Unsafe pitlane release is a team error. Why does F1 not deduct WCC points for such ? It's inequitable to penalize the driver for a team mistake. In the case of Monaco poor old Max didn't even make the podium after a solid drive to second. What a farce.
+1000000 Absolute nonsense! Max drove a brilliant race and deserved that second place. Maybe if Bottas didn't try and back the pack up they wouldn't of been so close together in the first place
Verstappen didn't deserve the second place. Don't forget he barged into Bottas and did cost him to lose his second place for another unscheduled pit stop. Verstappen gained unfair advantage , so it's only fair that he was penalised. I would have given him a "go-through" penalty to calm him down.
Thank goodness your not a steward then. Like I said, if Bottas didn't decide to back the pack up, they wouldn't of been that close together in the first place.
The pitlane in MC is freakishly narrow. Walking along it on Friday's really clarifies just how pokey it is. Unsafe release is team's fault and team should be penalized. Max's car also sustained damage through unsafe release. Max should fine the team.
All that has nothing to do with Verstappen bullying his way out of his pit and blocking Bottas against the wall. Don't try to turn the victim of this incident into the culprit !!! Yes, if I was a steward, I would be very harsh in such cases.
That's not what the rules say. Penalizing the driver also penalizes the team. Same for grid penalties, etc ... "Two birds with one stone!"
Seriously?? Max saw the green light and drove off.... How is that bullying? If anything, it's Bottas that should have had a penalty. @Bas Jaski posted an incident where Sirotkin received a penalty last season for doing something similar to what Bottas done. But of course a MB driver would not get a penalty for such a thing.
Yep. 100% teams fault that. You can hardly see anyone in your mirrors at the best of times in these cars. In the pit, with 20 odd crew around you, and from 2 more teams...when the light goes green you fully trust in your team the road is clear, as the team is fully aware of the penalty at stake. At this incredibly narrow pitlane, there's even less visibility and more things to avoid. How Max is to blame for this is beyond me. Bottas created the ****show by holding back. The rules state clearly, 10 car lengths. Bottas measured in buses, and doubled! Zero penalty, zero investigation even. Just more evidence that the FIA turns a blind eye to Mercedes tactics.
Typical Max, he made absolutely no attempt to avoid contact with a car that was ALREADY in the pit lane when he became aware of it, and squeezed it against the wall causing damage to it. Now if you want to talk about another incident, what about Max (again) deliberately ramming the back of the leading car (Hamilton) at the risk of causing damage to it, when there was no realistic chance of passing. It's Worth noting that at this point Verstappen, having incurred a 5sec. penalty, wasn't in fact racing against Hamilton, so the attack was futile at best! But that's what you get with Max; I thought he had calmed down this year, but it was an illusion.
For your information, other drivers have in the past incurred a drive-through penalty at Monaco for exactly similar incidents Jean-Eric Vergne commented on French TV yesterday that's exactly what happened to him when he was driving for Toto Rosso. He left the pit on his team order and inadvertently blocked a car that was coming behind in the pit lane. That was judged to be an "unsafe release" and the stewards gave him a go-through penalty he had to serve within 3 laps. It wasn't his fault, but that completely screwed up his race, he added. So Max was extremely Lucky with only 5 sec.added !
Did I argue against Max's penatly? Not sure what your point is except from deflecting that the FIA, as per usual, turned a blind eye to Mercedes. Max got what is the standard penalty for an unsafe release. It's the only penalty they really can do in cases like this, as a financial penalty we'll just see more of this happening as teams can easily afford it. However, blaming Max for the incident is idiotic.
Silly... they win as a team and lose as one. Additionally they can give you a great car and you can run into the back of your teammate. The team doesn’t deserve that but the driver gave it to them. The team can not install lug nut on a wheel properly and not finish a race because of it.
Exactly ! When the team messes up, it affects the driver. When the driver messes up, it affects the team. It's pure logic.
Totally get what you're saying. So why have 2 separate titles then. One for the driver and one for the team?? They don't always win together.
It was a clear case of unsafe release. If you are not fully in front you have to give way to the car already in travel lane, period. If you start letting people duke it out there would be carnage. There is not much less of a penalty you could give him. Regarding the crew-- it's tough, it is a game of millisecs.
