2021 R15: Laguna Seca

Including the Indy 500 and all junior series leading up to IndyCar
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MonteCristo
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#16

Post by MonteCristo »

Bottom post of the previous page:

Mr_Ferrari wrote: 2 years ago Just saw the highlights only but bit puzzled by Johnson's heavy defense on Grosjean. He was a lap down according to the scoring chart, so why defend so aggressively?

I guess the answer is he's still so deep in the water just trying to keep an Indycar in control that he doesn't have any mental reserves left to be aware of lead lap cars closing up on him.
Nah.

His team told him to do it over the radio, to defend Palou from Grosjean to maximise points.
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#17

Post by SBan83 »

MonteCristo wrote: 2 years ago
Mr_Ferrari wrote: 2 years ago Just saw the highlights only but bit puzzled by Johnson's heavy defense on Grosjean. He was a lap down according to the scoring chart, so why defend so aggressively?

I guess the answer is he's still so deep in the water just trying to keep an Indycar in control that he doesn't have any mental reserves left to be aware of lead lap cars closing up on him.
Nah.

His team told him to do it over the radio, to defend Palou from Grosjean to maximise points.
Deliberate violation of blue flag rules? :huh:
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#18

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Mr_Ferrari wrote: 2 years ago
MonteCristo wrote: 2 years ago
Mr_Ferrari wrote: 2 years ago Just saw the highlights only but bit puzzled by Johnson's heavy defense on Grosjean. He was a lap down according to the scoring chart, so why defend so aggressively?

I guess the answer is he's still so deep in the water just trying to keep an Indycar in control that he doesn't have any mental reserves left to be aware of lead lap cars closing up on him.
Nah.

His team told him to do it over the radio, to defend Palou from Grosjean to maximise points.
Deliberate violation of blue flag rules? :huh:
I know JJ's crew told him to be difficult but I thought JJ was a bit out of order..... mind you Romain says he came from a long way back, and had made up his mind he was comin' through!

JJ FWIW thought he was in for a penalty.....
The most dramatic moment of his race came when he collided with seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Jimmie Johnson at the Corkscrew in the closing laps of the race, both admitting they were fortunate to continue as Grosjean’s car briefly went airborne.

“I'm sorry we made contact with Jimmie,” said Grosjean. “I was definitely going in! I think Jimmie probably didn't see me. He was pushing hard to protect [second-placed team-mate] Alex [Palou] from me, which is the game. So we made a bit of contact.”

Johnson’s main concern was that he might receive a penalty for the clash, despite being on the receiving end of it as he was punted across the middle apex of the corner and missed the transponder on the corner. But Johnson continued to finish 17th of the 27-car field, a lap down on the leaders, which is his best result in the series to date.

“I thought our day was over,” admitted Johnson of the collision with Grosjean. “I couldn’t believe he threw it in that late on me. Luckily we both saved it!

“I thought I’d lost my wrist too, as the [steering] wheel went whipping around. I was worried about a penalty, but instead we got a career-best finish.”



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#19

Post by MonteCristo »

Mr_Ferrari wrote: 2 years ago
MonteCristo wrote: 2 years ago
Mr_Ferrari wrote: 2 years ago Just saw the highlights only but bit puzzled by Johnson's heavy defense on Grosjean. He was a lap down according to the scoring chart, so why defend so aggressively?

I guess the answer is he's still so deep in the water just trying to keep an Indycar in control that he doesn't have any mental reserves left to be aware of lead lap cars closing up on him.
Nah.

His team told him to do it over the radio, to defend Palou from Grosjean to maximise points.
Deliberate violation of blue flag rules? :huh:
You don't have to move over for blue flags in Indycar. They're simply there to indicate that the car behind is lapping you.

It's up to the lapper car to get ahead of the lappee if the lappee doesn't like you.

Personally, I wish it was that way in F1. Would make for far better races at the front. Can you imagine Monaco?!?
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#20

Post by John »

Mr_Ferrari wrote: 2 years ago Just saw the highlights only but bit puzzled by Johnson's heavy defense on Grosjean. He was a lap down according to the scoring chart, so why defend so aggressively?

I guess the answer is he's still so deep in the water just trying to keep an Indycar in control that he doesn't have any mental reserves left to be aware of lead lap cars closing up on him.
Unlike European racing series where the blue flags means "Get the **** out of the way right now", here the blue flag is more a case of "Hey, leaders behind you, you know, in case you wanna, I don't know, let them by. Or don't. We're fine either way".

And as well what Monte said just above.
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#21

Post by SBan83 »

Well, I'll be! I always figured that with Indycar being so Euro-centric / F1 Lite-like for the most part that they'd have incorporated that little rule too (Blue flag = move over or else...)

@MonteCristo It sure would be interesting. But realistically, it probably wouldn't do much as there's really nothing in it for the driver to not go a lap down other than pride. At the end of the SC, they get waved around back to the lead lap anyway the past few years, NASCAR style. And if they took out a leader trying to stay on the lead lap, they'd be afraid of being remembered as the next Salazar.
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#22

Post by John »

Mr_Ferrari wrote: 2 years ago. And if they took out a leader trying to stay on the lead lap, they'd be afraid of being remembered as the next Salazar.
Or the next Esteban Ocon :wink:
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#23

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Quite a racy first lap for Scotty Mac....

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#24

Post by MonteCristo »

Everso Biggyballies wrote: 2 years ago Quite a racy first lap for Scotty Mac....
Oh man, when he was on the outside of Hinch... I was thinking "RIP".
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