2021 - Race 19 Brazil

[Zico]

The lastest release of the onboard video show it was clearly intentional. Verstappen can be seen to delay turning into the corner until he had Hamilton off the track before he started turning the wheel. It is very hard to see why the stewards did not take punitive action. Check this out

Lewis shouldn't have been there with his questionable engine so one could argue that its actually his fault. Max obviously just overcooked it going into the corner and as Lewis left the track understeering off too, how is Max at fault for that?

Nah, I'm kidding you I haven't watched your link but I don't need to, it was already crystal clear that Max 100% meant to drive him wide and should at very least have been ordered to give up the place or preferably have been given whatever penalty they usually give for that sort of thing... 5 sec and a kick in the nuts. The stewards are at it.
I see Merc have asked for a review of it and I expect Max will probably be given a retrospective 5 sec penalty which obviously won't change the result That was not hard but fair racing as Horner puts it.. but the Stewards not even investigating it, that was a complete farce.

[Zico]

BUT... keep in mind other teams can easily do the same.

Can they though? With of the huge temp increases that likely comes with running so lean, there is a possibility that the others may not have enough cooling capacity or thermal efficiency to be able to do it if they hadn't already considered and planned for it. Further development may be required.

Though we don't know if anyone would take a new ICE for a race weekend unless they really needed a new engine, it's always possible. And, if they are really backed in a corner, there is a chance that a team has the ability to turn one up to 12 instead of 11, limiting use to a race weekend or such. If the title fights stay as close as they are, it's possible that RB and Merc could both uncork a one race distance screamer and take an all or nothing approach to the final races.

Which would be awesome really. Team boss to engine development manager.... "Release the hounds!"

That would be quite something!... and in a perfect world, finale's like that are what it should be like.. every year.

[Nitrodaze]

They didn't take punitive action because pushing people of the track is allowed for some years now.

Unless you have passed someone completely before the braking zone, if the defending driver is on the inside he can push the one trying to overtake off the track. You don't have to leave any space, even when they are wheel to wheel.
And if they touch, the one trying to overtake will usually be blamed.

Very stupid and dangerous, but that's how the rules are applied nowaday.

Sorry buddy, that is not the case. The defending driver can take the racing line at the expense of forcing the attacking driver off the track. What we saw was Verstappen leaving the racing line to attempt to cause a crash. A crash would maintain his points advantage going into the last three races. But would keep Hamilton at the same points disadvantage that he started the race with.
There are three different points in the corner each with its particular duelling convention.

1. the entry into the corner
2. the apex of the corner
3. the exit of the corner

At the entry of the corner, the driver on the inside has the right to take the racing line at the apex if he is side by side or ahead, but must give a car's width on the outside at the apex of the corner. This would force the attacking driver to attempt to overtake on the dirty and longer part of the track at the apex. At the apex, the driver on the outside would typically try to take the racing line coming out of the corner. This is where the defending driver is allowed to run the attacking driver wide if the defending driver is ahead by at least half a cars length.

What we saw in Sao Paolo was Verstappen [who was on the inside approaching the corner] not interested at all in taking the racing line at the apex but allowed his car to drift wide intentionally in order to cause a collision with Hamilton. The more Hamilton took avoiding action, the further Verstappen allowed his car to drift until he was clean of the track and it became too obvious that his actions were premeditated. This is not the conventional act of defending, this was a failed attempt at causing a collision to preserve his championship lead.

[Nitrodaze]

Lewis shouldn't have been there with his questionable engine so one could argue that its actually his fault. Max obviously just overcooked it going into the corner and as Lewis left the track understeering off too, how is Max at fault for that?

Nah, I'm kidding you I haven't watched your link but I don't need to, it was already crystal clear that Max 100% meant to drive him wide and should at very least have been ordered to give up the place or preferably have been given whatever penalty they usually give for that sort of thing... 5 sec and a kick in the nuts. The stewards are at it.
I see Merc have asked for a review of it and I expect Max will probably be given a retrospective 5 sec penalty which obviously won't change the result That was not hard but fair racing as Horner puts it.. but the Stewards not even investigating it, that was a complete farce.

