dessiato
🇪🇸 españa te quiero
I believe the best man won. Hoping for more of the same next year.
F1 2021
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Zapp Brannigan
Built like a steakhouse, handles like a bistro
I'm an unashamed Hamilton fan, and I wholeheartedly applaud Verstappen on his title. Hamilton has been pushing hard in an excellent car and when those 2 things come together he wins title after title, so for the season to play out as it has is testament to both Max and Red Bull - there's no doubt there's a hell of a driver in a hell of a car. Bravo.
But, in no way shape or form did the climax of that race demonstrate who the best driver/car combo is. A thrilling season that deserved a fitting finale was manipulated to within an inch of its life. Again, debate the legalities all you like and debate the motives (incompetence or malice?)* but don't try and argue that Max triumphed in a fair fight.
* FWIW the result should without question stand, and Merc shouldn't be pursuing through the courts. The F1 powers that be should currently be in a state of deep self reflection, of their own volition, and they need to ask themselves whether this was a triumph because of ratings and column inches, or a clusterfuck of neutered sporting merit.
dessiato
🇪🇸 españa te quiero
Zapp Brannigan I agree with this "But, in no way shape or form did the climax of that race demonstrate who the best driver/car combo is. A thrilling season that deserved a fitting finale was manipulated to within an inch of its life. Again, debate the legalities all you like and debate the motives."
I'd have like to have seen a full on proper race to the line. I think Max would not have won, he didn't have the pace, and would have depended on pit stops to keep him challenging. (I think Mercedes didn't call it right.) But that isn't what we got, and, as much as this is a controversial win, it went to Max in the end.
I'd have like to have seen a full on proper race to the line. I think Max would not have won, he didn't have the pace, and would have depended on pit stops to keep him challenging. (I think Mercedes didn't call it right.) But that isn't what we got, and, as much as this is a controversial win, it went to Max in the end.
ricbake
working out how
15.3 The clerk of the course shall work in permanent consultation with the Race Director. The Race
Director shall have overriding authority in the following matters and the clerk of the course may
give orders in respect of them only with his express agreement:
a) The control of practice, sprint qualifying session and the race, adherence to the timetable
and, if he deems it necessary, the making of any proposal to the stewards to modify the
timetable in accordance with the Code or Sporting Regulations.
b) The stopping of any car in accordance with the Code or Sporting Regulations.
c) The stopping of practice, suspension of a sprint qualifying session or suspension of the
race in accordance with the Sporting Regulations if he deems it unsafe to continue and
ensuring that the correct restart procedure is carried out.
d) The starting procedure.
e) The use of the safety car.
Director shall have overriding authority in the following matters and the clerk of the course may
give orders in respect of them only with his express agreement:
a) The control of practice, sprint qualifying session and the race, adherence to the timetable
and, if he deems it necessary, the making of any proposal to the stewards to modify the
timetable in accordance with the Code or Sporting Regulations.
b) The stopping of any car in accordance with the Code or Sporting Regulations.
c) The stopping of practice, suspension of a sprint qualifying session or suspension of the
race in accordance with the Sporting Regulations if he deems it unsafe to continue and
ensuring that the correct restart procedure is carried out.
d) The starting procedure.
e) The use of the safety car.
Zapp Brannigan
Built like a steakhouse, handles like a bistro
Uncontroversial would have been to red flag the moment Latifi hit the wall. Standing re-start, every driver with the option to change tyres, a proper level playing field and a few short laps to determine a winner on sporting merit.
Slightly controversial (and definitely anti-climactic) would have been to stick to precedent, allow all lapped cars past, run out of laps and finish behind the safety car.
Even more controversial would have been to ignore precedent and leave lapped cars where they were, have the one lap with Verstappen needing to clear backmarkers before having a solitary chance at passing late in the lap.
The most controversial of all was to fling the rule book out of the window and hand Verstappen a title on a plate. That's what we got.
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
I think the tyres thing is a bit of a minor point, as even when everything goes according to the rules/precedent, random factors like Latifi's accident result in mismatched contests all the time.
Instinctively, it does feel like Masi should have considered the tyre situation, as it was part of the context in which he was deciding to actively impact the course of the race rather than let it play out by the strict rules of the sport. Buuut... I'm honestly not sure if that instinct is misguided or off-base on this occasion.
But it feels like the state of drivers' tyres is a different kind of 'fairness' to the issue of changing the prescribed procedure.
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
I've seen a number of people suggest a red flag and restart, but Latifi's accident wouldn't normally require that, would it?
So would it be without controversy? Also feels like it requires some pretty composed on-the-fly thinking to consider that solution and make the call, all while both team principles are shouting at you, the world is watching, and laps are forever running out.
