Race director Charlie Whiting stated in Singapore and at the start of the Fuji race that cars leaving the pits have right of way!
We all saw that Felipe Massa drove into Sebastien Bourdais in Fuji on Sunday. We all expected Massa to be penalised, but wait...the FIA have spoken, and Bourdais received a penalty.
In a conference before both Singapore and Fuji, Whiting stated the above. So Bourdais had track position, and right of way, yet Massa felt none of this was his fault.
This is the second time in just four races that Whiting's advice has been ignored by the incompetent FIA stewards, who have no racing experience at all, and by the looks of things, don't have a rulebook handy.
Yet again, the stewards have had over 20 minutes to make a ruling, but have decided to make it after the race, much like Rosberg and Singapore.
In fact, it took just 14 minutes for the FIA to decide both Massa and Hamilton should serve a drive-through for their action in Fuji, one of which was also Massa's fault.
My Theory as to why the decision was made after the race: because time penalties applied after the race cannot be appealed, i.e. Hamilton/Spa. This meant Toro Rosso couldn't appeal the decision, which they would have won.
The other was a silly mistake which happened under pressure by Hamilton, although McLaren are bewildered to why it deserved the same penalty as a contact hit.
Yes, this article is a bit of rant, but I just wanted to show some evidence that proves Bourdais has been treated unfairly by the FIA stewards, and that they are clearly contradicting rules now.
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about 1 month ago
The sport is a complete sham these days, and I am ashamed to be a fan when the race director is regularly been undermined in such a despicable way.
about 1 month ago
The issue of stewarding will not go away. Hopefuly Mosley's sucessor might grasp the nettle and appoint permanent stewards and an independent appeals process.
about 1 month ago
What bothers me is the 25 seconds thing. There were still over 15 laps left. If there were less than 5 you can tack on the 25 seconds, as we saw in Spa. If you have 15 laps left and you decide to "investigate after the race", then the time stands, but you hand the offender a 10 spot penalty in the next race.
WTF is going on here? The Ferrari Insurance Association folks, thats what. Which team needed a point to regain the constructors lead? How do you give it to them? You penalize the guy who is exiting the pits, practically driving off the road to avoid a collision from another driver forcing him over, but you wait until after the race. Why? Because if you do it DURING the race you might find out that the red car is at fault and would need a drive through penalty (again), thus costing them the points they need to regain the constructors lead. If you wait until after and the red car comes in LOWER than the other car, you can add on time, dropping that car and elevating the red one. If I interpret the rules correctly, handling the situation in this manner with this penalty is NOT an option and is a violation of the rules BY THE STEWARDS!
Since I am ripping the stewards anyway, what was the point of handing a drive-through to a guy who didn't hit anybody, then was hit by somebody and was already in last place as a result? More Ferrari insurance of course. Nakajima taged somebody in the first turn and lost his front wing. Did he receive a drive through? No, but by then it was pretty apparent that he was no longer a threat to a red car.
Didn't I read somewhere on here somebody stating that you can't penalize the drivers on turn one of the opening lap because everybody knows its going to be chaos down there anyway? Gee, wouldn't that apply to Lewis? Is that the reason Kaz wasn't penailized?
Formula one is getting to be about as credible as an American election....
from about 1 month ago
haha yes, in fact on one of my previous articles it was said that the first corner is excused due to the amount of cars, and it just so happens to be a supporter of the Hamilton penalty, I won't name names.
I don't get why they take so long to decide, they pretty much know that if a red car is involved, then the penalty goes in favour, if not then they decided in seconds.
I just don't get the stewards, its making a farce of our sport.
about 1 month ago
So basically race stewards have more authority than a race director. IMO, a race director should be the "referee" of the race, and the stewards the "referee's assistant".
from about 1 month ago
This season is really beginning to implode with these steward decisions! Never before has there been so many of them. The worst thing is that the final result of a race is never gonna be final at this rate.
