Formula One - 2021

[YouUnastanFren]

Here's an article from October last year about SC regulations with quotes from Masi:

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/57984/fia-reveal-regulation-quirk-to-blame-for-lengthy-nurburgring-safety-car/

Quote

Formula 1 race director Michael Masi has explained strict regulations left him unable to end the safety car period sooner than was possible during the Eifel Grand Prix.

The safety car completed five laps from 45 to 49 at the Nürburgring as marshals recovered the McLaren of Lando Norris

After noticing the car had been removed from the confines of the circuit, leading duo Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen questioned the safety car's pace and called for the race to resume citing concerns tyre temperatures would drop below the operating window. Asked as to why he was unable to act on these comments sooner, Masi replied: “Quite simply, there is a requirement in the sporting regulations to wave all the lapped cars past.

"So I think from that point, it was position six onwards that were still running, so it would have been 10 or 11 cars that had to unlap themselves and therefore, the safety car period was a bit longer than what we would have normally expected.”

So he was well aware of the rules and can't hide behind ignorance.

[BOF]

The more I think of it, the worse it is from the FIA.

Had they decided the lapped cars couldn't overtake, then there would have been too many cars between Lewis and Max at the re-start and Lewis wins the title. Had they decided the lapped cars could overtake - as in all the lapped cars, the way the rule is written - then they would have needed another lap to get that done and Lewis wins the title behind the safety car. So Michael Masi didn't just change his mind half way through a safety car - which is bad enough in itself, he changed it to an interpretation of the rules that artificially manufactured a scenario where Lewis and Max got to race for 1 lap purely for the cameras and to hell with the integrity of the championship. I feel sorry for Lewis. He was hung out to dry, and Max didn't do anything wrong. He had to do what he did. And both drivers would have been worthy champions. I don't see it being overturned but I do see the teams looking for a new race director behind closed doors. None of the teams will be naive enough to know that could have been them on the receiving end of a terrible unfair decision and plenty of them have already been affected by him.

[Djemba_Villan]

3 hours ago, BOF said:

The more I think of it, the worse it is from the FIA.

Had they decided the lapped cars couldn't overtake, then there would have been too many cars between Lewis and Max at the re-start and Lewis wins the title. Had they decided the lapped cars could overtake - as in all the lapped cars, the way the rule is written - then they would have needed another lap to get that done and Lewis wins the title behind the safety car. So Michael Masi didn't just change his mind half way through a safety car - which is bad enough in itself, he changed it to an interpretation of the rules that artificially manufactured a scenario where Lewis and Max got to race for 1 lap purely for the cameras and to hell with the integrity of the championship. I feel sorry for Lewis. He was hung out to dry, and Max didn't do anything wrong. He had to do what he did. And both drivers would have been worthy champions. I don't see it being overturned but I do see the teams looking for a new race director behind closed doors. None of the teams will be naive enough to know that could have been them on the receiving end of a terrible unfair decision and plenty of them have already been affected by him.

Part of me wonders…when all the current hoo har is dealt with, when both teams are back to parting on their mega yachts and laughing about it all in a few weeks….is this all just cognisant drama (including the teams)….They’ve captured the imagination of everyone yesterday, I even heard my missus talking about it to her non-sporty colleagues….will Lewis/Mercedes just recognise that they will enjoy a bigger pie now and it was worth it. They surely aren’t stupid and recognise one driver and one team winning everything is dull as dishwater and damaging to the sport. I can honestly see Mercedes not pursuing this. They just need to discredit it just enough.

[a m ole]

Merc should take the L and just push for Masi to be removed for complete incompetence 

Edited December 13, 2021 by a m ole

[Lichfield Dean]

4 hours ago, AndyClarke said:

I think the point is that if they had correctly applied the rules and coasted over the line behind the safety car then nobody could have any complaints on the result.

I agree completely

[Lichfield Dean]

5 hours ago, Stevo985 said:

The point is this:

You say it happens all the time, but it doesn't. Safety cars happen all the time, and Mercedes actually made exactly the right decision based on what normally happens under the safety car.

A safety car where they only let the lapped cars between 1st and 2nd place unlap themselves and then don't leave enough time for them to rejoin the back of the pack AND start the race a lap early doesn't happen all the time. It never happens, because it literally isn't in the rules.

 

If the safety car had happened 5 laps earlier, and the usual regularions were followed, Lewis didn't change his tyres, and then Max overtook him and won, then literally nobody would be complaining. Because you're right, safety cars happen all the time. The injustice is the race director taking it upon himself to change the regulations at the last minute which completely changed the race.

It would be like a football team putting 3 defenders on in the last minute to defend a draw in the FA cup so they could play again in the replay, and then the ref saying "no actually this match is decided on away goals so you've lost"

You can't say "Well away goals happen all the time". They do, but not in that way.

I know that the release of some lapped cars never happens, I never said it did. I'm perfectly aware what the issue was with this, I stated as much.

My point is that a lot of people seem have taken away that they think that "it's not fair somebody lost a 14s lead because of a safety car" and that simply isn't the issue.

I'm not even really referring to people discussing it on this forum as you are all generally knowledgeable F1 viewers, I'm talking more about things I've seen written on social media etc.

