[Cornpanzer]

Are you kidding me?!?!

Hamilton left the track because he was forced to in order to avoid an accident. Going into the corner, he was ahead of Kimi, had to slow to negotiate the outer line and then Kimi took a deliberate early apex of the second corner to drive hamilton off the track. Kimi KNEW hamilton had that line and it was a DELIBERATE move to shove him off course. If hamilton had been on the inside of the corner and tried to late brake into Kimi's line it would have been another story, but in this case hamilton put a clean move on Kimi, had the position and was forced off the track.

Hamilton did give Kimi the position back. Kimi was clearly ahead. Svan you quote:

5.8.5 Passing outside the track or on the apron is not allowed. A driver
gaining positions by such moves should let those who passed
immediately regain their position. A driver failing to due so will be
penalized.

This does not specify how much the "offending" driver must slow down, nor does it say anything about race pace. In fact, if you follow that to the letter, Hamilton in theory would have only needed to give Kimi a half car length as this was Kimi's "position prior to the "rules infraction".

Aditionally it should be noted that according to Planet F1, there was no protest from Ferrari prior to the ruling. We all know that if Ferrari thought that McLaren had done something wrong, they would have been screaming the moment it happened! This was an arbitrary judgement by the Race stewards and while I root for Hamilton and Massa both, it is becoming harder and harder to refute the accusations that the sport is being manipulated against McLaren!