Unsafe release?

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Following Nico Hulkenberg's drive-through penalty at the Abu Dhabi GP for an "unsafe release," can someone please explain why Sauber are susceptible for getting a drive-through for this and RBR not (Valencia 2010)? Have the rules changed? Or *HUGE CONSPIRACY THEORY* are the FIA deliberately targeting drivers who are humiliating Fernando Alonso's Ferrari?

Make what you like of this, I thought it was an awful decision and that if Alonso wasn't deemed to have passed Vergne outside of the track/Vergne wasn't deemed to have forced Alonso off track then there is something fundamentally wrong with the stewards. I seem to be getting angry with them every race for their inconsistencies...

[Mr V]

I don't recall the RBR in 2010 incident but I can understand why Nico got the penalty yesterday (it wouldn't have surprised me had he got away with it though, it's not the closest we've ever seen!).

I don't understand the Alonso incident, JEV should leave a space,(if they are both on the same piece of track) but they got to the same point at the same time (Alonso coming from the pitlane) and JEV was on the racing line. I also don't understand how Sutil can get to keep 2 places that he benefitted by cutting the corner ?

[BSchneiderFan]

It was absolutely the right decision to penalise Sauber. A crash in the pit lane could be horrific, and there is no way Hülkenberg should have been released with another car already barrelling down the pit lane. My guess is that, after the frustration with the rear wheel, the pit crew just let him go - but that's no excuse. It was absolutely unsafe, and the correct call was made by the stewards.

As for the Alonso/Vergne incident, I'm in two minds. Alonso did put all four wheels off the track, and made the pass, but - *swallows hard to give the Spaniard the benefit of the doubt* - it's hard to see where else he was supposed to go. I suppose he could have backed out of it, and maybe he should have, but it's a more questionable case.

[Baby Boomer]

Blame for Alonso's release from the Pits must lay with the Organisers. It's a long Pit Exit road but with F1 Cars exiting the Pit Lane straight onto the racing line there MUST be a way to calculate a safe release time from the Pits using the Traffic Lights.

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by BSchneiderFan

As for the Alonso/Vergne incident, I'm in two minds. Alonso did put all four wheels off the track, and made the pass, but - *swallows hard to give the Spaniard the benefit of the doubt* - it's hard to see where else he was supposed to go. I suppose he could have backed out of it, and maybe he should have, but it's a more questionable case.

JEV has said that he didn't see Alonso and had it not been for Fernando going off the track then they would have collided. If he said the same thing in the stewards office, which I imagine he did then it's understandable how there was no penalty applied.

(Still don't get the Sutil one though ?)

[Adam43]

There will always be inconsistencies when you consistently compare situations that aren't comparable.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by BSchneiderFan

I suppose he could have backed out of it, and maybe he should have, but it's a more questionable case.

That is indeed what he should have done, IMO. Red mist.

No doubt at all over the Hulk's penalty. Shame as it wasn't his fault. How you guys can remember Valencia 2010 is beyond me.....

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by Adam43

There will always be inconsistencies when you consistently compare situations that aren't comparable.

for sure but other sports seem to manage. just treat your officials like professionals and give them proper training and support.

[Adam43]

I think it is the same with other sports. Inconsistencies are pointed out without first considering if the situations being used as an example are comparable. In addition rules evolve, emphasis evolves. F1 seems to react to this. The fans whinge it changes and then they are accused of inconsistency.

I'm not claiming they are perfectly consistent, but I don't see much difference with F1 and rugby, NFL or cricket. Some sports have less, but they tend to be sports that don't have competitors all acting at once or less variation in what can be done.

I also see F1 as certainly no worse than most other motorsport.

[chillibowl]

true there is no perfect system but for me there are some big differences. being able to define what constitutes out of bounds for example.

motorsports is harder to judge but it still too subjective for my tastes. ex drivers are a fun addition but still hold an element of celebrity judge on x-factor...although i suppose i should be happy BE hasnt figured out that people will pay for a text message to vote for who they think deserves to be penalized the most.

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

although i suppose i should be happy BE hasnt figured out that people will pay for a text message to vote for who they think deserves to be penalized the most.

Shhhhhhhhhh!!!

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

Shhhhhhhhhh!!!

haha!

dont worry he hasnt discovered the internet either!

[321Go]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

...although i suppose i should be happy BE hasnt figured out that people will pay for a text message to vote for who they think deserves to be penalized the most.

Formula E are already onto it.

http://voltmagonline.com/formula-e-t...rough-twitter/

Could you imagine, if FOM gives the fans a choice of 2 (maybe 3) drivers to vote for during the race, and the driver with the most votes by said end of lap will get a extra 80 bhp (on top of the 160 bhp) KERS boost for say.. 5 laps? Now that would be entertaining indeed. F1 and it's fans interaction?

Would be ideal in a situation like Raikkonen on the weekend. Extra boost to get him further up the grid. But then again, Raikkonen wasn't planning on finishing the first lap anyway, he wanted to leave the track ASAP after the race started.

[chillibowl]

im probably showing my age but no i dont want to imagine what would happen if we let 12 year olds vote based on who they think is the coolest/cutest.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

im probably showing my age but no i dont want to imagine what would happen if we let 12 year olds vote based on who they think is the coolest/cutest.

Frankly, I don't see how allowing 12 year olds to vote would affect anything, the process is so corrupt and such a total joke that I have absolutely no interest in this formula at all!

[Paradise City]

Allowing the public to intrude on on-track competition is going on my red line list along with success ballast and reverse grids. They do that stuff in F1, I'll have watched my last race. I hate text-in talent shows even in the normal run of things; I particularly detest it when it appears in sport.