As I stated earlier I think the decision is ridiculous but I don't really believe that there is a conspiracy either.

Having said that this made me smile....

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So, has the FIA reversed this ruling yet? Or are they going to put another nail in their coffin?

Pat Symonds on the incident

Excellent points.

I think they shoulda taken away all of McLaren's manufacturer points again.
That's what I would have done, just to listen to the whining.

Don't worry, the FIA will be tipped off to McLaren rigging the ECUs so the McLaren can be boosted in the closing laps.

It's a double entendre. Ball washing used to be done by golf course flunkies. My usage refers to "other" balls.

Actually, yes:"5.4.2 If you gain a position resulting from cutting allow the car you
passed to overtake you before continuing at full race pace."

I agree with Scott.

KR clearly passed LH after Hamilton gained track position. IOW, LH allowed KR to pass before continuing at race pace. That action means LH gave up the position gained from his off and on course maneuver by reducing the relative speed difference with KR. Hamilton could still accelerate though not at full 100% throttle while being passed. It's entirely possible.

Once in the same relative position as before, it's a new race regardless of race pace. LH then passed KR after KR braked early in the next turn. KR drove a great race until the dampness appeared. Hamilton had the pace, Raikkonen didn't. Heidfeld showed how much of a difference there is in tire selection when it's moist/wet.

The stewards are local officials. This clearly shows they're incompetent to judge this objectively even after judging the video and telemetry.

Sherwood

Sherwood,

You might want to double check who the stewards were, their identity is not secret.......but the second part 'might' be true...

I' ll agree that LH gave the place back... at the time, place and at the place of his chosing. That is the crux of the problem....

This is the issue and the only issue.

It doesn't matter whether he gained an advantage or whether he allowed Kimi to re-pass back into the lead or by how much - that isn't what the stewards are citing him for.

They are saying that he wasn't using the race track. This is where you see inconsistent application of the rules as I absolutely guarantee with 100% certainty that Hamilton was not the only person during that race or any other race that didn't run off the track at some point for one reason or another.

Again it doesn't matter what the reason was, where it happened, what the features were around that area of the track, what he was doing before, or what he did after - all that they are saying is that he used something other than the track during the event.

So, name one driver that didn't run off the track at some point during practice or the race!

Imagine that! Alonso thought the penalty was fair! No bias or personal animosity there!

Link

LOL. Alonso is a giant douche.

I always thought of him as more of a turd sandwich.

No, he's definately a giant douche.

Turd Sandwich!

MFAFF wrote:
"You might want to double check who the stewards were, their identity is not secret......""

My oversight. The 3 race stewards at Belgium were not "locals", but selected FIA officials.

from:
http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns20741.html

"The three men are interesting in that Surinder Thatti is a Tanzanian who now sits on the FIA World Council representing Kenya. This may seem odd but in FIA circles is not unusual at all. An Indian represented China at the FIA for years and one of the members of the FIA Senate has represented at least three different countries in the course of his FIA career. Thatti is seen as a close ally of Max Mosley as head of the FIA Confederation of African Countries in Motorsport (CACMS). He was the official who complained some months ago about the appearance of Sebastien Loeb on the podium of the Mexican Rally.

Deschaux is the young head of the Federation Francaise du Sport Automobile, which sanctions French motor sport and promotes the French GP. He was one of the leading critics of Mosley at the FIA General Assembly this summer and is widely seen as a rising star with a good brain and it is hard to understand how he would have been a party to such a dubious decision, unless he was outvoted by the other stewards. Little is known of the locally-nominated steward Yves Bacquelaine, except that he is one of the leading members of the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium."
-------------------------

F1 doesn't need these allegations of credibility (Ferrari favoritism), incompetence or lack of sound judgement by its race stewards and by its Race Director, Charlie Whiting, who twice told McLaren on the radio that the move was "OK". While not a voting member of the steward group, Whiting consults and advises the three based on his "expertise" and knowledge of race regs.

Unless more video or telemetry evidence shows me otherwise, I'm chalking this race up to a huge PR disaster for F1.

In order to restore public confidence that the series is on the up and up, I suggest the FIA dismiss the current group of officials and bring in a fresh team. Racing fans and the motorsports community have lost confidence in the current crop of officials. However, the issue is whether the FIA can find qualified individuals who can judge fairly and can suppress any political agendas for or against participating manufacturers and their team principles. That might be a tall order in the mega-buck, elbow rubbing universe of F1. That includes starting at the top with Max Mosley.

Sherwood

Anyone been in an F1 car lately want to post: ;)

From PlanetF1:

Thanks for explanation of ballwasher, guys. I learn something useful every day on Pelican! :D

Now how are you going to apply this new knowledge, Marcus?

I can see a few applications in the line of my business. :D