In the round-up: Pierre Gasly says Max Verstappen’s overtaking move on him during the Dutch Grand Prix was “on the limit” of acceptability.
In brief
Gasly unbothered by dicey battle with Verstappen
Verstappen put a forceful move on Gasly when he overtook the Alpine early in the race. The Red Bull driver nudged his rival at the exit of Tarzan then lunged past him at turn three, putting Gasly wide at the exit of the corner.
The stewards did not investigate the incident, but Gasly was not concerned as he went on to end a two-year podium drought by finishing third.
“It was a wheel-to-wheel battle,” he said. “Max knew that if you push me slightly wider on the paint in the wet, if I put a wheel on there, then I’ll just understeer wide.
“It was on the limit. Yeah, if I [was] in his position and you’ve got to pass a car, you’ll play with the limit and that’s why you will try. So I’m not too fussy about it. It’s just racing, and close racing.”
Current cars too susceptible to tyre damage – Norris
Lando Norris says the damage George Russell sustained in the contact between the pair shows the current cars suffer damage too easily.The pair went side-by-side into the turn 11 right-hander which is followed immediately by a left-handed hairpin. There was not enough room for both and Norris’s left wheels went off the track before he rejoined fully at turn 12. But in doing so he clashed with Russell.
“The cars are so sharp nowadays, you touch them a little bit and it’s like you have four punctures all of a sudden,” said Norris afterwards.
“It was just good racing, it was close, we were wheel-to-wheel and I feel bad that he came off that way, but there’s nothing I should have done differently.”
Vandoorne gets Peugeot debut in Japan
Former Formula 1 driver and Formula E champion Stoffel Vandoorne will return to sports car racing in next month’s Fuji Six Hours, getting his first outing in Peugeot’s 9X8 hypercar. He has been called up to take the place of Nico Muller, who revealed he suffered an injury to his left collarbone which required treatment from specialists.
Vandoorne said he is “looking forward to team up with Loic Duval and Gustavo Menezes” in Peugeot’s number 94 car. He is usually reserve driver for the team, as well as for Aston Martin and McLaren in F1.
In 2019 Vandoorne did two WEC rounds in its top LMP1 class, finishing third in the Le Mans 24 Hours, and in 2021 did a full season in the second-tier LMP2 class.
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Links
Motor racing links of interest:
Hydraulics issue played a part in Sargeant's Dutch GP crash (Racer)
'A hydraulics issue triggered Logan Sargeant’s heavy crash in the Dutch Grand Prix, but the American admitted he had been too cautious fearing an incident after his Saturday error.'
After a troubled edition, now no reports of transgressive behavior in Zandvoort (nu.nl)
'This year, no reports of transgressive behavior have been received by the police after the F1 race in Zandvoort. The organization tightened up the protocols this year, after several incidents occurred last year. Last year, social media and the organisation received several reports of women who had been harassed. Two people reported the incident to the police. In addition, dozens of victims reported to fan club F1 women with complaints about transgressive behavior.'
Josh Mason to keep PHM Racing by Charouz seat for rest of F2 season (Formula Scout)
'Josh Mason has confirmed to Formula Scout that he will continue to drive for PHM Racing by Charouz in the remaining rounds of the Formula 2 season. The 21-year-old Briton joined the team last month at Spa-Francorchamps to make his F2 debut, and also raced at Zandvoort last weekend.'
Inside Scott Dixon’s winning strategy at Gateway (Speedcafe)
'Scott Dixon’s 55th IndyCar win left many on pit road confused, wondering to themselves just how in the world he pulled off another fuel strategy win. Fuel saving has been a trademark of Dixon’s throughout his career, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise that Sunday’s race at Gateway would be won by spending less time on pit road than everybody else.'
'After a couple of seasons of dramatic gains in ratings, attendance, sponsorship, licensing, private equity interest, stock price, promoter solicitations and overall cultural resonance, F1’s US ratings growth has slowed to a trickle this year on ESPN.'
Correa hoping Zandvoort weekend a turning point for VAR after bittersweet points finish (Formula 2)
'After his opening lap contact with PREMA Racing’s Bearman and the 10-second time penalty that went along with it, Correa says the hardest part of the race was just keeping the car on the circuit. Plenty of others fell by the wayside after their own dramas, allowing Correa to make back places he’d have otherwise lost.'