Zapp Brannigan
Built like a steakhouse, handles like a bistro
Convention and precedent went out of the window precisely because of the almost unique circumstances. If it was the 2nd race of the season, they would have stuck to "the norm", cars would all unlap themselves and the race would finish behind the safety car.
Everything was fudged because of a desire to see the title decided by racing, not behind a safety car. Correct, Latifi's accident wouldn't normally have merited a red flag, but if convention and precedent mean nothing at that moment then at least it would have been a clear option which didn't inevitably mean the sport's regulators and administrators deciding the result one way or another. It also wouldn't have to be a instant, spur of the moment decision - there were 4 laps behind the safety car, each taking in excess of 2 minutes, that's 8 minutes to assess that there were options better than the absolute shit show they served up.
Zapp Brannigan
Built like a steakhouse, handles like a bistro
Still think Bottas should have parked it and left it in gear sans steering wheel on an apex though, and I bet Mercedes do too.
MrCurry
right after this urgent rest
Hopefully one of the benefits to come from all the discussions about what “should have been” will be for the FIA to give the timing system a software update and change the safety car rules to say lapped cars drop to the back of the pack, instead of needing to overtake and pull away.
The lapped cars dropping to the back of the field could be done while the marshalls are still clearing up the track (while the cars are in a different sector), so as soon as the track is clear, the safety car can go in and the race can restart. If this helps save us from those interminable extra laps under safety car, then at least something good comes from the Abu Dhabi Snafu!
The lapped cars dropping to the back of the field could be done while the marshalls are still clearing up the track (while the cars are in a different sector), so as soon as the track is clear, the safety car can go in and the race can restart. If this helps save us from those interminable extra laps under safety car, then at least something good comes from the Abu Dhabi Snafu!
I heard someone else on the radio before with another conspiracy theory, about Perez retiring when there was nothing wrong with his car - something about they never intended him to finish so didn't put much fuel in and therefore make him a bit quicker? To hold Hamilton up if that was required at some point? If so that's some seriously good planning.
MrCurry
right after this urgent rest
Not very likely as he made it all the way to, what was it, three laps to the end? If they wanted to make him light enough to go significantly faster they would surely leave out ten laps of fuel and take the chance that any help Max needed would be in the first 75% of the race.
Having enough fuel to get 95% of race distance means so little performance gain it’s not worth doing surely, in a race where Red Bull could have won the constructors title if both Mercs dropped out.
Maybe he slowed down once Hamilton passed him and therefore conserved fuel and got as far as he could before he ran out of gas (ie, 3 laps out rather than 10)? It would have been a masterstroke if true. It did seem odd he was brought in.
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
That’s enough internet for you today, go to bed
MrCurry
right after this urgent rest
No he didn’t. The lap charts show that after the time loss from his pitstop (directly after letting Verstappen through) Perez kept the same pace as the leading pair for the rest of the race (until he closed up under safety car). The time gap chart has long flat sections, ie. same pace as leader. He was definitely pushing.
Of course they all saved a little fuel under the safety car, but for the reasons I explained before this conspiracy theory that he was deliberately under fuelled makes no sense.
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
I don't understand the nuances of some of these, but interesting to hear how all the different drivers and engineers reacted to everything after Latifi's crash. Sainz in particular at the end, really emphasises how ludicrous the "only five between Hamilton and Verstappen can unlap" decision was.
Vettel and Alonso's discussions are interesting too. Those are ones where I don't think I quite follow what they're saying, but the two vets (no third 'cause Kimi was out, of course
) do seem to have slightly different reactions to the others.
Vettel and Alonso's discussions are interesting too. Those are ones where I don't think I quite follow what they're saying, but the two vets (no third 'cause Kimi was out, of course
) do seem to have slightly different reactions to the others.
Lord Camomile
Yipchaa!
Yeah, but.... bikes... 
Athos
Well-Known Member
Yeah, but.... bikes...
MrCurry
right after this urgent rest
Lewis appears to have toned down his dress-sense for his trip to Windsor to get knighted today. Fortunately. 
Hamilton receives knighthood for services to motorsport
Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton receives his knighthood for services to motorsport from Prince Charles during a ceremony at Windsor Castle.
www.bbc.com
RainbowTown
Well-Known Member
Lewis appears to have toned down his dress-sense for his trip to Windsor to get knighted today. Fortunately.
Hamilton receives knighthood for services to motorsport
Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton receives his knighthood for services to motorsport from Prince Charles during a ceremony at Windsor Castle.www.bbc.com
He's an extraordinary sportsman, one of the very greatest the UK has ever produced. And though I'm not a believer myself in these type of honours, it would be churlish to begrudge him having his incredible achievement acknowledged in this way. It obviously means a lot to him.
MrCurry
right after this urgent rest
Amen to that! I’m very happy he’s getting such an enduring award which recognises how special his contribution has been. His honour for “services to the fashion industry“ might be somewhat delayed i guess.
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