Kovalainen got orders from FIA

[Dzeidzei]

Heikki Kovalainen admits in an interview that he was "advised" by the team not to drive too close to Lewis Hamilton behind the SC in Fuji. This "advice" had been given to the team and according to Heikki it raised a lot of questions inside the team.

This is just stupid. Why would these guys risk their lives driving in those kind of conditions, if FIA wants their golden boy to win at all costs?

Unfortunately this casts a shadow over Lewis´ great racing this year and his WDC.

[wmcot]

Heikki Kovalainen admits in an interview that he was "advised" by the team not to drive too close to Lewis Hamilton behind the SC in Fuji. This "advice" had been given to the team and according to Heikki it raised a lot of questions inside the team.

This is just stupid. Why would these guys risk their lives driving in those kind of conditions, if FIA wants their golden boy to win at all costs?

Unfortunately this casts a shadow over Lewis´ great racing this year and his WDC.

After the Webber-Vettel situation and the erratic driving of LH, I would expect any team to warn their drivers to stay back. I doubt the FIA had to order it. It will be interesting to see if LH is allowed to drive in the same manner in the future?

[ioan]

Heikki Kovalainen admits in an interview that he was "advised" by the team not to drive too close to Lewis Hamilton behind the SC in Fuji. This "advice" had been given to the team and according to Heikki it raised a lot of questions inside the team.

This is just stupid. Why would these guys risk their lives driving in those kind of conditions, if FIA wants their golden boy to win at all costs?

Unfortunately this casts a shadow over Lewis´ great racing this year and his WDC.

Please give us a link.
If this is true than it's all becoming crystal clear.

[Dzeidzei]

Please give us a link.
If this is true than it's all becoming crystal clear.

Sure thing, but its in Finnish.

Turun Sanomat:

http://www.turunsanomat.fi/f1/?ts=1,3:2001:0:0,4:34:614:1:2007-10-04;4:35:0:0:0;4:36:0:0:0,104:34:490114,1:0:0:0:0:0 :


TS is known for its quality in F1 reporting.

[ioan]

Sure thing, but its in Finnish.

Turun Sanomat:

http://www.turunsanomat.fi/f1/?ts=1,3:2001:0:0,4:34:614:1:2007-10-04;4:35:0:0:0;4:36:0:0:0,104:34:490114,1:0:0:0:0:0 :


TS is known for its quality in F1 reporting.

If it says what you are saying, than I can only believe you.

[leopard]

After the Webber-Vettel situation and the erratic driving of LH, I would expect any team to warn their drivers to stay back. I doubt the FIA had to order it. It will be interesting to see if LH is allowed to drive in the same manner in the future?

As long as we didn't see any sanction penalized for his erratic style that has been a cause for other driver's accident, he takes it for granted and would stay driving that manner.
We can't change someone's character, we can only pray for it ;)

[janneppi]

If it says what you are saying, than I can only believe you.
It says. :)

[ArrowsFA1]

Heikki Kovalainen admits in an interview that he was "advised" by the team not to drive too close to Lewis Hamilton behind the SC in Fuji. This "advice" had been given to the team and according to Heikki it raised a lot of questions inside the team.
Perhaps the advice was given in the light of the Webber/Vettel accident. Perhaps the FIA advised all the teams the same because they didn't want a similar accident to happen again.

[leopard]

Does it apply to all drivers whoever leading during SC deployed give the warning not to close to race leader, or just exclusivity for Hamilton? If it for the last, Hamilton may become frightening driver.

[Dzeidzei]

Does it apply to all drivers whoever leading during SC deployed give the warning not to close to race leader, or just exclusivity for Hamilton? If it for the last, Hamilton may become frightening driver.

It would be a strange order as the restart is always one of the decisive moments where overtaking is possible. Why would anyone want to take that away from the spectacle?

I have no reason to believe that Heikki wasnt telling the thruth. And if the conditions are too difficult to drive behind the pacecar, Im sure they are too difficult to race as well.

[Mintexmemory]

It is a standard rule that all following cars must stay in position behind the car in front and adjust their speed accordingly.
NOW (lest you had forgotten) while following the safety car it is in LH's interest to conserve as much fuel as possible. i.e. go as slow as possible while maintaining contact with the SC.
As has been noted on a number of occasions the Mclaren can go slower than any other car in the field without overheating.
Webber came up alongside Hamilton on a number of occasions (accelerating, NOT under braking) before his incident with Vettel. He (Webber)was trying to force the pace in contravention of the rules, presumably to improve cooling.
After the incident the race diector will have informed all teams to respect the distance convention - it's standard practice and not 'FIA' inspired
Please spare me the useless conspiracy theories.

[Dzeidzei]

It is a standard rule that all following cars must stay in position behind the car in front and adjust their speed accordingly.
NOW (lest you had forgotten) while following the safety car it is in LH's interest to conserve as much fuel as possible. i.e. go as slow as possible while maintaining contact with the SC.
As has been noted on a number of occasions the Mclaren can go slower than any other car in the field without overheating.
Webber came up alongside Hamilton on a number of occasions (accelerating, NOT under braking) before his incident with Vettel. He (Webber)was trying to force the pace in contravention of the rules, presumably to improve cooling.
After the incident the race diector will have informed all teams to respect the distance convention - it's standard practice and not 'FIA' inspired
Please spare me the useless conspiracy theories.