Giaffone clinches USF Juniors title at COTA (USF Juniors)
'DEForce Racing’s Nicolas Giaffone has emerged as the 2023 USF Juniors champion and will earn a scholarship valued at $241,890 to advance to USF2000 in 2024. Giaffone, 18, of Sao Paulo, Brazil and son of IndyCar race-winner Felipe Giaffone, has had a stranglehold on the championship and merely needed to start the second race of a triple-header event at Circuit of the Americas to secure the title. He claimed a record six wins as well as five poles and 11 top-three finishes in the 16-race season.'
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Commenting @F1 in Zandvoort with @MassaFelipe19 during StockCar weekend in Autodromo Ayrton Senna, Goiânia, was quite fun ! pic.twitter.com/57vfjQ6nS0
— Jean Todt (@JeanTodt) August 28, 2023
“Stop making me laugh!” 😂
A little behind-the-scenes treat for you all ✌️#F1 #ItalianGP 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/nWk9xlODAl
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) August 28, 2023
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- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Comment of the day
Williams’ Alex Albon finished eighth at the Dutch Grand Prix, but was in contention to come home two places higher and deliver his team’s best race result since 2021. He said Williams were “on par with the Astons and Ferraris this weekend”, after qualifying ahead of them and not losing too much ground to each team’s lead driver during the race.
Could Williams upwards trajectory continue later into the season?
Williams is a pretty decent midfield car at the moment. Reminds me of the Force India car of 2009. Started the season as the worst team of the grid, ended it as a very good place to be.
Edvaldo
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Jelle Van Der Meer, Metrium, F199Player and Stefano!
On this day in motorsport
- 30 years ago today Damon Hill took the second win of his career in Belgium, clinching the constructors’ championship for Williams. Home racer Thierry Boutsen made his final F1 start
Coventry Climax
29th August 2023, 0:16
Yeah, let’s make the cars more sturdy and even heavier yet, wouldn’t that be great? Leopard II class around the circuits.
How about making them smaller, so there’s more space and you don’t need to run into one another all the time?
BasCB (@bascb)
29th August 2023, 10:23
The funny thing is that actually they are far less prone to everything breaking after minor contact than cars we had up until pretty recently.
In the past we saw whole front wings, even rear wings fall of after relatively minor contact, saw steering rods and suspension breaking with a brush of the wall etc. Now even cars that smash in to barriers often can continue with minor damage.
Lyndamarks
29th August 2023, 0:46
The thing i dislike about the modern ground effect cars is just how much even a tiny bit of damage to the floor (Caused by a bit of contract, Running over debris or hitting a kerb) can completely destroy the performance to the point where it’s so uncompetitive that it’s just not worth carrying on.
In the past such relatively small damage would still cost you some time but not enough to result in retiring the car.
Of course contact should be avoided but when your racing hard wheel to wheel on the limit a bit of contact is inevitable sometimes, Especially in wet/damp conditions where grip levels offline are harder to judge & can change lap to lap.
Such situations with such minor rubbing and such minor damage shouldn’t be ending races. I mean how many times did Arnox & Villeneuve make contact & end up bouncing over the kerbs/runoff in what is often considered one of the greatest races of all time at Dijon in 1979?
Heck i happened to see the end of Fuji 2007 the other day which featured Massa & Kubica basically doing the same.
Cars need to be less susceptible to damage and especially less susceptible to huge race ending performance loss from minor damage.
Jere (@jerejj)
29th August 2023, 6:19
I agree that modern cars suffer performance-affecting damage unnecessarily easily.
Coventry Climax
30th August 2023, 11:27
Lyndamarks, you’ve got a valid point there, or maybe insight is a better word.
Not sure I fully agree to how you see the result of that though.
There was a time when engines were unreliable, which impacted the outcome of races. That also brought about some sort of excitement though, as you’d never know if the cars, even, or especially those at the front, were going to make it to the end. (An unpredictability that the FiA is keen of introducing again and again, but always in an artificial way unfortunately.)
Ofcourse, teams realised that reliablity and consistency was also an important trade off when trying to end up high in the championship. I think maybe I still like to see teams making that same decision; giving up a bit of reliablity in favor of speed. Take the gamble so to speak, and even putting a bit more responsability on the driver to keep it all in one piece. Or also in making the best of it when the car is showing some sort of defect – to whichever extent.
So, I like that balance, and I in fact like it better than when there’s no room whatsoever for teams to play with things like that. I think the FiA would like to see the latter, but then I seem to very frequently, if not just generally, not agree with the direction they’re taking things.
