Formula 1 Round 22 Abu Dhabi GP

quokula · 12-12-2021 4:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118310126#Comment_118310126

Exactly this. The standard procedure is that lapped cars can overtake, Toto wanted them to throw that out the window to give a buffer but they just did what was standard. It was unusual circumstances being late in the race and all cars didn’t come through quick enough (which they would have had time to do if not for the call being made so late due to Toto whinging to Masi on the radio) but it would have had no impact on the outcome.

Latifi’s crash meant a safety car was inevitable. Red Bull then made the better strategy call. The FIA considered throwing all precedent out the window just because Toto demanded it but ultimately good sense prevailed and procedures were followed as best as possible, then Max pulled off a brilliant overtake to earn the world championship on the track.

Itssoeasy · 12-12-2021 4:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118310155#Comment_118310155

I think so but there two hopes of that happening.

devnull · 12-12-2021 4:49pm

Since Mercedes are saying that the decisions of the race director can be over-ruled after the race, hopefully Red Bull will now appeal every single decision all season long which didn't go their way that appeared to be against the rulebook.

If Mercedes win this appeal then it will set a dangerous president, to use a football analogy, that the referees decision can be over-turned after the match has finished. You don't see matches being replayed in any sport if the referee/umpire made a mistake, so why in F1?

Mercedes have to be careful here too. Their reputation outside the UK and Germany has took a massive dive in recent months, especially with the dirty money they have recently taken. If they resort to this kind of game then everyone else will be even more against them.

LIGHTNING · 12-12-2021 4:49pm

If Merc appeal the result then Max still wins it. If they are appealing it with the goal of having the race finish one lap earlier then they can. But I really dont see them changing it now. Imagine the unholy crap show that would be.

McFly85 · 12-12-2021 4:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118310126#Comment_118310126

I actually think this is what Mercedes will be told. The spirit of the law is to allow safe racing, and Masi chose to clear the space between 2 cars to allow the last race to end by racing while maintaining safety.

The communication of this, like a lot of the decisions, was poor though.

ctrl-alt-delete · 12-12-2021 4:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118310166#Comment_118310166

It was quite funny on Sky pre-race earlier. Rosberg was asking Horner about pressure and how he feels and how he deals with it.

One comment from Rosberg was along the lines of 'do you struggle to sleep or get snappy with your wife?'

Horner was like do you know my wife.

Rosberg is brilliant in my opinion, Sky need him on as much as he can next season, he comes across to me as a neutral who is not afraid to speak his mind, call out opinions or upset people.

BorneTobyWilde · 12-12-2021 4:50pm

Hamilton didn't even have the option to ''accidentally '' take Max out when he over took him, as he'd still hand it to him on a plate. He had to be honest, and race.

Mitch Connor · 12-12-2021 4:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118310186#Comment_118310186

So why were only 5 cars unlapped?? Why not all of them? Its all or none.

The issue isn't that the lapped cars were allowed to unlap, its that ONLY the ones impacting max, that Lewis had to pass, were told to.

That is not in the rules

oceanman · 12-12-2021 4:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118310112#Comment_118310112

im delighted he didnt...

devnull · 12-12-2021 4:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118310174#Comment_118310174

Didn't apply the rules properly in the first lap, or in other races either this season where bad calls were made that gave various drivers an advantage that they shouldn't have got. Whoever won the race today I'd be of same view. The referee's decision should be final in these matters,.

If you end up in a situation where legal challenges over referee decisions after races become the norm, it will only be negative for the sport.

Can you imagine if in football an offside goal was scored or someone who should have been sent off scored a goal, a team lodged a legal challenge and tried to reverse the result?

walshb · 12-12-2021 4:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118310164#Comment_118310164

It did seem odd how very close Max was just before they took off..

skipper_G · 12-12-2021 4:51pm

Has anyone ever read the sporting regulations, they're intentionally complex. Wouldn't surprise me if there's a clause in there somewhere that will allow race directors discretion

Itssoeasy · 12-12-2021 4:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118310178#Comment_118310178

Well he was told on the radio by the team to watch that so red bull probably knew the limit.

bucketybuck · 12-12-2021 4:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118310195#Comment_118310195

For this to be in the spirit of racing it has to completely ignore that one of the drivers was going to have a huge, huge tyre advantage.

