Formula 1 Round 22 Abu Dhabi GP

Burkie1203 · 13-12-2021 3:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118314854#Comment_118314854

Because then Toto be on screaming about not restarting because 75% of race is completed or something.

alan partridge aha · 13-12-2021 3:40pm

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://twitter.com/GaryLineker/status/1470356192480399364%3Fref_src%3Dtwsrc%255Egoogle%257Ctwcamp%255Eserp%257Ctwgr%255Etweet&ved=2ahUKEwjV6b2__-D0AhWxQEEAHTCxCWEQglR6BAgaEBU&usg=AOvVaw33HpBznsGP4fuFi79lB62-

What a 24 carat plonker, proves he knows nowt about F1

Darkglasses · 13-12-2021 3:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315276#Comment_118315276

Gives Michael the chance to make compromise "offers" to the Team Principals too, strange as that seems.

SeeMoreBut · 13-12-2021 3:42pm

What is the point in rules if race director can make up his own?

Flinty997 · 13-12-2021 3:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315208#Comment_118315208

Well I would argue they do in this case. But can be dismissed and there is diddly squat they can do to change the result.

Flinty997 · 13-12-2021 3:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315343#Comment_118315343

Seems to me that you get so far ahead, by fair means or foul that you put it out of reach of any doubt.

cj maxx · 13-12-2021 3:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315328#Comment_118315328

That did seem strange, or is that a feature I'd never heard about?

tobefrank321 · 13-12-2021 3:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315343#Comment_118315343

He didn't make up anything. He interpreted the rules as he saw fit, but everything he did was within the rules.

The rulebook is hundreds of pages long. He doesn't have time to open it up everytime there's a controversy and quote it or point out where it says what.

Mercedes didn't know what to do when the safety car came out, whether to pit or not. That's why they lost the race, not because of rules. Its not surprising they'd try to deflect.

Faugheen · 13-12-2021 3:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315233#Comment_118315233

Ah so you don’t actually care but you give a **** that people do care.

Got it.

Hijpo · 13-12-2021 3:58pm

Was it always Horner on the blower to Masi from RB?

I thought he only got involved once when he announced it was him by leading with "Michael its Christian" to ask why the back markers were not being cleared.

Any time the Merc\FIA icon popped up you knew it was toto having a winge and trying to influence the safety of the race.

jammiedodgers · 13-12-2021 4:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315510#Comment_118315510

Think it's usually Jonathan Wheatley from RB to Masi

elefant · 13-12-2021 4:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315488#Comment_118315488

Isn't the fact they didn't know what to do a direct result of the unclarity in the rules?

Wasn't there a pretty good chance that if he gave up first place, Verstappen would have won behind the safety car?

tobefrank321 · 13-12-2021 4:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315533#Comment_118315533

The rules aren't that clear, but what Masi did was within the rules. Not sure if he had a part writing them although I'm pretty sure the teams could have objected to them before if they didn't like them. Having read some of the rules in the last 24 hours there's definitely a case for clearing them up. But I don't see anything Masi did that's not in the rules. He's allowed call in the safety car anytime he decides its safe. There has to be a limit on allowing cars to unlap themselves, eg if a car was two laps down. As for proceedures and following precedent, Mercedes argued before to let them race, argued for and against safety cars or red flags.

Wolff is trying to bully his way to a drivers world title and thankfully has been told where to go. He's selecting rules he likes and calling it unfair if he doesn't like a rule.

For the sake of the sport and if he truely loved the sport, he'd let it go.

Mitch Connor · 13-12-2021 4:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315533#Comment_118315533

Exactly that. If proper procedure had been followed the race would have ended unders safety car so Hamilton pitting would have handed Max the title. Merc did not strategise on Masi not following the process in the name of entertainment.

whippet · 13-12-2021 4:16pm

Wolff and Merc have been the masters of strategy for the last few years and it is especially grinding on them when RB make a strategic gamble that pays off.

This type of back and forth between teams and race directors / stewards has been going on for ever - just with the TV coverage and access to the radio it is in the public domain and it adds another layer to the coverage / controversy / excitement / frustration ... and of course the ratings and TV audience

quokula · 13-12-2021 4:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315533#Comment_118315533

This isn’t due to inconsistency in the rules, but a matter of how long it would take to clear the Williams. People seem to be forgetting what the safety car is for - it’s to allow an incident to be cleared, and then it’s supposed to get out of the way as soon as it is safe to let the race continue.

The precedent is that lapped cars are let go.

The precedent is that the safety car comes in when the track is clear.

The precedent is that ending under green flags is vastly preferable to ending behind the safety car if at all possible.

The rule book specifically states that it is up to the race director’s discretion.

