FORMULA 1 ROLEX BELGIAN GRAND PRIX 2021....RACE....▄▀▄▀▄▀ SPOILERS▄▀▄▀▄▀...

Unfortunate circumstances and they should work out something for the fans.

Back in 2005 I flew halfway across the U.S. for the GP at Indianapolis. Out of the 20 cars that entered the race, only the six cars using Bridgestone tires competed. The remaining fourteen entrants on Michelins completed the parade lap and then pulled into the pits and refused to race because the Michelins proved to be unsafe on the turn banking. None the less, I was fuming, having brought some friends to their first f1 race.

Eventually Michelin announced that it would offer compensation to all race fans who had purchased tickets and issued refund cheques through the Speedway ticket office. Additionally, Michelin purchased 20,000 tickets for the 2006 USGP to be distributed to spectators who attended the 2005 race.

 

Watch the video. Bianchi was speeding under yellow on a wet track in the rain. If he hadn't been killed, race control would have certainly given him a penalty for his case of "gross negligence"

Joe

 

More specifically, David moved over to “give him the racing line” in conditions where Schumacher couldn’t see him move nor could he move over quickly to avoid him. Crap move by Coulthard that could have ended much worse than it did.

 

Either postpone until the next day or cancel. Awarding points and having a podium celebration was an insult to those who braved the elements to attend the “race”/processional exhibition.

they could have also moved it to replace Suzuka instead of racing at a non-F1 circuit in Quatar…there were options.

 

Shumi, the oblivious class act.

 

The FIA is in charge, is it not? Or should they bow to any team principal coming to lobby them in their decisions.

After all, they are not shy of dishing out penalties and fines all year round, so why do they have to listen to last minute requests?

The race should have been cancelled outright early in the day, if reshedulling was impossible, and the attending public refunded..

After all, several GPs have been already cancelled this year.

 

Covered wheel "open wheel" racing is a contradiction in terms.

 

Perhaps the band should play one note per racing lap finished of the national anthems.

 

I couldn't agree more.

You're are spot on on every point.

Ever since the frivolous lawsuits the FIA started all the insane safety nonsense including the Halo. I know we would have at least one fatality without it by now (Grosjean), but it ruined the look of the cars. Might sound cynical, so be it.

And yes, Bianchi would be alive today had he not sped up (like nobody else) under yellow.

One of the outcomes of all this are not just the SC phases but also the many red flags. Something that existed as a total exception in the past, yet now it happens regularly every year. Not that I complain about that since it does create interesting situations. At least until today when it became absurd.

 

The rubber "skirt" didn't entirely cover the wheel, at most a quarter of it, at the rear, and close to the ground, from where the tyre throws the spray.

There is no need to cover the wheel completely, since there is hardly any projection going upwards, and none going forwards.

 

F1 wouldn't be F1 without risks. Knowing that and accepting that, . . . . . . what the hell just happened?

 

Can't ignore what's happening outside of F1. It's not going to be any different than the rest of society.

 

Quite the opposite. They should have started the race on time. They would have gotten more than 2 laps in,
and they wouldn't have had to engineer them.

But, considering the FIA has to manage modern sensibilities they probably did the best that they could,
and naturally no one is happy.

That LH is complaining and trying to leverage the fans is probably the best indication they did at least something right.

Like I said, about as entertaining as some of the processions, just took longer.

 

I know what you are saying, but really the fashion of lawyers running after ambulances started in the States, did it not?

Now many people have caught up on that, and seen the benefit of that culture. .

A lawsuit that turns to be successful can never be called frivolous.

 

Glad that Hamilton called them out. What a waste of 4 hours.

 

even better...start the race *early*

if they had moved the start time up 45 minutes to an hour, they could have gotten most of it in.

majority of the fans would have already been there.

TV (at least Sky feed we get here on ESPN) was already doing their pre-race show.

NASCAR has started races early due to weather before, if they can figure it out a bunch of sophisticated F1 guys should be able to

 

George Russell seems quite pleased with his participation trophy.

 

Also, the water returning to the surface, as opposed to misting, slows the drainage of the circuit, if not even adding to the wet.....

 

Domencali speaks now here. He should limit his out put lol - https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-ceo-domenicali-no-commercial-pressure-to-start-belgian-gp/6656999/

F1 CEO Domenicali: No commercial pressure to start Belgian GP
By: Adam Cooper
Aug 29, 2021, 3:33 PM
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has denied that there were any commercial considerations behind the decision to ensure that the Belgian GP was officially deemed a race.

