I can't count the number of times I've been following 2 women in a hatchback who seem to be spending more time looking and talking to each other then watching the damn road.
That and a lot of people seem to just shut off and let their sub-consicous drive, usually while going 20 below the speed limit. No speed camera is going to save them...
Following 2 women in a hatchback innumerable times and trying to see what they're doing instead of paying attention to the road is pretty much the same in terms of road safety and not a display of good mental health either.
Admittedly, Whiting is not the one to decide whether a penalty shall be handed out or not. However, the regulations state:
16.2 a) It shall be at the discretion of the stewards to decide, upon a report or a request by the race director, if a driver or drivers involved in an incident shall be penalised.
Charlie Whiting is the race director, who apparantly confirmed twice that Hamilton gave back the advantage in a manner that was 'okay'. And, as is also stated in the regulations, "The race director must be in radio contact with (...) the chairman of the stewards at all times when cars are permitted to run on the track" (12.5). So, did Whiting request that the incident shall be reviewed by the stewards after he deemed it to be okay? Did Whiting not confirm with the chairman of the stewards before telling McLaren everything was okay?
In any case, something went seriously wrong there.
Yes, reading that article it seems as if McLaren would have told Hamilton to let Kimi back past if Whiting had said it was not OK. So if this is indeed true I think McLaren's appeal might have half a chance.
McLaren: Was that OK? Should we tell Lewis to let him past again?
Whiting: No, I think that was fine.
McLaren: Are you sure?
Whiting: It looked OK for me.
<a little while later>
Whiting: Hey, Alan, what do you think about that move between Lewis and Kimi at the Bus Stop? The McLaren guys asked me twice already if Lewis should let Kimi past again.
Donnelly: Did they? It might be worth another look.
Whiting: Whatever you say. It looked OK for me, but I'm no steward. Are you guys going to take another look?
Donnelly: Yeah, I think we should look at that. I'll get the stewards to do it.
Whiting: OK.
Alan Donnelly is the Chief Steward (and Max Mosley's #2 man). So I think my guess is pretty much what happened.
It no longer matters to me whether the decision stands or is overturned. For me, the damage is done.
The end of the race was magical. It was fantastic.. but it pales in comparison with the low, for me, of the controversy that followed it.
Since Kimi finished his race in a wall instead of parc-ferme, and the decision to penalise Lewis was made after this, the whole thing just smacks of the excessive influence of petty politics on a beleaguered sport.
In light of the facts of the race, the decision was petty. The controversy is petty, the appeal will be petty, the final decision will be petty.. F1 is petty. They shafted a sport that I loved, and I will never forgive them for it.
Are you really bitching about something, which looks like you can not comprehend, was stating facts? Thats lame.
Kubica was driving in unbalanced as hell car, because the team was working for Nick due to his medicore driving, for several GP's.
All this mistakes made by mechanics to Robert's car, Jesus it seems not accidental now...
Well said. Sums up the whole incident. All this frame-by-frame forensic analysis is pointless. The sport shot itself in both feet and then proceeded to stuff them in its mouth.
And the sport was doomed after the Indianapolis non-race, or after Senna was killed, or because of the FISA-FOCA war, or because of the super-licence strike etc etc
"Sunday was the darkest and most bewilderingly stupid day ever for F1." - what?? What with this and SamH's amateur dramatics about how the sport is ruined forever for him... get a grip! This sort of thing happens every week in countless other sports. Most football fans will feel the cheating robbing bastard of a referee has a vendetta against their club.
It's a contentious decision. That's all. Move along. New race along in a couple of days.
I'm with SamH here, every time I think about the race instead of the exhilaration I was feeling over the last few laps, I just feel depressed for how it was ruined.
I don't want to just move along. I don't care that it can be just about proved it was technically a penalty with people examining every camera angle and photo still and reasoning to try and justify it. Does it really matter that he got slightly ahead for the pure 'heart in my mouth' moment it provided. What's the point in striving for technical perfection when you leave emotion and passion at the door?
At the time (and still now for a certain extent) it made me hate what F1 has become. Maybe I'm just too passionate for what I think should be by far the most exciting sport, one that I've been following since I could barely talk all those years ago.
