f1

[Ad@m]

I've got a feeling Hamilton will retire sometime in the next month. He's getting on, made his money, and doesn't need this crap anymore. Also he's up against a guy who's as insane as early-era Schumacher when it comes to taking risks and the next time a car lands on his head he may not be so lucky.

When he was asked in his post match interview if he will be back next season, he didn't really commit.
He probably wanted to bow out as the GOAT, with 8 titles.
I wonder will he still have the fight in him?

I don't think Red Bull are the issue in terms of whether he continues or not.  A much bigger consideration is that next year's he'll have an incredibly talented youngster on the other side of the garage, in identical equipment, and Lewis isn't getting any younger.  Russell is the future of the team and if Lewis sticks around, sooner or later he'll be beaten on merit by him.

[Villa Lew]

Hamilton's certainly gained a lot of fans for his sportsmanship, the way he took defeat shows what sort of block he is. I would be surprised if he retired now, surely he wants to beat Schumacher's titles and become GOAT.

[Jon Crofts]

He'll be back in 2022, Mercedes pretty much sacrificed this year to develop the 2022 car.

[lovejoy]

Why were the lapped cars allowed to get out of the way between 1st and 2nd but not 2nd and 3rd thus denying Sainz a run at the win on the last lap? Under any reckoning this is inconsistent.

[wince]

Why were the lapped cars allowed to get out of the way between 1st and 2nd but not 2nd and 3rd thus denying Sainz a run at the win on the last lap? Under any reckoning this is inconsistent.

Sainz almost lost 3rd too. Mercy not appealing by looks of it but all eyes in Ferrari next year as they look to be developing something special

[paul_e]

Why were the lapped cars allowed to get out of the way between 1st and 2nd but not 2nd and 3rd thus denying Sainz a run at the win on the last lap? Under any reckoning this is inconsistent.

because they all had to pass the safety car before it came in and by the time they made the decision they couldn't get them all through. That's why the decision was so controversial, basically they created a racing lap for the title by deciding that placing further back didn't matter.

The analogy I liked yesterday was if the premier league, after lockdown, decided to only play the games for the title contenders and everyone who wasn't involved got points based on averages because "no one cares what happens to the people who can't win". It's a fucking horrible attitude, there's no precedent for it and he should lose his job as a result. I fell sorry for both drivers, it's the shittiest, most contrived end to the season imaginable when this should've been one of the best ever.

[maidstonevillain]

This will be overturned by the courts.

I very much doubt it.

Yep, there's no chance it'll get overturned.  But I reckon there'll be some sort of settlement with Mercedes as the FIA are on very shaky ground with how they handled the safety car period yesterday.

There will be some form of Statement, either the FIA admitting they cocked up, or being found to have cocked up, and that Hamilton should have won, but that the official result cannot be changed retrospectively.

[Ad@m]

There's more chance of Jennifer Lawrence popping round to mine on Christmas Day for a bit of bedroom action, with the full support of my wife, than there is of the FIA publicly stating Hamilton should've won!

This will be another behind closed doors thing, just like the settlement with Ferrari a couple of years back.

[ozzjim]

This will be overturned by the courts.

I very much doubt it.

Yep, there's no chance it'll get overturned.  But I reckon there'll be some sort of settlement with Mercedes as the FIA are on very shaky ground with how they handled the safety car period yesterday.

There will be some form of Statement, either the FIA admitting they cocked up, or being found to have cocked up, and that Hamilton should have won, but that the official result cannot be changed retrospectively.

Spot on. The whole thing is shocking.

Worst of all though... After the eifel gp Masi clearly stated the rules say all cars must pass the safety car and unlap themselves even if it means extending the safety car period. He was speaking to the press after the race. Merc will win the appeal but it won't overturn the result. Masi won't work in F1 again though.

[maidstonevillain]

Telegraph. Behind a paywall. But in my view the best summary of events I have seen.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/formula-1/2021/12/13/lewis-hamilton-cheated-eighth-f1-world-title-race-result-cannot/

[maidstonevillain]

There's more chance of Jennifer Lawrence popping round to mine on Christmas Day for a bit of bedroom action, with the full support of my wife, than there is of the FIA publicly stating Hamilton should've won!

This will be another behind closed doors thing, just like the settlement with Ferrari a couple of years back.

Don't agree. because she's already popping round to mine.

[Nunkin1965]

Telegraph. Behind a paywall. But in my view the best summary of events I have seen.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/formula-1/2021/12/13/lewis-hamilton-cheated-eighth-f1-world-title-race-result-cannot/

One of the biggest sporting stitch ups ever.
A contrived climax for the masses to make sure the season long battle didn't end in a flat safety car conclusion.

It will work though as it will attract more publicity and more viewers overall whilst probably losing genuine followers of the sport.

[wince]

I don’t get the modern cult of tribalism in F1. I followed Williams but still liked mcclaren years ago. Dust settled and credit to max for winning. But Red Bull acting like throbbers all year hasn’t helped. And will avoid the Netflix series like herpes

[Nunkin1965]

Just picked up my lad and Horner was doing the rounds on 5live and Talkshite.
I quickly flipped the channel when I heard "These things tend to even themselves out"

[ozzjim]

I don’t get the modern cult of tribalism in F1. I followed Williams but still liked mcclaren years ago. Dust settled and credit to max for winning. But Red Bull acting like throbbers all year hasn’t helped. And will avoid the Netflix series like herpes

I like most of the teams apart from Red Bull. Gunter Steiner has to be one of the best characters in sport.