Yes. And if Vettel believes what he is saying is relevant, he is actually missing the point! Even his own statement shows he seems to think it acceptable to vent his anger. He actually says he chose to drive up alongside in order to vent his frustration. Regardless of what he did a moment later, deliberately driving alongside in order to vent frustration is also unacceptable – since it can be seen as provocative and therefore likely to exacerbate emotional responses! Perhaps he became even more angered by Hamilton's refusal to take a swing at him? Who knows? But one thing is abundantly clear: Vettel thinks it's OK to express his emotions by provoking a situation not likely to improve matters!
Well they've set a precedent now, so it will go to sh1t. The stewards and Charlie have been fannying around with these poxy time penaltys and lost sight of what is fundamentally right, wrong, acceptable or unacceptable on the track. Canada, Kyvat for not passing Alonso gets a mandatory pit lane start and then cockup there after. Others overtake under the VSC (a full course yellow FFS) and get a 5 sec penalty? Charlie has lost the plot.
What a load of rubbish some of you guys on here are sprouting. I heard about the incident and I was expecting it to be this huge thing, and it was a bit of nothing in the end. Honestly, the whole thing is 6 of one and half a dozen of the other. If Vettel had brake test Lewis like that, you guys on here would be calling for his blood, and defending Lewis to the hilt regarding there little love tap. It was nothing, and it's been dealt with by the stewards. Nothing else is going to happen, no one else will be banned and it will be racing as usual at the next race.
I agree with you both. Vettel should have been Black Flagged. And even now, post race, Vettel should still be disqualified from the results. If F1 wants to be considered 'the pinnacle' of motor sport, there should be no question of its – and in particular its participants' – ethical standards. What we witnessed today, from a four time World Champion, was a publicising of a green light to vent one's anger by using a car as a weapon against another driver. Utterly disgraceful. In days of old (pre-80s), he'd probably have been disqualified for the remainder of the season. And in most novice Championships even today, he'd be given warning in the strongest possible terms: disqualification or a three race ban. In footballing terms this was nothing short of a straight Red Card incident.
I would agree. Vettel himself was using the football analogy. In those terms, this was like a footballer reacting to a (perceived) foul by punching the other player in the face. The original perceived offence becomes almost irrelevant.
It's a weird situation, and I really want to refrain from the "throw the book at him!" angle, but I do think he'd not be hard done by if they did. I think his best course of action atm is to offer a full apology. Not necessarily to Hamilton directly, but for his actions. Then it can be a case of "fair dos, let's move on". That's my opinion for what it's worth.
I don't know, maybe we just have different standards. I'm of the opinion that driving up along an opponent and swiping your car into them (under safety car conditions I might add) is just not on. It has no place in any form of motorsport, especially open wheel. Call me a wet sponge but that's my opinion of such actions. The FIA has officially debunked the idea that Hamilton brake tested Vettel so I don't really see where that comment comes from.....?
But it was not "6 of one and half a dozen of the other". Even the stewards agreed upon this. Without meaning to be impertinent; perhaps you have not looked at the footage? Remember that Hamilton is entirely at liberty to control the pace when the Safety Car is about to come in, and that evidence shows he was about 150 meters behind the Safety Car. Furthermore, there is evidence that Hamilton did not touch the brakes in any case. (I was also assured of this earlier on, so personally, I have not the slightest doubt). Bearing these factors in mind, how do you arrive at the conclusion that it was "6 of one and half a dozen of the other"? Again, if I'll be forgiven for a crummy football analogy, your conclusion looks like justifying one player punching another after a foul regardless of whether it was a foul or not – and that the puncher need not be sent off!
Again, just vettel hate maybe because he's in a red car? I really don't see how Vettel was "driving up along an opponent and swiping your car into them (under safety car conditions I might add)" with his hands off the wheel? Wow, he must be controlling the car with his mind. And no offence, but the fact that the stewards fell in line with Hamilton isn't a huge surprise. He's F1's golden boy and seems to get away with anything he feels like.
Not sure I agree with that at all. It's far from nothing. If we switch the tables, and reverse the roles of Vettel and Hamilton, I honestly doubt we'd have an objective discussion about it. It would be torches and pitch forks.
Wow! I did not see this before I used the very same analogy! Glad that you see its relevance and presumably that you also think it unacceptable.
Well, clearly you have not seen the incident. After raising both hands from the wheel at the same time (as if expressing his despair or disbelief), he then puts his hands back where they should be (on the steering wheel), drives up alongside and raises one hand again – and then steers into Hamilton who keeps his wheels completely straight! P.S. "Vettel hate?" Not in the slightest. I don't like these kind of antics from anyone.
I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or you just haven't seen the incident? So this isn't a swipe? wow.....
Certainly not. Look at my pic! It was a stupid move and warrants discussion, regardless of driver or team.
I'm far from Hamiltons biggest fan to say the least but I think it;s obvious today that he didn't brake and that Vettel anticipated him accelerating and got it wrong. That in itself was a minor incident IMO. However, Vettel then driving alongside and then into Hamilton was crossing the line completely. Red mist, and in many ways should have been an immediate disqualification. On a side note- what a great race and just imagine what F1 could be like with equal budgets and close performance. Thought Alonso and young Stroll both drove magnificently in particular, though there was some good stuff going on.
Ha! Yes. Really it was just an extension of Vettel's analogy. The funny thing is of course that in his case he only made reference to the first contact and sort of dissembled when pushed on the second because he knew it was indefensible. But to extend his football analogy, really it was like a Cantona moment.
Precisely. And this is why, in my opinion, it warrants further action. F1 really needs to come down hard on obvious behaviour likely to bring the sport into disrepute. How does not doing so leave the likes of me these days – trying to install proper racing etiquétte and enforce levels of acceptable driving standards – if F1 chooses to overlook such blatantly emotive driving? If they do not punish this severely, doesn't it give out the message that it's not much to worry about? Rapped knuckles and all that…? Not punishing severely does NOT give out the message it really needs to: that this kind of behaviour is ABSOLUTELY NEVER justified in any sport – and that a motor racing circuit is not an arena for participating children to throw a hissy-fit when they feel like it.
Imo the point is the rules are very clear about overtaking under safety car. Vettel should have been in radio not giving it riad rage and getting hamilton a penalty. He wasnt thinking. Hamilton imo coasted out of that corner. Whether tbe fia can prove he didnt slam on brakes the effect was the same. He deliberately chose that soot to gain an advantage and could have caused a lot worse frankly. Imo vettel lost it thereafter and the stewards prob selved any hamilton oenalry as a result. In the end hamilton is just using it to his own end now and laughing cos he knows exactly what we was at but feigning pure innocence in the siuation. Imo let them both man up are ram each other all year. Cos thats real entertainment.
[My bold and numbering.] [1] He's allowed to. [2] So far as I am aware, it has been proven that Hamilton made no braking inputs at all, never mind slamming on the brakes. But yes, of course he was trying to gain advantage in order to get the very best restart – again, as is a race-leader's right. I like pretty much the rest of your post, MITO.
