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SteveG



Member Since: 29 Nov 2011
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Disappointing end to F1 season in so many ways
It’s a shame that the last 2 GP’s had to end in such a farce. Abu Dhabi was the worse out of the two for me, especially with ‘Strategically’ giving back of the place by Red Bull. That just smacked of cheating.

Move to Yas Marina and the timing of the crash was obviously not good for Mercedes, but the issue there was down to the race director being a fallible human being and making rules up as he went. If Mercedes had pitted Hamilton, Red Bull would have left Verstappen out, and then the roles would have reversed, Mercedes would have been pressuring the race director to restart asap and if decisions had gone the same way, Red Bull would have protested and be appealing right now.

Strategically
There’s nothing strategic about it, if you give the place back in a way that disadvantages the other driver so that you can immediately take the place back, that’s cheating. The race director and stewards should have clamped down on that the first time that Max and Red Bull did that, then we would have avoided the brake testing and collision incident when he did it again.

Hard racing
There’s lot of divided opinion here and you can see this in the commentators, especially the ex drivers. Unfortunately, currently there’s no ambiguity in the F1 rules. They’re currently designed to avoid contact between the cars from a safety point of view. You have to leave enough room on the track for the other car to stay on the track when making a competitive overtaking move.

Max consistently doesn’t do this, and claims that it’s just hard racing. That’s all good but the rules in F1 don’t allow it. Also the rules in F1 make no distinction between a fast, slow or medium speed corner. So when Lewis made a move at Silverstone, according to Red Bull it’s no longer hard racing, it’s dangerous driving and pushed to get Lewis disqualified from the race and Helmut Marko even tried to get him banned for a number races. Surely it was just hard racing, and the fact that Max didn’t yield and avoid the collision is the reason he ended up in hospital needing medical checks before being released.

So overall, I felt the end was a farce as Michael Massi panicked and made the rules up, and we are still in a situation where Red Bull and Max now feel vindicated for their harsh treatment this season and will continue to race in the same way next year. As I said earlier, the worse bit for me was the brake testing incident, and previous ‘strategic’ giving back of a place - that was just pure cheating. It’s a shame to see it happen and see it go unpunished. Not that it would have made any difference to the championship, that’s not the aim, it just should have been called out as overstepping the mark and punished accordingly.

Oh well - rant over 😉


Last edited by SteveG on 13th Dec 2021 9:48am. Edited 1 time in total
Post #933348 13th Dec 2021 7:37am
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Bluest



Member Since: 23 Apr 2016
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F1 have got themselves into this mess for a number of reasons. Taking each of your points.

Giving a place back should be a minor punishment for minor indiscretion, so I dont have an issue of the driver being able to immediate recover the place again if he is fast enough to do so. The problem is DRS. If you have a zone where even a fundamentally slower car/driver can pas the car ahead then there are always going to be shady shenanigans like Max employed (and Lewis tried clumsily to out smart) when giving a place back. Maybe there needs to be a defined place on the track where you give the place back. Or maybe use a long lap penalty like MotoGP.

Regarding the more than hard racing. This is happening I’m convinced because the tracks themselves offer no natural justice by way of gravel traps, grass, walls etc, so you can go sailing into a corner up the inside of someone without a care in the world for whether you make the corner. Forcing you or your opponent off the track seems to be like a lottery as to who gets punished, so in desperate times it’s worth the gamble. It’s puts the stewards in a difficult spot because each corner and situation is different so working out who deserves what penalty is nightmare.

They’ve obvious tried to be more lenient this year as there has been a lot of criticism in the past that nearly every overtake resulted in someone getting a 5s penalty. The drivers (Max in particular) has taken advantage of this.

I don’t know what they can do, as tracks will remain the same and no one wants to go back to the procession with everyone scared to overtake.

