[sand_man]

As usual, java, well written and well thought. Not that anyone is asking me to, but I don’t intend to edit my previous posts (pages back), which expressed my original disappointment with Rossi. My first reaction is not always how I’ll finally come to feel about a particular subject. Thus, after marinating on the facts, watching the footage from many angles, and listening to informed enthusiasts like java and motion (and others), I’ve come to conclude that Marc is dirty and forced his own error/crash! And the three points against Rossi is beyond harsh. No doubt, these are men of passion. No doubt Marc has revealed himself the antagonist. Unfortunately Rossi got pulled into it.

Thinking out loud here, but maybe the board which reviewed the incident and the subsequent appeals considered that Marc exacted his own penalty with his crash DNF. They let Rossi keep the 3rd place (they didn’t black flag him) and set fourth to put him at a major disadvantage for Valencia for any part he might have played in Sepang. And in doing so, have all but given it to Jorge, though there’s always hope.

I’m also surprised at how nonchalant Marc appeared about the crash. I don’t remember seeing any middle fingers, or Spanish curse gestures, or throwing hands up, or standing there to wait for Rossi to come around again so he could express his anger. He just seemed to accept it. Not overly animated. Seems suspicious.