First corner shunt: whose fault??

[Tristan]

Please note: DC gets **** start, weaves in front of Scumi. Fair enough so far, after all "taste of his own medicine".

HOWEVER, DC then spears BACK ACCROSS THE TRACK to the left to block Schumi AGAIN!! This is weaving, is it not. More than "one move". Even TGF did NOT do that at Imola. This second move back infront of Schumi forces him wide and into Fischi.

Schumi did say, however, that DC wasn't involved and it was Fischi's fault. But that's impossible: the in-car shots showed Fischi had nowhere to go and could not have slowed.

So was it Schumi's fault, even though he himself was avoiding DC? Or was it DC's, trying to "play Schumi at his own game" and taking it one step too far?

Personally I think to a certain extent this accident was just that: and accident. BUT, who knows? Look at the replay and it DOES look a bit suspect from DC's perpective I have to say.

Conspiracy theorists: over to you!!!

[Minardi fan]

TGF made me so angry when he blamed Fisichella. MICHAEL: THAT ACCIDENT WAS YOUR FAULT. I really feel the need to SWEAR right now... AAAAAAAAARGH YOU *******.

Thankyou.

[Liz]

Very very clearly TGF was to blame -and it's just like him to jump out of the car and start blaming Fisi for daring to be on the same track as he was (I guess that was what he was saying - he couldn't possibly blame him for anything else.)

That accident was purely a matter of TGF concentrating on what was in front of him and not using his mirrors.

P.S. I give him full marks for instructing Ferrari to celebrate Rubens' win though. I'm sure he told Todt to get out there and pretend to be happy.

[Tristan]

Oooooooooo!!!!! Tut tut Liz!! LOLTIFS!!!!!

[angst]

Not nice is it TGF. Couldn't really blame DC as he was only doing what TFG does himself, and he couldn't balme himself because he is obviously infallible. Fisi you idiot, you should have......erm....well, you should have done something.

[EERO]

I just watched the replay, DC was moving left to take the line for the first corner-the WHOLE field was moving left. As Liz zaid, Schumacher neglected to use his mirrors. We could pick apart this incident for weeks and be no closer to the truth. In the end, what matters is that Schumacher has created an environment where this sort of swerve at the start is tolerated and emulated by other drivers. Today's first corner shunt was the inevitable result of that game.
Expect action from abovr to stop this.

[angst]

Hopefully. The stupidity of the whole thing is (and has been for some time) blatantly obvious.

[Liz]

I agree. It must be stopped before somebody like Diniz tries it and kills himself and someone else.

[Ed-f1]

Fisichella clearly had nowhere to go so it wasn't his fault but neither did Schumacher. He was either going to hit Coulthard or Fisichella. I would put it down under 'racing incident' but I think Coulthard is the only one who could have prevented it.

[Jay]

If you had to assign blame it would most definately be to TGF. He simply didn't check his mirrors before moving back across the track. Fisi did hit him from behind, however he had already started to brake and could not have avioded Shumi. If Shumi had waited a fraction of a second, he would have got Fissi's nose and they both would have spun around.

[Red]

Very very clear David was to blame. He changed the line twice, and second time Schumacher was near him, not behind. Something similar to what Mika did in Brazil. In fact I thought that DC did not try to protect Mika, or his line. He was clearly pushing Michael out. He didn’t see Michael… what a...!

Geez, why too look in the mirrors? To do what? Schumacher did not hit Fissichela! It was the other way around! Anyway, he was busy avoiding kamikaze DC.

[Ralf's Girl]

Originally posted by Red
Schumacher did not hit Fissichela! It was the other way around! Anyway, he was busy avoiding kamikaze DC.

Schumacher did hit Fisichella, but I think he was avoiding DC. At first I didn't notice it, but when I saw the replays, DC is very clearly moving over and squeezing TGF out, therefore TGF moves over and squeezes Fisichella out. Problem is, Fisichella has nowhere to go and is clobbered by TGF. But I think this one will simply have to be put down to a racing incident (as Ferrari always do when it was remotely TGF's fault).

[angst]

I don't care if it's MS,DC or whoever, the weave across the field is bloody dangerous and stupid. The fact is MS started the whole thing and, shamefully, the FIA through Charlie Whiting have said it is OK. The one person whose fault it most certainly was not is Fisi. I'm not a Fisi fan or a Benetton fan, quite simply Fisi cannot be blamed for th position he was put in.