After a long delay due to the wet conditions the event eventually started behind the safety car, but it was then stopped after just three laps. That was enough to ensure that half World Championship points could be awarded to the top 10.

Some observers have suggested that F1 wanted the race to officially start in order to ensure that the commercial deal with the Spa promoter was fulfilled, and thus the full fee paid.

However when asked by Autosport if having no race would have impacted the deal Domenicali denied that that would be the case.

“No, no, at the end of the day,” he said. “That’s why, when I hear that there was some commercial discussion behind that, it’s totally not true, because when we’re talking about racing, there is responsibility, that is a clear process, and those things are not connected at all.”

Asked if F1 would have received its full sanctioning fee without a race he added: “Absolutely. That’s why I said to consider that as something related to a commercial implication is wrong.”

Domenicali said he fully supported the decisions made by FIA race director Michael Masi in waiting for a window in the weather and then stopping the race soon after it had officially started.

“For the people, of course, it’s a shame, because it’s something that everyone wants to see, a proper race,” he said. “But I think that the decisions taken by race control are absolutely correct.

“There was the wish and the will to do the race. And as soon as there was information, I was following what was the situation there, there was a window of possible weather improvement to try to do the race.

“Then as soon as they restarted, the comments were pretty clear, and on the another side another weather forecast received, not possible. Despite the disappointment for everyone, I think in terms of management, it was the right thing to do.”

Asked if he had a message for fans who had paid for tickets he said: “The message is clear, that unfortunately we don’t control the time. Two laps or no laps, the spend was there.

“So, it’s not a problem of laps. It was the point of trying to do the race. I think on that, race control tried to do the maximum to do it. So as I said, it’s not a problem of laps or no laps, it’s really unfortunate conditions.

“You need to consider safety for everyone, and that’s very very important. As I said, the first to be disappointed is me, because I love racing, but there are always conditions where you cannot do it.”

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Fans under umbrellas during a red flag period

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

Lewis Hamilton is among those that called for refunds to be awarded to fans.

"Today was a farce and the only people to lose out are the fans who have paid good money to watch us race," Hamilton posted on social media.

"Of course you can’t do anything about the weather but we have sophisticated equipment to tell us what’s going on and it was clear the weather wasn’t going to let up. We were sent out for open reason and one reason only.

"Two laps behind the safety car where there is no possibility to gain or lose a place or provide entertainment to fans isn’t racing. We should have just called it quits, not risked the drivers and most importantly refunded the fans who are the heart of our sport."

Domencali suggested that F1 would work with the promoter to see what could be done for disappointed fans. After the 2005 US GP – when Michelin tyre issues meant that just six cars started – fans received refunds, with the tyre company's support.

“It’s something that [we can discuss] together with the organiser,” said Domencali. “We are not the ones that are putting [out] the tickets. Some sign of attention could be done, so it’s something that as a gesture of attention, in terms of what will be the right reward in this condition.

“Unfortunately the race is not there. You can pay the ticket and it is what it is. At the end of the day, for sure, the organiser, together with us, will consider the attention, the maximum attention to the fans, that’s for sure.”

He added: “I think there will be ideas that they already are thinking [about], considering what has happened this year.”

Domenicali also confirmed that it would have been impossible to run the race on Monday, a practice that is common in US racing when oval events are rained out.

“Not for logistical, for a lot of reasons, you cannot schedule the race the day after for many things, related to availability of marshals, availability of other stuff.

“That was considered, of course, but it’s not possible. With the promoters, everything is very close, they followed the decision process, so they are not out of that.”

 

“There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.”

― Ernest Hemingway

NOT AFTER TODAY!

When Shyte was real:



2007 Japanese GP was run under awful conditions also.

 

Why do they insist in calling it "a race" when no racing took place ?
Following a pace car for 3 laps, with instruction to keep grid order, not overtake, not defend, is certainly not "racing".

It would have been more honest for Masi to tell the public that since no proper racing could take place; instead half the points would be awarded according to places obtained during the qualification session. That would have been closer to the truth.

As for the celebration ceremony, it should never have taken place, nor any trophy distributed.

What we saw this afternoon wasn't a GP race in any sense, but a dog and pony show to deceive the public.

 

So what's the bottom line here? Does F1 race in the rain or not? Simple question. Who has the answer?

 

It’s really bizarre that I’m more embarrassed than he is. He can stick it on his mantle next to his third grade soccer trophy.