Formula 1 2021

[seven]

Latifi is probably next in line for the Dutch crown now.

[adderman]

1645z
Not over yet.

Red Bull and MB now seeing Stewards re potential rule breaking about overtaking under the safety car.

Quote from BBC Sport.
Sky Sports are currently analysing the second protest Mercedes have lodged, concerning overtaking behind the safety car and the replay they are looking at is a moment when Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are running side by side with Verstappen possibly getting the Red Bull's nose marginally in front at one stage.

It is all going very VAR, to bring football decision making into F1.
Unquote.

Enjoy the discussions...
Mike

[d555]

Poor ol' Charlie Whiting must be turning in his grave. Michael Masi is making F1 an embarrassment. He clearly doesn't know how to interpret the FIA rulebook ( admittedly not an easy task) plus he is too easily influenced by the team principles. As a result all we get is controversy after every incident that happens. He needs to put his foot down with a firm hand, make a decision and stick to it so that everyone knows who's the boss.

Well done to Maximilian on winning the Championship. He did win more races than any other driver this season so I guess he deserves it, just that today he was the second fastest driver on track until the situation at the end effectively gave Lulu a 12 second penalty.
As Mark Webber said, ( with Lulu on old tyres and Max on fresh softs)... ' it was like taking a knife to a gunfight..'

There we are, another quiet season over. Roll on 2022 !

[seven]

I think its time for someone new for sure. I like Michael Masi, but he's clearly not up to the job. And its something needs to change with the stewards also. The inconsistency is the only consistency present.

Plus you do have to wonder whats the sport has come to when teams feel the need to bring laywers along to races.

[seven]

The Mercedes protest over verstappens driving prior to the restart has been dismissed. Not surprised there really as driving like the end of a gentleman's sausage is hardly a crime in real life also.

Awaiting the result regarding the second protest (safety car decision)

[raptor9]

Agree with Seven re time and place. Can't comment on the race. |Too many swear words to use as regards officials etc., On to next season!!.

[seven]

Yup. How on earth can we go into the 2022 season when its obvious the officials cannot be trusted to police a legal and fair calendar.

[seven]

Its official, the stewards decide the 2021 world drivers championship. chrashtappen is the fortunate party.

I wonder if they FIA get to vote on whether or not they give themselves a pay rise too...

UPDATE, Mercedes intend to appeal the decision. Let's hope that is heard by a different panel than the ones that actually managed to eff it up in the first place.

[Hurn]

No time for Hamilton cos Max is the Champion.... of the World!

[EdC]

If the one lap farce in Belgium wasn't enough, today's farce wins F1 the Best Example of Shooting Yourself in The Foot award.

Before next season they need to sort out the procedure for restarts after a safety car. Either every lapped car gets to pass and catch up or no one passes. Removes the chance of the Race Director saying one thing and then making up a fresh interpretation seconds later.

[seven]

There are already rules in place, which were ignored.

[2e1var]

We're back
Really disappointed with yesterdays result. Even as a Lewis fan I'm not too disappointed to see Max take a title as it's good for the sport, it's just the way it happened that grates. What annoys me about Max is not that he's aggressive, it's the way he moans constantly when the same happens to him. T4 at Brazil and yesterdays incident were the same, driver gained an advantage by going off the track. In both cases LH had nowhere to go, Brazil Max got the advantage, yesterday it was Lewis, although he gave it back, apparently !
I thought Perez did an awesome job of holding up Lewis, in a slower car with shot tyres too. Great work and wheel to wheel but respectful between the two, it can be done.
Lewis had room to get new tyres during the VSC, even going in the lap after Max, that could have put them in a position to hold off Max at the end.
I really don't get where Masi was coming from yesterday. He wanted a lap of racing at the end and to avoid the season ending behind the safety car at any cost. I wonder if he regrets it now ? It was slam dunk that Max would do LH on the last lap if they went racing so he effectively decided the championship with his call. LH was faster all race and was on for the win comfortably, the SC was necessary and that should have been it. He clearly said to RB that lapped cars would not be overtaking, then made a U turn on that and only let 5 of the 7 through. Without that call it would not have been certain that Max would get LH on the last lap.
It's all very, very strange. I believe that Merc have withdrawn any protests now, I'm glad if they have. No one wants to see the championship decided in a court room. At the end of the day Max couldn't match LH in the race so it's not a great result for me.
Regardless it's been a thrilling season so good for the sport, the constant whining from Merc and RB has been annoying. It's been quite embarrassing to hear the way the teams speak to Masi over the radio, I think we'll lose that next year. Looking ahead to '22 I think George will have the measure of LH. MSC ruined so many Sundays for me and I really wanted LH to get to 8 and take that record away, I'm not sure he will now.

