they won’t get the result they seek today. There was already a podium celebration, etc. it will go to the courts and linger over the winter. As I said earlier, I Michael Messy screwed up by letting some cars unlap and not others. He can only explain that decision by saying he wanted to end the safety car ASAP and letting the field pass would have meant the race finished under safety car. I think that will be the crux of Merc’s protest…and it’s a procedural challenge vs a judgement one. The guy has been pulling decisions out of his backside all season. Does he need some training on the rules? Letting teams influence decisions makes him a weak leader (and I’m talking the entirety of the season, not just today)
Does anyone have the exact wording of the article that allows lapped cars to pass the safety car? Does it specifically say that all lapped cars must be allowed to unlap themselves before the safety car comes in?
https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/2021_formula_1_sporting_regulations_-_iss_11-_2021-07-12.pdf 'any'
Masi(Messy) will stumble and trip thru his beginning role. Maybe 5 or 10 years later he will look back at this and probably do things differently i.e. Red Flag the race due to Latifi's shunt then restart the race with 5 laps remaining.(as an example) I would not know who to replace Masi since some people are "off with his head." The replacement will also stumble and trip along the way as well......probably due to influence from the teams.
He better have a strong explanation that holds up the decision to only let what, 5 cars pass and not all lapped cars? But if deemed incorrect procedure, how do they respond? The previous lap positions stands? All teams could potentially agree to this - if incorrect procedures/rules proven? The rules should be the rules, regardless of who benefits. If the rules dictate Max wins, so be it. If Lewis, then so be it. But they have to have something solid to point to - otherwise this continues to be a mess. I'm afraid this has already become an asterisk, questionable win if there is no black and white explanation, and agreement to all parties. I respect Max and Lewis (and Fathers), reaching out to each other at the end.
Yes, once ALL the lapped cars have unlapped themselves then the safety car can come in. I believe Masi just decided the 5 that were between Lewis and Max and just let Lewis and Max race with 1 lap to go. Had there been more laps left in the race, then Masi would have let ALL cars unlap themselves and then bring the safety car in.
As Sky said, he needs help - too much on his shoulders. Help in the form of a team, or more backbone. more clearly defined rules and regulations. if nothing else, perhaps this season can be a catalyst for something better next season and beyond. I think everyone agrees (likely Masi too) that nobody is happy with the way it is currently, and something has to change for the better.
I suspect the legal show will rumble on all the way to the day before the start of winter testing. The conclusion of this legal show will be that various lawyers will acquire a lot of wealth. Nothing else will change. The result will stand. Life will go on. So boring to have to deal with this shambles for a few weeks yet.
I agree. I think the ‘in race’ lobbying is out of control. There should be a clear rule that teams are not allowed to communicate opinions on race strategy to race control. They are all at it. Messy (I like that nickname!) has a hard enough time running the show with split second decision making. Having a bunch of conflicted team managers whinging in his ear is totally unnecessary.
Absolutely! I mean, Charlie Whiting and all of his experience is one thing, but Masi needs to just stick to the rules, without bias, and make decisions. Him playing up to Horner and Wolff all season a) undermines his credibility and b) guarantees inconsistency and him being forced to consider which side he takes. That is not a good approach for a newbie to take. Hopefully he learns the key lesson you stated and disconnects his hotlines for Toto and Christian
For those that connect the dots in what is happening in the world......Who is the only one wearing a mask in this pic? Combine that with one of his sponsors on his car and you know why things wound up the way they did.