Nice one Damon

[bodgit]

It may have taken 16 years but this had to be sweet for Damon Hill.

Race stewards demote Michael Schumacher from sixth to 12th
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/moto...ne/8685542.stm

bumsen Sie nicht mit Damon Hill

[dave g]

why didnt rubens get penalised for throwing his steering wheel into the path of oncoming cars?

the car that run over it could have been severely damaged or worse.

[ScottyDogWoof]

yeah double standards there, as always FIA an stewards in ferrari's favour. If you cant over take like you could have the last 70 odd laps behinde the pace car why didnt the pace car just finish the race with them. Bit pointless really.

[jim76]

Ross Brawn had some pretty good evidnence to appeal. Seems silly that the safety car pulled in instead of just going to the line, just makes it confusing. Surely if the safety car comes in then the track is clear to carry on racing?

[steelie600]

It does seem that the rules are very hazy at best and need clarification. But justice is served on Schumy at last!! He can only get away with it for so long.

[philpac]

The argument appears to be that according to the FIA the race did technically finish under safety car rules, and the car pulling off is purely so it doesn't ruin photos of the finish, and therefore no overtaking.

Mercedes and Ross Brawn are arguing (pretty convincingly really) that the team were notified that it was coming in at the end of the lap, not that the race would be finishing under safety car rules, therefore overtaking was allowed as per normal safety car procedure (after the safety car line).

My opinion is that Mercedes were in the wrong, but the FIA notified the wrong thing, it should not be notified that the safety car comes in, at least not in the normal way. Still the usual Ferrari international assistance thing shouldn't really be brought into play here, as aparently all the other teams except Merc were on the radio to charlie whiting complaining about it as soon as it happened.

[seankyew]

in australia 09 when the safety car was deployed at the end of the race yellow flags were waved. in monaco last weekend green flags were waved when the safety car came in. the FIA really need to clarify the rules. given the situation at monaco, ross brawn was not wrong to tell michael to have a go. even alonso was 'racing' when the green flags were waved, pushing wide his car due to the cold worn tyres.

[mdb_75]

Originally Posted by seankyew

in australia 09 when the safety car was deployed at the end of the race yellow flags were waved. in monaco last weekend green flags were waved when the safety car came in. the FIA really need to clarify the rules. given the situation at monaco, ross brawn was not wrong to tell michael to have a go. even alonso was 'racing' when the green flags were waved, pushing wide his car due to the cold worn tyres.

That's how I saw it too. Green flags mean the race is on, they should've kept waving yellows if no overtaking's allowed.

[telboy]

Article 40.13 of the Sporting Regulations, states that “if the race ends whilst the safety car is deployed it will enter the pit lane at the end of the last lap and the cars will take the chequered flag as normal without overtaking."


Basically, when the race is still underway then overtaking can be performed after the safetycar line.
BUT, if its the final lap and the race is ending under safety car rules then you can't.

I did think it was a bit harsh and I'm not a schuey fan, but rules are rules....and it took them 3 hours to make that one up!!!

[Shaun 'TheSheep' Atkinson]

in all fareness, schuey being one of the oldies, shouldn't he have been aware of this rule even more so than the younger drivers?

And i agree with the coment about rubens, i think that was over looked far too quickly, if that had been jenson or lewis the public/fans would be breaking there neck to complain about them!

[DCM]

It was a new rule for this year, the teams can't bleat it is unfair when they pay the 'sporting director' to know these things....

[Garry Driffill]

Originally Posted by dave g

why didnt rubens get penalised for throwing his steering wheel into the path of oncoming cars?

the car that run over it could have been severely damaged or worse.

I fully agree with that one! - That had to be the most idiotic thing ive ever seen and causing danger to other drivers with stray items from cars should have been learned last year (Not that the susspension part from the Braun car could have been stopped for failing, but the general principal of random parts floating around in the air that shouldnt be there!)..

Overtaking at a so called unprohibted time is not as much as dangerous as throwing things out of youre car in a strop or paddy

[Nick Goodall]

Schumacher's move should stand!!!

Why have they changed the rule that you're now allowed to over-take once you pass that Safety car line, and not the finish line now? Why change that if you're going to impose another one that says you still can't actually over-take?

All seems stupid to me, what if Alonso had spun / crashed before the line, would everyone have had to sit behind him???

I would argue if i was Michael that Alonso got sideways exiting the turn so i thought it was safer to duck underneath him.

Also, would it not just be fairer to say ok, the rule needs clarifying better so Alonso maintains 6th, and Schumacher is now 7th - Why put a 20 second penalty on, that's way too harsh.

[bodgit]

Japan 1994

[Nick Goodall]

Originally Posted by bodgit

Japan 1994

What has that got to do with this race though? Damon was never a worthy World Champion anyway, Schumacher was a winner through and through, fair enough he often went over the mark but a champion will win at all costs.... Hill had a far superior car but still couldn't get the title wrapped up early enough so it had to come down to the last race where if he'd just been a bit more patient he could have passed the broken Schumacher car and won the title anyway....

I just think the FIA are yet again making the sport a bit of a joke, it was a great move by Michael and the sort of thing all F1 fans were hoping to see this season after he was said to be coming back.

[telboy]

.....and that wasn't Japan, it was Adelaide in Australia.

[sldmodels]

That must involve cheating then, 'cos he tried the same thing the year after with Jacque Villeneuve, it just didn't pay off this time.

And, if you look closely, you can clearly see Michael turning into Jacques. He tried a move, you could see in the interview he knew it was a bit of a cheeky one, and that he might get punished and he did.

I do agree though, that Rubens should be punished too, a fine or something, as that was pretty dangeroues.

[bodgit]

Originally Posted by telboy

.....and that wasn't Japan, it was Adelaide in Australia.

Sorry my mistake but it shows that most people that day thought Schumacher should have been disqualified for that dirty trick. It was the single most lowest thing I have ever seen. (I was a big Hill fan)
As for Hill not being a worthy champion I may be wrong but in 1996 when he won the title did he not start every race from the front row, something schui never managed.
I see they have now decided not to contest the stewards decision.
As for Rubans he said he just wanted out of the car fast before his head got took off in a head on. Who can blame him.

[sldmodels]

My mistake, it was 1997, I found the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgfuoSFerDU&NR=1

[Nick Goodall]

The Williams car was so so soooo superior to the Benetton and Ferrari that Michael was driving though, it was like the Brawn of last year and Red Bull of this year - The fact that Hill couldn't get the job done earlier in both seasons proved to me that he wasn't at the same level as Michael, and i know most people can't stand him - I just appreciate what a talent he is/was, he's the most successful driver in F1 history, whether he had a few controversial moments throughout or not he hasn't been this successful without being incredibly talented, and i don't think anyone will repeat his success for a long time to come yet......