Hometown stewarding

[EvilWhippet]

Driver behind goes to the outside of the corner, driver ahead keeps racing line and driver behind gets pushed off. No penalty.

Driver behind tries to go around, gets pushed off. No penalty.

Driver behind tries to go around the outside, driver ahead keeps racing line and pushes him off. No penalty.

Here's me looking at the stewards right now:

Whether it's because it was on a Ferrari at Monza, or because wheel to wheel racing is effectively banned, I don't like what I'm seeing.

 

[Mezzer]

If you compare Vettel/Alonso this year and Vettel/Alonso last year IMO Alonso gave Vettel more room than vice versa.

 

[Johnny Carwash]

As usual there is a lack of consistency coming from the stewards.

 

[EvilWhippet]

However Vettel's approach on Alonso last year was much slower. Alonso flew at Vettel this year at speed and had to go right of left to avoiding crashing into the back of him. He went left, going much quicker than Vettel and was basically aiming at the grass. Remember they're all driving at the limit, there's not guarantee Vettel could've pulled that corner any tighter. Also, by the time the stewards gave out the penalty Alonso was past anyway! So they were assisting their man's title challenge and nothing else.

 

[tooncheese]

In recent races the stewards have stepped up their campaign against bad driving, last year Grosjean would have been racing at Monza.

 

[Brogan]

It was questionable at best.

Alonso's closing speed was huge and Vettel was already heading to the outside of the curve.
As soon as he realised Alonso was there he moved right.

The penalty was inevitable though considering it was a Ferrari involved at Monza.

 

[Wombcat]

Pics from today:

Comparison with last year:

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To me it seems clear that the penalty was justified. Alonso was alongside Vettel and got crowded off the track. There was nowhere he could go.

 

[Galahad]

I'd need to see Vettel's hands on the wheel. It is now almost impossible for any decision to be compatible with previous precedent since virtually every decision has been ruled both leniently and harshly.

 

[Andy Karter]

I thought Vettel's move was a bit naughty but not worthy of a drive through. Warning yes, and penalised if repeated but considering Senna was punted off the track with no penalty awarded I thought it harsh to say the least. Remember Schui on Hamilton last year too? Equally as bad and done a good few times more.

 

[sushifiesta]

The Sky analysis did make it look like the penalty was justified. The only question mark in my mind would be that the corner is so fast and perhaps Vettel was so close to the limit of grip that there was little he could do to alter his line.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Yes but it is only this year that the one car width rule to the edge of the track has been brought in/clarified and so comparing it to previous or last years incident is of no use....

 

[Brogan]

It's not the first time we've seen questionable stewarding at Monza when a Ferrari is involved.

Remember the infamous "blocking" in qualifying?

 

[Incubus]

I think the crucial difference with last year was that on this occasion the wheels swere interlocking at the time of the block, which is the real danger area. Whereas last year there was a definite gap between the two cars. In fact it could be said Vettel didn't need to go quite so wide last year.
I have to say those slow-mo bits of analysis from the Sky team are absolutely brilliant.

 

[Mephistopheles]

I don't think I will ever forget that Brogan in fact at the time I thought Alonso may quit the sport because of it and that would have been a massive loss to F1

 

[Quintessentially]

Funny though that Schumacher did far worst last year and there wasn't even an investigation.

 

[Brogan]

The stewards screwed up.
The driver steward admitted they meant to investigate that and most likely penalise Schumacher but they forgot.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Well they have a lot on their minds, what with everybody questioning their every decision, god bless the armchair referees what would we do without you?

Just a bit of satire there ladies and gentlemen....

 

[EvilWhippet]

It's easy to look back on a move and say the guy who got penalised should've done this or that, but this is split second stuff and Vettel never had time to react.

How do I tag people? Slyboogy made a great post about this over in Muzzland.

Also, are these rules in place for the sake of diffusing racing? Exciting racing is like exciting sex; when it's at it's best it's borderline illegal.

 

[Westy]

EvilWhippet - Brilliant!

As for today's action; Vettel deserved his penalty in my opinion. The rules state that you must leave a cars width when the attacking car has any part along side. If Vettel was on the limit and couldn't turn in any tighter at that speed then he should have slowed down. We were all banging on about safety last week. Where has that gone? Alonso could have lost control and plowed into the wall. Vettel needed to leave room.

Di Resta also deserved an investigation if not a penalty for his move on Senna. This does point to the stewards being biased on the side of Ferrari. I will again call for a proper rule book (see my post in the Belgian GP thread for more info) to be written and much much more consistent stewarding from here on out.

 

[Incubus]

The Sky analysis did make it look like the penalty was justified. The only question mark in my mind would be that the corner is so fast and perhaps Vettel was so close to the limit of grip that there was little he could do to alter his line.

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. The Curva Grande is effectively a straight for F1 cars. No grip issue whatsoever there. It's been the case for decades.