Abu Dhabi Grand Prix......Spoiler Alerts!

[planenut]

Another crazy race: I won't add to the spoilers yet. Felt sad for Kimi, I will miss his conversation and constant wit, ah, oh yes.

What an up and down race at the end of an up and down season, to a last controversial lap!

[MSS]

I hope Mercedes' legal team don't manage to overturn the decision on who won. Otherwise you can just imagine all the wealthy competitive mums turning up to the primary school sports days with their QC in tow!

[Number 6]

Originally Posted by MSS

I hope Mercedes' legal team don't manage to overturn the decision on who won. Otherwise you can just imagine all the wealthy competitive mums turning up to the primary school sports days with their QC in tow!

It will depend if any "favours" are called in and how big the Brown Envelops are.

[SCP440]

That was a very exciting end to a good season.


There was a comment when Toto asked for another lap and he was told we are here to race or something similar.



In my view they did Mercedes a favour at the begining and realised they probably had to balance this with one to Red Bull.


I think Hamilton thought he had it in the bag and for once the Race Gods ( Christians words) were on Red Bulls side.


I think there are going to be a lot of very sore heads in the morning.


Even the wife was sitting on the edge of the sofa for that last lap and she has as much interest in Formula 1 as I have in Knitting.

[COLVERT]

Just dangling------------

[planenut]

I do think it wrong that the teams are able to make comments to the Stewards, but that's me.

[COLVERT]

Red bull was well beaten until the director interfered.

[clf]

Originally Posted by COLVERT

Red bull was well beaten until the stewards interfered.

race director surely?

It was the decision I was uncomfortable with, of not letting all the other lapped cars through, also the rules state that they must all pass first then the safety car returns. I believe it also states, that they may be allowed to pass (as in the may not also).

There were not enough laps left to allow the safety car to allow them all to pass and to allow the race to continue (although I do not understand why they didnt do it when the safety car picked them up, as has happened in the past). Which effectively would have ended the race 10 laps early - is it a coincidence that Williams are a Mercedes engined team? lol (no I do not believe there is a conspiracy).

So even though Verstappen got/took a 'free pit stop' which effectively brought him out behind the lapped cars. Mercedes were too conservative to allow Hamilton to do this. I do not think this would have changed the end result though, if Hamilton pitted also. Third place drivers and behind were unaffected (in terms of a race result, points etc) by the lapped cars, only verstappen was affected by them, and he had the right by the rules to be ahead of them as Hamilton was. Perhaps a virtual safety car would have been preferable although too dangerous with marshals on the track. But then, Hamilton would have then been subject to a red bull protest for not completing race distance as he did gain a distance (albeit short) advantage when he cut the corner on the first lap. (Senna 89, I think)

Additionally, I do not think Hamilton behaved unsportingly when the safety car went off. I believe he was baiting Verstappen into passing him because Verstappen was crowding him and being cheeky by being on the side of him for the resumption (I think this was wrong of and unsporting of Verstappen incidentally). If he had passed him, then if it didnt go Hamilton's way, Verstappen would have had at least a 5 second penalty.

Both team principals in my opinion overstepped their marks by lobbying the race director in the way they did, particularly at the end. But then I think the race director was wrong in Saudia Arabia last week to effectively bargain with Red Bull into giving the place back.

At the end of the day, basing it on the season, I do believe that Verstappen deserved the title. And it is this that justifies the end result for me (not that it matters really lol).

What we did get was a thrilling end to a thrilling season and race.

[coolguy]

Sadly I don't believe that there are any winners in this fiasco. I went off F1 some years ago when the rules started to become too complicated, (and I am too mean to pay for Sky), but took the chance to view this on C4. Never again, and I fear many other viewers will take the same stance.

I remain a petrolhead, and have seen some great racing at BTTC and also the veteran and vintage race meetings (try Mallory Park - the best viewing circuit in England), but you can keep F1.

[COLVERT]

Originally Posted by clf

race director surely?

It was the decision I was uncomfortable with, of not letting all the other lapped cars through, also the rules state that they must all pass first then the safety car returns. I believe it also states, that they may be allowed to pass (as in the may not also).

There were not enough laps left to allow the safety car to allow them all to pass and to allow the race to continue (although I do not understand why they didn't do it when the safety car picked them up, as has happened in the past). Which effectively would have ended the race 10 laps early - is it a coincidence that Williams are a Mercedes engined team? lol (no I do not believe there is a conspiracy).

So even though Verstappen got/took a 'free pit stop' which effectively brought him out behind the lapped cars. Mercedes were too conservative to allow Hamilton to do this. I do not think this would have changed the end result though, if Hamilton pitted also. Third place drivers and behind were unaffected (in terms of a race result, points etc) by the lapped cars, only Verstappen was affected by them, and he had the right by the rules to be ahead of them as Hamilton was. Perhaps a virtual safety car would have been preferable although too dangerous with marshals on the track. But then, Hamilton would have then been subject to a red bull protest for not completing race distance as he did gain a distance (albeit short) advantage when he cut the corner on the first lap. (Senna 89, I think)

Additionally, I do not think Hamilton behaved unsportingly when the safety car went off. I believe he was baiting Verstappen into passing him because Verstappen was crowding him and being cheeky by being on the side of him for the resumption (I think this was wrong of and unsporting of Verstappen incidentally). If he had passed him, then if it didn't go Hamilton's way, Verstappen would have had at least a 5 second penalty.

Both team principals in my opinion overstepped their marks by lobbying the race director in the way they did, particularly at the end. But then I think the race director was wrong in Saudia Arabia last week to effectively bargain with Red Bull into giving the place back.

At the end of the day, basing it on the season, I do believe that Verstappen deserved the title. And it is this that justifies the end result for me (not that it matters really lol).

What we did get was a thrilling end to a thrilling season and race.

Deserved the title ???---Never, it was given to him.

You don't need a crystal ball to know who was going to win.

Situation.---( One lap race. )

Two drivers of equal ability.

Two cars with similar performance

One with new tyres.

One with tyres on their last legs.

Who would you put your money on to win ????

The race control removed the obstacle between them by letting the lapped cars go so the opponents were together.--A space that Hamilton had generated.


The title was GIVEN to verstappen.