Mitch Connor · 12-12-2021 4:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118310206#Comment_118310206

Stewards on the first lap, no?

As for refs decision final... You are OK with the ref just making stuff up? That goal doesn't count cause a fan shouted in the crowd. Refs decision final.

Mantis Toboggan · 12-12-2021 4:54pm

Finally justice for Max, deserved.

Vicxas · 12-12-2021 4:54pm

Anyone know what happened Checo's car?

Burkie1203 · 12-12-2021 4:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118310214#Comment_118310214

That's not down to the race directors though. If Lewis pitted and Max stayed out and the race finished under the SC Toto would still be crying like a 5 year old.

Ryano87 · 12-12-2021 4:55pm

Championship of my life (fan since ,96)

quokula · 12-12-2021 4:56pm

It’s funny all the conspiracy theorists before the race imagining in their head that Verstappen was going to take Lewis out when in reality he overtook him with two beautiful clean overtakes, while Lewis resorted to cheating and taking a massive shortcut to undo the first one and Mercedes are now trying to undo the second one with dodgy back room dealings.

breezy1985 · 12-12-2021 4:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118310087#Comment_118310087

That's a great decision under tough circumstances. No one other than a Hamilton fan wants to see a race won on a yellow.

It was an incredible finish remembered for years

Vicxas · 12-12-2021 4:57pm

Absolutely disgusting from Mercedes

devnull · 12-12-2021 4:57pm

Looks like for a very short period Verstappen was ahead of Hamilton when Hamilton braked suddenly before the restart, but when the race restarted, Hamilton was still ahead of Verstappen so no advantage gained.

If they pull Verstappen up for very small margins that had no impact on the restart and let Hamilton away with lap 1 where there was far more of a gain, then I think Red Bull will take this to court.

McFly85 · 12-12-2021 4:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118310214#Comment_118310214

This is why id say the communication was poor.

Having said that, even had Merc known the decision for them would have been tough, because they would anyway have had to decide to possibly concede track position. It’s always a tougher decision when you’re in front.

Discodog · 12-12-2021 4:58pm

Mercedes made decisions based on the existing rules. Masi knew that, by only letting a few cars past, that he was handing the championship to Max.

Faugheen · 12-12-2021 4:58pm

All of this was because Masi said earlier in the week that if there was a crash like Latifi’s then he wouldn’t put out the red flag.

It absolutely would have been the thing to do here. Standing start, same tyres, right beside each other and nobody would be able to complain.

However, Masi showed his incompetence once again by making a decision about lapped cars not overtaking, and then deciding at the last minute to let some of them overtake and brought the safety car in immediately, instead of the end of the following lap like the regulations clearly state.

He made a complete mess of this all because he said he wouldn’t put out a red flag earlier in the week and now Max’s title win is overshadowed by the actions of someone else completely out of his control.

That’s why I said Mercedes should let it go because Max did nothing wrong here, Michael Masi did.

Vicxas · 12-12-2021 4:59pm

As Sky said the FIA wont go against their own ruling. Max did nothing wrong so they cant blame or dock him.

12-12-2021 5:01pm

The whole point of the regulations to let cars unlap themselves is to get them out of the way. It worked as intended.

Nasi is a fool though and the release of snippets of radio doesn't help him.

Discodog · 12-12-2021 5:01pm

Masi is allowed to let no cars overtake the safety car or all of them, not some of them.

12-12-2021 5:02pm

Also there's already precedent for unlapped cars not catching up to the tail of the field before a restart.

Formula 1 Round 22 Abu Dhabi GP

Comments