We feel cheated and robbed because we want the best for the sport! I know there are quite a few here that just say we're "Hatemelol fan-bois" and its just silly. I don't care who's the one driving, but Lewis, at Spa, happened to provide the most exciting F1 action I've seen for a while. So for that reason alone I'll support him.
And thats the reason I think the penalty is an awful desision. Not because it was technically wrong. I don't think many people at the time were thinking: "oh hang on there, by cutting that chicane he could have gained a few meters advantage and that just shouldn't happen, I better get the rule book out and check though". I think it was more like: "Holy crap this is awesome what going to happen now?!".
Y'know, emotions and all that. Sometimes they can just make things worth watching...
yes it does matter since the fia has been critizised countless times for using a dice to come up with decisions (rightfully so) and for supposedly favouring ferrari (mostly by people who think tin foil hats are a fashion statement)
so it does matter to defend them when the get something right for once and hope they keep up with making people drive according to the rules
good for you... i couldnt decide if i should laugh at both of them driving like theyre in formula ford
This decision was just as inconsistent as the others. If it was right why are so many people complaining? The FIA could hardly decide what to do with their own rules. First Charlie Whiting said it was okay then after the race they decide it isn't. In the end this has turned into a bloody court case. Is that what's best for F1 in your eyes??
Well I guess you will be hoping for the next race to consist of only passing in the pits and the top 4 qualifiers finishing where they started...good for you
no, that was because opinions are obviously divided on such non-black&white issues.
some think it's ok some think it's not, that has nothing to do with people like to complain just because we're not agreeing to u, and the stewards, point of view. (but then there will always be biased fans, be it biased towards Hamilton or Ferrari, and I ain't including these people XD)
Even Pat Symonds has came out and said he think the move was ok (and a whole lot more), article can be find on autosport.
but anyway Monza is on in a couple of days~!
and hopfully the decision taken by the stewards won't make drivers think twice (if that's possible when they're entering the braking zone at 350km/h ish) about whether they want to actually try passing people...
the sheer number of conspiracy theories surrounding this decision is testament that this is in many ways mclaren fanboyism and some very weird form of british patriotism
as to me im neither a ferrari nor a mcferrari fan and imho none of the 3 top drivers atm are anything worth becoming a fan of... theyre mostly a laugh thanks to the countless rookielike mistakes they do which youd rather expect in a kart race than in f1
thats not exactly the point though is it?
no but hopefully it will make them think a bit more about keeping the car between the white lines where it should be and any decision that helps stop the stupidity of driving anywhere but on track brought about by tarmac runoffs is a good decision
Hang on, are you saying that if it could be proved a penalty, by science and fact......that you would still not recongise it and disagree.
Even on a technicality if the rules were broken then a penalty must be served... the stewards obviously thought that there was enough evidence to suggest that an unfair advantage was gained and therefore a penalty must be served.
We could go raound and round about conspiricy theroies, and how this descion 5 years ago gave them an afvantage yet 6 years ago the exact same move was classed illegal blah blah blah. In the end a desision was made, Mclaren are going to appeal, although personaly cant see how given that teams can't appeal drive-through penalty during the race, why should they be able to appeal a drive through penalty given as a 25 second time penalty.
F1 has had bigger blows to be honest and came through, I would imagine this would not harm the sport. In fact you could argue that this may bring in more spectators, curious about whats happening. If the boring nose to tail driving does'nt put you off F1, I seriously doubt a little bit of controversy like this should do.
p.s. sorry for the bad spelling, but I'm on the works computer and can't download ieSpell due to firewall.......damn you bosses, damn you all to hell
You do realise that those who blindly defend a driver to the end are no worse than those who blindly attack them, don't you?
I'm no Lewis fan. I was laughing my head off when he got overtaken by Kimi at the start, after his arrogant comments in the interview just a few moments before. I think he's a big mouthed little sod, but I also think he is brilliant for the sport because he's always exciting to watch.
I am, first and foremost, a motorsport fan, and I don't want results being decided in meetings by people who haven't competitively turned a wheel in their life.
