F1 2021: Abu Dhabi GP - Yas Marina (Dec 12)

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

Three cheers for Kimi!

*****

[M Hybrid V8]

I still don't understand how anyone can say Merc blew their pit strategy. It's only using hindsight that we know the safety car ended with 1 lap to go. Mercedes had no way of knowing that would happen the way it did. The only scenarios they could consider were those that are legal under the rulebook. Merc would've thought the race would end under the SC or the SC would end and Max would have to make it through lapped traffic while Lewis had more than enough time to pull away and make it to the end of the race. Those are the only scenarios that were in-line with the rules.

So given that, why would they pit Lewis for softs only for him to be behind Max and if the race ends on SC.... they would've just made the dumbest call in their history? There was no way for Mercedes to defend against what Masi did because what Masi did wasn't in-line with the rules and never happened before.

[forza1976]

Originally Posted by Humdizzle

i really wonder what would happen if max and lewis were both put in mercedes on same tires. ham's car most definitely seems to have the faster pace.

George at Shakir last year: https://www.formula1.com/en/results....ualifying.html

[M5Rick]

Fresh news flash and Max is World Champ as second protest is dismissed. GPb is the quickest.

[forza1976]

All protests dismissed

https://twitter.com/RachelBrookesTV/...a-1-2021-title

[M Hybrid V8]

Originally Posted by forza1976

Another update:

"I am hearing Mercedes' protest has not been upheld.." reports Craig Slater... "We are still waiting for official confirmation.

"If that's the case, Max Verstappen is world champion."

There's no way the protest can be upheld. That would only worsen the race results and dig a deeper hole for the FIA. Damage control suggest they have to keep the results as they are regardless of how poorly the end of the race was handled.

[TheBingoBalls]

Originally Posted by forza1976

All protests dismissed

https://twitter.com/RachelBrookesTV/...a-1-2021-title

No surprise. There was no precedent to strip a WDC after the fact.

[Bubbles]

Originally Posted by forza1976

All protests dismissed

https://twitter.com/RachelBrookesTV/...a-1-2021-title

And the protest deposit is not refunded.

[forza1976]

Well everyone can be pissed at the FIA and Massi.

I for one am glad we have some variety in the champion now.

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

*****

Yessir he is the Champ indeed, tots to the cry corner but he got his constructors.

[Humdizzle]

Originally Posted by forza1976

George at Shakir last year: https://www.formula1.com/en/results....ualifying.html

lmao... george russell outpacing verstappen. that answers my question.

last few pages seem to be constantly mentioning HAMs race pace. in reality its Mercedes pace. They make the better car and i agree with them winning the constructors championship. WDC should go to max... to take that redbull and go toe to toe with Mercedes is quite a feat.

[lebreeze]

Lewi8 in my mind. That was a complete joke.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

Yessir he is the Champ indeed, tots to the cry corner but he got his constructors.

*****

[M5Rick]

[QUOTE=///M Power-Belgium;28352912]*****
-------Whew what a day, came back from my cycling a few minutes late for the race and been through a tunnel of turmoil up to now with an angel of reason waiting at the end.

[Bubbles]

Originally Posted by E34nication

RB actually had greater straight line pace this weekend … they ran considerably less downforce.

Top speed maybe with Max running almost no rear wing, acceleration to top speed advantage Merc.

[M Hybrid V8]

Max and Lewis gave us one hell of a season. Shame it had to end in such a controversial way. Masi just cemented his legacy as an incompetent piece of crap that shouldn't be in charge of anything. I can completely understand wanting the race to end under race conditions, but it's not motor racing to remove the advantage Hamilton earned just so Max could have an advantage and opportunity to win because he couldn't do it on his own merit.

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

*****

...and Max did it on his ninth race? PU----Honda the Power of Dreams

[3798j]

Just don't see where the satisfaction is...race control manufacturing a race result.

[FormulaMMM]

Originally Posted by M2CS

I still don't understand how anyone can say Merc blew their pit strategy. It's only using hindsight that we know the safety car ended with 1 lap to go. Mercedes had no way of knowing that would happen the way it did. The only scenarios they could consider were those that are legal under the rulebook. Merc would've thought the race would end under the SC or the SC would end and Max would have to make it through lapped traffic while Lewis had more than enough time to pull away and make it to the end of the race. Those are the only scenarios that were in-line with the rules.

So given that, why would they pit Lewis for softs only for him to be behind Max and if the race ends on SC.... they would've just made the dumbest call in their history? There was no way for Mercedes to defend against what Masi did because what Masi did wasn't in-line with the rules and never happened before.

Let's have a civil exchange on this point, yeah? Because I think it's interesting, hugely influential on outcome, and worth discussing.

Blown call -- no, too strong. It wasn't a real-time clear cut decision on the Merc pit wall. But as I've said, I do believe that if HAM had been presented with the choice, I'm confident he would have taken those softs and fought from 2nd.

It was safe to assume the race would be restarted. Because of the speed of the Latifi cleanup, and perhaps even more so, because ending this season under safety car should absolutely be avoided from every conceivable perspective. Again, I got the impression of race resumption watching the broadcast long before it went green, with limited footage of the Williams cleanup. Merc didn't have more camera angles or information?

Merc's lapped cars buffer strategy wasn't actual. There's no way Merc hung the championship on numerous cars remaining between HAM and VER. They couldn't have predicted with any certainty that the lapped cars wouldn't be allowed past, or that there wouldn't be time for that process after the clean up. What you heard from Toto was desperation, not their rule-based strategy going south.

Merc either didn't believe the race would be resumed, or believed that HAM's remaining pace and track position would be enough if it did. They were unwilling to give up track position.

Toto freaked at the loss of the lapped cars buffer, but that was a red herring. Lapped cars wasn't their strategy, no way.

[kyrix1st]

"Although Article 48.12 not applied fully, in relation to s/c returning to pits at end of following lap, 48.13 overrides it." is a classic example of circular reasoning. Won't hold up in court unless it is specifically stated and/or implied in the 2021 F1 regulations why the latter overrides the former.

[AlexFL]

[M5Rick]

[QUOTE=///M Power-Belgium;28352970]*****

*Tots now appealing again against Fia decisions and probably hitting the bottle also.