F1 2021 Season

[Abizzz]

Nah I'm just saying this is obviously a massive exercise in face-saving all round, from FIA and Mercedes.

"We had an unbeatable case but Hamilton didn't want us to" is better than "we were going to lose at the FIA court and weren't even allowed by the regs to take it any further than that."

If they had an unbeatable case according to their own lawyer and were able to take it to a higher court they would have.

Obviously the likelihood of getting a fair judgement must have weighed in. I don't understand how you, or single journalists, can categorically rule out CAS involvement when CAS has been relied upon to settle disputes in the past. I understand that the teams have signed a waiver to settle things infront if ICA instead, however I don't see why that waiver itself couldn't be challenged infront of CAS. What else would the point of CAS be?

If anything this waiver has made F1, FIA and their race director even more shady to me. Why would you ask your business partners to waive the possibility to challenge your judgements if you weren't planning on using them with impunity?

F1 as a sport is dying. Maybe Max is the first winner of a new era. Net flix.

 

[Kanu]

Are you an infant?

Uh, no?

 

[Kanu]

If Lewis didn’t come out and act classy all hell would have broke loose. Being classy is literally the only thing he could have done to not look like a sore loser (which he wouldn’t have been if he did object).

Hamilton is a true competitor who doesn't want to win his record 8th title with appeals I presume.

 

[Manny]

What a joke. Masi and FIA now have carte blanche to apply the rules as they see fit.

I wouldn't mind seeing Merc getting screwed over by them again. They'd deserve it.

 

[RobinLFC]

Hamilton is a true competitor who doesn't want to win his record 8th title with appeals I presume.

Unlike Max who doesn't seem to have any problems with the way he was handed the title.

He'll likely win a few more in the future but this one will always be referred to as THAT one title.

 

[Fluctuation0161]

FIA will have had to make some serious commitment for the future F1 integrity to enable this.

It's a shame because the FIA will get away whitewashing this farce so it'll take alot to restore fans faith in F1 being a real sport.

 

[BeforeKeanetherewasRobson]

If anything this waiver has made F1, FIA and their race director even more shady to me. Why would you ask your business partners to waive the possibility to challenge your judgements if you weren't planning on using them with impunity?

F1 as a sport is dying. Maybe Max is the first winner of a new era. Net flix.

Net Fix.

 

[Fluctuation0161]

Was about to post that. Mercedes officially withdraw their appeal.

Masi gets away with it. Or maybe he gets a pay rise even. I don't know what this sport stands for, really, anymore.

If Masi stays in place for next year, F1 as a sport is done.

 

[LordNinio]

Obviously the likelihood of getting a fair judgement must have weighed in. I don't understand how you, or single journalists, can categorically rule out CAS involvement when CAS has been relied upon to settle disputes in the past. I understand that the teams have signed a waiver to settle things infront if ICA instead, however I don't see why that waiver itself couldn't be challenged infront of CAS. What else would the point of CAS be?

If anything this waiver has made F1, FIA and their race director even more shady to me. Why would you ask your business partners to waive the possibility to challenge your judgements if you weren't planning on using them with impunity?

F1 as a sport is dying. Maybe Max is the first winner of a new era. Net flix.

Exactly this, any agreement that says they can't go to CAS would be superceded by their intrinsic rights. All sporting teams have the opportunity to take their ruling bodies to CAS, but there are a plethora of reasons why they might not anyway.

 

[Kanu]

Unlike Max who doesn't seem to have any problems with the way he was handed the title.

He'll likely win a few more in the future but this one will always be referred to as THAT one title.

Not for us Dutch folk and many others judging by YouTube comments. He won the race on track. Dubious circumstances sure, but for once he had luck and he gets to enjoy it like our whole nation is. Lewis was lucky a couple times this season, let's not forget. This time it -finally - went Verstappen's way. In the UK his title might have an asterisk, but the rest of the world is mostly happy for Max.

 

[Redlambs]

I can only laugh at people so gullible, or biased I guess, to believe this had anything to do with Lewis wanting it dropped or lack of a case

It's a pretty frame is all.

Anyway, now what some of us have been saying since the moment the race ended has finally been confirmed, time to move on.

 

[senorgregster]

Not for us Dutch folk and many others judging by YouTube comments. He won the race on track. Dubious circumstances sure, but for once he had luck and he gets to enjoy it like our whole nation is. Lewis was lucky a couple times this season, let's not forget. This time it -finally - went Verstappen's way. In the UK his title might have an asterisk, but the rest of the world is mostly happy for Max.

