Helped somewhat by the heated battles between Verstappen and Hamilton seen throughout the 2021 Formula One championship, criticism on race director Michael Masi has mounted. But what next after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?
For me today was the day F1 officially declared its self as an entertainment show and ceased to be a sport
To throw the rule book out of the window and declare all they are interested in is not to finish behind the safety car, in the knowledge the lead of the championship would change hands as a result is beyond the pale
It is simply unacceptable to engineer results in professional sport. The FIA’s role is to preserve integrity, not creat controversy
Most sensible and correct thing I’ve seen on the forum for a while. Couldn’t agree more.
Let's talk about the real issue here as safety cars are always unfair by definition to the guy ahead. (I have sympathy/ understand the dissapointment but its a sport and not always the fastest guy wins, see Baku). Did Mercedes have a chance to pit Hamilton or was the sc announced the moment Lewis crossed the SF line?
I think Lewis hadn't reached the pit entry yet when the SC was called. I was watching his onboard and thought the pit entry light looked red, not sure though. I think what they said is they didn't have enough gap back to Max, probably because they hadn't caught up to the SC yet.
Mercedes were never going to pit, because then they risk max not pitting and the race finishing under SC, which it shoulf have done.
Let's talk about the real issue here as safety cars are always unfair by definition to the guy ahead. (I have sympathy/ understand the dissapointment but its a sport and not always the fastest guy wins, see Baku). Did Mercedes have a chance to pit Hamilton or was the sc announced the moment Lewis crossed the SF line?
I think Lewis hadn't reached the pit entry yet when the SC was called. I was watching his onboard and thought the pit entry light looked red, not sure though. I think what they said is they didn't have enough gap back to Max, probably because they hadn't caught up to the SC yet.
Mercedes were never going to pit, because then they risk max not pitting and the race finishing under SC, which it should have done.
Posters have mentioned past races where penalties were not given and so on. However this situation is not about driver behavior, or subjectivity on if a driver intended to break a rule, or went to far.
We have regulations and policies being breached completely by the regulators themselves to effect the outcome of the sport. This is beyond Max or Lewis or what they have done and gotten away with in the past.
It is important for the sport that lap 58 is invalidated. I don't think anyone even a Max fan can say what we saw today was fair and uninfluenced competition. It makes no sense for teams to build these cars, work within technical regulations, conduct their strategy towards the same regulations and rules, and then competition is corrupted. It is not tenable.
The race was 58 laps, why just invalidate that one lap? Invalidate the whole race then. Mercedes had the chance to win, they f*cked up thei strategy by not pitting. Verstappen deserved the win.
There was nothing that could be rationalized by that decision there at the end tonight, which was clearly against the rules. An utterly disgraceful night for F1.
But of course, even though Mercedes are right with the legalities, the powers that be that instigated that shameful decision, won't let this result get overturned either. I personally think it shouldn't be overturned once the race is over in any case. I believe Toto will have Masi fired, and there'll be a plethora of other political ramifications for this, when all is said and done.
The result can be overturned. The race would be called on lap 57.
If Mercedes win legally, then it means that anything that happened after the breach is invalid. And I feel strongly that Mercedes will win the protest.
Both for Max overtaking Lewis, and For the safety car letting only some of the cars past, as well as not leading the following lap.
This race was to finish under safety car conditions, and Max and Redbull were beaten convincingly by Lewis Hamilton today.
Sorry Ringo unfair? Unjustified maybe, but it's a crazy sport and if we would be handing out points for the fastest driver we might as well end the weekend on Saturday.
The fact they abandoned protocol to essentially engineer a Verstappen win is extraordinary. Mercedes won’t get anywhere but yes they should protest. But it’s not Red Bull’s fault the FIA sent them the title on a plate.
It’s beyond luck.
I can totally see your point, but the only other option for the race director was to keep the safety car out until the end (which would have equally been considered an engineered result). I just wonder whether had Mercedes have handed the place back on lap one (personally, I see no difference between that incident and the one last week after the first restart - MV had to give the place back), whether they would have held the same tactical advantage during the VSC period. LH would be champion now.
Not really an engineered result when the leader was over 10 seconds ahead with 6 laps to go and lapping equal times to the guy in 2nd. Its was over, I'd understand it if Max was right behind Lewis.
GoLandoGo
Lewis v2.0
King George has arrived.
New found love for GT racing with Assetto Corsa Competizione on PS5 & PC
Sorry Ringo unfair? Unjustified maybe, but it's a crazy sport and if we would be handing out points for the fastest driver we might as well end the weekend on Saturday.
It's unfair because rules were broken to have that last lap mate.
Let's talk about the real issue here as safety cars are always unfair by definition to the guy ahead. (I have sympathy/ understand the dissapointment but its a sport and not always the fastest guy wins, see Baku). Did Mercedes have a chance to pit Hamilton or was the sc announced the moment Lewis crossed the SF line?
I think Lewis hadn't reached the pit entry yet when the SC was called. I was watching his onboard and thought the pit entry light looked red, not sure though. I think what they said is they didn't have enough gap back to Max, probably because they hadn't caught up to the SC yet.
Mercedes were never going to pit, because then they risk max not pitting and the race finishing under SC, which it should have done.
I agree it's coin toss but that's part of the game.
All, this is ultimately on Masi. He has let us down. Procedures need to be set in stone and always followed - then it is motor racing, then the result is the result no matter what. Lucky, unlucky, etc.
Masi failed us, the competitors, the sport. If the procedure was 100% the same every time some people would be happy, some sad, some lucky, some unlucky, but it would always be the nature of the sport.
And a final word about the drivers. MV still doesn't know how to race wheel to wheel, but that doesn't mean he didn't deserve to be a champion(somehow). A new champion after so long is not a bad thing, but the way it happened there in the final will always cast doubt on his first(?) title.
IF the rules were followed, Hamilton would've been the champion, and he absolutely aced that race. The start was perfect, and he was always pulling away from Max. Merc had RB by the balls tonight, and made all the correct strategic calls. They had ran the hard on friday (unlike RB), and knew they could keep a decent pace to the end on very old hard tires. They just didn't need to pit.
Had Max not gotten triple lucky(!) it just wasn't meant to be for him. First, a chance to pit under the VSC, and then pit under the SC, and then the disgraceful travesty of a decision there in the end, which gave the title to him on a silver platter.
Last edited by Shrieker on 12 Dec 2021, 20:19, edited 2 times in total.
Education is that which allows a nation free, independent, reputable life, and function as a high society; or it condemns it to captivity and poverty.
-Atatürk
The fact they abandoned protocol to essentially engineer a Verstappen win is extraordinary. Mercedes won’t get anywhere but yes they should protest. But it’s not Red Bull’s fault the FIA sent them the title on a plate.
It’s beyond luck.
I can totally see your point, but the only other option for the race director was to keep the safety car out until the end (which would have equally been considered an engineered result). I just wonder whether had Mercedes have handed the place back on lap one (personally, I see no difference between that incident and the one last week after the first restart - MV had to give the place back), whether they would have held the same tactical advantage during the VSC period. LH would be champion now.
Not really an engineered result when the leader was over 10 seconds ahead with 6 laps to go and lapping equal times to the guy in 2nd. Its was over, I'd understand it if Max was right behind Lewis.
Exactly and the damning point of the decision was that it benefited only one team and Masi is going to say he was trying to do what was fair and not end the championship under a safety car and giving Verstappen a chance. What it did was not give Hamilton a chance though. You could tell he panicked and made a last second decision. He may have had a lot pressure on him but he isn't fit for the job
