F1 @ Belgium

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

*grumble* stoopid stewards *grmble*

Think it would have happened this way if Lewis was in a Ferrari?

P

[Guest Looby]

Keeps the excitement and the money rolling in 'til the end of the season... ;)

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

Grrrr....

P

[Guest DavidC]

No, it doesn't keep the excitement going at all. It just reminds everyone how corrupt last season felt, just as the memories had started to fade.

I hope the appeal is successful, but this is turning into a farce now.

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

I hope so too, can't see it being very likely tho...

P

[Guest jimbouk]

Ferrari gained an advantage when they released their driver nearly into another car last time round... and yet no time penalty.

Lewis gave the place back but cos his car isnt red... he gets penalised...

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

Yeah, exactly!

http://www.petitiononline.com/belgp08/petition.html

;)

P

[Guest madbandit]

Aboslutely stunning last couple of laps with Kimi and Lewis both spinning at times and Massa tiptoing along scared to death of the track getting greasier and greasier!

From what McLaren have said, they have the telemetary (and obviously the TV camera footage) showing that after cutting the corner and taking the lead, Lewis (having already been screwed for it in a previous race) came off the accelorator and gave the place back to Kimi, thus crossing the line behind him and settling in in his tow. If that's the case, they will win their appeal.

He didn't cause Kimi's crash, and i think the stewards were just upset that Kimi crashed so took it out on Lewis.

Ok we might be bias brits shouting Lewis's cause, but i wouldn't care what nationality the driver was, Ferrari have got away with too much and it is one of the reasons why so many people stop watching the F1.

Give me the Moto GP 9/10 times!

/btw, petition signed!

Edited September 8, 2008 by madbandit

[Guest tsutton]

9972 Total Signatures !! Already! ;)

I missed it... :wacko:

/me find it on YouTube

[Guest tsutton]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=by5mhWfPRD8

Hmm, not sure what to make of it...

Edit F1 cried and asked YouTube to remove this video. ;)

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

Surely the fact that Kimi stoved his Ferrari into a wall (of his own doing) makes it all a bit silly... I mean Lewis beat Massa and Heidfeld fair and square NO question!

P

[Guest Neil5459]

I hope the appeal is successful, but this is turning into a farce now.

If the appeal is allowed to proceed ;)

Technically this was a 'drive through' penalty, and these are not allowed to be appealed. McLaren have to go to the FIA Court of Appeal who will initially decide if they are permitted to appeal before proceeding.

Even the 'giving back the place' issue may be irrelevant if the stewards stick to the letter of Rule 30.3a

30.3 a) During practice and the race, drivers may use only the track and must at all times observe the

provisions of the Code relating to driving behaviour on circuits.

as LH patently used more than just the track (as did just about every other driver in this, and other races) :wacko:

Nice result list from a US site, Patronise US:

Race Result after 44 Laps

1 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:22:59.394

2 Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber + 9.383

3 Lewis Hamilton** McLaren - Mercedes + 10.539

4 Fernando Alonso Renault + 14.478

5 Sebastian Vettel Toro Rosso - Ferrari + 14.576

6 Robert Kubica BMW Sauber + 15.037

7 Sebastien Bourdais Toro Rosso - Ferrari + 16.735

8 Mark Webber Red Bull - Renault + 42.776

9 Timo Glock* Toyota + 1:07.045

10 Heikki Kovalainen McLaren - Mercedes + 1 Lap

11 David Coulthard Red Bull - Renault + 1 Lap

12 Nico Rosberg Williams - Toyota + 1 Lap

13 Adrian Sutil Force India - Ferrari + 1 Lap

14 Kazuki Nakajima Williams - Toyota + 1 Lap

15 Jenson Button Honda + 1 Lap

16 Jarno Trulli Toyota + 1 Lap

17 Giancarlo Fisichella Force India - Ferrari + 1 Lap

R Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari Hopeless

R Rubens Barrichello Honda Useless car

R Nelson Piquet Jr Renault Useless driver

* - Given 25 second penalty for overtaking under yellow flags.