[bickster]

2 hours ago, Djemba_Villan said:

dull as ditch water

FTFY

[foreveryoung]

The point is, if Mercedes knew this would happen, they may have brought Lewis in for tyres too. The fact he didn't know until the last 30 seconds that the lapped cars were going to be let past, or at least some of them, is really out of order.

Mercedes may still fight it out, as it's not just about the trophy, it's worth millions to the team and Mercedes themselves, aswell as the reputation.

[Genie]

2 minutes ago, foreveryoung said:

The point is, if Mercedes knew this would happen, they may have brought Lewis in for tyres too. The fact he didn't know until the last 30 seconds that the lapped cars were going to be let past, or at least some of them, is really out of order.

Mercedes may still fight it out, as it's not just about the trophy, it's worth millions to the team and Mercedes themselves, aswell as the reputation.

and Lewis being the GOAT

[sidcow]

18 minutes ago, Genie said:

and Lewis being the GOAT

That's kind of what stinks. It wasn't just ANY world championship, it was the one to take up to the top of the charts. Another reason why this stinks, the powers that be didn't want that? 

[Chindie]

That kind of decision being made is the kind of thing that calls the entire sport into disrepute.

[mykeyb]

59 minutes ago, sidcow said:

That's kind of what stinks. It wasn't just ANY world championship, it was the one to take up to the top of the charts. Another reason why this stinks, the powers that be didn't want that? 

Any particular reason

[mykeyb]

40 minutes ago, Chindie said:

That kind of decision being made is the kind of thing that calls the entire sport into disrepute.

Correct

[sidcow]

9 hours ago, mykeyb said:

Any particular reason

Well I have my thoughts but probably best kept to myself. 

[Phil Silvers]

Nice praise from one legend to another.

Lewis has become much better at the way he conducts himself, I used to cringe at some of the things he said and did. Fair play to him.

 

 

[BOF]

16 hours ago, Djemba_Villan said:

Part of me wonders…when all the current hoo har is dealt with, when both teams are back to parting on their mega yachts and laughing about it all in a few weeks….is this all just cognisant drama (including the teams)….They’ve captured the imagination of everyone yesterday, I even heard my missus talking about it to her non-sporty colleagues….will Lewis/Mercedes just recognise that they will enjoy a bigger pie now and it was worth it. They surely aren’t stupid and recognise one driver and one team winning everything is dull as dishwater and damaging to the sport. I can honestly see Mercedes not pursuing this. They just need to discredit it just enough.

I think any short term benefit the sport received by having a thrilling finish for the cameras can very easily be over-shadowed by the damage done to the sport by how that thrilling finish came about. I don't think it's a stretch to say the integrity of the sport; if not damaged; was certainly called into question by the scarcely defensible actions of the race officials this weekend, and that can have a far more long-lasting damage than any instant gratification gave us.  If you end up irreparably damaging your sport (and I don't think they've quite gone that far here...) in a single-minded attempt to appeal to the casual fan, or even worse, the person who doesn't give a shit about it but talks about it by the water cooler, then you have got your priorities wrong and you are no longer working for the best interests of the sport that you're in charge of.  You end up with WWE if the racing isn't organic.

[chrisp65]

Personally, I thought it was a decent bit of innovation and I’d like to see football pick it up.

At 90 minutes, instead of holding up a board to indicate extra minutes, they should hold up a board that says ‘next goal wins’.

 

[bickster]

1 minute ago, chrisp65 said:

Personally, I thought it was a decent bit of innovation and I’d like to see football pick it up.

At 90 minutes, instead of holding up a board to indicate extra minutes, they should hold up a board that says ‘next goal wins’ and the team currently losing get four free subs

 

FTFY

[OutByEaster?]

47 minutes ago, BOF said:

I think any short term benefit the sport received by having a thrilling finish for the cameras can very easily be over-shadowed by the damage done to the sport by how that thrilling finish came about. I don't think it's a stretch to say the integrity of the sport; if not damaged; was certainly called into question by the scarcely defensible actions of the race officials this weekend, and that can have a far more long-lasting damage than any instant gratification gave us.  If you end up irreparably damaging your sport (and I don't think they've quite gone that far here...) in a single-minded attempt to appeal to the casual fan, or even worse, the person who doesn't give a shit about it but talks about it by the water cooler, then you have got your priorities wrong and you are no longer working for the best interests of the sport that you're in charge of.  You end up with WWE if the racing isn't organic.

I think if Masi stays on it'll damage the integrity of the sport. He's pretty clearly made a decision to change the rules for a more exciting finish and his sarcastic reaction to Wolff when asked about it was for me really wrong. If he doesn't go, it'll be pretty hard not to draw the conclusion that his actions were the result of some significant influence by some people very high up in F1.

Your description of a sport changed to appeal to the water cooler crowd sounds horribly like the Premier League to me.

 

[theboyangel]

I find the whole ending to the Grand Prix ridiculous but could understand the manipulation of the rules if the driver leading the Grand Prix was going to lose the race through no fault of his own.

If MV had been leading all race but due to the safety car would’ve been behind LH on recommencement of the race with no opportunity to retake the lead, I could kind of understand tweaking the rules to allow him to pass and deservedly win the race. 

However, the decision that was made essentially gifted MV the race he hadn’t lead since the first lap!
 

It is a baffling decision that only points to extreme incompetence and/or corruption. 
 

it has tainted F1 for sure