Abu Dhabi GP

[inaglasshouse]

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.

I doubt it will be all that distracting, in the overall scheme of things. Cost cap or no.

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.

[majordad]

It shouldn’t be about Brits winning or loosing, Motorsport is greater than that. The FIA should award the Championship to both of them, it’s been done before on Professional Masterchef. !

[Sam]

It shouldn’t be about Brits winning or loosing, Motorsport is greater than that. The FIA should award the Championship to both of them, it’s been done before on Professional Masterchef. !

And in The 74th Hunger Games.

[one-two]

The idea that the race director can use discretion means the rules don’t apply or there aren’t any rules is not right. There have to be sensible sporting or safety issues at play and that was the case. Masi thought a one-lap dash to the line less unsatisfactory than a five-lap procession behind the safety car. It was an unenviable choice to have to make. The teams should have been prepared for either outcome or any other. There is a first time for everything!

[yoda]

The idea that the race director can use discretion means the rules don’t apply or there aren’t any rules is not right. There have to be sensible sporting or safety issues at play and that was the case. Masi thought a one-lap dash to the line less unsatisfactory than a five-lap procession behind the safety car. It was an unenviable choice to have to make. The teams should have been prepared for either outcome or any other. There is a first time for everything!

I can’t understand this view at all. The race director should be focused on safety and following the rules - not making them up to create a race to the finish regardless of them. It shouldn’t be for Masi to decide what makes the best TV finish, he should apply the rules as stated unless there is a good reason (eg safety) not to do so. Letting a few cars pass to put Max behind Lewis was a stunt and nothing else. And even an idiot like him should be able to work out on fresh tyres, Max would pass in no time. Mask’s comments are often arrogant and it was no different this time.

I stopped watching F1 for many years and this reminded me why!

[sisu]

Now would be a suitable time for Lewis to retire.

Leave the punters arguing over which safety car goes out when and which regulation under the FIA tries to make next year at the circus so they don't look idiots...again.
The handshake and the post race interview, that was not something someone else could have paid him to do. Like other Race drivers there are plenty of avenues to challenge themselves and highlight his other interests outside of F1.

[911hillclimber]

I agree with Yoda 100%

Even Club hillclimbs have rules, and they are totally adhered to, the Steward from Motorsport UK will make sure of that.
Legal claims will be interesting.
Hamilton will come out fighting next year.

He is rock solid.

[Boydyrs]

Massi is inconsistent and creates criticism through his constant mistakes.
This was easily avoided by simply letting all lapped cars through or keeping everyone in same positions.
Max with new tyres would have had a great opportunity to charge on Lewis and if he won this event would have truly sealed his championship and accolades or not…..that would have truly and honestly have let them race!

[911hillclimber]

Yes, all in line (not side by side...) and the safety car comes in. Bang, off it all goes, Max with the lapped cars ahead Lewis with them behind, just s if this SC occurred mid-race.

Still irritates me, but the world will go on.

If nothing else the Merc legal challenge might change things for the better, ie run the race by the written and agreed rules.

[one-two]

That’s the obvious thing to do - and what he would have done - if there was time, but there wasn’t

[Tosh]

Surely the “time” issue is created by wanting to have a race at the finish, rather than finishing under the SC, which wouldn’t be dramatic but would be consistent with the rules.
Drama/spectacle/ entertainment outweighing sport?

[one-two]

Agreed. Those were the options. One-lap dash or five-lap procession. They are both unsatisfactory from a sporting point of view, but I think Masi had the discretion to choose between them and I believe his decision is defensible. I imagine that is why - for now, at least - Merc’s protest has not been upheld.

[Mike]

If we're giving Masi the benefit of the doubt over the use of his discretion then surely he had another choice to make, and that was to red flag the race when the Williams crashed. Now I know the rules say that late in a race a red flag can mean the race has to finish, but in this case it could be argued that if it was stopped and then restarted it would have led to a much fairer conclusion for all concerned.

All the cars would have come into the pit lane and everyone changes onto fresh tyres of their choice, obviously softs. When the track is clear the cars go out for a warm-up lap then form up on the grid in race order for a one lap sprint. Hamilton v Verstappen, head to head, same tyres over one lap, what better way to finish what was arguably one of the very best seasons of Formula 1 ever.

If Lewis won in that situation then he did so deservedly, if Max got by fairly and wins then great, but Mercedes would still then argue rules were broken as the red flag should have meant they finished in race order with Lewis leading. But the thing is in that situation at least it would be a straightforward interpretation of the rules, as opposed to Masi's half hearted dithering, you can't unlap, then you can but only certain cars, which has left the impression it was a farce and the FIA looking stupid.

[Ants]

The right man won. If Lewis hadn't taken Max off at Silverstone, and Bottas (via Norris) hadn't taken him out of play at Hungary then he'd have won before this race anyway.
In this race Lewis could have pitted and had new tires but mecerdes threw the dice that the race would be finished under the safety car and got it wrong. That's the way it goes in F1.

On a general point, under the safety car the lapped cars are usually let threw, but I don't see any point it letting those behind the front runners threw as they're not interfering with the racing. That's probably a rule change that should be added.

[Tosh]

But you’ll get equally strong arguments that Max got away with one in Brazil, and was gifted the non-race at Spa.
As it is, I think we ended up with a one lap sprint with one driver hamstrung: If LH had pitted under the initial VSC, Max wouldn’t have, and thus given up track position. RB had nothing to lose by pitting under the actual safety car. Under most scenarios (and the Max with nothing to lose by the both not finishing), the strategic call was to keep track position. Under pretty much every scenario but the one Masi alighted upon, it’s likeliest that LH would have won the WDC.

Many ifs and buts in all this and I’m sure that F1 are grateful for all the coverage