As someone pointed out earlier, there's a big difference between luck and the fabrication that happened on Sunday.

 

[Kanu]

As someone pointed out earlier, there's a big difference between luck and the fabrication that happened on Sunday.

Mistakes were made like many times before in F1. It's a shame it had to end in controversy, but my friends and I went crazy celebrating after that last lap. Something I will never forget.

 

[senorgregster]

Glad to see the statement by Mercedes. Must say, if there's any more hints of this nonsense by FIA I'm done with F1. There's a reason I stopped watching wrestling when I reached 8 years old.

 

[Redlambs]

As someone pointed out earlier, there's a big difference between luck and the fabrication that happened on Sunday.

I wouldn't waste your time.

If people want to celebrate blatant rule changing as if it is the same as any other mistake like that, let them. They'll soon be moaning again when it comes back around.

 

[VorZakone]

Mistakes were made like many times before in F1. It's a shame it had to end in controversy, but my friends and I went crazy celebrating after that last lap. Something I will never forget.

The potential problem is when these mistakes start to happen so often that it gets a WWE vibe to it, and then people stop taking it seriously.

 

[spiriticon]

Not for us Dutch folk and many others judging by YouTube comments. He won the race on track. Dubious circumstances sure, but for once he had luck and he gets to enjoy it like our whole nation is. Lewis was lucky a couple times this season, let's not forget. This time it -finally - went Verstappen's way. In the UK his title might have an asterisk, but the rest of the world is mostly happy for Max.

This is not bad luck. Bad luck is if Lewis had a tyre puncture or engine blowout on the last lap and Max won. That is bad luck.

This is a thoughtful, contrived, conscious, human intervention to change something in the race.

 

[senorgregster]

Mistakes were made like many times before in F1. It's a shame it had to end in controversy, but my friends and I went crazy celebrating after that last lap. Something I will never forget.

I'm sure it was memorable.
I do think it was a mistake also. I don't think pre race he wondered how to help max win, and he could have easily done the same if Lewis was behind Max. It simply exposed how out of his depth he is.
What I don't want to see is red flags called most races for "unsafe conditions" to set up 5 lap sprints. That's where I think this is heading.

 

[Kanu]

The potential problem is when these mistakes start to happen so often that it gets a WWE vibe to it, and then people stop taking it seriously.

True, FIA definitely have to sort this shit out. My solution would be the cars running with a little excess fuel so they can add another lap or 2 under SC, when necessary.

 

[Kanu]

I'm sure it was memorable.
I do think it was a mistake also. I don't think pre race he wondered how to help max win, and he could have easily done the same if Lewis was behind Max. It simply exposed how out of his depth he is.
What I don't want to see is red flags called most races for "unsafe conditions" to set up 5 lap sprints. That's where I think this is heading.

I completely agree.

 

[spiriticon]

True, FIA definitely have to sort this shit out. My solution would be the cars running with a little excess fuel so they can add another lap or 2 under SC, when necessary.

They can absolutely not do that, oh dear god. If they can add laps at will, they can also easily take laps away. No one wants to see Masi with that power.

 

[Ekkie Thump]

Masi should walk.

 

[Kanu]

They can absolutely not do that, oh dear god. If they can add laps at will, they can also easily take laps away. No one wants to see Masi with that power.

Well it's better than a GP ending under SC. Imagine they would've ended last race under SC? Are we fans of racing or what?

 

[dinostar77]

If Masi has any self respect he should resign. Shame it ended this way for max and lewis.

 

[slyadams]

Not for us Dutch folk and many others judging by YouTube comments. He won the race on track. Dubious circumstances sure, but for once he had luck and he gets to enjoy it like our whole nation is. Lewis was lucky a couple times this season, let's not forget. This time it -finally - went Verstappen's way. In the UK his title might have an asterisk, but the rest of the world is mostly happy for Max.

 

[spiriticon]

Well it's better than a GP ending under SC. Imagine they would've ended last race under SC? Are we fans of racing or what?

Man, this will not have been the first race or the last race to end under the safety car. It has happened many times before and will happen again in the future. Why should this race be special? The situation? The fact that it was show time at Abu Dhabi?

This is the moral problem I think, we are all wrestling with. That limit of making races exciting but without compromising the integrity of everything.

 

[Kanu]

Man, this will not have been the first race or the last race to end under the safety car. It has happened many times before and will happen again in the future. Why should this race be special? The situation? The fact that it was show time at Abu Dhabi?

