Formula 1

[DarloRich]

Turns out, he's still a rather unpleasant person. Will be interesting to see how long he stays in F2 without Williams backing

Idiotic, but he isn't wrong about Latifi though...................

 

[D365]

Turns out, he's still a rather unpleasant person. Will be interesting to see how long he stays in F2 without Williams backing

I’m sure that’s meant in jest, as we’ve known that since 2015!

Idiotic, but he isn't wrong about Latifi though...................

Latifi is hardly the worst pay driver that Williams have picked up. Nakajima and Sirotkin would have to be up there.

 

[DarloRich]

Latifi is hardly the worst pay driver that Williams have picked up. Nakajima and Sirotkin would have to be up there.

Agreed - however he also isn't fantastic. Such is the world of pay drivers. Look at Haas!

 

[Geezertronic]

Agreed - however he also isn't fantastic. Such is the world of pay drivers. Look at Haas!

Mazapin is terrible - I think he's only finished in front of Mick once in a full race this season and that was at Monaco and I assume it was because it was difficult to overtake. His race-craft is appalling - as we've seen he will block faster cars from lapping him and even try and take his team-mate out to avoid coming last, although we was unlucky on Sunday being taken out by Raikkonen in the pits but karma gets you sometimes.

Mick on the other hand - well his performance on Sunday shows that he would do better in a better car, he's got a lot to live up to with that surname and will probably never reach the same heights as his Dad, but there's promise there that's for sure.

 

[Domh245]

I’m sure that’s meant in jest, as we’ve known that since 2015!

I was hoping that he'd perhaps turned over a new leaf, but between the Latifi-incident* and some of his F2 radio messages**, it would seem he's still the unpleasant type.

*which it turns out, was after he'd been dropped - they just didn't announce it until later
**though granted, TV directors do have 'stories' they like to push around certain drivers, and broadcast accordingly

 

[gswindale]

Still not great to publicly criticise your now ex-employer and their drivers in such a way - makes you wonder what he'd say if he was in Aston Martin's driver camp - what would he have to say about the team owner's son, as he seems to think he is better than Latifi?

 

[PG]

Scratch that, he's been given it back, pending the outcome of the protest lodged by Aston Martin.

Aston Martin have now been denied the right to appeal so Seb is disqualified. Shame but as @43172 mentioned upthread rules are rules.
Aston Martin denied right of review of Vettel's Hungarian GP disqualification

The stewards from the race meeting were reconvened on Monday to assess Aston Martin's new evidence.

The team have accepted that only 0.3 litres of fuel remained in the car after the race, a point it contested at the time as it had not then discovered the leak.

Stewards accepted that the evidence of a leak somewhere in the fuel system satisfied the requirement for "new" evidence, which is one of four separate criteria a team must satisfy for a right of review of the decision to be granted.

However, stewards said that the article in the F1 rules relevant to the case "unequivocally call for a remaining amount of one litre [of fuel] and does not allow any exceptions under which circumstances or for what reasons" less was available.

Therefore, the reason for the lack of fuel was deemed "not relevant" to the disqualification, and the team's case was rejected.

 

[Geezertronic]

Aston Martin have now been denied the right to appeal so Seb is disqualified. Shame but as @43172 mentioned upthread rules are rules.
Aston Martin denied right of review of Vettel's Hungarian GP disqualification

I don't believe that they have been denied the right to appeal as they have lost the right of review which has been dismissed by the FIA - next process would be for Aston Martin to appeal which is separate from the right of review.

 

[greatvoyager]

I was hoping that he'd perhaps turned over a new leaf, but between the Latifi-incident* and some of his F2 radio messages**, it would seem he's still the unpleasant type.

*which it turns out, was after he'd been dropped - they just didn't announce it until later
**though granted, TV directors do have 'stories' they like to push around certain drivers, and broadcast accordingly

I thought maybe he would too, but seems like I was wrong.

 

[PG]

I don't believe that they have been denied the right to appeal as they have lost the right of review which has been dismissed by the FIA - next process would be for Aston Martin to appeal which is separate from the right of review.

Aston Martin have now decided to drop their appeal - hopefully they'll have better luck next time they find themselves upfront
Aston Martin withdraw appeal

Aston Martin withdrew their appeal "on the basis that we believe doing so outweighs the benefits of being heard".

 

[najaB]

Aston Martin have now decided to drop their appeal

Which was pretty much a given once they figured out that there had been a fuel leak. "There was 1.4l in the car, we just couldn't get it out" is reasonable grounds to appeal, as it stands now there was next to zero chance it would have gone their way.

 

[LOL The Irony]

George Russell has qualified P2 in a Williams. At Spa. In the wet.

 

[jb108822]

If that Merc seat isn't his next season, something's gone wrong.

 

[nlogax]

Look at that rain. There's no way this is happening is there?

 

[birchesgreen]

Unless it stops soon they'll run out of time before it gets dark.

