Safety car crash (Pau WTCC)

[VkmSpouge]

In the WTCC today at Pau, Tom Boardman's suspension broke and he stopped on tracking causing the safety car to be deployed. The safety car came out onto the track very late, cutting right across Franz Engstler's BMW, leaving him no space to go but right into the back of the safety car! I've never seen anything like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYO4yPmf5AI

[AndySpeed]

That is quite ridiculous. Safety car? Yet more bad examples in the FIA WTCC... this championship is on rocky ground.

[emporer_k]

I couldn't quite believe what I had seen at first.

[J4MIE]

Absolutely crazy :s

[Chris2k6]

Classical. Expect to see it on all the new crash dvds etc, or "when sport goes bad" on bravo lol

[Daniel]

Crazy!

[wedge]

So who was the numpty behind the steering wheel of the SC?

That guy had to be a complete idiot to jump straight onto the racing line.

[Dave B]

That was poor driving, it's almost a blind corner and you don't expect a slow car on the racing line. It's fortunate that this wasn't a worse incident.

[Daniel]

That is quite ridiculous. Safety car? Yet more bad examples in the FIA WTCC... this championship is on rocky ground.

LOL the BTCC fans will go to any length to try and make the WTCC look bad :) It was purely bad driving on part of the safety car driver and also poor marshalling to let it out at that time. You can't regulate against idiocy.

[Robinho]

more than poor driving, apparaently the safety car had been instructed to be on stand by and the race directors had not deployed it, could have been a really nasty incident

[BDunnell]

It is actually surprising, when you think about it, that nothing like this has ever happened before in any series one cares to think of. But what an incredibly stupid occurrence that was.

[emporer_k]

I allways wandered what the marshalls would do in the event of the sfety car suffering a mishap.

[Allyc85]

LOL the BTCC fans will go to any length to try and make the WTCC look bad :) It was purely bad driving on part of the safety car driver and also poor marshalling to let it out at that time. You can't regulate against idiocy.

We dont need to, the series does that all by its self..

[rob01]

what a stupid and reckless crash!

bet the driver of the safety car shat himself, the beemer pulled the door open. im guessing the chevy cruze 'safety car' is a left hook?

[Allyc85]

Just read on crash.net that 15 cars failed post race checks, incredible!

[touringcarfan]

so why did the safety car go out anyway when it was told not too ?? i believe there is an fia enquiry into this

[christophulus]

Absolute shambles. 15 cars failing the checks? That suggests to me that the rules aren't well defined, there's no way so many teams would try and cheat the system.

And to crash into the safety car? Series needs a serious overhaul in my book.

[Dave B]

Just read on crash.net that 15 cars failed post race checks, incredible!
Although with all the confusion, the FIA have decided that a rap on the knuckles is good enough - almost as if they recognise that their own rules are stupid.


After the technical checks, the following cars were found not complying with the engine speed limit and /or the supercharged air pressure: n. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 29, 30 and 33.

The Stewards, taking into account the exceptional circumstances and confusion, decided to impose a reprimand to the competitors concerned, who were reminded that their cars must comply with all the technical regulations for the remaining events of the season.

[F1boat]

This series is very dull... I am very sad that Eurosport shows WTCC instead of DTM...

[VkmSpouge]

Although with all the confusion, the FIA have decided that a rap on the knuckles is good enough - almost as if they recognise that their own rules are stupid.

In qualifying 9 cars failed separate checks too.

I could wonder why the WTCC struggles with all these rules but it's very clear that the regulators can only blame themselves messing around with the rules too much in giving manufacturers their dispensations.

[stevenlcroucher]

Why is such an under powered 1.8 saloon car being used as a safety car?

[LiamM]

Why is such an under powered 1.8 saloon car being used as a safety car?

Sponsorship ££££ I'd assume

[Caroline]

Am I right in thinking that the cars that failed in post race scrutineering got a slap on the wrist, yet the cars that failed scrutineering after qualifying lost places on the grid? Something needs to be done before the series becomes a joke.

[Brown, Jon Brow]

Am I right in thinking that the cars that failed in post race scrutineering got a slap on the wrist, yet the cars that failed scrutineering after qualifying lost places on the grid? Something needs to be done before the series becomes a joke.

Tell Daniel this already!

