What's more surprising for me is that they didn't totally dodge this one. I certainly don't want a race ban, but I would have assumed that if found guilty of brake checking, that would be a ban, because that's incredibly dangerous and endangering other drivers. There is intent there. But... F1 is a product and there is no way in hell that they would screw up the finale... And I totally get it.
They should've given him a points deduction, just 1 or 2, enough to make him think twice of winning the WDC by smashing Lewis off, which he's already tried 2 or 3 times.
The trouble is it’s in the telemetry, a braking force of 69 bar and a deceleration of 2.4g. Not open to interpretation or glossing over.
So going from 7th down to 3rd on the start of a straight is not allowed. While I don't want a penalty to mess up the last race I do what Max to understand that their are consequences of bad driving. Currently he does iffy things and gets no real penalty, so he will just do it again and again until something really serious happens. I do want it to be a clean battle at the last race but I also want Max to race hard but fair, probably too much to hope for really.
WOW that is 100% proof he intended to brake hard on the start of the straight!!! Somehow he needs a punishment that actually means something to him. Seeing that I almost think he needs a 26 point deduction to teach him a lesson!
It's a joke. He won't see it as a penalty but him being hard done by. He'll also see it as justice he kept 2nd and Horner/Marko will just stroke his head and tell him how hard done by he was so he'll keep doing stuff like this.
Kind of annoying Brundle talking about how Lewis could have over taken. The thing is though: Not knowing Max was trying to give the place back, why would Lewis pass him there? In his mind he's probably thinking he's about to get in Max's DRS so Max is going to let him by to get DRS himself and do what he did a few laps later and then drive off and get a gap. So of course he's going to follow him over the DRS line and then blast past him on the straight given how close he would have been. Max breaking is what caused the collision, Lewis was trying to match Max's speed to the DRS line when Max suddenly braked.
I'm really looking forward to the finale...it's going to be incredible... But I am annoyed by a 10s pen for what I regard as potentially trying to take out an opponent. It's a fine line between maintaining the show and maintaining the integrity of racing. Which comes first?
I get not wanting to spoil the spectacle of next week, especially as they are trying to reach out to new fans who have been attracted to the sport, but I really hope that meaningless penalty came with the equivalent of a final written warning in private. He needs to know that next time they will throw the bookcase at him, never mind the book! I know they won't have though. The sport is changing. It needed to change from the procesion it had developed into to compete with other sports and entertainment, but I hate the way they are manufacturing the entertainment. Spa was a joke that should embarrass those responsible for a long time. It won't though. They'll be congratulating themselves on how the 'story' has turned out and the money it will bring in. With the way the sports owners are making changes it really needs a strong leader to protect the sporting side and not Michael Masi who is out of his depth. God I miss Charlie!
Just rewatching it, I think the stewards waited to see what Max would do. He tried to nullify their decision to give the place back by doing it in a place and way he knew he would immediately regain it. Soon as he did that, he got the penalty.
Spot on. F1 has been as dull as damn dishwasher for a number of years. It has to change, we need more competition, we need closer racing, we need rivalries (and a new winner) and controversy.. It's why we love the sport. But first and foremost, I feel, that we need to make sure what's playing out is within the rules. There has been a lot that has been let slide this season, and I like to think Charlie would have been on top of it... But this is big business and big money. Motor racing is weird... So many of the rules are open to interpretation... But so is football. I'm not sure you'd get a two footed challenge ignored just for the sake of the event. But F1 has always been this way. On we go....
Charlie wasn't always right, but he was always in charge. I hated some of his decisions but you knew where you stood after them. The leadership just seems weak now with drivers confused about what they can get away with and what they can't. In some ways I don't blame Max for what he did today on the overtakes. He's probably as confused as anyone else after being told it was ok to do that (it isn't) just a couple of races ago.
Masi lost all respect when he gave RBR an offer on what to do instead of just telling them how it was going to be.
I was totally okay with that. It made sense to say give it up or face potentially worse. They would have had that chance under regular racing conditions.
I know it's down to wording and ultimately is the same but I still feel he should have worded it in such a way of "You need to give the place back or we'll refer it to the stewards." The whole "That's my offer" just comes across as weak and a man struggling for control. That's why I lost respect for him over that as he just isn't showing he is in charge at all. He sounds so desperate. Almost like a parent at the end of their tether with two naughty children he can't control.
I agree with all you said about needing more competition, closer racing, rivalries and competition, but disagree about needing a new winner - if the driver who keeps winning is the best. We need the new format to still mean the best driver wins. The disparity between Mercedes, RBR and the rest needs to change with the best driver on the day having a chance to win and not being driver of the day for getting 10th. However, I don't want to see them change the rules to just give a different team the advantage, and i don't trust them not to do that. There will always be a best car and a worst car, but we used to have 5 or 6 teams with a realistic chance of having the wining car rather than it being a shock. When one driver hits a level that dominates the sport it does get repetitive, but that isn't new. It was boring when Schumacher was winning everything too. I think we are coming into a much more competitive era. Hamilton's level will drop soon with age and there is a fair bit of good young talent on the grid.
