2012 European GP - Valencia

[SchumiSutil]

He slowed down more than Webber did, just watch the speed. Schumacher maximum speed is below 300km/h, Webber is at 305km/h at the end of the straight.

But I fear a penalty. The steward are stupids enough to penalise him for having DRS open during 5m under a yellow 500m before the place of the accident...

[Ganxxta]

He slowed down more than Webber did, just watch the speed. Schumacher maximum speed is below 300km/h, Webber is at 305km/h at the end of the straight.

But I fear a penalty. The steward are stupids enough to penalise him for having DRS open during 5m under a yellow 500m before the place of the accident...

I already posted, theres is no penalty (unexpected I know )

http://www.motorsport-magazin.com/forme ... trafe.html

[Mr.S]

But according to the BBC, Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn checked the data personally and found that Schumacher disengaged the DRS flap thirty metres before the yellow flag zone.

Also Michael's sector time in the yellow flag zone was MUCH MUCH MUCH slower than his previous & his next laps. If this still warrants a punishment i would be very dissapointed with the stewards

[Morteza]

Igor only given a post race drive through, disgusting if you ask me

That's pathetic. FIA really is synonymous with fail.

Other than penalizing Schumacher and Hamilton for the tiniest little moves, they are good at NOTHING.

EDIT: Senna's collision is equal to what Maldonado did to Hamilton in the eyes of those stewards?!

[Ganxxta]

Correct me if I am wrong. It seems that Mercedes does not seem to have a good race pace to match Red Bull, Ferrari and Lotus. They really have to improve their car in order to keep up with their rivals.

I agree with you, but anyway, nicely done by Schumacher, finally he found some luck and it seems the the extra Engineer in his Team paid of. =D>

hm seems I lost my bet to my mate that he wouldn't get more than 10points this season 10 bucks away^^
But there is still the Fia decision open, in my opinion he used the DRS before the yellow flags and closed it right when he saw the yellow flags, it wasn't a fullcourse yellow if I remember correctly...

well this is where F1 assanine rules makes it rather unentertaining. The timing of those events is everything and when a driver sees something is seldom aligned with when the race stewards THINK he should have seen it. Disconnected worlds colliding

Well seems he got lucky this weekend, no penalty:
http://www.motorsport-magazin.com/forme ... trafe.html

[sAx]

There appears to be confusion re. DRS and yellow flags (certainly on other boards).

The question is not: whether he (Schumacher) had the DRS open, it is whether he had slowed down. Sources suggest he had. So I don't see a penalty coming.

Pretty much Gary Anderson's view on the F1 Forum too.

[stefan_]

Only a post-race drive through? Seems like the FIA is encouraging this kind of behaviour. Charlie must have a great time watching Maldo throwing everybody off track.

Would be funny to hear the reaction of a brazilian or dutch commentator on Maldonado x Hamilton incident. They are particularly funny at this kind of stuff.

[mx_tifoso]

I'm barely going to watch the race but it's comforting to know who wins! The strategy and the luck was top notch for Alonso, but that's what makes winners winners.

Although I do feel bad for Vettel, Grosjean, and Hamilton, but watching Vettel throw his gloves at the wall was hilarious.

And Maldonado just leaves me speechless. But I do feel that Hamilton could have been more patient and taken the fight to the next corners, but Hamilton + Maldonado is a surefire DNF for someone.

[morefirejules08]

Igor get 20 second penalty to taking Hamilton out of the race
Vergne gets a double penalty equaling a 10 place grid drop for hitting Kovalainen

where is the consistency?

[Waywardism]

It never ceases to amaze me the range of infringements that fall under the punishment of a drive through. Like someone just alluded to, that's pretty harsh on Senna.

Malfunctionado rejoined the track dangerously, that's what he was penalised for. I feel that anything 'dangerous' should have much greater consequences.

Then again if they didn't ban Schumacher for almost running Barrichello into the wall in Hungary then I guess anything goes...

[Pierce89]

Hamilton earned his position in the wall. I can't stand MAL but, he had position on Hamilton.

[Diff-user]

In the Star Sports commentary in the beginning of the race they were discussing the large number of steward investigations in the GP2 race and the jokingly talking about the long queue of to-be-reprimanded drivers outside the steward's office.... The GP2 drivers tend to be real aggressive simply to prove that they are good knowing that the F1 biggies are watching them all closely.....in my opinion the least the FIA can do is rate each driver according the their behaviour on track in their previous racing series and give a lot of weightage to this in the super license evaluation so that controlled aggression is favoured over a mindless one..... habitual offender may very well stay where they are or lose their horns and pop up a halo before graduating to meaner toys... in name of safety and sanity

[i70q7m7ghw]

Maldonado is building himself a reputation as a driver who isn't afraid to destroy his own race to 'get his way' on track. He is incredibly dangerous, with incidents involving a Sauber at Monaco, and Hamilton at Spa last year, I seriously question how he's able to keep his super licence.

Yuji Ide had his super licence revoked for erratic driving in 2006. Maldonado has been caught deliberately crashing his car in to other drivers on 2 separate occasions, and has had a wealth of other questionable incidents.

Today's incident was very clear cut. Maldonado left the circuit with Hamilton holding the racing line. Maldonado then proceeded to simply drive back towards and straight in to the side of Hamilton. At this point I'm not sure where Maldonado was expect Hamilton to go? The proper course of action would have been to either cut the chicane entirely, letting Hamilton take the place back and then continuing his attack; OR lift of the throttle, use the brake if needed and return to the track behind Hamilton. He appeared to be trying to return to the track on to the same piece of tarmac that Hamilton was using in the hope Hamilton was just going to move out of the way...

Maldonado's argument was that Hamilton left no room for both cars to go through the corner side-by-side. This is not in the regulations, and as Hamilton had the racing line going in to the corner, Maldonado should concede. It was a hard but fair from Hamilton. I would also like to add that I am pretty sure earlier in the race, Maldonado had employed the same technique himself on other drivers.

I must say I do feel Hamilton could have done things differently. In my view he probably shouldn't have fought Maldonado as hard, with 1 lap remaining it was clear Maldonado was going to eventually take the place.

The penalty. I would like to understand why Schumacher was penalised 5 places following a collision with Senna in Barcelona, but Maldonado simply gets a time penalty applied to the current race?

[myurr]

Hamilton earned his position in the wall. I can't stand Moldy Maldy but, he had position on Hamilton.

How so exactly, as haven't you been a staunch defender of having the racing line in the past? Maldonado never had position. He was on the outside and braked earlier for the corner, carried less apex speed, was completely off track, and the drove into the side of Hamilton. He never had position even for a moment.

[i70q7m7ghw]

Hamilton earned his position in the wall. I can't stand Moldy Maldy but, he had position on Hamilton.

Hamilton had the racing line, Maldonado tried to overtake outside of the circuit... well actually what he tried to do was return to the circuit through the side of Hamilton's car.