Coulthard accepts blame for Spa 98...Finally!!!!

z2252314 · 5 Jul 2003, 13:40 (Ref:653316)

Quote:

Taken from Atlasf1.com

extracted highlights:

"I'm not doing a Fernando-beating thing," said Coulthard. "But I realised on reflection...when Michael ran into the back of me, his reaction was that I'd brake tested him or tried to kill him and all that sort of thing. The stewards looked at the data and I hadn't braked, so it was just all brushed under the carpet.

"The reality is that I lifted to let him pass me, but I lifted in heavy spray on the racing line. You should never do that. I would never do that now. In 1998, I didn't have the experience and the knowledge, and I had never had someone run into the back of me. And because someone pushes you, you react. So you act as though 'I didn't do that,'" he said.

"The minute I knew he was there, and I was told by the team that he was and was trying to allow him to pass me, I should have made a smarter decision."

"The risk is that it could have been a very dangerous accident for Michael and Nurburgring could have been a very dangerous accident for me," he said. "Eventually, somewhere down the line, eight or 10 years from now, a young guy will come in and it will happen to Fernando and then he will feel slightly different about it."

http://www.atlasf1.com/news/thread.php/id/3782/.html

It always confused me when people tried to blame Michael for the Spa 98 incident. To me, it is common logic that you should never slow down in the middle of the racing line when a driver is blinded by spray.

Anyway, kudos to David for accepting the blame.

Mark Webber · 5 Jul 2003, 13:43 (Ref:653322)

agreed

Inigo Montoya · 5 Jul 2003, 13:47 (Ref:653326)

Good on ya David!

EERO · 5 Jul 2003, 13:51 (Ref:653330)

I admit that I took Coulthard's side in this. Its a mature response on his part. I respect people who can change their mind over time and be confident enopugh to say so.

Wrex · 5 Jul 2003, 13:55 (Ref:653335)

WOW!

BootsOntheSide · 5 Jul 2003, 14:06 (Ref:653343)

Michael was right all along, nice of DC to admit that. He's learnt over the last 5 years and accepted blame for a bvery notorious incident. I'm sure he'd really accepted blame a long time ago, but wanted to keep quit about it as long as he could.

**Adam43** · 5 Jul 2003, 14:50 (Ref:653364)

Well I never!

Zed can we have a link please (Mainly out of courtesy for where you got it from, but also to give it more weight).

z2252314 · 5 Jul 2003, 14:59 (Ref:653369)

Go to Atlasf1.com.

you can see the heading of the article there, but if you want to read it you will have to subscribe. Im sure it will be up on other websites soon enough.

ljakse · 5 Jul 2003, 15:06 (Ref:653376)

It's really good to hear somthing like this.

Quote:

Originally posted by BootsOntheSide
Michael was right all along,

I must dissagree on this. TGF said DC tried to kill him. In another words, he thought DC braked with intention to be hit from behind which is not what happened.

**Adam43** · 5 Jul 2003, 15:08 (Ref:653378)

Thanks for the link.

I must stress you really do need to credit things like that. Especially if it comes from a subscription site. You shouldn't just copy and paste.

If you disagree with the changes I have made to your original post, please PM and I can change it to what you want (taking into account the above considerations).

ttc · 5 Jul 2003, 15:18 (Ref:653381)

Quote:

Originally posted by ljakse
I must dissagree on this. TGF said DC tried to kill him. In another words, he thought DC braked with intention to be hit from behind which is not what happened.

Interesting.

When JPM walked right into the camera , which IMNSHO is TOTALLY JPM's fault, he's excused the cursing and swearing at the poor camera man as just someone venting off. And that's NOT even a life threatening moment.

And yet when MS vent, it's taken totally verbatim?

Valve Bounce · 5 Jul 2003, 15:22 (Ref:653385)

When a car is running in that much water on the track, lifting off is like braking, I suppose, on a dry track. I still cannot understand from DC's comments so far whether he is saying he simply should not have lifted while on teh racing line, or whether he intended to get SchM into trouble. I don't think the latter, simply because if he intended for SchM to hit him, they could both have been seriously injured.

Could someone please shed some light on what DC was alluding to Alonso's actions as I didn't see the race.

z2252314 · 5 Jul 2003, 15:24 (Ref:653386)

Why are you labelling it as 'extracted highlights'. I copied and pasted every word that relates to the Spa 98 incident. I left nothing out.

Anyway, I will go back and copy the entire article, half of which does not refer to Spa 98.

Ralf · 5 Jul 2003, 15:24 (Ref:653387)

Stop kissing Michael's A** DC!

Just like when he apologised to TGF for bagging him in the post race interview years ago.

Gt_R · 5 Jul 2003, 15:28 (Ref:653390)

Hahhahahahhaha....... now i wonder how all those critics who harp on Spa 98 being Michael's fault will react!

But i won't be surprised to see things like "How noble of DC to admit" from certain critics to save their skin!

Thanks DC for re-enforcing what i thought all along. And sorry for the laughing.. to think how many people defended DC with some ridiculous reasons for that incident, plainly out of dislike for Michael..