The safety car at the end was a mess and hopefully the race director will get his butt kicked behind the scenes. They should adopt the green/white/chequer policy used in NASCAR which takes the pressure off and ensures the race ends under a racing lap in future. Lewis should have won, but I don’t want them to change the result now, it’ll do more harm than good. 2007 110 TDCi Station Wagon XS
Post #933353 13th Dec 2021 8:18am
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ibexman



Member Since: 13 Dec 2008
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Hamilton was robbed complete farce ,I fear F1 will lose quite a few fans over their indecision’s
Post #933359 13th Dec 2021 8:54am
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kenzle8a



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I've not been excited for a season of F1 in a long time the Alonso vs MSC in 05-06 was amazing, Hamilton's rookie season, JB's year with Brawn etc. I started to lose some interest in the hybrid era but the whole DRS nonsense coupled with the turbo era left me only ever watching the highlights.

As above the tracks have also become banal and boring and rewarding of imo video game driving.
Post #933361 13th Dec 2021 8:59am
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blackwolf



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For the benefit of those who are not avid F1 fans and who didnt see the race, but have woken this morning to hear of a humungous controversy, could someone be kind enough to provide a brief and objective summary of what happened?

The news reports I have heard all seem to be aimed at people who know what happened and are reporting the follow-up, not the actual events.
Post #933363 13th Dec 2021 9:08am
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Leamreject



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When winning 57 out of the 58 laps isnt enough, changing the rules on the last lap to suit appears to be the only way to get the result you want…… Whistle

Not wanting to take anything away from Max, but an injustice has been dealt.


Someone in the FIA should be asshamed with what they are doing to the sport. Ride like you stole it!!
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Post #933367 13th Dec 2021 9:29am
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Steve_overland



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Yeah I agree, it does seem totally unfair what happened.

I think the result should stand now to protect the rep of the sport but it should never have been sorted that way. Masi needs to fall on his sword or shown the door.

I have to say the way Lewis and his family conducted themselves is an example for many, he can hold his head very high. @steve_overland on Insta.
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Post #933368 13th Dec 2021 9:33am
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ibexman



Member Since: 13 Dec 2008
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Hamilton was the winner , max won by default a very hollow victory
Post #933369 13th Dec 2021 9:35am
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Leamreject



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Red Bull crying out “let them race, all we need is one lap” did they quickly forget that they couldn’t get the job done on the previous laps fairly?

At the point of the accident Mercedes planed there strategy perfectly knowing the race should finish under safety car… Ride like you stole it!!
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Post #933371 13th Dec 2021 9:42am
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Bluest



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Quick Sumary for Blackwolf...

Verstappen and Hamilton go into race tied on points, but Verstappen ahead due to more wins over the year.

Max on pole, Lewis starts 2nd

Lewis immediately takes the lead, but on L1 Max runs him off the road in an attempt to pass. Lewis retains the lead by goining off track and ends up a few seconds ahead. Lewis gives some time back, but not the place. Red Bull are aggrieved.

Lewis then in comfortably faster for most the rest of the race. A couple of safety cars occur that allow Max to pit for fresher tyres, but Lewis/Merc choose to stay out for fear of losing track position. They don't want to be in a position where Lewis has to pass Max on the track as he holds the upper hand due the points situation.

After one set of stops, Perez does a sterling job of backing Lewis into towards Max, Lewis losing about 5 seconds behind Perez, but clears him just in time.

With only a few laps to go. Latifi puts his car in the wall triggering a safety car. It's touch and go whether the race will restart before the end. Max pits, Lewis doesn't. Lewis is behind the safety car with 5 lapped cars between him and Max. There is then a total shambles of race control who at first tell everyone the lapped cars will stay, they then change their mind to let the lapped cars through, there's loads unseemly horse trading on the radio between the teams and race control to try and influence, but crucially race control only allow the cars between Max and Lewis to go through, not all of the lapped cars, meaning that the final one lap of racing will start with Max right behind Lewis on brand new tyres, while Lewis' are 30 laps old. Inevitably, Max passes him and wins, despite Lewis being faster and leading practically the entire race.

