Symonds: Spa Penalty Will Stifle Racing | FerrariChat

Symonds: Spa Penalty Will Stifle Racing

Discussion in 'Other Racing' started by Barrister, Sep 11, 2008.

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  1. Barrister

    Barrister Formula Junior

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    #1 Barrister, Sep 11, 2008
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2008
    Couldn't have said it better myself.

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    Symonds: Spa penalty will stifle racing

    [Autosport]

    By Jonathan Noble Wednesday, September 10th 2008, 17:48 GMT

    Renault director of engineering Pat Symonds believes Lewis Hamilton was hard done with his Belgian Grand Prix penalty - and reckons the controversy will only harm attempts to make the sport more exciting.

    Speaking on the official Renault podcast Formula One podcast in the wake of Hamilton being stripped of victory for gaining an advantage by cutting a chicane, the highly respected Symonds sees nothing wrong with the way that Hamilton let Raikkonen retake the lead as they battled at Spa-Francorchamps.

    And although rubbishing accusations in the media and from fans that the penalty was evidence of a bias towards Ferrari by F1's chiefs, he thinks there are implications from the controversy that could result in drivers being less willing to take risks in the future.

    "As it happened in real time, we were talking on the intercom and said: 'Wow that was definitely a situation where he has to give the place back,'" he said. "I guess we weren't that surprised when the stewards were found to be investigating it. Having looked at it again, I feel very, very sorry for Lewis. I think he has been very hard done
    by.

    "It raises lots of interesting questions, and I am not talking about 'Are the FIA on the side of Ferrari?' We have to believe that they are impartial, the sport would not exist if we didn't believe that. But I think it does call into question [the sport's] philosophy, because everyone is saying we need more overtaking in Formula One, we need more excitement, and we need more personalities.

    "And yet it seems to me that everything that actually happens seems to be against that.

    "Here we had a great race with people really challenging each other and for why? If it's taken away, then why take that risk?"

    Symonds has looked at video replays of the incident since Sunday's race and now believes that Hamilton had complied with the rules and not gained an advantage by cutting the chicane.

    "To me the facts are quite clear in retrospect. I have had a look at the videos, I've had a look at the published data which shows that Lewis was nearly 7 km/h slower than Raikkonen across the line, you can quite clearly see on the in-car camera that he lets him get completely in front, and in my view Raikkonen just braked very early.

    "Lewis went inside him, and if you look at the in-car camera stuff, Lewis drove around the hairpin very easily. He didn't have a big slide, he didn't have to correct it, he hadn't gone in too deep and come out wide, it was a perfectly legitimate manouevre, and it wasn't that much later that Raikkonen went past him.

    "This is racing, this is what we want."

    And Symonds believes that more should be done to improve the speed by which decisions are made.

    "I think motor racing should be like football, not like cricket," he said, with stewards taking two hours to decide on Hamilton's punishment on Sunday night. "Let's have action, let's know what is going on in real time, not wait for two days to find out the result."
     
  2. 1_can_dream

    1_can_dream F1 Veteran

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    Thanks for posting that, and I agree with him completely.
     
  3. DAYTONASME

    DAYTONASME Formula Junior

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    +100

    I recently spoke with Pat Symonds at the Silverstone Classic - he was on a weekend off and like Frank Williams, Patrick Head and Ron Dennis is a racer to the core.

    If a significant penalty is inflicted on Hamilton -its the beginning of the end of F1 and a personal vindication why I spend more time watching ALMS and NASCAR.
     
  4. IanMac

    IanMac Formula 3

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    That's a bit rash. Don't you know he's British and therefore must be biased?
     
  5. SPEEDCORE

    SPEEDCORE Four Time F1 World Champ

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    #5 SPEEDCORE, Sep 11, 2008
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2008
    Well when you get a red card in football not only do you get sent off the field you get atleast 1 or 2 game match ban.

    So if you cut a corner you should get a red card. You shouldn't give the place up, you are just OUT OF THE RACE!

    So if Lewis gets DQ'd and a 2 race ban. I think that is fair, yes I agree with Symonds.

    :rolleyes:
     
  6. 355

    355 F1 Rookie
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    You funny guy. :)
     
  7. bigodino

    bigodino F1 World Champ
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    I don't agree with Symonds. If actions like Hamilton's are allowed then that's the end of F1. What Symonds should do is build a competitive car and supply entertainment and competition that way, not by loosening the rules (which are perfectly okay because they prevent an unfair advantage).

    The problem is the inconcistency of the rule calling. If Race Control said it was okay they should stick with that. Bad call maybe, but stick to it. Not take the victory away after the ceremony.
     
  8. kraftwerk

    kraftwerk Two Time F1 World Champ

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    That is not the issue,^ your point below is the issue how can you hope to supply entertainment if you get penalized for it!!.
    Were you saying that when MS did this.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5UnPeyzcHM&feature=related

    Or Massa/kubica did this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mE_K3AewNE

    NO penalities ^^
    Nail on head
     
  9. DF1

    DF1 Three Time F1 World Champ

    Stifle nothing! The drivers are saying its harsh penalty but rules are rules. Rosberg says they will keep on attacking. Its racing not squash. I guess Pat thinks Monza will be a tea party. Ridiculous
     
  10. Barrister

    Barrister Formula Junior

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    #10 Barrister, Sep 11, 2008
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2008
    Symonds never said that overtaking was what "he" wanted. He said that is what the paying customers want. You can sugar-coat it all you want, but you and I both know that there is not enough excitement in F1 these days. Spa was a tremendous exception that is now - in light of this scandal - reduced to an afterthought. I will always love it - mainly because I enjoy the technology of the cars themselves. But not everyone is so inclined. No offense, but I think you may have misunderstood his point.
     
  11. maxorido

    maxorido Formula 3

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    +1000
     
  12. bigodino

    bigodino F1 World Champ
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    I agree that there's not much excitement but we both know the reason (aerodynamics). It's no use providing artificial excitement by bending the rules.
     
  13. kraftwerk

    kraftwerk Two Time F1 World Champ

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    But it's all right, for some to bend them, yes I get it.
     
  14. jknight

    jknight F1 Veteran

    Oct 30, 2004
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    Definitely agree with what you are saying - we were avid F1 fans, attended several races in a season but with all the malarky going on, it's lost it's luster and we've been going to the ALMS, LMS and FIA-GT races where there's so much more action and really hard racing without all the BS.

    You need to be watching on Motors TV this weekend the final LMS race of the season at Silverstone (unless of course you're going to be there too!).

    Carol
     
  15. SPEEDCORE

    SPEEDCORE Four Time F1 World Champ

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    Only that Race control and the stewards are actually separate dept even tho they might share the same bathroom. Ron asking for Race Control opinion is almost the same as asking the Major of Spa for his opinion.

    The stewards look after the rules/rule breakers and race control looks after safety and notifying teams of penalties and they both get help from the marshals.

    The Stewards were still "investigating" the incident while Race control was giving out opinion.
    Yes bad call from Race Control but again their opinion of the events have nothing to do with what the Stewards decide.

    If you are saying the stewards rule calling is inconsistent through out the season, that is a different kettle of fish all together.

    But the stewards did not give a bad call then change their minds, the 25s penalty was their 1st call!

    Ron called the wrong person!
     
  16. Barrister

    Barrister Formula Junior

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    And you're Scottish so you must wear a kilt, right?
     

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