Maldonado's cat like reflexes

[Jimmy Magnusson]

Right, now that he's been penalized for it. Those of you who still have the race recorded, take a look at the replays. I've slowed it down and slowed it down (to 10% speed), and I still can't see any movement before the red lights. To me, it's just a damn good start. I don't remember ever hearing you needed a grace period after the lights went out before you could floor it?

Also, in pure acceleration, that's a proper getaway.

[LC2guy]

Just like you, i slowed down the replays, and to me they all showed his start was epic. But then they showed Hamiltons onboard, and he does go before the lights go out. Close but no cigar.

[Peat]

It's not judged by eye, it's judged by a sensor in the the grid marker.

Sky's analysis of it after the race was that we was a metre and a half infront of his box at the moment the lights faded. Not sure how they worked that out though.

[p-matt]

Originally Posted by Peat

It's not judged by eye, it's judged by a sensor in the the grid marker.

Sky's analysis of it after the race was that we was a metre and a half infront of his box at the moment the lights faded. Not sure how they worked that out though.

The magic of the Sky Pad

I think it was made to seem like such an obvious jump start because no one in the top 5 made a particularly good start.

[MagnetON]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Magnusson

Those of you who still have the race recorded, take a look at the replays. I've slowed it down and slowed it down (to 10% speed), and I still can't see any movement before the red lights.

Are you sure you're watching the right race?

From every single angle showed it was SO obvious that he'd jumped the start that there was never any debate. Even watching the start "live" we were both on the sofa shouting "Jump Start"

[MagnetON]

Oh, and in reference to the thread title, if anyone has owned a cat they will know that from a stationary "at rest" position a cat will:

1. Wake up
2. Curl round
3. Lick genitals
4. Stretch
5. Stand up
6. Stretch again
7. Head off in a random direction

Of those, only point #7 describes PuntOff Maldonado's driving style.

[QnickFTW]

I love how PF1 described his start as "Brundle was still doing the grid-walk when Maldonado started"

Also worth noticing that Maldonda got 3 (AKA THREE) grid penalties in one weekend!!

3 place for impending Hulkenberg
5 place for jumping the start
5 place for crashing into Glock

Im pretty sure thats a new world record in any form of racing.

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Magnusson

Right, now that he's been penalized for it. Those of you who still have the race recorded, take a look at the replays. I've slowed it down and slowed it down (to 10% speed), and I still can't see any movement before the red lights. To me, it's just a damn good start. I don't remember ever hearing you needed a grace period after the lights went out before you could floor it?

Also, in pure acceleration, that's a proper getaway.

Have to say, from the front view (at race start etc) it looked a definate jump start, from the rear view i thought it looked an immaculately timed start, that said, right underneath all the cars are thousands, if not millions of $$$$$ worth of technology that can register a car being put into gear, so i doubt its the wrong call that he jump started.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by QnickFTW

I love how PF1 described his start as "Brundle was still doing the grid-walk when Maldonado started"

Also worth noticing that Maldonda got 3 (AKA THREE) grid penalties in one weekend!!

3 place for impending Hulkenberg
5 place for jumping the start
5 place for crashing into Glock

Im pretty sure thats a new world record in any form of racing.

In fact he's got so many grid penalties he'll be lining up mid grid in the gp2 race

[Greem]

The head-on shot on the BBC website shows PM move several tenths of a second before the lights change. Maybe I'm attuned to watching for that given my weekend hobby!

With regard to the thread title, I was thinking more of Fish-Like Reflexes, but that's because I used to read Viz

[garcon]

My favourite view of it was from the gantry, with Charlie Whiting watching Maldonado go and shaking his head in apparent disbelief.

[Sodemo]

I don't understand the reasonining behind the extra 5 place drop for the jump start. He failed to finish the race, so isn't that punishment enough? I can understand the punishment for crashing into someone (however I have not seen any footage of the said incident). If he had taken a drive through, then retired, would that have been acceptable? Doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

[ScotsBrutesFan]

The point is that for a jump start, he has to be seen to be punished in a way that would influence his race.

As his race ended before punishment could be handed down and carried out, then it must be applied to the next race. I'm sure he'd rather take a 5 place drop, than have to make a penalty drive through in the first 5 laps (lets say) of Monza instead.

[Bononi]

Penalties usually doesn't make sense at all.

[TrapezeArtist]

Originally Posted by LC2guy

Just like you, i slowed down the replays, and to me they all showed his start was epic. But then they showed Hamiltons onboard, and he does go before the lights go out. Close but no cigar.