Rich

[d555]

What Michael Masi contrived was the equivalent to a penalty shoot out in Football but with one of the goalkeepers having his hands tied behind his/her back.
It would have been fairer to red flag the race, so they main protagonists could be equal on the same tyres, and then restart the race for a 1/2 lap shootout (a'la Baku). Then if LH fluffed his lines he would only have himself to blame.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Let's hope lessons are learnt from this and that it won't be repeated again.

........MSC ruined so many Sundays for me and I really wanted LH to get to 8 and take that record away, I'm not sure he will now.

Rich

Of course, the delicious irony of this is that Latiffi lost control after going off the clean track and dirtying his tyres after a duel with, you know who, MSC jr . You couldn't write a better script.

[2e1var]

Wasn't it MSC Jr that caused a Red Flag at Saudi too ?

[Pune]

We're back
Really disappointed with yesterdays result. Even as a Lewis fan I'm not too disappointed to see Max take a title as it's good for the sport, it's just the way it happened that grates. What annoys me about Max is not that he's aggressive, it's the way he moans constantly when the same happens to him. T4 at Brazil and yesterdays incident were the same, driver gained an advantage by going off the track. In both cases LH had nowhere to go, Brazil Max got the advantage, yesterday it was Lewis, although he gave it back, apparently !
I thought Perez did an awesome job of holding up Lewis, in a slower car with shot tyres too. Great work and wheel to wheel but respectful between the two, it can be done.
Lewis had room to get new tyres during the VSC, even going in the lap after Max, that could have put them in a position to hold off Max at the end.
I really don't get where Masi was coming from yesterday. He wanted a lap of racing at the end and to avoid the season ending behind the safety car at any cost. I wonder if he regrets it now ? It was slam dunk that Max would do LH on the last lap if they went racing so he effectively decided the championship with his call. LH was faster all race and was on for the win comfortably, the SC was necessary and that should have been it. He clearly said to RB that lapped cars would not be overtaking, then made a U turn on that and only let 5 of the 7 through. Without that call it would not have been certain that Max would get LH on the last lap.
It's all very, very strange. I believe that Merc have withdrawn any protests now, I'm glad if they have. No one wants to see the championship decided in a court room. At the end of the day Max couldn't match LH in the race so it's not a great result for me.
Regardless it's been a thrilling season so good for the sport, the constant whining from Merc and RB has been annoying. It's been quite embarrassing to hear the way the teams speak to Masi over the radio, I think we'll lose that next year. Looking ahead to '22 I think George will have the measure of LH. MSC ruined so many Sundays for me and I really wanted LH to get to 8 and take that record away, I'm not sure he will now.

Rich

Very well said, my sentiments entirely but, I do think Lewis will get his 8th next season..

[d555]

Wasn't it MSC Jr that caused a Red Flag at Saudi too ?

Ha Ha! Yes your right. I'd forgotten about that. He' s doing his dad proud......and still ruining your Sundays

[Northsky]

I think that we should go back to the original style of Motor Racing . With none of these electric gadgets . Make the drivers really earn their megabucks.

[Hurn]

It would have been fairer to red flag the race, so they main protagonists could be equal on the same tyres, and then restart the race for a 1/2 lap shootout (a'la Baku). Then if LH fluffed his lines he would only have himself to blame.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Let's hope lessons are learnt from this and that it won't be repeated again.

Can't argue with that tbh.

I just hope with the new cars next season that more of the other teams are able to compete with Mercedes. Having a single dominant team and driver (bar Rosberg) for so long has just been very boring to me.

[raptor9]

Some great summing up here.! A terrible way to end the season. I'm with Pune, in that I think Lewis will get it next year. I certainly think that George will bring the best out of Lewis. As the thread starter and OP, I would like to thank everyone on here for their interest and views. It's been absorbing and entertaining. Many thanks, have a great Christmas and New Year, and hope we can continue this thread through to next season. Please post comments [non political!!!] during the off-season, which ain't too long these days, fortunately. Regards, John.

[slogen51]

Does that include the ' channel four casuals' ( sounds like a pejorative term if there ever was one) like me?

I thought it was a brilliant season and an exciting end to the final race. For me it would have been a major anticlimax if the race had finished under a yellow.