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[8-ball]

I couldn't give a damn what anyone says. Kubica made a suicide dive at the apex of the turn. Vettel couldn't have done anything to avoid the collision. He was at the acceleration point. If he would have braked, he would have slid into kubica. If he would have accelerated (as he did), he still would have (and did) hit kubica. If Vettel would have simply lifted his heels, he would have lost traction and still hit Kubica. It was entirely Kubica's fault. As soon as Kubica dived in, Vettel was screwed. That's all there is to it. If there are any other drivers with formula experience out there, feel free to challenge my assessment. However, I doubt they will. This was a textbook example of exactly what not to do.

Dive?? go back and watch it on your DVR please.

I got to put this incident down to Kubica. He had the speed to over take and if he was closer to the outside of the corner then he would have had Vettel and would have avoided a major collision. Vettel was squeezed to early and once that happened he had nowhere to go. Kubica at fault for me.

[Denthúl]

SV fined $50k so stewards felt he was at fault

Any mention of being penalised for driving around on three wheels for two laps?

Good point actually. When you think about it, there were several big safety concerns this weekend. First, BMW should be told to look into why Kubica's wheels were able to fly off. One of them may even have glanced off his head. That has echoes of 1st May 1994... Second, after Nakajima's accident, the safety was a long time being deployed, especially given there were no cranes handy to remove the stricken car, and a tyre was lying in the middle in the middle of the track (I think as result of Nakajima's crash, but it could have been Kubica's. I can't recall).

Just watched a replay of Kubica hitting the wall and it looks like the force of the impact actually removed the left-front suspension from the car completely. I assume that the wheel tethers are attached to some part of that, so it does explain why it came off. However, that then means that the display of fragility warrants an investigation.

It's not the first time we've seen BMW suspension shatter on impact.

Indeed. It also looks as if the left-rear wheel came off as well.

[FerrariFan63]

Vettel & Kubica receive 10 place grid penaltys at Sepang...

http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?id=45387

Interesting. On current form, both would be strong competitors for Button & Rubens. Things are going their way. I'm not suggesting that this is a deliberate policy of support for Brawn or anything, but it still helps them.

[McLaren Fan]

Just watched a replay of Kubica hitting the wall and it looks like the force of the impact actually removed the left-front suspension from the car completely. I assume that the wheel tethers are attached to some part of that, so it does explain why it came off. However, that then means that the display of fragility warrants an investigation.

Because of the new rules, more teams have tried to make their cars as light as possible, so as to allow themselves more moveable ballast. If the car is falling to bits, then the FIA needs to step in and tell them to toughen the car up. That tyre could have seriously injured or killed Kubica had it been a fraction faster, over to the right or left etc.

[bmwpower]

Vettel:
"It’s a shame as it meant the end of the race for both of us. Should I have let him go? You always want to fight. Maybe I should have said let him go and bring third back home, but that’s life.

I tried to defend and, up to the mid-corner, I had reason, but then I had no grip to avoid a collision. I’m sorry to the team and also to Robert, as it didn’t just mean the end of my race, but also his."

You can't blame both because for every incident, there's a cause and effect. For somebody "not at fault", he should feels really sorry for it.

[Denthúl]

Vettel's fine was, indeed, for carrying on with the damaged car.

As a result the stewards have additionally fined him - and Red Bull Racing - US$50,000 for continuing to drive a damaged car.

[bmwpower]

Just watched a replay of Kubica hitting the wall and it looks like the force of the impact actually removed the left-front suspension from the car completely. I assume that the wheel tethers are attached to some part of that, so it does explain why it came off. However, that then means that the display of fragility warrants an investigation.

Because of the new rules, more teams have tried to make their cars as light as possible, so as to allow themselves more moveable ballast. If the car is falling to bits, then the FIA needs to step in and tell them to toughen the car up. That tyre could have seriously injured or killed Kubica had it been a fraction faster, over to the right or left etc.

Then again we are talking about two cars (Vettel/Kubica) losing its downforce, no grips, traveling into a turn at a high speed, both veered off into the grass then the wall. Isn't the car designed to "shatter" into pieces on an impact?? Interesting, I watched the safety of racecars the other day on HD Network and they talked about the same thing. When a race car hit a wall at a high speed, 99% of these drivers will walk away, when a street car hit a wall at a high speed, 99% of these drivers are dead. The reason why on an impact, the point of impact, the inertia energy will travel through the body of the car which is mostly either metal or carbon and the energy of the impact will settle on the softest part of the car, its usually the head and body. But on an F1 or Indy car, with its pointy nose, think of it as a pyramid, the top is the nose and the bottom is the rear. When the top is in a impact, the pieces are designed to break away from the car so it can carry the impact energy away from the center of the pyramid and to avoid the inside of the pyramid.

[scousers on tour 2008]

why have they been given a penalty for an avoidable accident yet rubens gets away with it on the 1st lap

[bmwpower]

Vettel & Kubica receive 10 place grid penaltys at Sepang...

http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?id=45387

Kubica recieved a 10 place grid penalty?? are you sure??

[cap-dude]

Did they get a penalty then

If so, the FIA are proving themselves to be twats yet again.

[racechick]

why have they been given a penalty for an avoidable accident yet rubens gets away with it on the 1st lap

Rubens was hit from behind by Heikki. Though I wud agree that the other two dont need penalising, they both lost out so they got their penalty.

[Denthúl]

why have they been given a penalty for an avoidable accident yet rubens gets away with it on the 1st lap

Rubens' wasn't exactly avoidable. He couldn't back off because Kovalainen had closed right up and hit him in the rear as a result.

[Hamilton]

In another stewards' decision, Sebastian Vettel will be demoted ten places down the Malaysian Grand Prix grid in one week, and pay a $50,000 fine to the FIA.

The German was penalised not for his late collision with Robert Kubica, but for failing to pull his damaged Red Bull to the side of the track when requested.

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/n ... 2055.shtml

[racechick]

In another stewards' decision, Sebastian Vettel will be demoted ten places down the Malaysian Grand Prix grid in one week, and pay a $50,000 fine to the FIA.

The German was penalised not for his late collision with Robert Kubica, but for failing to pull his damaged Red Bull to the side of the track when requested.

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/n ... 2055.shtml

thats fair enough

[Jensonb]

It was an avoidable incident, Rubinho's was not. Rubens was left with nowhere to go, Kubica and Vettel (Particularly) were just being reckless.