F1 - Aussie GP Thread - CONTAINS SPOILERS

[fiestycolumbian]

This is ridiculous!

I think in any sport, especially in racing, things happen very fast. You dont see the NBA reviewing the last play of the game, and determining if there was a foul or not, and if there was, changing the result of a game. NO THEY DO NOT!!

The FIA has been heading down a dangerous slope, and with each result changing decision, that slope just becomes steeper.

The communications between the team and driver happen so fast in competition. Hamilton was told to give the position back, before the team had even known that it was okay for Hamilton to pass Trulli, when Trulli went off, based on the Sporting Regulations which state a driver can pass a car under the safety car, if that car has a problem, which Trulli did.

Once the team realizes, that maybe Hamilton was okay to pass, they tell him to stay ahead of Trulli. Of course its too late, and Hamilton has already let Trulli past.
It was a split second decision. The team first said yes, then no.

How can they judge Hamilton, based on an interview the second he gets out of the car, without getting debriefed by the team. Hamilton must be just as confused about what should have and what shouldnt have happenned.

Hamilton in the second FIA hearing, after careful review of the team transcripts, said that ultimately the team told him to stay ahead.

I guess the everyone has their own opinion, and I am okay with that. Hamilton is guilty or not, McLaren is guilty or not. Whatever, its all moot, because the FIA has proven that appeals are impossible.

The bigger question is, how can we watch races, knowing full well that the results will be changed. Its like you are on pins and needles while the competition is happenning. Then you are on pins and needles hoping that the FIA dont decide to reel their wrath and take the result away. WTF!!!!

This is a human sport. Mistakes happen, thats why we play sport. You make decision on the field and live with it. You dont constantly change the result after careful review. This is not a court deliberation, this is competition.

fiesty

[dp35]

^ Good points Fiesty.  You would feel exactly the same way if Ham & Trulli's positions were reversed, right?  If Jarno were caught in a lie/discrepancy that determined whether or not Lewis got 6 points...

What's even more outrageous, is that the LH & JT passes under yellow saga could turn out to be for the race win!  We'll find out about that later. 

Interesting observation I read elsewhere:
From everything I have read, the investigation took place in the 1st place because McLaren filed a complaint against Trulli for passing under yellow, when it clearly was the one that instructed it's driver to slow down and let Trulli pass. A classic case of McLaren at its best.

[dp35]

Looks like the stewards might be considering reducing Vettel's penalty now.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74141

I have mixed feelings about this - on the one hand I think Vettel got screwed and the penalty should be lifted; but on the other hand, I'm tired of the FIA making decisions then later changing their minds. 

I bet Vettel is getting some coaching from M.Shcu, DC, and others about how to handle the upcoming meeting, and how to handle the situation if/when it is repeated in the future. 

[Caroline]

I think it's ridiculous, the stewards decisions over the past 12 month have been questionable a lot of the time. There is a huge case for having ex-racing drivers form at least part of a stewards team and have a team of professional people doing it. Deciding the outcome of a race 4 days later in totally unacceptable.

[fiestycolumbian]

[quote="dp35"]
^ Good points Fiesty.  You would feel exactly the same way if Ham & Trulli's positions were reversed, right?  If Jarno were caught in a lie/discrepancy that determined whether or not Lewis got 6 points...

What's even more outrageous, is that the LH & JT passes under yellow saga could turn out to be for the race win!  We'll find out about that later. 

Interesting observation I read elsewhere:
From everything I have read, the investigation took place in the 1st place because McLaren filed a complaint against Trulli for passing under yellow, when it clearly was the one that instructed it's driver to slow down and let Trulli pass. A classic case of McLaren at its best.
[/quote]

Yes, doesnt matter to me of if the positions were reversed, I would still have the same opinion. No Hammy bias here.

What irkes me the most, is the inability of the stewards to make a decision in the 3 laps behind the safety car. These types of decisions need to be made real time. If they need more people, then by god have more people in race control. It needs to be rectified ASAP. McLaren begged for an answer from race control for 3 laps!!!
Same with the Nakajima shunt, took more than 2 laps to call a safety car in a very vulnerable corner. Very dangerous.

Dont speak of Trulli eventually winning the race! If the Brawns get disqualified, so will Toyota and Williams. Then I think its a Alonso, Buemi, Bourdais podium. I just had a migraine typing that sentence. IF that happens, than it will be a bigger farce than anything that happenned last year.

Vettel doesnt deserve his penalty. I think both were idiots taking each other out, and their DNF is punishment enough.

fiesty

[jon b]

Whether people have a chip on their shoulder about Hamilton/ McLaren or not - everyone seems to agree that the protracted decision making is unacceptable. So what do we all do about it?  The F1 forums must be going mental once again but does the PD give a sh1t?

[Driver]

And how many YEARS has this same argument (rules being applied after the race is over as well as the penalty system) been going around? Reminds me of other similar ongoing ones...

[DFext37 Fielding]

That would be awesome, Bourdais on the podium.

[Alec]

As I said the other day . . . .

[quote="Alec"]
I only hope the FIA aren't going to ruin this season's racing with loads of ridiculous decisions. 
[/quote]

[dp35]

Now Hamilton and McLaren have thrown McLaren's sporting director Dave Ryan under the bus, saying he instructed Lewis to lie to the stewards, and that it was all his doing.  Since they claim Ryan is the only bad guy involved in this, they've now suspended this 35 year McLaren man.  Sad.  This reminds me of the early days of Stepneygate, when McLaren claimed it involved only Mr. Coughlin.

I've read that the British media seems to be turning against Hamilton on this.

Seems like this has damaged Hamilton's image, much like several of Michael Schumacher's mistakes did.  Or maybe this just reveals that LH has that ruthless bastard win at any cost trait that most of the greatest champions seem to have.

Here's a link to the audio of the Hamilton/McLaren radio conversations, as well as the damaging interview of LH after the race.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/sportvideo/?bcpid=3338950001&bctid=18465567001

[jon b]

I don't see that dave Ryan was a scape goat having watched all of the interviews including those with martin whitmarsh and LH it sounds like dave Ryan had a moment of madness outside the stewards office instructing lewis to withold information. You only have to watch the painful LH interview to see and feel the sincerity. 

What seems unbelievable is that they didn't need to do this....... madness. They should have simply gone in and told them exactly what happened including the fact they were chasing an answer from race control for 3 minutes

[Alec]

Spot on Jon.

I always tell the truth as lies have a habit of coming back and biting you, as can be seen with this incident.

If they wanted to try to influence the outcome, the only way to do that would have been to be economical with the truth and only pass on what is required but if asked a direct question about something they didn't really want known then lying is the last thing they should have done.

Total madness and they now have to live with the consequences. 

[dp35]

Apparently the FIA asked LH and Dave Ryan the same questions again when they arrived in Malaysia.  Not knowing about the evidence the FIA had, they repeated their dishonest answers.  This is what got them into big trouble, because it was several days later, and everyone had a chance to recall all of the events. 

[wisp]

[quote="dp35"]
Actual audio of Toyota team radios at end of race:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OohT1HbaEF0
[/quote]

This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Formula One Management.