Jere (@jerejj)
29th August 2023, 6:17
Me too, although I’m still surprised he didn’t get warned or even noted by the stewards because he unnecessarily forced Gasly over track limits despite that corner being more than wide enough for two car widths alongside & he has a considerable car advantage, so risking a penalty that early into the race was unworthy.
I was also surprised that move didn’t get shown as a replay once.
Losing hydraulics & power steering over contact with curbing is abnormal as all drivers driver over curbs in all sessions at all circuits, so something like that shouldn’t suddenly happen.
The only positive thing is no one can blame him for a crash over a factor entirely out of his control.
Good comparison by the COTD.
Puzano (@puzano)
29th August 2023, 8:32
Although i don’t like the way of thinking, Verstappen would lose more time than te potential 5-second penalty being stuck behind Gasly. So he took a risk with his move, but I think it was a calculated one.
Yellow Baron
29th August 2023, 10:22
Max knows he has most drivers in his pocket. If any driver held their line they would make contact and max could end up with damage or be out, but he knows most will budge so he takes that risk. Only really stroll he has to be careful with. It’s a game of positional risk, like when he was racing Mick last year in Silverstone, Mick did not want to lose a points paying position.
George.be
29th August 2023, 17:31
The thing here is: Max initial left space, but Gasly didn’t take it, went wide, and once he was on the paint, Max slammed the door shut. At no point the cars were within half a meter of each other. I’m sure Verstappen would’ve left more space, had Gasly been closer, but he wasn’t, he went on the paint strip and ran wide, giving Max all the track. In any competition, the way to win is to eat the others plate first. Wasn’t the nicest thing of Max to do, but it wasn’t dangerous.
slowmo (@slowmo)
29th August 2023, 17:41
I don’t think anyone ever seriously thought it a dangerous move, it was just under the rules it states you must leave a cars width on the road and he didn’t really do that. It seems from Gasly’s perspective though he figured he’d be run close to the edge if he had stayed there so he conceded the corner anyway hence why he probably didn’t complain too much about it. Fair play to Gasly because while the rules state you must leave space it’s a bit of a joke to me as at some point on exit if two cars are at peak pace there paths are guaranteed to cross if neither backs out.
Yellow Baron
29th August 2023, 10:17
Not sure I understand gaslys logic in making those comments passing it off. Doubt he would be happy if it was a fight for he win or in a championship situation
baasbas
29th August 2023, 11:20
@Yellow Baron:
What do you mean? A podium after starting that low on the grid.. In a team in turmoil, a new team for him… That podium has a LOT or weight for him and the team.
Why are you doubting his answer? You don’t like he was fine with it?
Michael (@freelittlebirds)
29th August 2023, 13:37
@baasbas as a driver, you can’t let folks push you off track and you certainly can’t announce that it’s fine to do so. “Please go by me. Don’t let me get in your way. Can I offer you some coffee as you pass by?” :)
Michael (@freelittlebirds)
29th August 2023, 13:34
Same reaction – why would a driver accept being pushed off track and announce it publicly? I guess every driver can push Gasly off track and the stewards will be ok with it…
As a driver, I’d be fuming
baasbas
29th August 2023, 14:02
@freelittlebirds
Yes, exactyle that! …. ooooorrrrrrrrrrr … (suspense) … you and the baron see an issue where there is none. Even the portrayed victim sees no issue*. Which doesn’t fit the narrative, so please victim shut it, look sad and complain about Verstappen. Otherwise we can’t complain anonymously on some obscure internet board.
*) Personally I think it’s a classic case of Stockholm syndrome. Is there any footage of this interview with Gasly, I’d like to see it. I bet he is looking scared and blinking S.O.S. with his eyes
Michael (@freelittlebirds)
29th August 2023, 15:34
Well, he’s probably very happy with how the race went – he scored a podium, made huge ground on Ocon and is now 1 point ahead of his teammate, and has the same number of podiums as Ocon. He’s probably over the moon right now about yesterday’s race and how it will affect his contract negotiations.
Perhaps, we should not begrudge him being a little magnanimous in his reaction to Verstappen’s push. If it were Alonso, he’d be screaming for the FIA to unleash a storm upon Max even if he’d won the race ;-)
baasbas
29th August 2023, 16:56
@freelittlebirds
Ah yes, let’s not begrudge him. Us, two armchair experts, far away removed from the action, experience, knowledge and insight needed to have even the slightest authority on the matter… Let us not begrudge him.
Mayrton
31st August 2023, 8:03
Nice comment section to see the phenomenon of being angry with a driver all the time even when others -actually involved- in incidents didn’t see any problem. Good to take that into account when reading future feedback on events.