The Bottas/Stroll example is almost completely irrelevant and not an apples:apples comparison. I won't get into it too much, but it has to do with a driver choosing to go off track vs. one that didn't and got slammed into. If Bottas held his line and got hit by Stroll, it would have been more relevant. Anyway.TFSA wrote: ↑01 Jul 2024, 19:57I can't prove that a non-existant rule doesn't exist. You might want to show us a rule that says that you have to leave a cars width - or some recent precedent that says that.
The overtaking guidelines use the expression "while enabling the car to clearly remain within the limits of the track.". Remaining within the limits of the track just requires the car to keep one wheel on the white lines, although they use the word "clearly", which means you are likely not entitled to push someone to the limit.
Now of course, if there's a collision, the amount of space a driver leaves can of course be one of the deciding factor, when the stewards determines who is (predominantly) to blame for the collision. But there's no hard and fast rule for "1 cars width" anymore, and as the video example i posted with Bottas and Stroll shows, it's perfectly possible to not leave a cars width and have the other guy take the blame.
What you're arguing about the "1 car's width" not being in the rules is splitting hairs and you're ignoring the interpretation of the rules. By definition if you've forced someone off track OR you've slammed into them while they're on the edge of the track, you haven't left a car's width. It's cut and dry, there is no argument to be made, and unfortunately there is only one type of fan that is trying to argue otherwise, and I don't mean that personally, it's just that it's delusional to see it any other way.