Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021Formula 1

[C-ZETA]

Stewards have determined that Michael Massi will be given a 10 second penalty for unsporting actions.

Well, that's what they'll decide, but at the last minute they'll probably change the ruling to a 10 percent share of the cash they'll get from the money this race will generate.

 

[PaMu1337]

Toto Wolff and Christian Horner appear to go about the business of complaining about decisions in entirely different ways, so I'm not entirely sure how "that exact same thing" is being conjured up here.

Horner goes on camera ranting about how his driver has been taken out, and how celebrating while he's in hospital is unsportsmanlike, and this, and that, and the other. He whines in interviews about how the stewards are unfair (while his driver gets to run cars off the road with impugnity, only punished by any contact resulting) and how Red Bull is a tiny team (founded off the base of Ford's factory entry, and with the backing of a soft drinks company worth billions) compared to big mean Mercedes.

I don't recall any Wolff interviews this season even close to the same level.

Nonetheless, the point remains. If this was the exact opposite way round, do you believe that Red Bull would not be lodging a protest (and bitching about it on camera)? I don't.

Red Bull would absolutely have done the same, because of course they would, just like Merc of course did it.
Yes, Horner is a bit more "vocal" let's say, and he should honestly keep his mouth shut more often.

I just found it weird that you pulled Horners behavior into this, as this situation has nothing to do with him. That's all.

 

[Greycap]

Interesting take this. Toto does something, but Horner is such a bad person, imagine him doing that exact same thing!

That's how it always goes around here. In Silverstone, Hamilton went into a gap that was never really going to exist, the verdict was that he had every right to and Verstappen was an idiot for closing the gap. In Monza it was the other way round and the verdict was that Hamilton had every right to close the gap and Verstappen was an idiot for going for it.

 

[andrea]

English commentary:


Dutch commentary:

 

[Veinz]

Exactly. If one can't infer that then they haven't been watching racing very long.

Yeah ok. Judging by your post history, you would be perfectly fine with it if their roles were reversed.

 

[McLaren]

Were there any other cars that were in the same position as Max? Wondering if another team could argue, "Why did I have to start with lapped cars in front of me when Max didn't?"

 

[MSZ]

I didn't realize Tsunoda was 4th. Holymoly.

 

[GroupB]

If the same situation had happened to Red Bull while leading, Horner would already be banging on Jean Todt’s office door in Paris.

 

[TypeRDC5]

I wonder if Masi's decision to allow those cars (and only those cars) to unlap themselves was a corrective measure when he realised that their earlier decision (to not allow the lapped cars to pass) was basically going to hand Lewis the World Championship by virtue of an unconventional decision.

These were my thoughts at the time. Wouldve been controversial either way.

Wouldn't like to have that job lol

 

[Demon Drone]

Yeah ok. Judging by your post history, you would be perfectly fine with it if their roles were reversed.

Not at all. What we witnessed was a farce no matter who the 'winner' was

 

[Famine]

I just found it weird that you pulled Horners behavior into this

People will be bitching about Mercedes' protest, as if Red Bull wouldn't do the same. Which they would, obviously, and with considerably more airing of grievances in public.

as this situation has nothing to do with him. That's all.

Keep watching. It will.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Wanted Max to win, as I thought he deserved it more. However, I have mixed feelings about this win. Yes, my favorite won, but was this fair? It felt... off.

So I go looking for the F1 regulations and find Article 48.12, which says that, when lapped cars are to overtake, any cars that have been lapped by the leader will be required to pass the cars on the lead lap and the safety car. But then it says this:

View attachment 1099093

My head hurts trying to read this run-on sentence. And I still don't quite get what is said here. Can anyone here read "Lawyer"?

I think it means that if the cars are lapped for the second time they cross the safety car line they will be required to overtake. The safety car line is around the pit exit, I believe. Basically, the safety car is deployed. The overlapped cars pass the safety car line once, have a second go around the track and then if they are still overlapped at the line they are required to pass. I hope that's a bit more clear.

 

[Touring Mars]

Yet more controversy as Red Bull are gifted the Constructor's Championship by the Grauniad...

 

[ClydeYellow]

I don't recall any Wolff interviews this season even close to the same level. Though actually I don't recall any at all, because his voice bores me to sleep.

To be fair, that's mostly because Wolff keeps his moaning strictly to the radio.

IMHO, the sport would be in a much better place if Wolff and Horner were not involved with it. But hey, at least this season's been entertaining, much in the same way as WWE and "reality" television.

 

[kungtotte_]

That's how it always goes around here. In Silverstone, Hamilton went into a gap that was never really going to exist, the verdict was that he had every right to and Verstappen was an idiot for closing the gap. In Monza it was the other way round and the verdict was that Hamilton had every right to close the gap and Verstappen was an idiot for going for it.

