2019 Japanese GP - Suzuka

[Nitrodaze]

Seems to me like they are trying to orchestrate the result. I absolutely would not have pitted. Hamilton would have cleared the lapped cars and bottas would have had to pass them and pass hamilton in the last few laps. This is ridiculous and shambolic on every level. There was no need to pit again. Seems to me they just want to give bottas the win. They would have finshed 1-2 if hamilton stayed out. I'm baffled

Hamilton had 30% deg on all tires with 10 laps to go. He could have gone to the end of the race but would have needed to defend like crazy from Bottas with fresher tyres at the closing laps of the race. I suppose, Mercedes saw that possibility and did not want to risk a fight between their drivers, with one eye on the constructors championship decided to manage the race by putting both drivers apart. It is the sort of racing that l tend to criticize as it robs us of a fight for the win. Especially since the constructors was in the bag even if they have to wait till the next race.

[Nitrodaze]

Also Albon should have been penalized for his contact with norris. Smh the stewards are useless. Hard driving yes. Barging an opponent off the track and destroying his race isn't apropo

It is the new rules that was introduced at Hockenhiem l think, which allows the defending driver to defend robustly at the expense of the attacking driver. Norris just got schooled by Albon who was himself schooled by Sainz a few races back on this new rules of racing.

It was interesting to hear Verstapenn complain of his experience of being in the receiving end of the type of racing that he has introduced into F1. He got a taste of his own medicine and did not like it one bit. What goes around comes around l say, he he.

But shunting people of the track can be just as risky and very costly if it goes wrong as Leclerc discovered today. I think he may have passed Sainz before the end of the race if they did not stop him for soft tyres for the fastest lap which he did not produce in the end. But Leclerc recovered very well.

[Nitrodaze]

Bottas was brilliant today, Albon showed why he deserves to keep that second seat at Redbull. What a great drive from Albon. Renault had a good day too. Sainz steals 6th place in the drivers championship from Gasly with Albon fast closing in. Mclaren stretches that constructors points lead to Renault to 34 points. The battle for fourth continues.

[Nitrodaze]

I have to say the sky commentary was one of the best l have experienced. Crofty was in fine form and now and then Kravits chipped in brilliantly with a gem or two to spice up the story of the moments. I enjoyed.

[zako85]

What a comedy of errors. But the worst was when Leclerc refused to go into pits to replace the wing saying something like "the car still feels good".

[The Black Knight]

What a comedy of errors. But the worst was when Leclerc refused to go into pits to replace the wing saying something like "the car still feels good".

Actually, I think this was ridiculous and that he should be banned for the rest of the season. Pieces of carbon fibre flying off his car could easily have hit Hamilton and killed him. Or even gone into the spectators and killed one of them. There’s no room for this kind of nonsense in F1 when it comes to what is very clearly a safety issue for drivers and spectators. That the stewards didn’t black flag him after he refused to come in is disgraceful. And what, he gets a measly 10seconds timed penalty? Pathetic! Send him home until Oz and guaranteed he won’t do it again. Safety first.

[Nitrodaze]

Actually, I think this was ridiculous and that he should be banned for the rest of the season. Pieces of carbon fibre flying off his car could easily have hit Hamilton and killed him. Or even gone into the spectators and killed one of them. There’s no room for this kind of nonsense in F1 when it comes to what is very clearly a safety issue for drivers and spectators. That the stewards didn’t black flag him after he refused to come in is disgraceful. And what, he gets a measly 10seconds timed penalty? Pathetic! Send him home until Oz and guaranteed he won’t do it again. Safety first.

Don't you miss Charlie Whiting now. I agree, the stewarding and new risky approach to racing is disconcerting to say the least. The dislodged front wing end plate literally took out Hamilton mirror. That kind of force could have been lethal if it had gone towards Hamilton's helmet like what happened to Massa. The mentality now is if nothing bad happened then let's not disrupt the racing. I think someone has to die first before they act.

I did not appreciate Leclerc's lack of sensitivity for other driver's or spectators safety.

Clearly Ferrari have a problem controlling their driver.

[The Black Knight]

Don't you miss Charlie Whiting now. I agree, the stewarding and new risky approach to racing is disconcerting to say the least. The dislodged front wing end plate literally took out Hamilton mirror. That kind of force could have been lethal if it had gone towards Hamilton's helmet like what happened to Massa. The mentality now is if nothing bad happened then let's not disrupt the racing. I think someone has to die first before they act.

I did not appreciate Leclerc's lack of sensitivity for other driver's of fan safety.

Clearly Ferrari have a problem controlling their driver.

Not especially. I very much doubt Charlie would have done different. The stewards have made a mockery of themselves- all their safety first calls with excessive safety car times and then they do this nonsense. It begs the question if it wasn't a Ferrari, if it were a Racing Point or Haas, I wonder how they would have handled the situation.

[Nitrodaze]

Not especially. I very much doubt Charlie would have done different. The stewards have made a mockery of themselves- all their safety first calls with excessive safety car times and then they do this nonsense. It begs the question if it wasn't a Ferrari, if it were a Racing Point or Haas, I wonder how they would have handled the situation.

Charlie would not support this sort of risky approach, that is for sure. Massi seem like a risk taker. It is all about the show for him. I think Liberty probably have him under their thumbs.

[truefan72]

Not especially. I very much doubt Charlie would have done different. The stewards have made a mockery of themselves- all their safety first calls with excessive safety car times and then they do this nonsense. It begs the question if it wasn't a Ferrari, if it were a Racing Point or Haas, I wonder how they would have handled the situation.

I know exactly what would have happened if it was a Haas, Racing point, mclaren, etc.
They would have been black flagged and the driver would have gotten a race ban.
TBH this all comes down to a deep Ferrari bias which i though had been finally stamped out.
The entire season, they keep getting away with stuff and this was just the culmination of such bias.
I do think whiting would have had the balls to black flag Ferrari, ban the driver for a race and issue a very steep fine to the Team in the range of $100k

What happened in suzuka was far more dangerous and potentially lethal than many other incident of recent and they get a 10s penalty?
then a measly 5s for the verstappen incident?

What was even worse for me was having to listen to the skyF1 team (especially Diresta) bend over backwards to minimize the entire incident and even recommend leclerc for driver of the race!!