Ijakse, the initial reaction after such a huge impact...you couldn't expect a smiling Michael to say a gracious "God bless" can you? JPM did get pretty mad to be hit by a camera...so in all proportions, Michael's response is "very human"

And to think that the accident came at a race which has a huge impact on the outcome of the WDC... we can't help but be cynical can we?

But it's nice for DC to come out and say it..though he had hidden in shame with that for half a decade. It clears up Michael's name a bit!

**Adam43** · 5 Jul 2003, 15:28 (Ref:653391)

Quote:

Originally posted by Valve Bounce
Could someone please shed some light on what DC was alluding to Alonso's actions as I didn't see the race.

http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...threadid=40227
In there is a link to some video footage of it! Damon posted the link
http://f1.tottoro.hu/complete_lap/17_nur_coulthard.avi

**Adam43** · 5 Jul 2003, 15:30 (Ref:653394)

Quote:

Originally posted by z2252314
Why are you labelling it as 'extracted highlights'.

I deleted bits of what you posted. It all isn't there, although the DC quotes are.

Quote:

Originally posted by z2252314
I copied and pasted every word that relates to the Spa 98 incident. I left nothing out.

Anyway, I will go back and copy the entire article, half of which does not refer to Spa 98.

That is precisely why I did it. You can't just copy and past entire articles from other websites. Copyright and all that. http://tentenths.com/forum/misc.php?...ge=1#behaviour Do not post the entire article here. Too late! Oh well I've pulled it. We have to be careful over these things.

Thanks.

Ralf · 5 Jul 2003, 15:36 (Ref:653398)

Murray popped a vein that day.
"OH GOD!!! MICHAEL SCHUMACHER......"

ljakse · 5 Jul 2003, 15:36 (Ref:653399)

Quote:

Originally posted by Gt_R
Ijakse, the initial reaction after such a huge impact...you couldn't expect a smiling Michael to say a gracious "God bless" can you? JPM did get pretty mad to be hit by a camera...so in all proportions, Michael's response is "very human" And to think that the accident came at a race which has a huge impact on the outcome of the WDC... we can't help but be cynical can we?

Quote:

Originally posted by ttc
Interesting.

When JPM walked right into the camera , which IMNSHO is TOTALLY JPM's fault, he's excused the cursing and swearing at the poor camera man as just someone venting off. And that's NOT even a life threatening moment.

And yet when MS vent, it's taken totally verbatim?

WOW! Easy guys!
I wasn't going to blame TGF about his reaction in that situation, I was just pointing out that:

Quote:

Originally posted by BootsOntheSide
Michael was right all along,

is not same what DC just sad.
DC sad he made a mistake then, while TGF sad that he did it on purpose.

z2252314 · 5 Jul 2003, 15:42 (Ref:653400)

Im cool with what your doing Adam. As long as everyone is aware that I was not selectively quoting against David, then im fine with any changes.

MrSal · 5 Jul 2003, 15:44 (Ref:653402)

Surely the 2 incidents are completely different. At Spa DC was laps down after an earlier collision and was trying to allow MS overtake in an easy place on the track. Last week was RACING for position. I've not agreed with the posts on this site suggesting DC should lose the McLaren drive for next season. However,after reading this rubbish, he should retire right now. Go back to your hotel in Monaco and start playing dominos. Its obviously a far safer sport for you to play now you've grown old and sensible.

z2252314 · 5 Jul 2003, 15:52 (Ref:653407)

Here is a few quotes from Michael and DC at the time.

Schumacher:

Quote:

"Coulthard seemed to be running 5 to 6 seconds slower than his real pace once I was behind him. When he rejoined the race he was much quicker again. Obviously lifting on the straight like he did when I hit him is very dangerous. He has the experience to know that you do not slow down on a straight like that without giving any warning. So one could think he did it deliberately."

Coulthard:

Quote:

"I am 100 percent certain that I did nothing wrong. I could see him coming from the the previous corner. In those conditions, like that, you are not looking in your mirrors all the time. The team had asked me to move across and tuck in on the right to keep out of his way. I did that and then he just drove straight into the back of my car. I did nothing wrong.

http://www.atlasf1.com/news/1998/814.htm

What is also interesting is that David admits that the team had instructed him to move to the right. Why would they do say that if the right was the racing line!!!! Surely to get out of Michaels way they should have told him to move to the left. Moreover, it would have been a helluva lot easier to let Michael pass in one of the six prior corners.

**Adam43** · 5 Jul 2003, 15:58 (Ref:653410)

Thanks z. And thanks for the additional quotes to put it more in perspective with what we had before. I have a copy of DC's diary (my friends and I play a game to see who could pick it up the cheapest. I lost, mine cost £1), his words in there (written in 1998) echo your quote at the time.

Gt_R · 5 Jul 2003, 16:43 (Ref:653442)

Quote Ijakse : "WOW! Easy guys!"

SOOOOOOO NOW YOU ARE SAYING I"M NOT TAKIN A F**#!^_% #%&%# %!#)_&% EASY?!!?#!$!$ I SAID I AAAAAMMM CALM!!!

now...why did i do that?

And z, the latest quotes and the chain of events that day really makes it hard to think that Mclaren were playing it clean that day doesn't it?

ljakse · 5 Jul 2003, 16:48 (Ref:653443)

Gt_R,
I believe you forgot to put

at the end of your post too, right?

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