The F1 thread

chillidoggy

The teams want to get any possible edge they can so it's no surprise that Merc is moaning, it's all part of the game.

poopot

https://fb.watch/9kvDV_BGYD/

boogieman

I just took it as Toto having a dig back at Horner and RB about all their shit stirring and legal threats after Silverstone. If so, good for him, but ultimately it’s just mind games and politics. 

Fretwired

Wolff is unhappy because Race Control told Mercedes that there would be no investigation into the Verstappen v Hamilton incident because the stewards had looked at all the footage and concluded it was a racing incident, which was untrue. Asked if the forward-facing on-board footage from Verstappen's Red Bull had been available when initially considering the incident, Masi said that there was access only to the broadcasters' footage. "It hasn’t been obtained yet - it has been requested," he said.

On that basis, Mercedes sees an opportunity to lodge a complaint, get the incident reviewed and get Vesttappen demoted to third place via a five-second penalty thus cutting his lead to 11 points. So in Hamilton's fight for the championship, I guess it is a no-brainer.  Mercedes have nothing to lose.

PhilW1

Fretwired said:

Wolff is unhappy because Race Control told Mercedes that there would be no investigation into the Verstappen v Hamilton incident because the stewards had looked at all the footage and concluded it was a racing incident, which was untrue. Asked if the forward-facing on-board footage from Verstappen's Red Bull had been available when initially considering the incident, Masi said that there was access only to the broadcasters' footage. "It hasn’t been obtained yet - it has been requested," he said.

On that basis, Mercedes sees an opportunity to lodge a complaint, get the incident reviewed and get Vesttappen demoted to third place via a five-second penalty thus cutting his lead to 11 points. So in Hamilton's fight for the championship, I guess it is a no-brainer.  Mercedes have nothing to lose.

And exactly what Horner/RB would've done too.

Fretwired

According to Twitter Brundle doesn’t think Mercedes will succeed.

Brundle said “Mercedes may still ask for a stewards’ review but those claims rarely get a change of decision. In any event, Red Bull will say they cruised at the end and so any five-second penalty putting them behind Bottas would be unfair – Max would have just driven faster, to which Mercedes will say so would have Valtteri."

Fretwired

Palmer's analysis of the incident is balanced ..

Simonh

incident with telemetary

Cols

The easy counter to an argument of “Unfair, we were cruising at the end” is that the stewards have only Red Bull’s word for it.  For all anyone else knows, Max may have been running at the limit of his pace.

Even if we take them at their word, it’s their choice to run at that pace.  And by cruising, they would have enjoyed the reduced risk of mechanical failure or accident compared to thrashing it to stay out of the clutches of Bottas.

sinbaadi

This is still going on.  Other drivers have made it clear that it's a joke to overlook this and will change the game.  A lot of pressure on the officials.

stickyfiddle

sinbaadi said:

This is still going on.  Other drivers have made it clear that it's a joke to overlook this and will change the game.  A lot of pressure on the officials.

Yep. It's now 5 days after the race in question, and 3 days after the new footage came out and they're still reviewing whether or not to review it! Utter madness and making themselves look very silly

Cols

sinbaadi said:

This is still going on.  Other drivers have made it clear that it's a joke to overlook this and will change the game.  A lot of pressure on the officials.

Montoya thinks it’s clear that Verstappen had no intention of making the corner, and that he’s getting preferential treatment.

” There was no way as late as he braked he was gonna make the corner. I don’t think he had much of an intention of making the corner.

Why is Max getting away with this and some other guys don’t? I mean, are they applying the rules the same for everybody? Or is Max getting treated different because he’s young or whatever you want to call it?

I’m gonna put another name out there. If Mazepin did that would he then been penalised?”

https://www.planetf1.com/news/juan-pablo-montoya-brazil-turn-4/

Meanwhile, Leclerc - who’s previously lost a win to Max in Austria 2019 after being shoved off on the outside - has indicated that he’ll change his driving if the stewards confirm there’s no problem with that kind of behaviour.

“If this is allowed, then overtaking around the outside will be very difficult.

“But yeah, whatever the situation, the decision is, I’ll just adapt my driving to it, so I’m fine with both.”

https://www.planetf1.com/news/charles-leclerc-may-adapt-driving-style/

stickyfiddle

Yep, they've been systematically slackening the rules every time Max goes fractionally outside the existing precedent since he first came into the sport. 

I'm with Leclerc - if they claim Max's move doesn't even need investigation then everyone on the inside will just brake later and go miles wide and claim that's the norm now if they get a penalty. And arguably if that becomes the acceptable behaviour, then the guy on the outside turning into the corner should then get penalised if they have an accident, even if he was in front on the way into the corner. It's barking.

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

P1 done, Max looks pretty rapid. Lewis didn't seem happy with the call. Big difference from last weekend so far! 

Wish they'd hurry up with this steward's decision, just becoming tedious now. If there's a penalty do Red Bull then have a right to appeal? If so I can see this dragging on right through the weekend!

stickyfiddle

Bear in mind quali and race will be wayyy coooler temps than now. Air temperature generally only drops around 5 degrees this time of year but when the sun goes the drop in track temp will be big, which should tip more towards Merc 

sammysaber

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

P1 done, Max looks pretty rapid. Lewis didn't seem happy with the call. Big difference from last weekend so far! 

Wish they'd hurry up with this steward's decision, just becoming tedious now. If there's a penalty do Red Bull then have a right to appeal? If so I can see this dragging on right through the weekend!

Mercedes request to the right of review has been denied.

Simonh

utterly absurd.

marauder

How much cash into Bottas back pocket is required to do the dirty on Verstappen?

sweepy

The FIA seem to be drifting back towards the dark days of Balestre, consistency has gone out of the window so I expect the races to be a dodgem fest to end the season 

chillidoggy

Splendid news!