Double standards anyways, remember this? ----- http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/63956 Thursday, November 15th 2007 Ferrari warn McLaren appeal could hurt F1 Formula One will be badly damaged if 'grubby' legal manoeuvring leads to Kimi Raikkonen losing his title to McLaren's Lewis Hamilton in a courtroom, Ferrari's lawyer said on Thursday. "It would be a serious injustice to Mr Raikkonen were the championship to be taken away from him," Nigel Tozzi told a hearing of the governing FIA's independent International Court of Appeal. McLaren were appealing against the action of stewards at the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix in failing to punish BMW Sauber and Williams for using fuel that was apparently cooler than the rules allow. "It would be highly damaging for the sport if the title were to be won this way with the fans probably feeling it was more about grubby manoeuvring by the lawyers than by skill behind the wheel," said Tozzi. Tozzi said comments by McLaren bosses that they were not appealing in order to win the title through the back door but for clarification of the rules should either be taken at face value or be seen as the words of "shameless hypocrites devoid of any integrity". ----- Funny....
Off-topic There is a protest I'd like to make. Perhaps it is overdue. Whilst it is clear that the subject of this discussion is both emotive and likely to polarise opinion, I feel it is a great shame that one particular contributor persists in lacing his(?) posts with such venom. There is no need to attack other members, especially when it is simply on the basis of a difference of opinion! It is important that if this sort of melt-down is to be avoided, a little more tolerance of opposing views is not only desirable but also essential.
Sniff Petrol grabbed the opportunity..... Ferrari to challenge Christmas http://sniffpetrol.com/2012/11/29/ferrari-to-challenge-christmas/
If you think about it. If Ferrari want to sign Vettel next year then they dont want to piss him off so its a no brainer not to appeal.
Me + other flag marshals saying the same thing > than all of Spain, Italy and Ferrari/Alonso fanboys put together! I told you Forza, I might be a Seb fanboy but even I would laugh at Ferrari's lack of knowledge of the track rules since I was a flag marshal myself.
It is stupid that we on this forum have made a good case in the last 2 days for and against. Yet The FIA have made a right cock up meal of it!!! leaving everybody still in the dark about the rules now.
----- Exclusive analysis: Why Vettel's pass was legal By Jonathan Noble http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/104645 Formula 1 fans, the media and Ferrari themselves have pored over YouTube clips from the Brazilian Grand Prix that appeared to show Sebastian Vettel overtaking Jean-Eric Verge before the end of a yellow flag zone on lap four. Yet although this short video was enough to prompt Ferrari to ask for clarification about the matter, detailed analysis of the incident by high level sources shows that the Red Bull driver was entirely within the regulations - and that there are no grounds for further investigation. An FIA spokesman confirmed to AUTOSPORT that during the race itself there had been no report from a marshal about any overtaking under yellow flags, as would most likely have happened if a breach of the regulations had taken place. Furthermore, an in-depth look of the warning lights and marshal's post set-up at the Interlagos circuit showed that Vettel's pass took place after he had passed a green flag. Although the 'yellow' sector itself starts at a light panel just before Turn 3, and ends about 150m before Turn 4, the light panels are a supplement to the traditional flags and are rarely in the same location. With the use of lights, due to increased visibility, the track can be divided up into fewer sectors as line-of-sight is not always needed between them. At Interlagos, there were 22 marshals' posts while the FIA installed 16 light panels, which means there was overlap in places. The warning lights are also linked to the display in the cockpit. According to high level FIA sources, the light panel that was showing yellow for Pastor Maldonado's stricken Williams was shown 100 metres before the next marshal post, which was located near the exit of the pitlane. At this marshal's post a green flag was being waved on lap four - at the same time as the light signal at Turn Four was displaying green. The separation of these two posts was about 350 metres and FIA race director Charlie Whiting has made it clear to drivers since lights were introduced more than five years ago that when there are consecutive signals from both a flag and a light, it is the first one that counts. So if, for example, a yellow flag is displayed followed later by a yellow light, then the no overtaking area begins at the first yellow signal which would be the flag. So, as happened in the Vettel case, if a driver is given a green warning flag followed by a green warning light, it is the first green that counts. Vettel's pass took place after the first green flag but before the green light, so was wholly legitimate. This was why race control was not informed of any potential infringement and the matter was never subject to a post-race inquiry by the stewards. ----
Yes and I think the FIA prefer it that way: the ambiguity gives them flexibility to interpret as they see fit. These problems occur over and over and if they haven't learned by now I think it must be because they don't want to.
One thing to clear up.... The FIA say the first instance is the one to follow so the green flag would be followed before a green light. Or a Yellow Light before a yellow flag. So what happens if its Yellow light, Green Flag, yellow light? This is what needs to be cleared up
I think the flags are the controlling factor to follow. It may be a mistaken green flag but then thats a marshal problem and not a driver (Vettel) one. I really do think this is a something out of nothing problem. I believe the green flag was correct and therefore Vettel was correct.
I agree what Vettel did was ok by the rule. But the rule is not clear. The FIA have made a shambles of this really. Why is there an overlap of lights and flags like that??
