Rules are rules, unless we decide otherwise.
we can change rules as we see fit.
Therefore although we didn’t follow rules we did follow allowing rules to be changed.
If Masi had done what every RC had done previously then Mercedes would have made the right call by maintaining track positions, which WAS at the risk of slow punctures on the old tyres. This isn’t about what the teams did during the race though.i think the variable I was trying to ask was, and extremely hypothetical of course; If Mercedes had taken the first pit stop opportunity, the scenario would have been reversed, so do people think Masi would have still released the lapped cars for a single lap race? I think he would.
WADR, I think you’ve missed a big chunk of what happened and conflated the strategies.It seems people here think this was all by design to allow Max to win. Of course Max being on the fresher tyres in a one lap shoot out was always going to get a fair shot of passing him. Im not saying I think the decision to let them race / allow some backmarkers to pass was right.
However, I can’t help but look at one moment in the race, and it’s a gamble we see teams take week in week out down the field to get a ‘cheap stop’. Mercedes made the call to maintain track position instead of pitting Lewis under the virtual safety car. (Toto on the radio to Masi begging him not to deploy the full safety car). Obviously Red Bull then react, they have to, they are then racing the variables. Both teams gambled and unfortunately for Lewis that initial team decision has put him on the back foot with tyre choice for what happens later. That initial decision keeps him on those worn tyres for the duration. He himself was on the radio multiple times questioning it, even calling it a risk and a gamble.
The sport comes down to split decisions and on a high speed street circuit there was always the possibility of a full safety car.
It’s a farce how the end of the race unfolded, but I do think Lewis is going to come back stronger than ever next season. The man is a warrior.
they were level after all the races ,in the last race hamilton was ahead by 12 seconds with 4/5 cars in front of him and verstappen with 5 laps to go, so how is verstappen a deserved winner ? hamilton would of won the championship without the race directors wrong call.I don’t think it is a hollow victory for Max. I think if you look at the full season it would be hard to claim that Max is not a deserving winner overall. He didn’t actually do anything wrong either. He took advantage of a situation that never should have happened.
However, despite Max’s brilliance at times this season, Lewis fought back and went into the final race in a winner takes all scenario. Again, I don’t think anyone could argue that Lewis did not deserve to win that race today.
The reality of the situation is that the race director abandoned sporting integrity for entertainment. The fact Mercedes protests have been rejected shows that it’s an acceptable thing in F1.
It does beg the question of whether this happens in other sports. I wouldn’t at all be surprised if referees in football are told to give favourable decisions to sides to make the PL exciting. When we pipped Liverpool to the league a few seasons ago, they had many dodgy decisions in their favour which kept the title race going.
The thing that even now I don't understand is the whole idea of letting some but not all of the lapped cars come past. I'm pretty sure that there were only another 2 lapped ones in the field and they were towards the front of the train anyway. It would have taken maybe another 10 seconds to let those come past as well and then at least the FIA could have said they had adhered to that part of the regulations. Picking and choosing which ones could overtake and which ones couldn't has led to this situation.
Not if you wanted Max to win, or you didn't have the balls to tell Red Bull to shut it and suffered a brain melt down trying to keep everyone happy.I don't understand why the lapped cars are allowed thought full stop. How can changing the position of the cars be right. All cars hold position and start racing again from the position the SC was put out. Surely that's fair.
There were 3 others. They wouldn't have all got past the safety car before the end of the lap so it would have had to stay out for the final lap and Hamilton would have won.The thing that even now I don't understand is the whole idea of letting some but not all of the lapped cars come past. I'm pretty sure that there were only another 2 lapped ones in the field and they were towards the front of the train anyway. It would have taken maybe another 10 seconds to let those come past as well and then at least the FIA could have said they had adhered to that part of the regulations. Picking and choosing which ones could overtake and which ones couldn't has led to this situation.
