Yup, bad decision - and the outcome hurt everyone involved.

Bad for Hamilton, he got booed - yet did nothing wrong. His race tarnished for 7 extra points he didn't need, ultimately for a legit track pass he couldn't (or chose not to) pull off.

Bad for race fans, robbed of a race with over 20 laps left to go. Hamilton laid back and took no risk (why would he?)

Bad for Mercedes - they looked whiny calling for the investigation in the first place (but that's called doing their job).

Bad for the FIA - they can't get it right even with a racer like Pirro on the case.

Bad for Ferrari - they needed this win for morale as much as anything.

All that said... it comes down to a marginal call that was caused by yet another Ferrari error. Between the team, their strategy, their drivers - they each take their turn making large and small mistakes about 5 x as much as Toto and crew. You just can't overcome that in a game of inches and tenths of a second.

Montreal really does deliver interesting race outcomes though...

Cheers

Matt

 

I'll grant you the last two of three. Sounds like everyone including HAM and VET thought the Mercedes was faster. So surely he could have finished the job sometime in the remaining 22 laps instead of sitting back. And then we wouldn't be talking about the silly penalty.

 

Watch and listen after 0:18 below. He steps on the gas and steers (conveniently "corrects") to the right the moment he leaves the grass and regains traction. He was in a hurry to close the door on Hamilton. He didn't have to do that. He could have kept off the gas (just like he was going through the grass) and just rolled onto the pavement, but that would have provided racing room for Hamilton on the right. Hamilton took the outside because he was sure that a car rolling through the grass after so much braking (slow corner) would NOT have to go all the way across the track on the other side to regain control. Both Hamilton and the race stewards saw this and they both made the right decision.

 

Bad for Hamilton and Mercedes? They won the race and really all the blame, if there is any, goes to FIA. The money that comes with winning, they could care less about the "fairness" of the ruling. Actually really bad for Vettel. He showed that he can make F1 interesting with all his childish antics after the race. It was entertaining though.

 

Yea that's a great point Peter and had not thought about the parallels that one can take from both NASCAR and F1 and their continued diminishing viewership/interest.

 

You're confirming you have no understanding of the circumstances. If you agree with the call that's one thing, but trying to string together some ill informed opinions to accuse Vettel of intentionally blocking Hamilton in that situation is ridiculous.

 

Bit of a class act, Lewis pulling Set up onto the podium. BS call by stewards without doubt.

 

Reminds me of the time Ferrari asked Barrechello to pull over for Schumacher on the last lap of the Austrian GP and Schumacher insisted Rubens stand on the top step of the podium since the victory was obviously his... pretty disingenuous of Hamilton to do that when he asked for the investigation in the first place. I'm not saying HAM shouldn't have asked as it's his job to get full advantage of any circumstances, but then don't try and put Vettel up there if we're all "playing by the rules".

 

FIA could screw up a wet dream but just like any reality show, manufactured drama has people talking about it.

 

It seems to me that if you leave the track you shouldn't be able to then have your car go somewhere that impedes your competition. I know that isn't the language of the rule but Vettel's car ended up, after leaving the track, in a position that forced Hamilton to do something other than the standard racing line in order to avoid a collision.

If there was a way to have them swap spots and then race to the finish that would seem preferable to telling Hamilton he just needs to stay within 5 seconds of Vettel which is far easier to do than pass someone or try to hold them off.

Would have been fun to watch Hamilton try to make an actual on track pass for the lead of a race instead of try to stay within 5 seconds.

 

I kinda assumed that Mercedes winning the drivers and constructors championship was already foregone after six consecutive team wins... this will not get them any more money. My point was the FIA decision does nothing to help/benefit Mercedes or Lewis - just a few meaningless extra points while forcing Lewis and Toto to explain the unexplainable, "rules are rules" nonsense. Not their fault, just reality.

I don't think Lewis likes getting booed, and he didn't ask for this. I don't think he considers this a great day.

Sebastian was furious, so I'll cut him some slack here.

M

 

Truth. Over regulation is destroying F1.

He couldn't get it done. End of story.

 

Perhaps swapped spots would have been preferable middle ground. As I understand it, timed penalties are not appealable so Vettel and Ferrari are SOL

 

No, he stopped trying as any sensible person in that spot would do.

 

It sure looks to me like Vettel was not responding to the car oversteering with his last steering input to the right. Sure he was not under full control on the grass and the first moments on the track. He shut the door on Hamilton. Whether or not that deserved a penalty is open to interpretation.