On board footage proving Hamilton broke the rules and was rightly punished

http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=70rXr2Mkq_M</p>

As you can clearly see by this video, eased off for a fraction of a second to allow KR to pass him just far enough for Lewis to then use the slipstream and pass him again. The time between Kimi passing Hamilton and Hamilton taking the position back is 5 seconds and involved NO corners, this is not long enough by FIA standards and there can be no complaints by Mclaren for the 25 second penalty imposed on Lewis for what was a calculated move aimed at ensuring Kimi was in front going over the line but behind further down the same stretch of track.</p>

 

Do you think a Ferrari driver would have been punished??

Its all ******** , Raikonnen didnt even finish the race.

 

No idea

Would like to think that they would but who knows. I don't like either team to be honest, both of them happily break the rules and cheat whenever they can.

It doesn't matter whether Kimi finished the race or not as that wasn't part of the cheating done by Lewis. Though you could argue that had Lewis not cheated on that corner (it was deliberate) then neither he nor kimi would have been in the positions they were when Kimi spun off and so the accident may not have happened. Lewis would have been behind Kimi for longer and therefore Massa would have been closer behind as well which could have affected the race.

 

They wouldn't punish Ferrari. Not a prayer.

Niki Lauda's comments sum it up, its a perverse decision, particularly after what Massa got away with 2 weeks ago.

 

Apologies.

Apologies, I've just watched it again and the incident with the Williams car was a separate one.

As I see it having watched it, Hamilton cut the corner because he was forced to. Theres nothing in the rules to say you can't do that. Lewis then slowed down and allowed Kimi to pass. It is then not Lewis' fault if Kimi comes across infront of him and allows Lewis to get into the slipstream - I'd suggest thats just not smart driving.

Many people within F1 seem to think the decision is bonkers, and I'll go along with them.

 

Kimi didn't run Lewis off the track

Lewis had room to stay on the track but in order to have done so would have had to have backed out of his overtaking attempt. That is the whole point of the rule because the only way he could make the move stick was to go into the illegal run-off area.

Also if the decision was purely to benefit Ferrari then Hamilton would have been moved back to second not third, the decision helped two drivers not one

 

KR shunted Lewis off the track in the first place ! nt

 

Not according to Lewis' video he didn't

there was space for him to yeild the position and stay on track

 

If Lewis turns inside, in my opinion, he crashes into KR, the wet conditions play their part, they both crash, and Massa cruises home while Hamilton is lamented for dangerous driving.

 

Are you a Ferrari fanboy by any chance? nt

 

no nt

 

Nope

He surrendered the place and then took it back. That's what the rules say you should do. They don't say you should yield the place and wait until you go around a corner before you overtake, or wait a while before you overtake or drop back two seconds or any other ballacks, just yield the place. He did that and then took it back legitimately. Hamilton used his head to prevent an accident, used it yet again to allow his competitor to take back the lead and used it yet again to re-take that lead. And for that he's punished. He should be given a medal.

 

eh? Which rule says that if you cut a corner you should surrender the place and then retake it?

I was under the impression that the rule states you should give the advantage back. ie you aren't allowed to gain an advantage.

If Lewis had aborted his attempt to overtake then he would have dropped back a little behind Kimi's car which is what happens practically every time somebody makes a failed attempt to overtake. Instead Lewis went over the run off which put him in front, he then allowed Kimi to pass him putting the Ferrari only a few feet in front and ensuring that he stayed in the slipstream and in the best possible position to go flying straight passed again a few seconds down the track. The only reason that he was close enough to do that was because of his original use of the run off and therefore he had not surrendered his advantage.

 

Also Hamilton's own statement on the matter

""I was accelerating so that I didn't lose too much ground, because I thought that would be unfair. I didn't want to wait until he'd flown past because we were still racing. "

He admits himself that he didn't wait long enough for Kimi to properly retake the position, he was deliberatly trying to keep as much of the advantage as he could

 

Only reason he was so close to him is because he'd cut the corner?

By nature, surely the whole incident was caused because they were side-by-side going into the corner? So he would have been just behind him at worst anyway.

Was very interesting to note Massa also complaining the post-race conference about Raikkonen trying to run him off the road early in the race.

If fellow/former F1 drivers are saying that the punishment is ridiculous and the "worst in the history of F1"(one who drove for Ferrari as well as McLaren), then surely questions should be asked.

 

When cars are very close, side by side, or even when the overtaking car is just in front

but in a position unable to make the move stick and they lose out then that car always always drops back a little. This is because the car has to brake to avoid running into the back/side of the car that was in front (in this case Kimi's). The only reason that Hamilton didn't have to drop back was because he ran over the run off and so didn't have to brake and pull out of the move. This means he gained an advantage, an advantage that was not given back.

Sorry but I have seen countless stop go penalties given for the very same thing, the only reason people are complaining is because it was awarded after the race

 

I'm sorry ST, but having read all your arguments...

And watched most F1 races for 20-odd years, I cannot agree with much you've said.

I think Jay summed it up perfectly.

It's a scandalous decision.

 

who's N Lauda. Whats he know? nt

 

RE: Im in agreement with Jay, Journo oh and N. Lauda

I'm not even sure where this slip stream stuff has come from? Anyone who actually watched the race or has seen the replay, will see that at no point did Lewis use Kimi's slip stream. They were side by side when Lewis let Kimi through and then all way up to the first corner they were weaving in and out of each other. Lewis is the better driver in the wet and out breaked Kimi.</p>

I don't see where the problem lies. The penalty, from what i understand, is that Lewis gained an unfair advantage. I fail to see where.</p>

And just to finish, even if the stewards were in order to penalise him, 25 seconds is way too steep. If he gained an advantage at all in that last corner, it was for all of 2 seconds.
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