Sato should have been pulled in (merged)

[Hazard]

Well, should he? Both Coulthard & Barrichello have mentioned it. Was it dangerous to leave him out when an obvious engine failure was about to occur, at Monaco of all places?

I believe he should have. It seemed pretty obvious that he wasn't going to last the race, and the fact he managed to create a 4 second gap between himself and Button on the second lap shows what strategy they were up to.

An avoidable and very dangerous looking accident (the Fishichella - Coulthard shunt) could well have been avoided.

[EERO]

No.

As long as the car is running and he's racing for position, he stays out there. A smoking engine can mean imminent failure or nothing.

[Knowlesy]

Does DC not remember Monmaco 2002?

[ralf fan]

yeah he was there for position... little puffs of smoke doesnt necessarily mean an engine failure..

[josvandeperre]

DC was beginning to sound like a bitter old has-been

[GP Racer]

Besides, its not really Sato's call. The marshalls or his team should make the call on something like that...

[hamsmith]

Is there a rule saying you should retire the car in that situation? I very much doubt it so coulthard and Barrichello are just airing oppinions. The team can do what the hell they like within the rules and McLaren might not of pulled Kimi in if the first accident hadn't happened, seeing what the knock on effect of a blown engine in Monaco has would of influenced their decision. Maybe it would of been wise to bring Sato in but it was BAR's call.

[NiceGuyEddie]

I am a Sato fan, but I was not happy with the situation. In Monaco, the problem gets even bigger. A serious blowup reduces visability to zero and that is dangerous. The chances of that happening to Sato were huge (were talking Honda-engine here and the little puffs of smoke at every gearchange should have been enough of a hint that something was about to happen). Besides, the problem was killing Sato's laptimes. He was losing over 4 seconds a lap and therefor made the entire field lose over 4 seconds a lap, except those three in front of him. That means it is affecting the race itself for no particular purpose.

I'm not saying the team or Sato should've get the car in at their own initiative, but racecontrol should have.

Something else: I noticed that Fisichella was running at relativly high speed when he jumped Coulthard.

[Hazard]

I mainly mean the team/marshals.

Coulthard's occured whilst his car was able to micromanaged by the pits to change his revs etc. and to navigate around such engine problems.

Sato's engine was always going to blow. (Law of averages if nothing else.

Perhaps even his supposed jump start was deliberate? But I'm probably thinking too evil now.

[Gt_R]

I think IF the team knew the engine isn't gonna last, they ought to just pull him in. The signs were all there...yet Honda decided to let it blow. The result could be nasty.

[M Coupe]

These assupmtions are all based on the fact Honda knew the engine was going to blow. Smoke can usually mean overfilling as was said on the commentary.

I think the real reason the pulled Kimi was to avoid more embarassment of a spectacular blow-up.

[Sodemo]

Yes, how selective memory syndrome seem to effect F1 drivers, i'm guessing that Coulthard has forgotten about Monaco 2002 when his car was spurting smoke for about 6 laps towards the beginning of the race?

[Hazard]

After 4 laps of smoking away, I think everyone in the world (yes, even those not watching the race) knew it was going to blow. Just a matter of when.

As for Kimi - if McLaren are gonna pull him in before his engine blows every race, they may as well retire him from the championship now

[ASCII Man]

I was actually quite happy with Sato slowing down the pack, ie Michael Schumacher.
Too bad his engine let go before Trulli could put TGF a lap down in the first 10-15 laps...

Oh well!

[gert]

Well ... I don't think race control should have pulled him in ... there are no rules for that.
And it has been proven that not always smoke means that your engine WILL eventually blow.

However ... IF (if) Honda KNEW it was going to blew, it would have been fair for them to pull Sato in.

[jetsetter]

It was quite obvious to everyone watching the race that Sato was starting to develop a serious engine problem which i believe warranted the mechanical flag as he was dropping rubbish the whole way around the track.

[Piquet]

Nobody has mentioned Fisi's part in all of this - he came into that section way to hot and was very lucky to avoid a serious accident.

No - BAR should not have pulled Sato in - McLarren/Mercedes were probably more concerned with the bad publicity of yet another blow up especially at Monaco rather than any safety concerns.

[Gt_R]

I think Honda and BAR, given the telementry would have been able to tell the difference between engine problem and overfilling..

[jetsetter]

Originally posted by Piquet
Nobody has mentioned Fisi's part in all of this - he came into that section way to hot and was very lucky to avoid a serious accident.

No - BAR should not have pulled Sato in - McLarren/Mercedes were probably more concerned with the bad publicity of yet another blow up especially at Monaco rather than any safety concerns.

The point about Fisi is quite a good one with the fact that with zero visibility he doesn't slow down & was very lucky not to have been injured in the accident.

[Gt_R]

Hmmm..it's a tough call really because at that point, Fisi doesn't know that the SC is out nor that if the race is stopped.

I remember once in Monza, where DC blew his engine, both Mika and Michael who is 2nd and 3rd respectively slowed down blinded by smoke, but as Mika slowed more than Michael, MS got the run and overtook him at the next chicane.

And didn't somebody once praise Kimi (or somebody else?) for not lifting and keep his foot down through all the smoke during quals ?

Anwyay, safety first, drivers ought to slow. But still, DC has a point that if teams knew the car had such a problem, they ought to bring him in...maybe we can be more relaxed on such restrictions in other tracks, but at Monaco the danger is multiplied.

[oily oaf]

I can see the arguments from both sides but I do know one thing, that piece of touring car door banging with Schumy was one of the sweetest moments I've seen in F1 for quite some time. I just joined the Takuma fan club. Good work fella.

[Mr V]

Ask yourselves this question....

You have one driver in 3rd place with a chance to win the Monaco GP

You have another driver who has got himself up near the front, but has a problem and is holding up the field, ergo, allowing the team mate to get away from the majority of the pack.

Would you bring in the ailing car?

[Mr V]

{JOKE}

On second thought, as Sato was holding up Michael, i'm surprised that the FIA didn't pull him in {/JOKE}

[Knowlesy]

I suspect not somehow.....

[Knowlesy]

Originally posted by Mr V
{JOKE}

On second thought, as Sato was holding up Michael, i'm surprised that the FIA didn't pull him in {/JOKE}

I knew someone would be cynical enough to say this at some point!!!