-race in the championship..because it only causes this to happen where people mock it for drivers being 9 seconds slower. Most people, even people who follow motorsports, won't understand this series properly. Its difficult to appreciate how well a driver has done when the equipment varies so much.

Its very much like watching historic F1/F3 races or historic touring cars I feel - where you can see some very large gaps and differences in speed and ability. Its pretty difficult to read who is better than who just from results and laptimes.
 
Ardius
The point is that he has vastly more experience than the drivers in F3 Cup. My point about money is less about Da Costa and more about those drivers in F3 Cup - the whole point of that series is to provide a cheap series for these drivers to compete in.
By virtue of this fact, these drivers don't have the same experience as Da Costa because:
1. They're either just starting their careers or have been struggling to string together a career.
2. They don't have the money to test and compete in other series.

Thats not me belittling Da Costa's achievements - I'm not saying he's 9 seconds faster due to money. I'm saying he is 9 seconds faster because he has more experience and because the other drivers can't afford to increase their experience.

As I pointed out, Alex Lynn also pulled a similar gap earlier in the year and he's run full seasons of Formula Renault and British F3 along with races in New Zealand.

These are drivers who are already accomplished really and well on the way to the top, who have the backing and experience to get the best equipment and make the best use of it. To compare them then to drivers who can't afford to even go testing and are trying to race with the cheapest equipment available is pretty obviously going to produce a large gap.

Plus as I said before, the cars in this series vary quite a bit. A driver can enter and go with a weaker but far more reliable engine that can last a few years and therefore make their money go further. But it also means they're going to be a few seconds slow instantly.
I don't really know what Jonathan Palmer is trying to achieve getting such drivers to guest-race in the championship..because it only causes this to happen where people mock it for drivers being 9 seconds slower.
Click to expand...

Well, as I said, I'm sensitive on this cause it's very seldom we get a good Portuguese driver, and even more to see him get decent chances.

Antonio has been showing off his speed virtually everywhere, and even if I do agree with you - his experience would make him faster than the pack in this occasion, I think the wet track and his skill increased it to those staggering 9s
 
Oh and to also add to that, we're talking about very wet sessions here, its likely that some of these drivers weren't pushing it too much as they don't want to crash the car as they can't afford another or the spare parts and repair costs.

There's nothing wrong with supporting your driver, but do so in moderation, I mean you don't really believe he's going to be 9 seconds faster than anybody in F1?
I'm not denying his talent here, just pointing out that its not really surprising he's better than drivers in a lower formulae with ragtag equipment.

Eh, I don't consider something that is very predictable as "WTF moment".
 
Kevin Korjus, also a more experienced driver was there too, but was still 9,9s off in qually, and ended 54s behind in 2nd place in the first race. Obviously that IF (and it's a huge if) he gets to F1 he won't be able to the same...

Bottom line I agree, not OMG or WTF, it's just Felix da Costa dominating in the wet :dopey:
 
The guy came across a bit, but it wasn't really an OMG/WTF moment.
I was expecting him to get hit and start doing flips and stuff.
 
Warning: Rude Gestures in this video
​


The irony that oil is spilt on the "Castrol" curve :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Edit: 2:30 the guy was using barely any of the track...

And those marshals are horrible, can't even display an oil flag.
 
Small_Oil.gif
Small_Blue.gif


Marshals, learn when to use them please so that there will not be a repeat of the 1999 Nurburgring Superbike race. Thank you.
 
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Most retarded marshals I've ever seen in a motorcycle race.

(In all of motorsports the victory goes to those in the 1973 Dutch GP and 1977 South African GP)
 
Carbonox
Most retarded marshals I've ever seen in a motorcycle race.

(In all of motorsports the victory goes to those in the 1973 Dutch GP and 1977 South African GP)
Click to expand...

Videos of those events? ^^
 
Shoe67
Videos of those events? ^^
Click to expand...

1973 Dutchman Roger Williamson crashed and burned to death whilst marshals stood doing nothing with fire extinguishers that didn't work. Fellow driver David Purley unsuccessfully tried to pull him free as marshals did nothing. IIRC Roger was actually uninjured with no broken bones but died of smoke inhalation.

I have a book called "Formula One The Autobiography" and it has one of the most chilling images I have ever seen - the wrecked car, with Roger's arm and hand sticking out of the car.

And Tom Pryce was killed in the South African GP in 1977 when a marshal ran across the road on a blind crest, unsighted by two cars inf ront who missed him, hit the marshal killing him instantly, and so was Tom as the fire extinguisher slammed him in the head. Another chilling image from that book... head down on the steering wheel dead... as his car just hurtles out of control.
 
Furinkazen
1973 Dutchman Roger Williamson crashed and burned to death whilst marshals stood doing nothing with fire extinguishers that didn't work.
Click to expand...

Actually, the marshals didn't work; they had no flame-retardant clothing, and were this completely useless onlookers with no concept of how to use a fire extinguisher. And thus ends one of the most despicable, pathetic, deplorable incidents in the history of motor racing.

On that note, you can generally play "four-degrees-of-those-aforementioned-accidents" every easily from viewing just about any innocent/harmless racing-related YouTube video.
 
Furinkazen
1973 Dutchman Roger Williamson crashed and burned to death whilst marshals stood doing nothing with fire extinguishers that didn't work. Fellow driver David Purley unsuccessfully tried to pull him free as marshals did nothing. IIRC Roger was actually uninjured with no broken bones but died of smoke inhalation.

I have a book called "Formula One The Autobiography" and it has one of the most chilling images I have ever seen - the wrecked car, with Roger's arm and hand sticking out of the car.

And Tom Pryce was killed in the South African GP in 1977 when a marshal ran across the road on a blind crest, unsighted by two cars inf ront who missed him, hit the marshal killing him instantly, and so was Tom as the fire extinguisher slammed him in the head. Another chilling image from that book... head down on the steering wheel dead... as his car just hurtles out of control.
Click to expand...

In both events, poorly trained volunteers marshals played major roles in the accidents. A even damning footnote of the Williamson crash is that police officals blocked spectators with dogs from helping Purley in his efforts. :(
 
gtpanoz
In both events, poorly trained volunteers marshals played major roles in the accidents. A even damning footnote of the Williamson crash is that police officals blocked spectators with dogs from helping Purley in his efforts. :(
Click to expand...

These accidents were reduced after this incident thanks to Jackie Stewart and the late Prof. Sid Watkins.

Could anybody *Would anybody want to imagine what Formula 1 and indeed the rest of motorsport would have done without them? And indeed what they would be now?

 
Shoe67
Videos of those events? ^^
Click to expand...

Not allowed to be shown here due to the AUP. But there's nothing stopping you searching these on YouTube yourself and having a look.

EDIT: Tree'd :(
 
I Am Yellow


Not sure if this is the place to post this, but I've seen this video quite a few times today and my reaction was just 'OMG'.
Click to expand...


Been discussed in here for sure. Shame that will disappear when ALMS disappears.
 

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