The incident was cleared and the race director used his discretion correctly and followed all precedents and did exactly what they should have done. The only issue was the terrible communication, first announcing that they were going to throw precedent out the window and disallow unlapping because of the lobbying from Toto, but fortunately good sense prevailed and they got on with it and allowed for a race, like they would have in this situation in any race regardless of who was involved.

Faugheen · 13-12-2021 4:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315324#Comment_118315324

And?

Masi, as we've learned, is more than capable of telling Toto to piss off.

SeeMoreBut · 13-12-2021 4:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315488#Comment_118315488

Shouldn't be any interpretation of rules. Should be clear what are the scenario's. Nobody here would have thought only cars between 2 cars could unlap themselves.

It is unfair for all other drivers who didn't benefit from it. e.g. Sainz would have to over take 2 cars to have a chance to gain a place. That isn't fair. Purely done for tv.

Just like the spa race. Racing is 2 laps behind a safety car. That was done for money reasons. Masi made a complete mess of it. Buck stops with him. If he didn't know what to do then flag it. Not this making it up as he went along. 0 cars can pass to 5 cars can pass.

Faugheen · 13-12-2021 4:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315608#Comment_118315608

It wasn't a gamble on Red Bull's part though. A gamble would be to bring Max in while he was leading.

Red Bull had the advantage of being able to do the opposite to Mercedes to give themselves the best opportunity they could. Mercedes didn't have that. If they brought Hamilton in it would have been a massive gamble.

I'm not trying to take anything away from Max or Red Bull here, btw, but it was nowhere near a gamble on their part because they had nothing to lose and everything to gain, which they did.

someyoke · 13-12-2021 4:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315186#Comment_118315186

Was following the Betfair exchange and Hamilton was getting layed at 1.05, essentially a bet on verstappen at 20/1. This all changed when latifi crashed of course.

It did look done and dusted but the way season panned out late drama wasn't surprising

walshb · 13-12-2021 4:28pm

Did Max get very slightly ahead Lewis just before they raced to the end? This was part of Merc’s protest, yes?

namloc1980 · 13-12-2021 4:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315661#Comment_118315661

Maybe 10cm. It was dismissed as immaterial.

walshb · 13-12-2021 4:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315668#Comment_118315668

Yes. Thought that. But I’d not seen that before. I know it was crucial for Max to be as close as possible, but wasn’t aware he could get slightly ahead.

Looking at these cars it’s insane how close they get without touching..

Captain_Crash · 13-12-2021 4:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315661#Comment_118315661

He did yes but it was dismissed because it was trivial, he was alongside on the inside of a turn so naturally drifted ahead ever so slightly for less than a second! It happens often enough in SC conditions and on formation laps.

Faugheen · 13-12-2021 4:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315661#Comment_118315661

Doesn't matter. Hamilton was going between the brakes and the gas so was going to happen, but Max gave up position and they crossed the line as they were.

This was Mercedes attempts to get the result overturned. It won't happen so any appeals they have will be for accountability at the higher ups.

walshb · 13-12-2021 4:36pm

It really was a thrilling final 2 hours to the season. Whole race for me was exciting, and the end was just the icing on the cake.

Have to feel sorry the way Lewis lost it, but Max showed Senna like skills and daring and hunger to pull it out the bag

I think he is probably more an instinctive and innate driver than Lewis.

walshb · 13-12-2021 4:38pm

Question; lap 37 or 38 VSC should Merc have brought Lewis in for new hards, in anticipation for a possible late SC? Had Lewis fresher tyres on come lap 57/58, surely the challenge for Max is more difficult?

walshb · 13-12-2021 4:39pm

Remind me: did Max pit for VSC and SC?

13-12-2021 4:40pm

The real issue is the FIA have given the teams too much control into what goes on during the race. It's a pantomime.

Horner and Wolff are more famous than three quarters of the drivers that lined up yesterday. Horner has said he was roaring at Masi throughout and Wolff is a meme. That's no way to officiate things.

You can't hold minutes long negotiations in a sport where everything happens at literally 100mph. There's a million and one incidents that happen during a given race and to have teams whingeing incessantly is intolerable.

It may be good for the cameras and social media engagement but Masi/the race director and stewards need to reassert control over proceedings and not let teams rule the roost.

To casuals, three of the five most famous people in the sport are non-drivers. Four out of six if you include Ginger Spice.

Unsustainable.

FIA need to tighten up some of the rules and then tell the Toto and Horner to piss off and stick to principal-ing their teams.

Faugheen · 13-12-2021 4:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315707#Comment_118315707

They would have given up track position to Max. Just because he would have had fresher hards doesn't guarantee he'd be able to pass Max, who is more than able to make his car as wide as possible.

Formula 1 Round 22 Abu Dhabi GP

Comments