** - Given 25 second penalty for overtaking.

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

Haha, most amusing ;)

P

[Guest meddleuk]

Lol, didn't expect to find a thread on here about this, just shows how much it's upset genuine F1 fans. Been reading pages and pages of threads of Planet F1 and Autopsport. The majority of F1 fans including a lot of Ferrari fanboys are disgusted by the decision. You do come across several people trying to justify what the Stewards decided (a precedent was set with Alonso a couple of years ago) however the ruling from the Stewards is incredibly vague and smacks of favouritism.

The main thing that gets my back up in F1 is the politics, everyone is aware of FIA bias and McLaren can do no right. What we all saw on the track yesterday was not cheating. Lewis was just showing how much better both he and McLaren are in wet conditions, just luck how Kimi landed up a lap later for proof of this. There are so many rules open to interpretation in the sport is almost impossible to have consistent ruling especially as the stewards change at each track.

What happens on the track whether right or wrong is part of sport and anyone who watches any other sport knows that bad decisions are made all the time. We have to live it. But to have 3 guys decide and change the outcome in a closed room is disgraceful. It would have to be the most clear cut indefensible evidence to overturn a race victory and I think we all agree this is not the case.

I have threatened to stop watching F1 on several occasions over the last few years, especially after the USA fiasco a few years back. If McLaren loose their appeal and Massa wins with World Championship based on these rotten points I will never watch an F1 race again. Why waste my time, it had never been a fair sport at the best of the times.

I'll go back to Touring cars for any chance of witnessing overtaking without incurring penalties.

Rant over and out.

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

I only recently started watching again (mid last season) after a good few years away, despite growing up always watching F1.

Are they trying to keep it exciting by keeping the title race close? I dunno, but they sure are at risk of alienating real fans...

P

[Guest deadphill]

Hamilton got forced off, came back on in front, relinquished the position and then took him again.

Seems fair enough to me.

But that doesnt help make Ferrari win does it!?

Cheers

Phill

[Guest FlangeArtist]

9972 Total Signatures !! Already! ;)

I missed it... :wacko:

/me find it on YouTube

Watched the race, and the slow mo-replays...Lewis deffo let Kimi back in front, and had no choice but to cut the corner or cause "an avoidable accident"...So...

I added my signature....11735 Signatures Total now...

[Guest tsutton]

Onboard camera...

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6ovii_wwwformula

[Guest jimbouk]

Signed.

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

Excellent montage of footage linked above...

P

[Guest Looby]

Agreed, not conclusive though. Hamilton was carrying far too much speed and would have crashed without the run-off area. If he had followed Raikonen through the corner he would have been 3 to 4 car-lengths behind. ;)

[Guest jimbouk]

Agreed, not conclusive though. Hamilton was carrying far too much speed and would have crashed without the run-off area. If he had followed Raikonen through the corner he would have been 3 to 4 car-lengths behind. ;)

Absolute rubbish. Hamilton would have safely made the chicane except Raikkonen lifted off his brakes to try to protect the corner and in doing so he hit hamilton who had successfully turned right in good time to miss the left hand kerb. Rather than rub drive wheels or break front suspension, Hamilton then elected to turn left to avoid further contact.

Oh and for what its worth I am an ex-director or Brands Hatch Leisure and Silverstone Circuits Ltd and have been a race licence holder for 20 years and have officiated at 1000's of race events.

[Guest Looby]

So you have heard of Rushen-Green Racing then and Ayrton Senna winning the British and European FF 2000 with them! ;)

[Guest Dark Horse]

Can't stand Lewis, he's a swaggering, whiny imbecile who needs a passport for his ego. Everyone bangs on about him being a great driver, stick him in a Force India and then lets see how good he is. Agree he was hard done by though, that decision was ridiculous and Lewis should have got the 10 points.

[Guest]

Typical Ferrari favoritism from the stewards and the FIA. From watching that on-board footage (and from what I saw watching it live) it was quite clear Lewis gave the place back - Kimi was simply too slow and was out-braked into turn 1. I've signed the petition of course.

As for the "drivers must use only the track" rule then half the field should have been given penalties - even Massa ran wide off the track when the rain started.

On a seperate note.....after watching the on-board footage I can't believe how little Lewis lifted off through Eau Rouge on the slippery track. That was breathtaking!