Using Hamilton's on-board shot, I thought it looked like he had moved half a car length when the lights went out. Guessing at a normal reaction time for a F1 driver being about 2-tenths of a second, I think he must have jumped it by 3 or 4 tenths, because that first half car length is going to take a relatively long time. Based on my guessed figures, he could have got away with jumping it by 2-tenths and then he would have looked brilliant.

[numbersix]

I don't particularly like the guy, but I think his jumpstart was caused by an unusual circumstance.

In one of the head-on shots just before the start you will see that the car in front of him was smoking quite badly and a fraction of a second before the start lights went out a flag marshal on the right-hand side (the left-hand side from Maldonado's point of view) briefly showed a yellow because he obviously thought that the smoking car had stalled. The flag was only out for a fraction of a second before it was withdrawn, but if I spotted it then Maldonado certainly did because he was next to it.

I reckon in that split second Maldonado realised that he not only had to do a quick start but also had to pull out of the way of a stalled car.

At the end of the day a jumpstart is a jumpstart but in this case I have a certain amount of sympathy for him.

[Sodemo]

Originally Posted by ScotsBrutesFan

The point is that for a jump start, he has to be seen to be punished in a way that would influence his race.

As his race ended before punishment could be handed down and carried out, then it must be applied to the next race. I'm sure he'd rather take a 5 place drop, than have to make a penalty drive through in the first 5 laps (lets say) of Monza instead.

I still don't think its right. He jump started in the Spa race, not the Monza race. His race ended before he took a penalty. The idea of the penalty was to impede him for jump starting in that race, thus undoing any advantage he would have gained from getting an unfair start. Giving him a penalty for the next race makes no sense. I'm pretty sure its happened before that a driver has gone out of the race and then been handed down a drive through or some other sanction.

[Greem]

Originally Posted by numbersix

In one of the head-on shots just before the start you will see that the car in front of him was smoking quite badly and a fraction of a second before the start lights went out a flag marshal on the right-hand side (the left-hand side from Maldonado's point of view) briefly showed a yellow because he obviously thought that the smoking car had stalled. The flag was only out for a fraction of a second before it was withdrawn, but if I spotted it then Maldonado certainly did because he was next to it.

Ooh, good spot, numbersix.

That twitch could have been enough for PM to respond, especially as most drivers are probably only taking notice of the lights through peripheral vision (cf. Brundle's "Look but never stare" comments).

I now have one iota of sympathy. I didn't beforehand

[MGDavid]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

I still don't think its right. He jump started in the Spa race, not the Monza race. His race ended before he took a penalty. The idea of the penalty was to impede him for jump starting in that race, thus undoing any advantage he would have gained from getting an unfair start. Giving him a penalty for the next race makes no sense. I'm pretty sure its happened before that a driver has gone out of the race and then been handed down a drive through or some other sanction.

it doesn't work like that.

[bella]

don't panic guys, i've got it figured out.

he's playing penalty bingo. he can't be that far from a full house surely?

[QnickFTW]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

I still don't think its right. He jump started in the Spa race, not the Monza race. His race ended before he took a penalty. The idea of the penalty was to impede him for jump starting in that race, thus undoing any advantage he would have gained from getting an unfair start. Giving him a penalty for the next race makes no sense. I'm pretty sure its happened before that a driver has gone out of the race and then been handed down a drive through or some other sanction.

I kinda agree with you on that one. Jumping the start is essentially the same as cutting a chicane to gain a position, isnt it? Its just a way of non-rightfully gaining track positions.

So when you cut a chicane, you will get a drive-thru, however, if you happen to retire before the drive-thru is given (or during that 3 laps that you have before coming in for it) then what? Then it will be the end of the matter.

[werner]

I also think it's stupid to give anyone a penalty at the next race for a jumpstart. At the end of the day, Maldonado did not gain any advantage from his start. No other drivers have been disadvantaged or put in danger. Grosjean did, so a penalty for him at the next is justified IMO (although the raceban is a bit harsch I think)

[davyboy]

I'm liking Maldonado more every day... this weekend he managed to out drive all but two other cars to third on the grid... get such a great start that Charlie Whiting's equipment couldn't keep pace with it... rack up the most number of penalties without getting banned... and still have time for some bad boy stuff !

Looking forward to more of the same at Monza

[nicanary]

Originally Posted by davyboy

I'm liking Maldonado more every day... this weekend he managed to out drive all but two other cars to third on the grid... get such a great start that Charlie Whiting's equipment couldn't keep pace with it... rack up the most number of penalties without getting banned... and still have time for some bad boy stuff !

Looking forward to more of the same at Monza

multitasking par excellence!

[MGDavid]

Originally Posted by werner

......, Maldonado did not gain any advantage from his start.......)

I think he probably did - if he had started normally he may very well have been mixed up in the carnage.