Will Ferrari Protest the Move Under Yellow Flag? *spoilers very likely*

Maldonado got that penalty because it was his third infraction this season. And I do not believe what Vettel did is an infraction, he gave up the position. So doubtful a protest, and doubtful a penalty. And really, let it rest, Vettel earned the WDC in Brazil coming from last to 6th.

 

Protest won't help/work. Just heard confirmation that the stewards have decided, those weren't yellow flags we all saw, apparently.

 

It's those tinted Tifosi blinders you were wearing, apparently they rendered the red stripes invisible on the yellow flag!

 

The track condition lights were new to me and raise doubt but I'm glad the race and the season won't be decided by the stewards or by Paris.

 

Yellows? Red and Yellow? Blinking? Not blinking? Green then back to Yellow - why? I think it's all a bit tricky for Ferrari to be sure of. This however is more cut and dried IMO. Happened just after Vettel's spin I believe and this is maybe what Ferrari should be looking at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm_6c_PWi7E

I for one don't like it when things are sorted out in the stewards room rather than the track, don't mind Vettel either, but this is blatant. These flags are shown for all sorts of reasons, marshals in the vacinity of the track for instance, and no matter how upset he is about ending up at the back of the pack, he can't fight his way back through the field under clearly flashing yellow lights. He may see an HRT as a back marker - an inconvenience - But you do not overtake in the vacinity of flashing yellow lights for any reason. If you do, you get a penalty. With 3 points in the WDC that penalty may be harsh.

 

There is no doubt there were yellow flags, series of yellows prior, plus a yellow/red for slippery track which was there most of the race. The series of initial yellows ended with a green, where vettel was still behind, he then starts to size him up, but then the yellow start again, as he moves left to start, but is still behind, they go past a yellow flag/light, and KK ceases to resist, vettel then goes past, and passes a second yellow, then has made his ove and is in front at the next yellow.

It's cut and dried. In the past, where a car has been unable to be penalised by giving the. Place back, a drive thru penalty is given in the race (massa and Hamilton have had this several times), but since the stewards obviously missed or ignored it during the race, they should apply time to the race time for the offender, essentially adding a drive thru to his time. While vettel lovers won't like it, that puts vettel out the points and makes fernando champion.

Unfortunately, I would suggest politics come into play here, and nothing will happen. I bet it would have if it were the previous race

 

Agreed.

It was the best championship for some time,
but in 20 years we may find out or realize it was rigged.

Would we care?

 

Vettel deserved a penalty for this, but I think that Ferrari deserved other for releasing Alonso from pits when a Force India was coming, so I suppose that in the end it doesn´t matter.

 

Let it go already. If we, Ferrari, had a competitive car, Alonso wouldn't have to do miracles at every race, and we wouldn't have to rely on a " yellow " flag to win the championship.

 

Its not that, its the fact that the rules should be enforced equally, it shouldnt matter whether its the world champ or not. Yellow flags are yellow flags, I seem to remember both Schumi and Alonso being penalised late in 2006 for the same indiscretions, and those were on quali laps when they were neck and neck. Plenty of people take their medicine, so should red bull.

A lot of fuss is made about yellow flags, and it is pretty petty, but the argument is always that they are there for SAFETY, and passing them in race mode is an abosolute offence. In Brazil, in the rain, at the speeds on those straights, no one can question the stupidity of ignoring them, looked what happened in 2003 when a car crashed on the straight and annihilated lots of cars

 

You´re right, rules should be the same for everyone but... in the end you settle for equal distribution of injustice.

 

Ironic, isn't it? (That driver was Alonso, who ignored the waved yellow flags for a Webber crash in a Jaguar, and piled into the parked car)

 

Great phrase but an oxymoron.
Once you start managing results legitimacy goes out the window and everything becomes suspect.

 

It is ironic, but illustrates the point, Vettel was just lucky there wasnt a spinning car causing the flags, he could have caused a massive pileup, he wasnt to know. Theres little excuse for flouting the rules where safety is concerned

 

We have been told multiple times now by the people who RUN the race that it was not a safety yellow. Are you seriously suggesting that you know more about the flag rules than the stewards? Fold the tin foil hat and put it back in the closet.

 

Before I do, you had better go and check, the actual flag they were talking about is the yellow/orange check, used to denote a slippery track - you go learn the rules, i will continue to debate the facts

If you need to check up on me, refer to Martin Brundle and Anthony Davidson, who re-ran the footage and confirmed the information I have relied upon in my posts - and bear in mind they were both F1 drivers - not laptop jockeys like us

 

If you liked that phrase, I´ll give you another one: the real world is an oxymoron but if someone has a better plan, we´re listening.

 

Not sure about the listening part.

 

Were people more likely to protest in Schumacher's time?

 

There was nothing to protest about as Vettel did nothing wrong. You are allowed to pass under the 'slippy surface' flag. It is possible that someone did query the footage with the FIA, but we'll never know.

 

EH? You are claiming that the flag was a local yellow? What facts and rules are you talking about? The FACT that the stewards said it was not a local yellow but the Yellow/orange you now claim? What are you trying to argue?

 

Nope.

Pretty much the same as now; An official protest is incredibly unusual. IIRC, we've had just one this year when Fauxtus questioned Mercs trick DRS. And that was rejected. Many seasons pass without any protests.

What does happen a lot more than most realize is "questions for Charlie" - They see something they don't like and ask him for a "clarification" - This gets issued (generally pretty quietly) and we all move on - Always been that way.

Cheers,
Ian

 

Watch the footage, then question it. the slippery surface flag was out most of the race. The yellow flag lights are the ones in question, and were definately lit where vettel made his pass. This was the subject of much debate on the BBC and Sky live shows, and all of the commentators were of the same opinion, that vettel completed an illegal pass, and the question was - did the stewards miss it, chose to give him a pass for a reason unknown to the rest of us, or would ferrari or anyone else chose to protest the result due to the fact of the pass.

Stop being so argumentative and watch the footage, then I am sure you will realise the pass happened under yellows. The debate is whether anyone would protest, and Im guessing the politics are going to prevent it

Its just a shame Grosjean took us out in Spa, those points would have done the job