After another boring presentation, the audience offered Bernie Ecclestone and company race «Indy» was expected with a special look. However, until this weekend pleased pilots GP2 series, which showed, in my view, a real race with all the attributes that the audience likes, and no serious injuries and incidents.
Supporters of Sergey Sirotkin spirit soared, fans Russian Times, too, in principle, were not a loser. Fans Pierre went out, probably, it was sad, but hardly anyone in the audience indifferent. While viewers in Russia at the GP2 and GP3 series races, probably not much: officially in our country, they do not show, and it would be necessary to demonstrate that there is in the world of motorsport is not only the «Formula 1». And in this context, Broadcast IndyCar season by as much as two channels — a definite plus.
Moving away from the battles of the youth series GP2, After dozing on «Formula-1»... By the way, now it has become fashionable in the network during the broadcast suck overtaking in F1. They are so small that one can make out before going to happen next. So, nap notebook open to a blank page to capture moments, circles and parts of what is happening. Not every race or even in the IndyCar WTCC takes a few pages, but he was coming race at the circuit, the race in which, along with the street circuit for the «standard» European audience are more interesting than the race on the oval.
The track at Mid-Ohio just amazing configuration. The famous German trassostroitel this would probably never built. Yes, coating, as well as on most US routes is poor, but still, it is much smoother than, for example, the streets of Toronto. Medium-turns are written in complex terrain, which makes some of them «blind». This is particularly noticeable camera plan, which is mounted directly on the vehicle. Yes, the same camera that also rotates 180 degrees under the control of the director. Thus, the viewer can see overtaking, sitting on top of the spinner-pit like any pokemon.
The race started amazingly quiet, and until the first pit stops the fight on the track was not so much. Detachments between the cars began to grow... It is worth noting, in my opinion, the flawed «invention» virtual safety car, in which the distance between the car remains the same. Fortunately in «Indy» race is not «virtual» and the appearance of the safety car circuit, together with the rules of pit stops under yellow flags, can turn everything upside down. It happened at Mid-Ohio. On lap 15, Scott Dixon and Hélio Castroneves not divided highway.
Machine Dixon was severely damaged. And just before the accident started pit stops. The last person left the pit lane, turned out to be the pilot of the Schmidt Peterson Motorsport and SMP Racing program — Mikhail Aleshin and will of «Crash» on the restart he was third on the fresh tires and fuel on board. When Juan Pablo Montoya and Marco Andretti drove to a mechanic, Aleshin led the race. In general, Mikhail started from 10th position and immediately took the two rivals, but then failed to make more than overtaking. The team seems to have changed tactics and made the first pit stop pretty early. When combined with yellow flags, the approach was justified by 100%, moving Aleshin in the first place.
What mechanics Schmidt Peterson, to put it mildly, do not grab the stars from the sky, it has long been known. As recently as in the last race, a hitch in the pit stop cost Aleshin two positions at the finish. The heart just sank when our driver turned into the second pit stop. With him there were, but the mechanics notably «braked» of his team-mate James Hinchcliffe, the benefit is not very spoiled pilot race.
On the 61-lap accident in the falls Jack Hawksworth, but his accident pit stops have not yet begun, although the time has come. After waiting the allotted time for the safety car, the drivers rushed beve lane. Maximum voltage. Russian pilot for the first time in the history of motorsport could win the race in IndyCar. For this victory, all came together almost perfectly. Mechanics worked harmoniously and... released Aleshin directly under the wheels of the car contender, who had just arrived in the pit lane. There was a collision and a hitch. The question itself myagkly his formulation of «how is it?» Hung in the air. Not only is the car of Michael was slightly damaged, so he has accrued a penalty for dangerous travel. This is according to the rules, then do not complain about what is useless, and stupid: the wine is obvious. Surprisingly, as I could not see a mechanic produces another car that went just to the left of him?
A pilot relies on the issuer, and the problem in the cook-pita even turn his head 90 degrees. As a result, the Russian pilot race finished at the tail of the field. At the end of the race Michael created in social networks encouraging post: «Did everything I could today... tomorrow is another day!». But at the moment, it seems, if you add up all the emotional wave of fans Aleshin, who watched the race, that this wave would simply blew mechanics team from the pit lane, so unjust ordered racing luck, first giving hope, and then selecting it severely.
Often when similar situations occur in the web all sorts of controversy and debate, is — with the transition to the individual. Fans tend to evaluate the pilots, teams, etc. for the most part on the emotional lift. Extracts all absolutely. But it does not seem to take into account one thing: we are here, and the race there. The team working there, the driver there is fighting. More often than not, we do not see everything that is happening, and give an emotional performance evaluation of various elements. This is especially true in such a technically complex as a motor racing.
This I mean that to give «expert» assessment of sitting in a chair, not worth it. Yes, there are people who know the «kitchen» and can say with some confidence that whatever happened, why it happened. But worst of all, when they begin to hang tags and speak disrespectfully about the racers, especially in the discussion level «so what ?! he's a professional.» From my point of view, all of the riders worthy of respect that give us beautiful moments in your life, allowing you to empathize. It does not matter, it Aleshin, Kvyat, Sirotkin or Pazhno, Montoya, Rosberg, Massa, or someone else.
I've always genuinely worried, for example, for Jenson Button in F1 and Tom Coronel in the WTCC. But this does not mean that other pilots better or worse. I think we must be respectful to all participants of our beloved sport, and then the end will come, as in the fan community of some other sports. Racing — this is a positive, that is even across the ocean, and it is necessary to absorb the positive, these emotions, to share the joy and sadness with their favorite drivers and teams always in the hope of winning.
When sober, without emotion, to try to assess the situation in Mid-Ohio, it is, unfortunately, not unique. Delays in the pit stops are constant. On the same weekend in F1 victim was Nico Rosberg. And the wheels are confused and screwed badly, and released under going the pit lane the car. But, if everything was done perfectly, except it would be interesting? That «Formula 1», it seems, is trying to be perfect. What has not come up, and all the «Mercedes» wins, overtaking little boring race. While Bernie there is no problem with traffic, but they can occur, especially when such leave idol Alonso, Button, Raikkonen...
With regard to our Russian pilots, the victory is and will be, they will have other talented riders in a variety of series. The banality to say, but the victory in the race depends not only on the talent of the pilot, but also on the talent of its rivals, as well as the fact that all the details of the race was correct.