That would have put the Ferrari right behind max and it wasn’t supposed to be that kind of raceThe thing that even now I don't understand is the whole idea of letting some but not all of the lapped cars come past. I'm pretty sure that there were only another 2 lapped ones in the field and they were towards the front of the train anyway. It would have taken maybe another 10 seconds to let those come past as well and then at least the FIA could have said they had adhered to that part of the regulations. Picking and choosing which ones could overtake and which ones couldn't has led to this situation.
How he kept his composure and graciousness at the end with Max and that grinning **** horner was beyond me. People who slate Hamilton throw all the usual cliches around but you only have to watch that yesterday to realise what a fantastic sportsman he is and an incredibly well balanced person. If ever he deserved SPOTY, that yesterday sealed it for me.imagine for one second, instead of verstappen getting passed hamilton so easily he struggled to get passed and mad a last desperate lunge on the last corner,taking both drivers out and killing the pair of them, how would "drive to survive" look then.
im no bif f1 fan,but anyone justifying that outcome yesterday is wumming because they don't like hamilton , why they don't like hamilton is a strange one, he comes across as a decent bloke to me.
And there it is in a nutshell.There were 3 others. They wouldn't have all got past the safety car before the end of the lap so it would have had to stay out for the final lap and Hamilton would have won.
I thought as with so many occasions recently, Verstappen just refused to break leaving Hamilton with absolutely no other choice than to go off track or crash into him. That outcome suited Verstappen perfectly so had no issues driving dangerously and taking both drivers out.I’m sure it was covered extensively at the time it happened, and I’m not attempting to derive false equivalency with the fucked up result, which is a farce, but what are the thoughts on the early race manoeuvre where Verstappen passed Hamilton fairly, stayed on the track, and Hamilton went way off track and just cut the corner and ended up quite a bit ahead. As outraged as I was at what happened at the end, I thought Hamilton got off very light there.
There were 3 others. They wouldn't have all got past the safety car before the end of the lap so it would have had to stay out for the final lap and Hamilton would have won.
I get you, mate. Listened to Sky this morning who seemed to pin the decision of Hamilton not pitting being the reason he lost. The reality is that he didn’t need to as he had such a commanding lead and the only way you could change that was by doing exactly what they did.i think the variable I was trying to ask was, and extremely hypothetical of course; If Mercedes had taken the first pit stop opportunity, the scenario would have been reversed, so do people think Masi would have still released the lapped cars for a single lap race? I think he would.
Looked to me like Verstappen got the inside line, saw the gap and got the advantage. If Hamilton has nowhere to go as a result of Verstappen taking the lead, then I’d have thought that was good driving on Verstappens part? If Hamilton has nowhere to go…then I’d have thought he’d have needed to get back on track and take his lumps…not just ignore the track and end up 100 yards ahead?I thought as with so many occasions recently, Verstappen just refused to break leaving Hamilton with absolutely no other choice than to go off track or crash into him. That outcome suited Verstappen perfectly so had no issues driving dangerously and taking both drivers out.
The move on the 1st lap? Hamilton had 2 choices... evade as he did keeping himself in the race or smash right in to Max's carI’m sure it was covered extensively at the time it happened, and I’m not attempting to derive false equivalency with the fucked up result, which is a farce, but what are the thoughts on the early race manoeuvre where Verstappen passed Hamilton fairly, stayed on the track, and Hamilton went way off track and just cut the corner and ended up quite a bit ahead. As outraged as I was at what happened at the end, I thought Hamilton got off very light there.
I think people have become somewhat desensitized to Maxs overtaking manoeuvres, the director alluded to it in his comments to RB but it was just a case of forcing Lewis off. Just look at the angle of his car going into the corner he just wanted to plant the car in front of the merc.I’m sure it was covered extensively at the time it happened, and I’m not attempting to derive false equivalency with the fucked up result, which is a farce, but what are the thoughts on the early race manoeuvre where Verstappen passed Hamilton fairly, stayed on the track, and Hamilton went way off track and just cut the corner and ended up quite a bit ahead. As outraged as I was at what happened at the end, I thought Hamilton got off very light there.