I doubt it will be all that distracting, in the overall scheme of things. Cost cap or no.911hillclimber wrote: The FIA will never say they were wrong so Merc will be distracted by legal work while Red Bull press on regardless.
They win on all levels.
One thing I did find interesting, and very different from 20+ years ago, is how all season long the drivers often seemed to be the calmest / most grown-up people in the circus (after they got out of the car). LH was extraordinarily diplomatic on the podium and in the post-race interviews; impressive.
In that respect it still felt like a sport to me.
Lots of the rest of it feels terribly manipulated, way more so than in the "good old days". We're one step from wrestling.
For me, that includes the finish yesterday - the written rule says that optionally all lapped cars can be directed to pass the safety car, following which the safety car will pull in. I don't think there's any precedent for a race director offering unlapping to only some lapped cars? I can understand why Mercedes, in figuring out their strategy, did not consider that possibility...
Also I know nobody cares at this end of the season, but it's very unfair to the unluckier midfield runners who were not invited to pass the safety car.
Ho hum. Brilliant drivers both, though, no doubt about that.