October 04, 2007
...this is just getting ridiculous.
Lewis Hamilton is now under investigation by the FIA Stewards, allegedly for causing the accident that took out Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel during the Grand Prix of Japan.
Webber and Vettel both state that Hamilton was driving erratically behind the safety car, slowing down dramatically and the speeding up.
Webber blames Hamilton completely: "I think he did a s*** job behind the safety car. He did a s*** job and that's it. He spoke in the driver's briefing about how good a job he was going to do and he did the opposite. But we know for next time. It definitely contributed to Sebastian (Vettel) hitting me up the back. We were confused what the other car was doing because it wasn't doing what it was supposed to do, clearly. You have to keep a sensible rhythm and obviously in the first safety car period and clearly in the second there was not a sensible rhythm."
The accident was missed by Fuji TV, but a video has surfaced on YouTube, showing Hamilton coming close to passing the SC by sliding wide, then decellerating to keep behind it. Webber then nearly passes Hamilton, slows down, and Vettel rams into him.
Well, look for yourself:
If the Stewards decide that he's at fault, he could be penalized 10 places on the grid... or he could be stripped of his win at Japan, and docked the 10 points he earned.
Is it any surprise at all that Fernando Alonso, his so-called teammate, has chimed in? "I also overtook Lewis two or three times (during the 19 laps run behind the safety car at the beginning of the race - WD), so it seems that we all agree. It's difficult to know what the car in front of you needs to do. I didn't see the race on TV but, hearing the comments of the drivers, they seemed to overtake the car in front a couple of times and had to make some unnecessary manoeuvres to avoid the cars in front."
Need I mention that if Hamilton is stripped of his points, the Driver's Championship is down to 2 points again? And that Alonso is the beneficiary?
Need I mention that F1 needs this like it needs a hole in the head?
Posted by: Wonderduck at
09:08 PM
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Posted by: Steven Den Beste at October 05, 2007 01:11 AM (+rSRq)
Posted by: Mallory at October 05, 2007 07:03 AM (3sife)
Posted by: madmike at October 05, 2007 07:46 AM (ZHoAZ)
Posted by: Will at October 05, 2007 10:14 AM (WnBa/)
Posted by: Buttons at October 08, 2007 11:56 AM (VjS5e)
Buttons, I think the rule has been on the books for a lot longer than that, but Slappy's incident (his own darn fault, by the way) brought attention to the fact that it had been largely ignored.
I'm not entirely sure I agree with you regarding Hamilton's oscillating speed behind the SC being to cause HWMNBN to hit/pass him. I seriously believe that he was trying to keep some small amount of heat in his brakes/tires on a track that really wasn't driveable at that time. The weather was, to be blunt, extraordinarily bad.
Posted by: Wonderduck at October 08, 2007 07:32 PM (UdB9M)
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