Formula 1 - 2021 Season

[tongue_of_colicab]

Because?

But what an insane end to the season. Stewarding needs to change though, I think it's too inconsistent. Also something need to be done about team leaders speaking to race control. It's ridiculous that Wolff gets on the radio telling race control what they should do.

Edit: Mercedes protesting the race results and having their new best wingman ever Russel go on Twitter to say what happened was unacceptable.

 

[DuckThor Evil]

I like Max and he is obviously a great driver and a worthy champion as a whole, but the way this race was won was a fucking disgrace. Safety cars influencing race results is beyond unfair, it's one of the reasons I haven't followed the sport much during the past couple years. In this case they should have finished the race behind the safety car and let Lewis win, he deserved it today even if that would have been a bit anticlimactic.

 

[Pete]

What did I just watch.

FIA and stewarding have been pretty shit this year. How did Lewis not have to give the place back on lap one? I would ask why Mercedes keep playing it safe, but they had such a faster car today, it’s hard to blame them. Amidst all the excitement for this year, I feel like I’m watching a sport with different rules each weekend. It’s a bit shit. Half the excitement for this year was the crazy stuff that kept happening, fueled by the “refs.”

Hard to feel bad for a seven-time champ, but it’s been a year of thinking Masi has half an eye on the ratings.

Can you believe Honda leaves a winner?!

 

[AlphaWolf]

I like Max and he is obviously a great driver and a worthy champion as a whole, but the way this race was won was a fucking disgrace. Safety cars influencing race results is beyond unfair, it's one of the reasons I haven't followed the sport much during the past couple years. In this case they should have finished the race behind the safety car and let Lewis win, he deserved it today even if that would have been a bit anticlimactic.

You deserve to win if you cross the finish line first under racing conditions. Finishing first in a parade isn't an achievement.

 

[Lightman]

This was a great season, but stewarding was the poorest I remember.
There were so many inconsistencies during the year that I'm all for AI to take over stewarding. It will at least be more predictable and fair.

I applaud Lewis for the fight he brought to Max, but Verstappen won and I think he deserved this year title.

I hope next year we have more teams in the mix for the wins and more drivers within chance of title few races before year end.

Fingers crossed new aero rules allows that.

 

[Freemantle]

You deserve to win if you cross the finish line first under racing conditions. Finishing first in a parade isn't an achievement.

The Belgian GP says hi.

 

[Pete]

I understand Masi has a tough job. Charlie Whiting was Bernie’s buddy, which surely gave him added authority. I don’t know if Masi is getting more complaining from the teams than Charlie, and I don’t put any stock into radio chatter during a race, but his and the stewards’ decisions were too often baffling.

If Christian Horner gets a reprimand for putting the sport into disrepute, do Masi and the stewards get one, too? I’d wink, but he’s been surprisingly disappointing this year and his and the stewards’ decisions have been shockingly inscrutable and inconsistent.

Curious why Lewis kept leaving the door open on the inside. Did he fear being run into or locking up more than offering up the position? He left the door open for Max and later for Checo.

Despite my disapproving of Max’s racing style and subsequent interview responses, he’s a supremely talented driver who comes off well apart from his questionable racing moves. I can’t deny his talent and can’t deny he’s a worthy champion. Curiously, he, not Lewis, has made the mistakes the past two races (Q3 in Jeddah, the launch today) but he’s gotten away with finally showing some nervousness.

Edit: Also interesting that Mercedes apparently didn’t use any upgrade tokens this year. If the refs start reffing next year, including keeping the racing between the white lines, we could be in for a fun shakeup and better close-quarter racing.

 

[pharma]

It was almost as if Masi did not want Sainz in the mix with Hamilton and Verstappen after the restart.

Masi allowed the drivers between Hamilton and Verstappen to pass them, giving Verstappen a clear run at his rival. But did not do the same to the cars between Verstappen and third-placed Carlos Sainz's Ferrari.

Mercedes protests rejected by Formula 1 stewards as title goes to Max Verstappen - BBC Sport

 

[AlphaWolf]

The Belgian GP says hi.

Included you will find a complete list of people who think that was a good decision.

 

[Bludd]

wow

 

[Freemantle]

Great season completely ruined by Masi and the gang seemingly making the rules up as they go.

I know Red Bull and Max like to think they are/were treated unfairly, but that was a complete gift and a utter farce in the end. The result will of course stand no matter how many appeals Merc try, the FIA: ‘We have investigated ourselves and found no wrongdoing.’

Mercedes have the contructors title, Red Bull the drivers title. The FIA officials have the laughing stock title.

 

[Pete]

I’ve suspected that Masi had a perhaps overriding interest in entertainment since the Baku red flag standing restart, which was honestly the first I can remember in my not long but not short time following F1. This race makes me wonder if he’s the Race Director or Race Promoter. (Wikipedia says he is both employed by the FIA and has a degree in marketing.)

