FORMULA 1 OOREDOO QATAR GRAND PRIX 2021 - Lusail - Qualifying. ▄▀▄▀▄▀ SPOILERS▄▀▄▀▄▀

Max (legally) can't get penalized for quuali flags thing:

2.5.1 At night, the flags may be replaced by lights and reflective panels, but all drivers must be made aware of this at a briefing beforehand. Yellow lights at each post are obligatory for competitions run at night (see Article 2.11.1). If more than one means of signalling is used, the Supplementary Regulations of the competition must specify which of them is regulatory.

Drivers were made aware of this via Race Director's notes.

From the Race Director’s notes for Qatar:

4) Track light panels 4.1 The FIA track light panels have been installed in the positions shown on the circuit map. In accordance with Appendix H to the ISC the light signals have the same meaning as flag signals.

That means light panels atleast have equal importance as the flags. If there is conflicting information, driver will not be penalized. There were no yellows on drivers dashes or at any light signal on the track. (Austria 2020 initial decision before it was known that Lewis could see a panel showing yellow as well as the flags being yellow)


"The light panel at the turn in question was showing flashing white. In night races, lights supersede regular flags since otherwise the flags would have been replaced by reflective boards, article 2.11.1 regarding recommendations at night:

The marshals’ signaling flags and the “SC” Safety Car board are to be substituted with double-faced discs of 80 cm diameter, or boards of similar area, with handles 50 cm long and painted on both faces with reflective paint in the colours: yellow with red stripes, white and green (the blue colour for the overtaking signal is not required since the manoeuvre is performed by cars with headlights).

Alternatively, the light signals described in Article 2.4.2 can be used."

Regarding this, does the note under article 2.11 ("This article does not necessarily apply to competitions run under floodlighting.") also apply to article 2.11.1? If someone could clarify that it would be great.

Because it (Article 2.11.1) is separately referred to in the first place in Article 2.5.1 ("Yellow lights at each post are obligatory for competitions run at night (see Article 2.11.1).)

https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/appendix_h_2021_published_09_03_2021.pdf

Flags in Qualifying were not in compliance with article 2.11.1, drivers can't be expected to comply with the flags that didn't have the required paint for a night race.

80cm discs painted in reflective paint were missing.

 

So you are saying that Hamilton is now all of a sudden 2 tenths faster since Brazil?

Max should have it in the pocket by now if it was not because of the crash in Silverstone.

 

So with likely Max, Valbot, Carlos penalties Pierre will be on the front row and IIRC starting on softs with far less to lose than fashion plate boy

 

And his exploding tires in Baku.

 

and the stupidity of Bottas taking out both RBs in Hungary. And Hammy’s silverstone antics resulted in an engine change penalty for Max also.

 

From the stewards, on F1.com:


Their statement said: "notwithstanding the fact the team argued that the turning off of the yellow sector on the FIA marshalling system some 34 second prior to the driver reaching the yellow flag, signified that it was 'play on', it was the driver’s responsibility to take the appropriate action when entering what was a double yellow flag area.
"The driver acknowledged his awareness of the presence of Car 10 on the right
side of the track. Having seen a disabled car, it is reasonable to expect, as was the case of the driver of Car 55 [Carlos Sainz], that there was a potential danger and that a yellow flag situation probably existed and therefore to take the appropriate action (i.e. to reduce speed)."

 

So Max five place penalty, Bottas three places; go Pierre!
Watch Fernando too, starting third and not caring one bit about Loulou's need to make sure he gets big points!

 

I've just read this statement.

So let me get this straight:

1) Gasly explodes wing/tyre
2) FIA turns on S3 yellow flags
3) In their infinite wisdom, the stewards decided he stewards decide to turn the marshal lights OFF
4) they still have a yellow flag waving. In the dark.
5) They basically tell the drivers there aren't yellows. But they must see the car (pulled off to the side of the track). Anyone that passes, should've realized the track was still a danger, so the utter, utter morons in charge, decide to penalize anyways.

What. A. ****ing. Joke.

All you can do is laugh at the sheer ineptitude at this point.

 

I want Max to win this championship, but I think Lewis since Brazil has stepped it up in his driving. I am not a Hamilton fan, but I will give where credit is due.

 

So the new engine has nothing to do with that?

 

Was the Brazil engine in Lewis' car yesterday? A big pro-Lewis friend in Belgium said Lewis' engine was an old engine, I don't believe it.

 

Yep. Old engine. They're using hte brazil engine in next 2 races.

Not looking good for Max at all.

 

Some one explain how they can swap and use engines how ever they want?

 

They can rotate engines as they are introduced.
3 for year.So for the first 5-7 races - use 1. Introduce second. Use first in practice. Use new for race etc.

 

Merc sux

 

Yes it does, I am not a fan of Hamilton. I am just saying the gap of half second to Verstappen is down to both the motor and Hamilton’s driving.

 

Lewis 6 tenths clear of Bottas
Max 1.1 seconds clear of Perez.

Max driving as good as ever. Lewis driving like always. It's the car.

 

It’s always the car.

 

Thanks

 

Yes, I miss the old days of F1 when you had surprise winners like John Watson in Austria 76 in a Penske, Alan Jones in Austria 77 in a Shadow, etc. maybe they weren’t championship contenders but they were always in the podium mix unlike today. Think the 1977 Dutch GP the first 12 qualifiers were with a second of each other. Today sensors and computers tell engineers what the car is doing far more accurately than a driver can, and it’s been that way for years. I’m not even going to get into the Aeros. Would I want Lewis in a Ferrari? No because by himself he brings little value. If he came with a tech team, like Schumey did with Rory Byrne, etc, then yes, I would take them. I wonder what would have happened with Ferrari if Seb bought Newey with him…

 

MB out developing RB. Simple as that. It is the only variable. The drivers are the same.

 

Both Lewis and Max are well clear of their teammates. The Merc is currently the better car. Most of the season the cars where very close to each other with both teams having a couple of weekends that the car was just better (I count 2 weekends for both Merc and Red Bull). This is up to and including Mexico. Max has suffered some poor luck (Baku) and receiving end of crashes (Silverstone, Hungary, both times by Mercs). Lewis has received some extraordinary luck (Imola, Baku). Since Brazil the Merc is mindblowingly fast.

Prior to Silverstone the Red Bull tended to be the faster car, post Silverstone the Merc tended to have the upperhand.

Yyep.

 

I know. Although he’s not an Adrian Newey, James Allison’s wife passing and him moving back to England to join MB only made them stronger.

Ferrari desperately need strong chassis/aero people.