This has nothing to do with the LH-Webber-Vettel incident. After Alonso´s crash Lh was running behind the safetycar and Heikki was second. According to Heikki he was asked not to be too close to LH at the restart. This kind of order can only come from FIA as Renault sure as hell would love to see their car in the lead.

I didnt even mention the word conspiracy. I quoted an interview that Heikki gave to a Finnish news paper.

[BDunnell]

It is a standard rule that all following cars must stay in position behind the car in front and adjust their speed accordingly.
NOW (lest you had forgotten) while following the safety car it is in LH's interest to conserve as much fuel as possible. i.e. go as slow as possible while maintaining contact with the SC.
As has been noted on a number of occasions the Mclaren can go slower than any other car in the field without overheating.
Webber came up alongside Hamilton on a number of occasions (accelerating, NOT under braking) before his incident with Vettel. He (Webber)was trying to force the pace in contravention of the rules, presumably to improve cooling.
After the incident the race diector will have informed all teams to respect the distance convention - it's standard practice and not 'FIA' inspired
Please spare me the useless conspiracy theories.

:up: to the last comment. I've had just about enough of them (not on the part of the thread starter, I hasten to add.)

[tinchote]

As Arrows said, after the Vettel-Webber incident I don't find it surprising that someone is saying "let's be careful so that it doesn't happen again".

And before going into conspiracy mode, we would need confirmation that the message was only given to Renault, and not to everybody.

[BDunnell]

As Arrows said, after the Vettel-Webber incident I don't find it surprising that someone is saying "let's be careful so that it doesn't happen again".

And before going into conspiracy mode, we would need confirmation that the message was only given to Renault, and not to everybody.

I think the conspiracy being referred to is the FIA not wanting anyone to get too close to Hamilton, lest they maybe look like getting past him. How this is one's first thought in relation to this, I have no idea, but never mind.

[Mintexmemory]

I didnt even mention the word conspiracy. I quoted an interview that Heikki gave to a Finnish news paper.

I understand that, subsequent posters seize upon the facts and put their own interpretationson them.
During the race only the Race Director can give orders to teams regarding on-track behaviour. I repeat he will have been concerned by the Webber incident (as it should be called) and wanted to avoid any subsequent repetition (and any chance of Red Flagging the race)

[tinchote]

Most people are mentioning LH's driving, but now some comments are starting to appear on MW's driving behind LH. If we have to believe that there was some concern about the way MW was closing on LH (trying to force him to raise his pace a little), that makes it very reasonable that when HK was driving behind LH he was told to be careful.

[jens]

:confused:

What is wrong with the advice of keeping distance behind SC?!?! In such tough conditions it's clearly useful.

[ArrowsFA1]

Q. Just back to Fuji for one moment, there were reports that you were asked by the team to not attack Lewis late in the race, and to hold station in second place. Can you clarify that?
HK: Yeah, that was not actually what the team told me. What I meant to say was, not to go too close to Hamilton and not to be alongside him behind the safety car. Nobody told me that I am not allowed to overtake. Of course I am allowed to overtake.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/63033

[ShiftingGears]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/63033

That settles that then!

[F1MAN2007]

The golden boy is getting more enemy than friends among his race mates!

"He did a **** job!" (MW)

[TL]

[quote="F1MAN2007"]The golden boy is getting more enemy than friends among his race mates![quote]

prolly bcause some of them so called "more experienced" drivers have a hard time accepting the fact this F1 rookie is way more talented than them !

[Ranger]

prolly bcause some of them so called "more experienced" drivers have a hard time accepting the fact this F1 rookie is way more talented than them !
Errr... Someone criticising him for his role in one particular incident is barely making enemies, surely.

[F1MAN2007]

For sure at least MW and SV will not be his friends in future.

[truefan72]

For sure at least MW and SV will not be his friends in future.


Were they his friends in the first place,
and is that going to give LH sleepless nights?

Heike's comments quashed that rumor so I don't see the point in continuing this line of reasoning

[SGWilko]

I posted a couple of articles from Autosport in another thread.

One of them clearly states that LH had been on the radio (and McLaren then onto the FIA) expressing his concern at MW's proximity. Perhaps the FIA took notice a little too late and saw sense, asking other teams to see sense and keep a good distance.

That to me is just common totty.

[Flat.tyres]

That settles that then!

You would think so but I doubt it ;)

[yodasarmpit]

According to Heikki he was asked not to be too close to LH at the restart.I simply refuse to believe that this is true, however, if it is true I am very disappointed in the FIA.
I could understand him being told to keep a distance from the leader whilst following the SC, but not at the restart.

[wmcot]

With all the cars accelerating and stopping to warm their tires and brakes, how can the rule expect them to be in a line? I would think that a driver would want to be slightly off the line of the car directly in front of him. If the track is so bad that there is only one line, then you would have to stay back.

I disagree with the rule that says you cannot overtake the car in front in the sense that you would not actually "overtake" him as in racing, but would immediately yield the place back to him. This is only common sense since you may be accelerating when the driver in front decides to brake heavily. That allows the lead driver to play games with those behind him to cause them to momentarily "pass" him and be penalized. IF that is what LH was doing, then it should be wrong.