I just read the article and I find Carten Tilke's answers to questions about the track's safety extremely arrogant.

"This is what the people want?" Maybe if they are watching NASCAR and like the crashes, but not F1. This is specifically NOT what F1 fans want.

Also, claiming that the track is safe because it Grade One certificate, and uses SAFER barriers, neglects to account for car to car contact from high-speed blind corners.

This says it all:“As this circuit’s so narrow, and restricted by the sea, buildings, the mosque inside, and so on, we had to really use everything possible in terms of safety devices. Because it’s a very fast track, everything needs to be perfect in terms of safety – not 80% or 90%, 100%.

“But for sure, it’s a street circuit, better not to make a mistake.”

 

Abu Dhabi is ending with a collision. Dang tie breaker

 

". the fact that the F1 officials were actively engaged in polling the teams about penalties during the race was simply ludicrous and untenable.... "

This is absolutely spot on... I have been watching F1 for more than 50 years and i never ever conceived that this type of communication actually went on during a race... ( or even after) ... I was simply mouth agape to hear this radio transmission in the coverage.... I also think that the announcers were dumbfounded to hear it .... and did not even know what to say.....

Has ANYONE here ever heard that this is the way infractions are adjudicated during a race?

 

Hahaha! Well, as a matter of fact, I have.

Big difference is that it was presented as a fait accompli…

 

Yes. It's been my experience that the stewards don't want to pick a winner after a race is over, so they will often let the decision be up to the driver. It's frequently suggested that if someone did something wrong, they give the position back.

 

Even Brundle admitted, we've only recently had access to the full communications - he wondered aloud if this was actually something new, or "new to us".

As for Hamilton, in fairness, he's spent nearly 10 seasons in a car that was significantly faster than the competition. There wasn't often a need for aggressive passing or defending from way out front on an average Sunday. Not taking away from his skill, but 2022 is a different game with Red Bull and Max. I think it's great to watch them both - no matter how it turns out.

Cheers

Matt

 

my guess is also that it goes on, we've not heard it before, but it avoids the hours/days/weeks of investigation after the race.

Also regarding HAM in the fastest car for years and the Saudi race, well, if he was on hards, and Max was on mediums, didn't MB know they'd be way ahead at the end when VER tires went off? Couldn't they have just told HAM to not race til the last 10 laps?

Tilke's comments above are ridiculous, if he thinks they did everything they could to make it safe, they should have taken out the blind corners, as we saw in free practice when 2 different cars came upon a slow moving HAM and luckily avoided hitting him. Like some highway accidents, the design of the roadway plays a part in making things safer, not just the guard rail, Safer barriers, Armco, cranes, marshals, etc.

 

In regards to the FIA radio calls, I think we are just getting a glimpse at how the sausage is made at F1.

F1 has always been as much about the politics as it has been about racing. It's just in our faces now with these radio calls.

 

I would say that Max is driving exactly how Hamilton drove against Nico Rosberg in 2016. That is the only time in the last ten years, up until this year, that he has had to race another driver.

 

Tilke's son is a dip****