Here you go again. We have seen all season cars overtaking or attempting to overtake on the outside at corners. Many have done so without a crash. It is expected, which is why the regulations say the defending driver must give a car's width on the outside. Of course, the rules must be different for Hamilton to the rest of the grid. At least you are consistently biased.

And Verstappen did not overcook it at all. It was a very controlled and premeditated manoeuvre. It is very clear from the onboard.

[Zico]

Here you go again. We have seen all season cars overtaking or attempting to overtake on the outside at the corner. Many have done so without a crash. It is expected, which is why the regulations say the defending driver must give a car's width on the outside. Of course, the rules must be different for Hamilton to the rest of the grid. At least you are consistently biased.

And Verstappen did not overcook it at all. It was a very controlled and premeditated manoeuvre. It is very clear from the onboard.

Erm... I think you'd better read all my post. Lol

[Nitrodaze]

Erm... I think you'd better read all my post. Lol

Yep, you got me. I did not read all of your post. Apologies.

[Zico]

What we saw in Sao Paolo was Verstappen [who was on the inside approaching the corner] not interested at all in taking the racing line at the apex but allowed his car to drift wide intentionally in order to cause a collision with Hamilton. The more Hamilton took avoiding action, the further Verstappen allowed his car to drift until he was clean of the track and it became too obvious that his actions were premeditated. This is not the conventional act of defending, this was a failed attempt at causing a collision to preserve his championship lead.

I think it was an attempt to drive him wide, It was too gradual and controlled to be a collision attempt IMO. I think he is talented enough to hit him if he had wanted to.
Not that what he did was ok of course.

[Zico]

Yep, you got me. I did not read all of your post. Apologies.

No apology required. Its cool.

[Bagwan]

I think it was an attempt to drive him wide, It was too gradual and controlled to be a collision attempt IMO. I think he is talented enough to hit him if he had wanted to.
Not that what he did was ok of course.

I've gotten a chance to see the onboard now , and it didn't seem to be quite as damning as is being characterized .
Max came in hot , but didn't turn outward into him , as I thought I'd seen when I watched the race .
Given he didn't lock up , it hard to say he was pushing to point of adhesion getting around on the inside , but he didn't look far from it to me .

Lewis came fast on the outside , and Max steamed by .
The perfect move , with Max rolling through that quickly , would have been for Hamilton to out-brake him at that point , and slide inside as he went off track .

[Zico]

I've gotten a chance to see the onboard now , and it didn't seem to be quite as damning as is being characterized .
Max came in hot , but didn't turn outward into him , as I thought I'd seen when I watched the race .
Given he didn't lock up , it hard to say he was pushing to point of adhesion getting around on the inside , but he didn't look far from it to me .

Lewis came fast on the outside , and Max steamed by .
The perfect move , with Max rolling through that quickly , would have been for Hamilton to out-brake him at that point , and slide inside as he went off track .

I largely agree. I've just watched it too and for me also it doesn't look as damning as the overhead shot.
He opened his steering a tad but its impossible to say exactly where he is on the grip 'spectrum' and how much understeer he had but it is a moot point really Whether it was from understeer or just pushing him wide he is still in the wrong regardless.

At the end of the day, no contact was made and for me it wasn't a deliberate attempt to hit Lewis... and the correct driver also won the race so at least there is that.
My only real issue is with the stewards not even investigating it. In one sense, its good to let them race and I totally get that but ..IF.. for some reason Lewis hadn't been able to get past again would they have revisited and reconsidered it? I suspect they would have but even just appearing to turn a blind eye to it has made everyone question what the heck the Stewards are playing at. At worst the look to be biased or at best just unproffesional.