There are a number of things potentially wrong with how the race controllers managed the safety car and it looked to outside like it was orchestrated to make sure the 2 leaders were one behind the other. It went beyond just bad luck for Lewis for an ill-timed safety car. 2007 110 TDCi Station Wagon XS
Post #933374 13th Dec 2021 9:48am
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Gareth



Member Since: 12 Dec 2011
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LH and MV went into the final race level on points. If they had both crashed then MV would have won because he had more wins.

They had a close battle at the start, MV went wide after braking very late, LH took avoiding action and in so doing benefitted from a short cut. Stewards took no action. LH in the lead and Red Bull asking for a miracle.

Half way through a virtual safety car slowed the field for a couple of laps. MV pitted to get fresh tyres. LH stayed out to preserve track position.

Towards the end of the race another driver had a spin and hit the barrier. Full safety car deployed. LH was comfortable in the lead and had passed (lapped) back markers. MV was behind the back markers still. Initially it was so close to the end of the race, the race director Michael Masi declared that the back markers would not be allowed to pass the safety car and un-lap themselves. This would have meant the race would have concluded in a procession across the line behind the safety car. LH would have been champion. Nothing Max could have done about it. As it happens, Micheal Masi changed his mind and let the cars that were between MV and LH through and brought the safety car in one lap from the end.

MV had fresh tyres and LH was on old tyres. Therefore could not defend.

Should Mercedes have pitted in the first safety car to get fresh tyres? Who knows. It’s a shame. 2021 Defender 110 X-Dynamic HSE D300 MHEV
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Post #933375 13th Dec 2021 9:51am
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dnorrishill



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I think they should bring back gravel traps, there is more jepody if you exceed the track limits then.
Post #933376 13th Dec 2021 9:58am
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Rashers



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lord-haggis wrote:
I've not been excited for a season of F1 in a long time the Alonso vs MSC in 05-06 was amazing, Hamilton's rookie season, JB's year with Brawn etc. I started to lose some interest in the hybrid era but the whole DRS nonsense coupled with the turbo era left me only ever watching the highlights.

As above the tracks have also become banal and boring and rewarding of imo video game driving.


As lord-haggis says Thumbs Up

Couldn't agree more.

I am afraid that F1 is killing itself. Too much technology, too many rules, not enough free thinking.

If you have Sky and you watch some of those races from the 80's and 90's on their F1 channel, the racing was exciting.

I appreciate that safety has improved no end, which must always be applauded, but it is so dull.

And the drivers are so dull, but then there are many sports where this is common these days.
Post #933377 13th Dec 2021 10:06am
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Rashers



Member Since: 21 Jun 2015
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dnorrishill wrote:
I think they should bring back gravel traps, there is more jepody if you exceed the track limits then.


I agree with this too, but the way these drivers perform, the race would be a continual procession on flashing yellows with the most entertainment from watching Marshalls with brooms clearing the track Whistle
Post #933379 13th Dec 2021 10:09am
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X4SKP



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Bluest ... Excellent summary... Thumbs Up

I've been a FI fan for 25 years and despite the fact that I'd still prefer to see 20 Drivers in Identical Cars... yesterdays outcome was a shambles.

To me every Sport benefits from as far as possible Black and White Rules.
As soon as a Grey Area of 'interpretation' of the Rules come into Play there's a Problem.

This will come down to (in Court) the Race Directors judgement as to when it was Safe or Not to let Lapped Cars Pass the Safety Car and how many.... but it really doesn't look good.

IMO the Race Director took the decision to change his mind in order to bring Max back into contention for a final Race Lap to avoid an anti-climax of arguably one of the best Seasons ending behind the Safety Car.

Max at this point was not a contender for a Race Win... result Chaos Shocked SKIP
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Last edited by X4SKP on 13th Dec 2021 11:46am. Edited 1 time in total
Post #933380 13th Dec 2021 10:14am
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