That might be an argument if he was put there, but he blatantly decided that he was going across there a long time before the exit. He unloads the wheel and gets on the power earlier, knowing the wider he makes the exit the quicker he will be, while Button is on the inside sticking to the normal line will be slower.

Quote from N I K I :

He can argue that Button extended his traction zone as well taking the normal racing line on the exit, instead of giving him room, on smooth asphalt, not on dodgy painted curb and commercial on extended part of track.

The defending driver has the right to stay on the racing line.

Button left space and moved over only after he'd seen the RB completely off the track, and Vet could have stayed on the track if he'd wanted to. This is the way it happened live and in the slow-motion replay I watched.

Quote from CSF :

That might be an argument if he was put there, but he blatantly decided that he was going across there a long time before the exit. He unloads the wheel and gets on the power earlier, knowing the wider he makes the exit the quicker he will be, while Button is on the inside sticking to the normal line will be slower.

From the onboard replay this only shows just in before the curb, when it was pretty much obvious either turn into the side of Button and cause a pile of shit or avoid him.

Quote from NSX_FReeDoM :

The defending driver has the right to stay on the racing line.

Not if they're nearly or fully side by side. It's one thing to push someone off if he has a nose on you and another if it's a real side by side fight.

Anyway, it's futile to argue, new rule looks pretty clear to me, he should have learned it before the race then. If he gets away with it, he'll be a lucky dog.

Quote from NotAnIllusion :

Button left space and moved over only after he'd seen the RB completely off the track, and Vet could have stayed on the track if he'd wanted to. This is the way it happened live and in the slow-motion replay I watched.

Exactly what I was going to post. Once Button saw Vettel go wide he took a more normal line to maximize his exit.

Quote from N I K I :

From the onboard replay this only shows just in before the curb, when it was pretty much obvious either turn into the side of Button and cause a pile of shit or avoid him.

No it doesn't. Seb has plenty of room because Jenson is leaving him the room, until it's obvious Seb has no interest in staying between the lines and is away and off the track. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Button left the space then went out wide when he saw that Seb opened out his steering and chose to go off track. Under the new rule you're not allowed to force people off track and when Seb went off track there was a cars width between him and Jenson at least..

Niki if you don't understand this then I question your eye-sight and or mental capabilities.

Vettel called Lewis stupid for un-lapping himself...? Whereas Fernando says he would have just let him by if he got close enough..

Lesson learned for people who didn't know yet. Vettel is a cnut.

20s pen down to 5th.

Quote from CSF :

No it doesn't. Seb has plenty of room because Jenson is leaving him the room, until it's obvious Seb has no interest in staying between the lines and is away and off the track. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Conclusion is, he should have kept the right wheels on the white line on just in before the curb, making small touch with Button and complete the pass going side by side down to the next corner where he would have had the inside then, to keep it just within the limits of the rules. This is what I see as a maximum of how much Button gave him the track, he went wider, contradicting the new rules and paid for it.

I personally think it doesn't make much difference and that's why I supported his case. They should put a small grass area between the curb and the asphalt run off area where you are obviously faced with the real threat, not some line you need to focus on whilst controlling a 700hp monster.

There wouldn't have been a touch, Jenson had left him plenty of room!

Quote from CSF :

There wouldn't have been a touch, Jenson had left him plenty of room!

We will never know that for sure, will we.

I think we can if we look at the replay with any kind of brain. Jenson actually compromised his run out by going very tight in an effort to leave Seb enough room, but Seb had another idea.

Quote from CSF :

I think we can if we look at the replay with any kind of brain. Jenson actually compromised his run out by going very tight in an effort to leave Seb enough room, but Seb had another idea.

Bigbrain master, I said small touch and I shall add maybe to my previous post. Anyway, I don't even care. I'm glad Alonso is now hauling them in points.

Button left a lot of room for Vettel, Vettel clearly gained a huge advantage going off the track. Button sees this, and desperately tries to get the power down in order to keep up with Vettel, hence why he "seems" to squeeze Vettel a bit.

I fully agree with CSF, and I agree with that 20 sec penalty for Vettel.

Yeah Kimi gets 3rd!!

Also, an amazing pit stop time by McLaren:

Quote from McLaren Facebook page :

Jenson Button’s second pitstop was a NEW WORLD RECORD!! The stationary time was an incredible 2.31 seconds!

Yes, thats crazy, total pit time was 16.8, Alonso had a 17.5 in comparison.

Fernando Alonso: OK, so I’m not a fan of politics so much but it is true that the situation is not great in Spain but it fun to drive an Italian car - designed by a Greek man - it’s good to win here (Germany).

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/7/13630.html

:bowdown:

Way to go Sauber!

Way to go Kimi!

Great job to Kimi and also Sauber.

I thought the Button and Vettel thing was pretty clear.

What was the actual reason that hamilton retired?

He/they couldn't be bothered!

No, they pulled out to get fresh engines/gearboxes for the next race, as he was out of contention for points.