YEES! The last race of the year did not disappoint in controversies but Max Verstappen is the Champion and I think he deserved it. Congratulations to Max!
I'm very relieved Max's championship win is controversial/dubious/devalued I'm sure everything (protests etc.) will be hushed up nice and quick so F1 can market their Champion, but I hope a cloud of uncertainty hangs over it for most of the winter.
They are all in a stewards meeting right now. MB has their Barrister with them. It looks like they are going to fight hard. I'm not taking a position here, but it would seem fairly clear-cut that Masi contravened the written rule (article 48.12) on safety car and un-lapping which says that once the instruction is given, then ALL cars should un-lap and the safety car should go in at the end of the successive lap, which would have been lap 58, the end of the race. So MB does have a legal point.
48.12 reads "any" ... right? As a legal term, "any" does not mean "each and every one", definitively. If the intention were to mean "each and every one", definitively ... the correct legal term would read "any and all" (or, perhaps, just "all"). Masi had full authority and discretion on the call.
CONGRATS to Max Verstappen and Red Bull! You successfully defeated Lewis Hamilton, and his merry little band of woke stewards The better driver won, and the sport is better for it!
You might be able to argue that if precedent were on your side. Tell us, what does precedent show? How many cases in the past have only had a few cars un-lapped before the safety car goes in? you can get as vexed and pontificate as you like with me, or anyone else. Fact is, your opinion counts as much as mine in the outcome (that’s zero, by the way). Armchair lawyers, got to love them.
I think it will be very unfair to say Max didn’t deserve today’s win, and that he did Lewis wrong etc. Max did absolutely nothing wrong, nor did Red Bull. He drove his heart out all season and won more races than Lewis. Hamilton fans can be upset at today’s result but Max had nothing to do with the stewards or race directors decisions. RB made a brilliant strategy call based on a legitimate shunt by a Mercedes powered car mind you. There is nothing dubious or undeserving of Max’s title. Two mega fast drivers fought hammer and tongs for the entire season. It beats the hell out of the last 6 seasons.
Well, the appeals have been rejected by the stewards and the result stands. MB will decide if they want to take it to court of appeal.
Agreed. That being said, respect to both Lewis and his Dad today. Both were great in defeat*. Anthony Hamilton = true gentleman. (*Which cannot be said of Herr Wolff and the MB team... S*re L*sers)
Even if you want to argue a grey area in 48.12 regarding "any" vs "all" (even though no such grey area exists), 48.12 is over-ridden by 15.3 (absolutely) and 48.13. Mercedes has no legal grounds for appeal. It's over, and Max Verstappen WON a hard-fought season