This is the moral problem I think, we are all wrestling with. That limit of making races exciting but without compromising the integrity of everything.

My entire point is a race should not end under SC. Not last race, not before that, not ever. The team leaders also agreed FIA should try everything to prevent that from happening.

 

[spiriticon]

My entire point is a race should not end under SC. Not last race, not now, not ever.

If you have a bad accident in the last lap, or even last 2 laps, of any race, it will end under a safety car. I guarantee it.

 

[Abizzz]

Well it's better than a GP ending under SC. Imagine they would've ended last race under SC? Are we fans of racing or what?

It would have been a race if the SC stayed out. The person who done the racedistance fastest would have one. One artificial lap at the end is not a race. It's a fix.

 

[Kanu]

Sad

 

[slyadams]

Well it's better than a GP ending under SC. Imagine they would've ended last race under SC? Are we fans of racing or what?

We're fans of the sport, which sometimes involves a SC. Saying "you cannot end a race under SC" is akin to saying "you cannot end a game 0-0". Following the rules and maintaining integrity is significantly more important than manufacturing a final lap shootout. And by the way, the final lap wasn't actually racing. You might have found it exciting, but it wasn't racing. Its like watching a heavyweight beat up a flyweight thinking "this is great boxing".

By the way, just for clarity, if this race had ended under the SC they would actually have done something different. The SC would probably have come in at the start of the last lap but there would be a VSC in place. This means that the shots of the cars coming over the line would be just be the F1 cars. Yes it wouldn't be racing, but I think one of the reasons people were so concerned would be the literal optics of a SC leading Lewis over the line.

 

[Kanu]

I guess you are saying that the means do justify the ends.

I as a biased fan am happy, but I also have the brain capacity to understand that a situation like that shouldn't happen again.

 

[Redlambs]

So people are now no longer fans of racing because they don't want to see rules broken/changed to suit TV audiences.

I also love how that last lap is being painted as a true race. The mental gymnastics on display is outstanding entertainment. Masi himself couldn't script it better!

 

[JJ12]

Masi should walk.

Maybe that’s one of the reasons Mercedes dropped their claim - he’s agreed to hand in his resignation

 

[Kanu]

It would have been a race if the SC stayed out. The person who done the racedistance fastest would have one. One artificial lap at the end is not a race. It's a fix.

Only LH fans would be happy with that. I wonder what you would've said if the roles were reversed.

 

[The Hilton]

I can only laugh at people so gullible, or biased I guess, to believe this had anything to do with Lewis wanting it dropped or lack of a case

It's a pretty frame is all.

Anyway, now what some of us have been saying since the moment the race ended has finally been confirmed, time to move on.

It really isn't time to move on though, the worst possible outcome is to let this blow over so Masi can make up rules to tell his own story again.

F1 has suffered badly for this, as the situation has disillusioned a lot of people. Max fans and Hamilton haters may be enjoying the result, but even they know this sets a terrible precedent, and next time Max might be the one who gets robbed. It's gotta be nipped in the bud now.

 

[Hephaestus]

This aversion to ending a race/season under the safety car is bizarre. The 2012 Brazilian GP was the title decider and ended behind the safety car thanks to Di Resta being shit and that's remembered as a classic. If there is time to get back to green flag racing, great, if not then just end under the safety car, don't muck about with red flags or rule changes mid-race.

 

[Redlambs]

Maybe that’s one of the reasons Mercedes dropped their claim - he’s agreed to hand in his resignation

If anything, they'd likely want him to stay.

He's in their pocket big time now.

 

[slyadams]

My entire point is a race should not end under SC. Not last race, not before that, not ever. The team leaders also agreed FIA should try everything to prevent that from happening.

I might be wrong, but I think most F1 fans would disagree and here's why. We want, in general, the best performing driver/car package in a race to win. SC's have the tendency to mess that up by allowing chasing cars free pit stops and to react based on what the leader does. This is racing, it happens all the time and we accept that. The difference is if this happens half way through a race there's time to react to it. If this happens with a few laps to go it can literally decide the race. So to say "a race should never end under a SC" has the superficial feeling of being fair, but its actually not because it would increase the situations where someone that has no chance of winning suddenly becomes favourites. i.e. it increases the chances of the 'deserved winner' losing.

 

[diarm]

The way Hamilton has conducted himself throughout this whole thing has been sheer class. Fair play to him.