[BDunnell]

Am I right in thinking that the cars that failed in post race scrutineering got a slap on the wrist, yet the cars that failed scrutineering after qualifying lost places on the grid? Something needs to be done before the series becomes a joke.

The FIA will lose interest soon enough, I'm sure, and cast it off.

[Daniel]

Jon, the WTCC may have some problems but it's still not as bad as the BTCC

[BDunnell]

I think Daniel's 'continuous loop' mode of posting has kicked in again.

[Daniel]

Lol. Not allowed to have an opinion it seems :)

[BDunnell]

Lol. Not allowed to have an opinion it seems :)

Not at all. But there are ways of expressing them, and others are always well within their rights to say when an opinion is nonsense.

[Daniel]

Other ways? Like shutting up to pacify those who can't take criticism? I respect your right to your views and opinions, now do the same for me please.

[BDunnell]

Other ways? Like shutting up to pacify those who can't take criticism? I respect your right to your views and opinions, now do the same for me please.

I respect your right to have an opinion and express it, but I likewise have the right to state that yours is wrong, not least because, as I've said before, with respect, I don't think you're actually that knowledgeable about the BTCC of the past and thus able to make a meaningful comparison.

[Daniel]

I respect your right to have an opinion and express it, but I likewise have the right to state that yours is wrong, not least because, as I've said before, with respect, I don't think you're actually that knowledgeable about the BTCC of the past and thus able to make a meaningful comparison.
You seem to be spoiling for a fight for some reason? :confused: I've not brought the past into it! You're the only one that's brought that up. I managed to catch the BTCC and WTCC on the weekend and although the WTCC isn't perfect it made for better TV than the BTCC which in my opinion was badly covered for what actually did seem an exciting race. It had coverage reminiscent of the WRC on a racing circuit minus the pointless z-list celeb who adds absolutely nothing to the show. There were so many boring and unimaginative long shots of the action and far too few onboard shots at the right time which take you into the thick of the action.

[BDunnell]

You seem to be spoiling for a fight for some reason? :confused: I've not brought the past into it! You're the only one that's brought that up. I managed to catch the BTCC and WTCC on the weekend and although the WTCC isn't perfect it made for better TV than the BTCC which in my opinion was badly covered for what actually did seem an exciting race. It had coverage reminiscent of the WRC on a racing circuit minus the pointless z-list celeb who adds absolutely nothing to the show. There were so many boring and unimaginative long shots of the action and far too few onboard shots at the right time which take you into the thick of the action.

In other threads, I was talking about.

If I seem irritated, it's because you keep going on in the same vein without, in my eyes, any justification. I have a great deal of time for your views on rallying not just because I agree with many of them, but because you are a proper rallying enthusiast. I just don't think the same about you and touring cars.

[Eurotech]

did anyone notice the make of that safeycar and the make of the car that eventually won the race?

[Allyc85]

New rules for the next round of WTCC..

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/75509

Wonder what they will be for the round after!?

[Caroline]

Tell Daniel this already!

I agree with Daniel and his view of the WTCC. Personally, I enjoy the racing, the drivers and some of the circuits, especially Macau. I just hope the FIA sorts out the inconsistencies.

[BDunnell]

I agree with Daniel and his view of the WTCC. Personally, I enjoy the racing, the drivers and some of the circuits, especially Macau. I just hope the FIA sorts out the inconsistencies.

I enjoy it too, but not often enough, and the tinkering with the regulations has become a joke.

[BobbyC]

The radio of the leader should have been told "safety car on track" immediately. The spotter or engineer should have said "We're under caution -- slow down immediately". Johnny Rutherford and Brett Bodine, who are experienced race drivers, are the best-known safety car drivers in North America and would have awaited clearance from race control before leaving for the track. Another possible change that could make sense, and has been used by NASCAR and the IRL, is to position the safety car in a different position than pit out. At Infineon Raceway, the safety car entrance is usually positioned inside the drag strip and not at pit exit for safety reasons. NASCAR's safety car policy at Montreal is that one safety car will be at pit exit, and the other safety car is at the hairpin.

[LiamM]

The radio of the leader should have been told "safety car on track" immediately. The spotter or engineer should have said "We're under caution -- slow down immediately".

But the safety car shouldn't have left the pits.........