Quite a few people were consistently saying both drivers shared fault in both of those incidents though.

 

[mika haka]

Why didn't hamilton change his tyres?

 

[Keith2324]

Re-watching the last lap, Hamilton, when out front, held his line. When Max got past, he was weaving all over the place. Just sayin'.

 

[Terronium-12]

Michael Masi is, for the second week in a row, the personification of clown shoes.

That's all. Congratulations to Max, he did nothing wrong except the Turn 6 incident but that's done and dusted.

EDIT: Whoops. I said Turn 1 when it was 6. It was 6, right? I'm all turned around right now.

 

[Earth]

Max overtook during the safety car

 

[Jubby]

At the end you mean? They couldn't risk the race ending under SC.

I think Mercedes were betting on the race finishing under safety car. Only fault with Mercedes would be if they hadn't factored in a potential restart and that Max had the gap to pit for new

Why would Lewis pit when there was no guarantee the race would actually return to green?

They didn't want to risk a red flag or the race not restarting. If they pitted, RB would stay out and likely get ahead of Lewis on track. As I said at the time, it's a damned if they did or damned if they don't kind of situation. If they pitted and it stayed Safety Car to the end, they'd have thrown it away.

And give up the lead with no guarantee it restarts?

All very good points, gents.

It's all very well saying "dOn'T sAy MaX wIlL iNtEnTiOnAlLy RuN lEwIs OfF", but it's an entirely genuine concern given that it's happened seven times this season already, including lap one of this race:

View attachment 1099091

And of course you'll have a hard time being convinced of it if you just shut down that entire concept going into the discussion. It's like saying "you'll have a hard time convincing me that attempted murder is wrong (and don't say people have the right not to be murdered)" - but then that's Jos, rather than Max, Verstappen.

Also, how was Mercedes supposed to predict a lap 53 safety car on lap 30 in order to give Hamilton the tyres he needed?

Excuse me, but I am not being snotty to you. Please share a modicum of respect. As an admin, I would expect that. I expect that defense, me "shutting it down" was because it's an obvious one, so it's not needed and very presumptious as today's proceedings showed very fine but fair racing. But writing it in Spongebob meme lettering is disrespectful.

However, to your and everyone's points, they're all valid- even yours Famine. Max showed he will stretch and exceed the boundaries. You take a risk in it not restarting if you pit, you take a risk if you stay out.

They made a choice, it gave the advantage to Max. That has to be a factor in the result.

 

[richroo]

funny bit like GTS penalty system!
do you think Ham should have given the position back lap 1 ?

 

[Saidur_Ali]

Will be amazed if Masi keeps his job after this. Race fixing by the race director for one driver to get an advantage is unbelievable. What about following the sporting regulations and being fair to all the drivers and teams, they are fighting for position too?

 

[Famine]

Please share a modicum of respect. As an admin, I would expect that.

Yeah, don't tell people they can't bring up valid points in a discussion then. As a human, I would expect that.


Edit: No. You don't get to play the "respect" card if you are telling people they must convince you of something without bringing up an entirely valid point. It's not a game of Taboo. If you don't think Verstappen's wheel-to-wheel behaviour with Hamilton was a genuine concern for Mercedes and played into the decision not to pit him and lose track position so he had to be alongside him to win, you haven't been watching this season and you don't know what you're talking about.

You are attempting to use "respect" to mean "treat as an authority" (which you have not earned) but pretending to mean "treat as a human", which is a common tactic. You are being treated as a human but not as an authority, while pretending that not being treated as an authority means you're not being treated as a human... while invoking my role as a site admin for no reason. Completely disingenuous.

 

[C-ZETA]

Yet more controversy as Red Bull are gifted the Constructor's Championship by the Grauniad...

View attachment 1099094

Furthermore, Lando's Driver-of-the-Year-worthy efforts appear to have been all for nothing!

 

[girabyt3]

Yet more controversy as Red Bull are gifted the Constructor's Championship by the Grauniad...

View attachment 1099094

 

[NLxAROSA]

Regardless of outcome, I'm quite sure that it will all be discussed in a respectful and civilised manner on social media.

 

[mastergracie]

Now just imagine Max having a baby with Piquet's daughter.

If he ever becomes a F1 driver he would be unstoppable.

 

[PaMu1337]

Now just imagine Max having a baby with Piquet's daughter. If he ever becomes a F1 driver he would be unstoppable.

Has there ever been an F1 driver with F1 blood from both parents' sides?

 

[McLaren]

They made a choice, it gave the advantage to Max. That has to be a factor in the result.

They is the FIA.

Merc's gamble was paying off; Max was not making up the time. Per the SC routes, Lewis would finish under SC in a position he drove himself to or Max has to fight behind a field Lewis already fought through on older tires.

 

[ICEYOU3]

Overslept, so VAP finally got his first ring, huh? Nice.