[Ralf's Girl]

If all DC was doing was giving TGF a taste of his own medicine, then that's a childish and stupid way to behave. I wonder if DC knows that two wrongs don't make a right...?

[Rated R]

They are all to blame but DC was the perpetrator. The best replay-angle was from GF's onboard camera. One could see how DC pushes MS to the left. If MS didn't step on the brakes, he would have slammed into DC. So he slowed, Fisci didn't react fast enough and it happened. I don't see what's MS to blame, for trying to avoid crashing into DC?

[Valve Bounce]

I don't suppose TGF could have slowed a little and pulled in behind DC. That would have been too much for TGF. I reckon TGF caused the accident because he clearly ran Fisi off the road instead of slowing down himself. TGF went sideways and his rear wheel collected Fisi's front wing. I saw all this coming and posted a thread about this before the race. TGF caused all this, and it couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Pity Fisi had to suffer also.

[Hans.ca]

Couldn't have happened to a more deserving fellow. Serves him right. I suspect that Minardifan was there weaving his magic wand.

[Sharky]

Mhhh....I've see the replay a few times (I taped it) and it all looks pretty clear. As the arive at the first corner schu takes Fisico's race line, fisi tries to avoid him by moving the car to the left almost going into the grass. Then schu brakes (perhaps too early for what fisi had planned) and fisi is unable to avoid schu's car and both colide. All this happened in a very small fraction of time (less than 1 sec).

It's pretty clear for me that if there's anyone to blame is schu. Fisi was in his line and schu just took it without even looking in the mirrors to see if he was taking somebody's line. However someone may argue that schu was forced to do that....I personbaly don't think so but even if that was the case I don't see why he has to blame fisi for the accident.

[Peter Mallett]

DC made the first move. Then attempted to take his line for the first corner. He was ahead of everybody else (except MH) so he was right to do so. He didn't weave all over the track. However, TGF moved over on to Fissichella's line. IMO, TGF over-reacted and swerved into the Benetton's path. Racing accident.

[Dino IV]

TGF over-reacted is a good conclusion, Peter.
DC didn't swerve back too much to get a line for the first corner. Actually he leave's room for TGF and Fisichella. Have another look and you'll see what I mean. TGF for some reason expects his own full swerve tactic and dives - unnecessary and dangerous yet again - way to much to the outside, leaving Fisichella no chance of avoiding a clash.

And as Sharky's stated as well, Schumi dives in front, let off his gas or brakes for the first corner and Fisi is already full on the brakes trying to avoide an accident. But with these kinds of surprise jumps in front of the car it's all of no use of course ... poor Fizzy



TGF's reaction "I was turning into the corner from the outside line to get a nice exit for the long straight to get a run at Coulthard and then I was bumped off from the back" isn't justifiable in any way. The only one to blame is his own over-reaction at DC's swerve.
Here in Holand we have a saying: 'like the host is, he trusts his guests'. That kinda covers it.

[Crash Test]

I have to agree with Rated R on this one...

Did anyone else feel really bad about life when Todt started crying? Poor, poor fella

[Nuvolari]

At the risk of being crucified by my fellow pilotes . . . I lay most of the blame at DC's feet. His maneuvering forced the hand of Schu and the others.

At the post-race news conference, I found his answer that there was no revenge -- only too much wheel-spin -- less-than-convincing.

Fisi may have had little choice but to hit Michael -- but I believe DC must shoulder responsibility. It's racing, after all.

[botsquad]

dc had a bad start, he moved over on ms to protect his lead.
mh shot the gap created by dc.
ms was too late to go for the same spot. he should have
taken is lumps and stayed in line behind dc.

the great one just f***ed up.

it happens.

[Regs]

Not only all of the above but Sir Schumi has been having a rough time lately, this being his fourth DNF. His frustration level must be rising, thus, it's Fisi's fault!
No, no, Fisi's right in that TGF crossed into his line, and Coultard, taking a page from Sir Schumi's book, gave him a taste of his own medicine. You could argue Coultard caused it.

[SL]

It's all so sad when it end's in tears and crying to the press.

Maybe they could follow the 1500m runners and run in lanes for the first lap, there must be 1000's of those motorway cones around. Although then maybe the 2nd lap would then then get the swerves & crashes.

Any other idea's ?

Simon