Formula 1

I'm sorry but you single out Horner but quite frankly Toto Wolff has been just as bad at times throughout the season. It's a tough one for Mercedes but I do agree the rules need a massive overhaul.

 

Mercedes have now launched a protest with the FIA! This is going to get very messy!

 

Of course, you're totally right. They are as bad as each other. But I was commenting on how Red Bull in particular couldn't really complain if the race had ended behind the safety car.

 

They both need to take some responsibility for the decisions that have gone against them, as by pushing, complaining and lobbying constantly during races it has no doubt put the officials under pressure. It’s like players complaining to refs constantly and trying to gain favour.

They need to stop it.

 

Nope certainly not fella. As per my other post, Mercedes have now launched an official protest so this could get very messy!

 

As I stated about four pages ago, it will not stand. The rules are there in black and white, and they've been broken. The race should have (based on F1 rules) finished under the safety car, and thus, Hamilton wins the GP and the WDC.

 

I do think the communication between the pit wall and the race director should be one-way traffic. I know that Masi has been a pushover a lot this season, but he should not be put in that position. The team principles should not be able to appeal and try and bully him into decisions.

 

Lewis could have gone into the pits. Safety car came out when Lewis was at turn 12, pit entry is turn 16. Lewis was told not to pit because Mercedes gambled that the safety car would stay out til the end I think, not because they didn't have time to bring him in.

 

thats correct, I just can’t see them admitting they completely ballsed it up. It would just cause an even bigger mess. They’ll find some reason as to why it stands.

 

It's not gambling though. It's based on the rules of the sport. If the rules were followed to the letter (surely, they should be?), that race ends under a safety car. So they weren't gambling, they were making a decision based on the rules. If they'd been told that the SC was coming in and a lap of racing was to be allowed, I'm sure they'd have pitted. And again, not a chance Max overtakes Lewis if both on scrubbed softs.

I know you have a dislike for Lewis, but don't let that cloud your judgment on this one. It's a disgraceful decision and will be reversed.

 

Result will stand and Mercedes will be in receipt of a Carlos Tevez-esque settlement. I’ll put money on if SkyBet will take it.

 

Fair enough, I thought he was too close to get the message to pit when the SC was deployed.

 

This is why the pit lane should close for SC's(except for safety reasons). The way the race was set, Hamilton couldn't win in that situation. If he stopped he lost track position(and if the race had not restarted thrown away the championship), and when he stayed out, this happened. Verstappen had nothing to lose. Worst that could happen is he finished second, where he already was.

End of the day, I hope this really kicks the FIA and the Liberty into getting their arse into gear and change/tighten all the rules. I can see them having to pay winners prize money to both teams and drivers here, and even maybe share the title between the drivers(although this is a very slim chance).

 

But they weren't broken by any competitor so what is the solution?

As I see it you've got several options.

1. Result stands (unfair on Lewis rule appears broken by Michael Masi)
2. Count back to a previous lap (unfair on max and no rules exist to permit this)
3. Rerun the entire race (seems extremely far fetched)
4. Void result of the race (unfair on Lewis and max still wins).

Once the situation has arisen how the hell do you overturn it? And what exactly do you overturn?

Regardless of what happens Masi won't be in charge next season

 

Had Lewis pitted the Red Bull would have stayed out and Verstappen would most likely have overtaken him while he was in the pits. Then, had the safety car stayed out Lewis would still have finished second. Whatever Mercedes did, Red Bull would have not followed suit, they too would have gambled on a safety car seeing out the end of the race.

 

You see that’s how they will see it - how coulthard has just described it, basically it’s wrong but it will be too harmful to alter anything.

 

I had to watch it back to see where everyone was.

I also thought that Lewis had backed up too far at the restart but when I watched that back he didn't he waited till the correct place and then backed up massively.