Standing restarts are fun and it’s cool that Masi wants to make them his thing (though it feels like something Liberty would love), but they’re even more random in distributing luck than DRS (which at least requires you to catch up to a car). Change the rules about red flag tire and car changes, then standing restarts can make more sense.

Did I give Checo his props for yet another hard but fair fight with Lewis? I don’t know if he just hated Ocon back in their Force India days or his racecraft has improved, but he’s been terrific in the two extended fights he’s had with Lewis. Hard but fair. I still can’t say that about Max. Hope he has room for growth.

 

[hoom]

I've basically not been paying attention this year since I said 'can we say we're past peak Merc?
Timing for watching the races is not easy for my timezone so I haven't stayed up to watch races this year.
Happy to see Verstappen managed to follow up that early form & make a decent fight, I didn't dare think he would actually really threaten to take the title.

 

[zed]

Hopefully its not gonna become completely like the americas cup yachting, and after the races are finished then the real battle starts (in courts)
max deserved to win, their team just seemed to be smarter

 

[Bludd]

merc was boxed in, they didnt dare give up track position and you cant fight on such a tyre discrepancy

maybe the merc appeal will result in a rules overview

masi has a hard job, no doubt but maybe a red flag would have been better

 

[DuckThor Evil]

max deserved to win, their team just seemed to be smarter

It had nothing to do with being smarter. The track position gave Red Bull a free zero risk no brainer pit stop. The earlier pit stop under the virtual safe car was als0 basically a no brainer as it was clear that Max had no pace to fight Hamilton. they had nothing to lose. Mercedes on the other hand faced a lot harder decision and being first on the track they didn't have the luxury to react. A pitstop would have lost them the track position, and with all the unknows such as the race possibly finishing behind the safety car etc. Pitting would have been the worse decision in the moment. Mercedes only had bad outcomes available to them, but their thought process had no errors. The stewards simply dealt them a near impossible hand.

 

[Jay]

I watched it, but missed when they didn't let all the cars unlap.
When my brother said it was only the 4 between first and second, I told him he was wrong. That wouldn't happen.
That made no sense at all, it wasn't only race for championship, what about everyone else down the order that could've raced if they let the others unlap.

Was a really really messy end, either unlap them all and end up finishing under safety car, or don't unlap any car and let them race final lap.
This halfway thing was obviously wrong and I can't see how he even made that decision without thinking it was going to blow up badly

 

[Kaotik]

You deserve to win if you cross the finish line first under racing conditions. Finishing first in a parade isn't an achievement.

No you don't, when you cross the finish line after breaking rules yourself and the stewards ignoring more rules.
Even if we disregard all the other times Max has gone unpunished this season, this was a farce.
If rules weren't ignored and the stewards literally handing over the win for Max there would have been no chance for him to cross the finish line first. And this is coming from someone who has disliked Hamilton since his first season (for many same reasons I dislike Max, but not even Lewis was ever that bad)

 

[AlphaWolf]

No you don't, when you cross the finish line after breaking rules yourself and the stewards ignoring more rules.
Even if we disregard all the other times Max has gone unpunished this season, this was a farce.
If rules weren't ignored and the stewards literally handing over the win for Max there would have been no chance for him to cross the finish line first. And this is coming from someone who has disliked Hamilton since his first season (for many same reasons I dislike Max, but not even Lewis was ever that bad)

Cool story bro.

Every sport that has rules to be interpreted by humans is going to have controversial decisions. At the end of the day they need to present a product palatable to fans (or they'll be driving 1980 hot hatches with a home turbo kit and no one watching).
Red flags are awful for fan numbers and so is ending behind a safety car. So you live with some controversial decisions.

It would be great if the officiating were more consistent

 

[Kaotik]

Cool story bro.

Every sport that has rules to be interpreted by humans is going to have controversial decisions. At the end of the day they need to present a product palatable to fans (or they'll be driving 1980 hot hatches with a home turbo kit and no one watching).
Red flags are awful for fan numbers and so is ending behind a safety car. So you live with some controversial decisions.

It would be great if the officiating were more consistent

Cool story, bro.
Meanwhile how do you explain "interpreting" rules in a way that you only let lapped cars between Hamilton and Max pass, but not those between Max and Sainz, and then get the safety car in before said lapped cars are anywhere near their places.

There's no way around it, it was gifted "win" by breaking rules (passing under safetycar even if it was just for a moment), pure favoritism (letting only cars between 1-2 pass, not between 2-3 or the rest) and ignoring rules (pulling safety car in too early and not letting all lapped pass) and far far worse for reputation than finishing behind safety car would have been.

Go ahead and script all the GPs and create all the "excitement" you want, but then stop calling it racing. Last GPs end had nothing do with racing.