 

[JamesRowden]

Have a virtual safety car start with 3-4 seconds between each car.

 

[Darandio]

If there's one thing guaranteed about Spa it's the unpredictable weather, it could be blazing sunshine in 20 minutes. Seems Perez will now be allowed to start as well.

 

[D365]

Redemption for Russell after Sakhir 2020?

 

[LOL The Irony]

Redemption for Russell after Sakhir 2020?

I'd say so. Quite the shame it happened under these circumstances though. Shortest race in F1 history and first time half-points have been awarded since Malaysia 2009. Williams once again got double points, with Latifi's P9 meaning they score 10 points, again, meaning they now have 20 points. Who would've predicted that at the halfway point, Williams would have 20 points and be a solid 8th in the championship?

 

[158756]

Sorry, but I can't celebrate Russell getting the "podium" there. That was no race. As everyone, especially George Russell knows, there are no points on Saturday. And if they did actually go out for those last two laps just so they could point to the rulebook (and no doubt all their contractual arrangements) and say the "race" was "completed" everyone involved should be pretty embarrassed. The fans should get a refund, but fat chance of that.

 

[43172]

I should be happy that George got his first podium, but it feels like when Tiago Monteiro finished P3 in the 2005 US Grand Prix, should be happy that a backmarker gets a podium but the race is a farce. Doubt the fans will get a refund as officialy it is a race, and to make things more confusing, the provisional results are with 1 lap completed where the sporting regualtions require 2 laps completed.

 

[DelW]

What a ridiculous pointless charade it was. Points should only be awarded for racing, not a farcical two lap dribble round the circuit behind the safety car with no overtaking allowed.
The race should have been abandoned, I can only imagine this was done to avoid refunding spectators. I can see no justification for awarding any points. A day of shame for F1.

 

[najaB]

I can see no justification for awarding any points.

Alternate viewpoint: awarding no points would have invalidated all the hard work and money put in over the weekend to get the cars to the grid. Other than Russel being P2 can you honestly say that the breakdown of points is significantly different than what we would have expected from a normal race weekend?

 

[Spamcan81]

What a ridiculous pointless charade it was. Points should only be awarded for racing, not a farcical two lap dribble round the circuit behind the safety car with no overtaking allowed.
The race should have been abandoned, I can only imagine this was done to avoid refunding spectators. I can see no justification for awarding any points. A day of shame for F1.

Couldn't agree more. A complete and utter farce. Race should have been abandoned with no points awarded.

 

[Darandio]

I'm fine with awarding the points on that basis and Russell deserved something from the weekend after the showing on Saturday. The right thing should be done and fans refunded but given Spa have already issued a statement, i'm not sure they will.

After GP Statement

www.spagrandprix.com

Spa Grand Prix SA expresses its deepest disappointment to the outcome of this weekend, which was supposed to be the one of reunion, the conclusion of a year of hard work during which we overcame all obstacles. It started well, the show was there, but the weather conditions were not in our control and the decision made by the race direction must be respected, as the safety of the drivers must remain the priority.

We share the disappointment of our customers, who have been exemplary in the way they have suffered this incredible day, but also in the way the evacuation has been carried out,. This underlines, once again, the quality and the perfect behavior of our public of enthusiasts.

We now look forward to tomorrow, to a bluer sky and we look forward to seeing you next year.

 

[DelW]

Alternate viewpoint: awarding no points would have invalidated all the hard work and money put in over the weekend to get the cars to the grid. Other than Russel being P2 can you honestly say that the breakdown of points is significantly different than what we would have expected from a normal race weekend?

Points are awarded for winning races. Today there was no race, of any sort.

If the FIA want to award points for qualifying alone, that should be agreed through the normal channels by all the teams, not made up on the hoof by race officials.

 

[JamesRowden]

Perhaps they should have planned to have qualifying on Friday, and a sprint race on the Saturday in addition to the Sunday race

 

[wireforever]

They might want to consider race day Saturday and if weather is bad postpone till Sunday but that requires common sense agreements and money being involved I feel in the current covid world F1 is a bit irelevant and after Spa needs to have a long hard look at itself in the mirror

 

[D365]

They might want to consider race day Saturday and if weather is bad postpone till Sunday but that requires common sense agreements and money being involved I feel in the current covid world F1 is a bit irelevant and after Spa needs to have a long hard look at itself in the mirror

How would you fund a ”contingency day” for each race weekend? Let alone coordinate the volunteer marshals.

Not sure what the ”covid world” part of your comment means.

 

[GB]

They might want to consider race day Saturday and if weather is bad postpone till Sunday but that requires common sense agreements and money being involved I feel in the current covid world F1 is a bit irelevant and after Spa needs to have a long hard look at itself in the mirror

For something that may only happen once every few years (if that) I don't think it is necessary changing the race to Saturdays just in case.

Not sure what "current covid world" has to do with anything...Football goes ahead, Wimbledon goes ahead, Olympics goes ahead why not F1?