It's Official Hamilton Was Robbed......

[ToraToraTora]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/motorsports/lewis-hamilton-had-f1-title-completely-taken-away-by-decision-f1-agrees-was-incorrect/ar-AAU87nL
...the whole of F1 agrees. It's Max I feel for, his "win" is forever tainted. No doubt he'll win again but his first win should have been special, ruined by incompetence. Charlie Whiting will be spinning.

[douglas9401]

Filling up here.

[Togo]

It used to be called cheating, but that is not allowed now in the woke safe space distopia that has been created. Every leisure/sport pastime that the "continentals" have managed to gain control of is now bent. Who paid the bribe money?

[davebro]

To quote Lucy Honeychurch (A Room with a View)
"Of course, what did you all think?"

[sunny-dave]

It's very much Not Official -

"An FIA spokesman said the report into the failings at Abu Dhabi would be published at the season-opening race in Bahrain on 19 March."

I could, instead, headline this as :

"Mercedes Driver says that Mercedes Driver was robbed"

It's still only opinion as the full report hasn't yet been published.

FWIW (not much) I do agree that the decision made under extreme pressure was wrong.

[ToraToraTora]

what extreme pressure? all he had to do was follow the rules, the race would have finished under the safety car.

[Gromit]

// Michael Masi was ousted by the FIA as F1’s race director last week //

But he is line up for another FIA job.

Sounds suspiciously like brown envelopes changed hands.

[sunny-dave]

You've heard the Audio?

Christian Horner shouting in his ear whilst he was making safety critical decisions - should never be allowed (and won't be in the future) - he screwed up, but it was understandable in the pressured circumsatnces.

[ToraToraTora]

he should have ignored Horner and applied the obvious and clear rules. Every football referee gets the same 100 times a game every game.

[Bazile]

Of course he was robbed .

RB had the better package all season .

Yet Hamilton was on course to lift a seventh title in the final race , untill our friend Mr Massi decided to orchestrate a RB win , after some shameless lobbying

[ToraToraTora]

I could understand if he decided against letting the lapped cars overtake and restarted with a lap to go that would have put Max 6 places behind but no he let the cars between Lewis and Max unlap themselves so that put Max up his Jacksy on new soft tyres, sitting duck. It was incompetence at best out and out cheating at worst.

[sunny-dave]

Just spotted that the Barcelona testing session this week isn't going to be broadcast live on Sky (or anywhere else) - just some sanitised footage after the event.

Shame - I was looking forward to seeing how the new cars shook down.

[douglas9401]

It's clear that Mr Masi was the wrong man for the job just as it is clear that small ginger people and looming Teutons shouting in your ears will never hurt you.

It should have gone behind the bike sheds after class to settle it, better than what happened on the day.

[Bazile]

//Yet Hamilton was on course to lift a seventh title//

That should say eight , of course

[youngmafbog]

I rarely watch F1 and now I dont have a licence its never. But this one I happened to be at my son inlaws. I have never seen such a terrible decision in my life, not a fan of Hamilton these days but certinaly was robbed.

[New Judge]

//It's still only opinion as the full report hasn't yet been published.//

Whether the report has been published or not is immaterial. It's not opinion, it's fact. The rules were broken and anybody watching could see that. It has also been widely accepted by almost everybody in the sport, including most people in the FIA.

I, too, feel a little for Max. There's Lewis and him, and then (a good bit further down) is everybody else. He's a fierce but fair competitor and a good sport. But his first championship (and I believe he has more to come) is sullied by this business. Lewis holds no grudge. Drivers play the cards they are dealt and it is inconceivable that Max would have stayed behind because "it wouldn't be fair to win." Lewis would have done exactly the same if the roles were reversed.

But it's over and done. Let's look forward to a new season which will hopefully bring exciting racing with fair refereeing.

[William51]

I think Lewis Hamilton has acted with dignity after being robbed of the title. And it is correct for Michael Masi to be sacked. I can see Hamilton succeeding next season and everyone will be supporting him.

[Paul22118]

My thoughts are:
Race directors, whoever they are, must keep to the written rules.
Masi failed to keep to rules and rightly paid the penalty.
Verstappen is a good driver and will be champion again because he's young and will come again.
Hamilton has shown brilliant dignity and will again triumph, if he loses because his opponent is better on the day - remember Rosberg, he will accept it. BUT BUT only if the rules are adhered to.
Sadly Max will always be remembered for crossing the line first but only with help from rule bender Masi.