Seems the stewards didn't deem it as such a minor incident, as some on here like to think it was!. Being disqualified for dangeroud driving would have been quite embarassing for Schumacher, I suspect.
Derek Warwick's comment about the eventuality of a black flag should throw some indications on the stewards point of view. Schumacher 'saved by the bell' !! Stay posted ...
For what? He's been penalized...this is over. The only people that want things to keep going and this be an issue are MS haters.
Nope!! Just people who like to see fairplay, sportmanship, decency and justice in motorsport. The guy should consider himself on probation and excluded from the championship at the next track incident.
Out of curiosity and not to suggest what he did was correct BUT RB was on him tight, had to know MS would use one move to block and could have gone to either side. RB was in the faster car and arguably chose to pass on the skinny side of the course. As far as I could tell even prior to RB move, there wasn't enough room on course to pass on that side even before MS move. Why does RB share no blame and how was what MS did any more dangerous than Webber launching off the back of a slower car?
The simple answer is that Michael is held to a standard other drivers aren't. Part of it is due to his prior transgressions, part to personal animus. As far as the reports that he was about to be black flagged I have my doubts. The FIA has been so slow to determine and administer penalties during races they never would have reached such a consensus in the time reported. Another F1 if.
Part also because he is a 7 times WDC and used to be a spokesperson for the drivers association (GPA) of which the main goal is drivers' safety. If a rookie pulls the crap MS did, they would punish him, nobody would care and everybody says "well, he is a rookie, that's how they drive in the lesser formulae" and they're right. But a guy with his career, experience and accomplishments is held to a higher standard and rightfully so: Imagine what kind of message it sends to the Hulkenbergs, Yamamotos, Kobayashis, Chandhooks etc of this season if they see the biggest of the fish doing this kind of crap and it is OK. They'll be next in line to pull a stunt like that and it might end up with two cars airborne, over the catch fences, into the grand stands, fire and pieces everywhere, two dead drivers and a bunch of spectator casualties. I expected a ten grid spot penalty and that's exactly what they did. However a friend of mine who is a big MS fan and does NOT share my animosity towards MS called me today and said they should have black flagged MS AND thrown him out of the championship. At least for one race if not for the season. He was adamant about this. And he is a race steward for the SCCA.
Rubens is a cry baby, and the move was certainly no more dangerous than Vettel's wall-squeeze on Fernando or many of Ham-boneheads crazy I'm going thru regardless nonsense at almost every race. Seems to me Rubens actually positioned himself to drive over the edge of the racetrack itself, on the 'shoulder' anyway, and MS had just covered the actual racetrack itself, ie within the white lines dictating the edges of the racetrack-proper. People need to notice that Rubens is completely over this line and almost in the wall anyway. Schu may be hard, but he is fair, and Rubens needs to grow a pair. Trouble is, Michael's presence just reminds Rubens he was always just a bit player, and was even supporting driver to the weakest champ ever - Jenson Crap-on
Absolutely right. Anyone who has been marshalling and witnessed such agressivity would condemn Schumacher without hesitation.
You can make the case that Michael should be held to a higher standard because he is a role model or you could say that Michael has proven his abilities to be superior and should be allowed greater leeway. Neither is fair. At this level all drivers should be held to the same standard.
I thought they were is there a different rule book for beginners and old-timers ? It's only in forums like this that there seems to be a difference
Completely agree. MS went way far down on my list. Maybe he should have gone back to go karts rather than F1
A black flag would have definately been over the line. I'm a MS fan and believe the 10 grid spot penalty was fair. But a black flag? Come on. There wasn't even an accident. What would they have done if there had been a huge crash and injuries? Ban him from F1? Give me a break. Some of the MS haters need to start thinking a bit more clear. Webber has pulled this sh*t a couple times and didn't get squat. If Yamamoto pulled this, no one would care. He made the block, didn't work, no accident, he got penalized for it, its over, move on. Alex
got an example ? I can't remember once where Webber has tried to run someone into the wall, Sebrina has a habit of running people into the wall at the start of races but don't notice any others doing this
Very similar to MS on RB. First pass on the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elyxIhMW_No&feature=fvsr Couldn't find the other one. He also did it to Raikkonen at brazil, '08 I believe. Alex
yes, I've not seen that before .... not good , not as close as the RB/MS incident but still marginal to say the least Is it a Brazilian thing to go the skinny side ? Both Rubens and Felipe in those circumstances went the skinny side, why not go the wide side ?
I love how everyone loves to bring up "their list" but the fact of the matter is, in the history books MS will go down as the best ever...
Lol, I'm not sure if it's a brazilian thing or not, I originally thought the same thing, "why not go to the wide side?" I think they don't go that way because their closing speed is so quick, and the inside is obviously the best way to pass, they have to choose one side of the other, and they choose the inside. Lets face it, it would take a hell of a pass to pass around the outside, whether your car is quicker or not. I forget what race it was this year(maybe someone knows), but MS blocked the inside for about 12 laps or so and the person trying to pass never did, because MS wouldn't let them have the inside. Alex