Now just imagine last year if it was a Ferrari instead of McLaren appealing against Williams and BMW to win the championship...
from about 1 month ago
Exactly, Charlie Whiting should be able to overturn a decision or have a say in the decision, i.e. Charlie Whiting's vote equals 2 points, the stewards votes equal 1 point, so 3 stewards all vote penalise, thats 3 votes, Charlie votes don't penalise, that 2:3 Stewards win, but if 2 stewards vote penalise and charlie and the other steward don't then its 3:2 or something like that.
about 1 month ago
Charlie Whiting is not a Steward so he cannot effect the race in that way.He is a race director, looking after the safety of the race. But permanent stewards are the way forward, The FIA does look like a joke shop at the moment and it does appear that they favour a certain team, but an organisation of that magnitude simply cannot be at all bias.
I have been thinking about that incident and i dont understand why they penalised anybody. it looked to me like a racing incident. But the stewards must have been put under pressure by Ferrari, if it was a Mclaren I dare say things may have been a little more fiery post race.
about 1 month ago
Charlie Whiting is not a Steward so he cannot effect the race in that way.He is a race director, looking after the safety of the race. But permanent stewards are the way forward, The FIA does look like a joke shop at the moment and it does appear that they favour a certain team, but an organisation of that magnitude simply cannot be at all bias.
I have been thinking about that incident and i dont understand why they penalised anybody. it looked to me like a racing incident. But the stewards must have been put under pressure by Ferrari, if it was a Mclaren I dare say things may have been a little more fiery post race.
about 1 month ago
I am kinda surprised Toro Roso aren't appealing this mater. Those points being lost could make a serious impact on the team to line up sponsors for next year, let alone drivers. There are rumors going around the American media (what little reports on Formula 1 anyway) that Bourdais may be driving at Renault next year, either as a replacement for Piquet or Alonso if he decides to go over to Honda.
from about 1 month ago
You can't appeal an time penalty which has been applied after the race, why do you think the stewards waited until after the race? Because they knew it would be appealed and overturned and Massa wouldn't get that extra point!
Its ridic!
about 1 month ago
Absolutely time for perm elected by the teams and drivers race stewards. Its a complete joke, but why would they ever change a system that works so well for Ferrari ?!?
Incidently head over to the BBC website, go to sport, got to formula one and look up the video entitled "Mosley wants action to save F1" and then check out the huge scale model of a ferrari behind Mosley during the interview.
from about 1 month ago
I love the fact he points the Ferrari out, and says Ferrari International Assistance and probes him about bias. Great reporter.
about 1 month ago
The FIA are either extremely incompetent or extremely corrupt. I am really starting to feel as though I am wasting my time watching the races these days. Better to just check the "official" results a few days afterwards when the stewards are done revising all the finishing spots.
about 1 month ago
Alan Donnelly is a former European MP who is the 'chief steward'. His company is called Sovereign Strategy.
According to the Sovereign Strategy website its clients include the FIA, Formula One Management Ltd and Ferrari.
No conflict there, obviously.
from about 1 month ago
Nuff said really, try getting themselves out of that one.
from about 1 month ago
Yup, says it all, in fact I wrote an article about that a while back!
about 1 month ago
I can now learn to enjoy another sport since the FIA, Bernie and the Stewards have ruined my watching Formula 1.
about 1 month ago
Unfortunately , the rules dont specify the blend line like in NASCAR. It is covered in grey language under overtaking. Charlie has interpreted the rules his way and I think a majority of the drivers have common sense to know a car coming down a main straight at full throttle into a braking zone and tight apex is not going to be in a safe condition to yield to incoming traffic from a pit lane. Just lke a major motorway the cars on the road have the right of way not the cars getting on it.
The big issue issue is how big the paddock area is now because Bernie wanted state of the art roomy paddock areas for the VIP's and such. There is no room for a sufficient blend line to exist.
about 1 month ago
Look at this video now published on Formula1.com: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/10/8530.html
It shows all the controversial incidents at Fuji. Study the second clip of the Massa/Bourdais incident! There is a white line right across the track at the end of the 'no cross' line marking the pit exit lane. Massa is ahead of Bourdais by a car length at that point; the line is visible ahead of Bourdais front wing while Massa's car is entirely in front of the line (and travelling faster!)... Massa's corner!
That said, there is no such rule as 'cars exiting the pits have right of way'; Charlie Whiting's 'advice' relates to cars IN the pit lane, leaving their pit, where a car already driving along the pit lane towards the exit should be given right of way - i.e. a car leaving having made its stop should allow one coming up the pit lane to go past, so as not to risk an accident.
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