A quick turnaround at the start and a tense battle for the lead earned Lewis Hamilton victory in the Brazilian Grand Prix. Max Verstappen was aggressive and eventually finished second, ahead of Mercedes' Bottas.
Well, I'd say it's fine in isolation to make that call, (although I think they are really ostriching it to try and keep a lid on it) but the issue is now that the lines are so blurred for all the drivers as to what's acceptable or not that no-one is going to know what to do when defending positions.
This is the only thing that p***** me off. Another driver will see that and think 'Oh, I can do that too then.' and do it, and then get penalised. it's simply not a fair way of enforcing the rules across the board.
This is exactly what will happen. Both Leclerc and Sainz were talking about this same thing and how they (as well as other drivers) adapt to what is allowed by the stewards.
Quote from Leclerc:
“You always need to adapt to every situation, every decision the stewards are doing,”
“Honestly, I really don’t mind [what the outcome is] but whatever is allowed, I just want it to be clear as a driver. That’s the only thing that matters to me.
I believe that's pretty much how every driver is looking at this.
As they absolutely should. Until the goalposts are shifted once again and what was briefly within the rules will quickly become a breach of the rules again.
I do agree that it isn't significant new evidence. It's just a different angle of Max making no attempt to make the corner.
The off-board camera angle already covered that, if the stewards ignored that then it's understandable they don't care for the on-board footage and gave the FIA a 'get out of jail free card' to them giving Verstappen a 'get out of jail free card'.
That being said, the initial decision not to investigate let alone penalize the manoeuvre was and forever will remain completely wrong and in contradiction to the FIA's own rules.
Horner & Marko defending their driver to the hilt is problematic but understandable. But when Max has the FIA accepting his racing then that's just plain dangerous.
I don't care that Max did this, let everyone do this. But if it's against the rules (and it most definitely is) then penalize the driver. I do hope we see some drivers doing the same this weekend. I also hope we see someone do this to Red Bull and get hear Wheatley complain to Masi during the race.
I do agree that it isn't significant new evidence. It's just a different angle of Max making no attempt to make the corner.
The off-board camera angle already covered that, if the stewards ignored that then it's understandable they don't care for the on-board footage and gave the FIA a 'get out of jail free card' to them giving Verstappen a 'get out of jail free card'.
That being said, the initial decision not to investigate let alone penalize the manoeuvre was and forever will remain completely wrong and in contradiction to the FIA's own rules.
Horner & Marko defending their driver to the hilt is problematic but understandable. But when Max has the FIA accepting his racing then that's just plain dangerous.
I don't care that Max did this, let everyone do this. But if it's against the rules (and it most definitely is) then penalize the driver. I do hope we see some drivers doing the same this weekend. I also hope we see someone do this to Red Bull and get hear Wheatley complain to Masi during the race.
Human subjectivity and the misuse of the term significant.
The evidence isn’t significant as it pertains to what max did, it’s just significant to highlighting and pointing out how inconsistent and ridiculous the stewarding is
I do agree that it isn't significant new evidence. It's just a different angle of Max making no attempt to make the corner.
The off-board camera angle already covered that, if the stewards ignored that then it's understandable they don't care for the on-board footage and gave the FIA a 'get out of jail free card' to them giving Verstappen a 'get out of jail free card'.
That being said, the initial decision not to investigate let alone penalize the manoeuvre was and forever will remain completely wrong and in contradiction to the FIA's own rules.
Horner & Marko defending their driver to the hilt is problematic but understandable. But when Max has the FIA accepting his racing then that's just plain dangerous.
I don't care that Max did this, let everyone do this. But if it's against the rules (and it most definitely is) then penalize the driver. I do hope we see some drivers doing the same this weekend. I also hope we see someone do this to Red Bull and get hear Wheatley complain to Masi during the race.
They probably included the telemetry too...which wasn't available then...and that telemetry is even more telling than the video evidence. To dismiss that as insignificant..no words. Even more so, FIA can't realize that they are digging their own grave with this decision. They will fall into it soo hard in the coming months...
I think it's more that they just chickened out of making a potentially championship defining call regardless of which of them was the 'transgressor'. I suspect they'd have done the same if the drivers were reversed (however, and people will have their own opinion, IMO Hamilton wouldn't have done that in that situation- at least not to that extreme)
To add- in hindsight they should really have issued the penalty because I think at least most of us would agree under most circumstances, it is one, in the pretty sure knowledge that Verstappen could have then made sure to just finish 5 seconds ahead of Bottas and we'd have none of this knock on effect with no-one knowing what the rules are meant to be now. It would have been penalty served, little or no effect, clarity or the rules preserved and on to the next race. Trying to hide from the issue has just created a far bigger one.
I understand the discussion and debate about Sunday's decision that "no investigation is necessary". This is not the first time that the stewards may (or may not) have made a bad call.
I do not understand the discussion and debate about today's denial of the review. Referees make bad calls in all sports. We don't like it, but it happens. Are there any other precedents where bad calls were undone after the fact? Isn't it better for the sport to just be pissed off at the stewards on Monday and move on?
Don't get me wrong, I'm fully on board with the notion of investigating unsportsmanlike conduct. But the way I understand it, Mercedes was asking FIA to review a decision that was made by the stewards. A day or more after the race.
I think Verstappen will need to keep his fingers crossed he doesn’t fall behind in the championship, and if he does that Hamilton will race less hard than he does.
Fortune favours the prepared; she has no favourites and takes no sides.
Truth is confirmed by inspection and delay; falsehood by haste and uncertainty : Tacitus
I understand the discussion and debate about Sunday's decision that "no investigation is necessary". This is not the first time that the stewards may (or may not) have made a bad call.
I do not understand the discussion and debate about today's denial of the review. Referees make bad calls in all sports. We don't like it, but it happens. Are there any other precedents where bad calls were undone after the fact? Isn't it better for the sport to just be pissed off at the stewards on Monday and move on?
Don't get me wrong, I'm fully on board with the notion of investigating unsportsmanlike conduct. But the way I understand it, Mercedes was asking FIA to review a decision that was made by the stewards. A day or more after the race.
According to international sporting code 142 any competitors can ask for review of any results in the race.. and it is I believe unutl 4 days after the race.
Same reason why Redbull as for review of decision after silverstone race
