F1: Spa-Francorchamps

[kalniel]

Once again all the Kimi haters come out to play ...............

Eh? I'm a big Kimi fan (driving wise anyway) and I was gutted when he crashed out. But this hasn't got anything to do with Kimi - he hasn't been given any more points as a result of this or anything. If you're a Kimi fan then you should also be against this decision, because it means Massa's even further ahead of him and Ferrari are more likely to back Massa now.

[Nige]

nige chillout... Don't be mad at Lewis because Kimi is off performance... infact before the last few laps he was doing well and just threw it away because someone challenged him.

 

As for the stewards decision:

What a joke! How much more biased can the FIA become?

 

I'm not mad at Lewis, I'm mad at Kimi and the sport in general ......

[Tundra]

Remember Alonso-Klien affair in Japan 2005. Spanish cut in Casio chicane, Klien overtaked him in main straight(to recover position), Alonso into his slipstream and overtake in T1.

After some "talks" between Renault-FIA stewards for next laps, Alonso was said by radio to wait in main straight to Klien for avoiding a penalty.

[Pherelas]

Stupid Ferrari loving FIA. That penalty after avoiding a crash and Ferrari let off for nearly causing one. He even got past again so didn't make up a place. Totally utterly rubbish.

[Marc_CRX]

Sickens me that YET AGAIN McLaren/Lewis have had another bad call made against them, he had no where else to go as already stated, it would have been worse for all if he had of stuck on his line, even though Kimi was driving VERY dirty at that point

 

Ferrari 1 World Championship indeed!

 

I Dont like Kimi, never have, never will, he bores me tbh I mute the TV when they try to interview him, and tbh I LOL'd when he spun (Twice....LOL) but you cant get away from the fact that Lewis was much faster once things got challenging and that even if Kimi didnt spin, lewis still would have won.

[Iced_Bullet]

"We looked at all our data and also made it available to the FIA stewards," said the team. "It showed that, having lifted, Lewis was 6km/h slower than Kimi as they crossed the start-finish line. Having passed the lead back to Kimi, Lewis repositioned his car, moving across and behind Kimi to the right-hand line and then out-braked him into the hairpin. Based on this data, we have no option other than to register our intention to appeal."

 

This just makes me even more mad!

[S71NG3R]

This is very bad for F1 even Ferrari fans are mad at this. The F1 forums are alight with this very badly run sport. Oh yes I forgot it's a sport. :rolleyes:

 

Looks like this could be the final nail in F1's future. A very sad end to another classic race.

[Tundra]

F1 stewards "system" has changed this year, no more "Scott Andrews".

[HavockJoker]

I'm mad. Thats it. Kimi crashed and has nothing to do with Hamilton. Rosberg should have been penalized cause he almost crashed into Kimi and Hamilton. If Kimi didn't crash there wouldn't have been a penalty on Hamilton. I've seen the FIA be so Bias against some drivers and even teams. There are somethings that cannot be avoided yet they still give penalties. Massa this season is better than Kimi. So props to Massa for the unnessecary win.

[Tundra]

I've seen the FIA be so Bias against some drivers and even teams.

 

You mean against Alonso in 2006 & 2007 season, no? ;)

[HavockJoker]

You mean against Alonso in 2006 & 2007 season, no? ;)

 

You hit the nail on the head with that one.

 

I just want Hamilton to screw over FIA at Monza next week. I want him kick their arse.

[HavockJoker]

From F1.com

Massa inherits Belgian win after Hamilton penalised

Ferrari’s Felipe Massa has been declared the winner of Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix after McLaren’ Lewis Hamilton was handed a 25-second time penalty following the race. Hamilton drops to third place as a result, with BMW Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld moving up to second. McLaren plan to appeal the decision.

 

Hamilton was penalised after stewards decided he had gained an advantage by cutting the final chicane in his late-race battle with Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen. Raikkonen crashed out shortly after the incident, having the led the bulk of the race up to that point.

 

"I have often said that the race is not over until the official results are published and that was the case today," said Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali. "As usual, Ferrari will not comment on the stewards' decision. After the race, we were called to the stewards and we explained our position.

 

"We are very disappointed for Kimi, who had driven a great race and deserved the win, especially at this rather difficult time. This result is obviously very important for our championship hopes: now we must maintain maximum concentration and prepare as well as possible for the forthcoming races."

 

McLaren insisted they had little choice but to appeal the stewards' decision, given that Hamilton had immediately surrendered the lead back to Raikkonen on the start-finish straight, before then passing the Finn going into the La Source hairpin.

 

"We looked at all our data and also made it available to the FIA stewards," said the team. "It showed that, having lifted, Lewis was 6km/h slower than Kimi as they crossed the start-finish line. Having passed the lead back to Kimi, Lewis repositioned his car, moving across and behind Kimi to the right-hand line and then out-braked him into the hairpin. Based on this data, we have no option other than to register our intention to appeal."

 

The revised result means that rather than extending his championship lead over Massa, Hamilton now sees it cut, with the Briton heading the Brazilian by just two points, 76 to 74, with five races remaining.

 

Assuming their right to appeal is accepted, McLaren's case against Hamilton's penalty will be heard by the FIA's International Court of Appeal at a date to be determined.

[Rtoups]

The FIA is ruining the sport.

 

 

Hamilton CLEARLY let Kimi back in, and he was no closer than he was before the chicane. At that point, Lewis simply used superior car control to get pass Kimi, and Kimi was too aggressive and spun. This 25 second penalty is crap. It was a good race, and they ruined it. And Massa with the win? He was what, 8 seconds behind Lewis at that chicane when the incident occured?

[CarboyZR1]

FIA is too Ferrari biased!

[YeOldeTDUMan]

OK I said I would NEVER again post on the F1 threads because of some immature attitudes in these threads.

 

But WOW what a finale to a race, me and my Mum (my Mum is a Lewis Fan-woman ... she thinks he's a lovely lad ... ahh bless!) were literally on the edge of our seats watching the race ... the best and most exciting bit of F1 racing I'v seen in years ... and actually a damn shame that Kimi lost it and hit the wall as I'd have liked the battle between him and Lewis to have continued all the way to the finish line.

 

As to the post race news ... once again the Stewards/FIA ruin the sport ... I hope for the sake on the sport, and not for the sake of Lewis, that there is enough evidence to prove that Lewis had to take evasive action as him and Kimi battled for the same bit of the final chicane and that Lewis lifted to some extent to rightfully let Kimi back into the lead ... and surely a 25sec penalty is harsh in what seemed like a proper, normal racing battle like there should be.

 

Thank you Kimi and Lewis for a great race, definitely the race of the season. Lets hope it isn't forever remembered as a great battle that was ultimately won by the stewards!

[Eudemon]

[OT] Hybrid that post is the 99,666th on here. Spooky! :D

[HavockJoker]

OK I said I would NEVER again post on the F1 threads because of some immature attitudes in these threads.

 

But WOW what a finale to a race, me and my Mum (my Mum is a Lewis Fan-woman ... she thinks he's a lovely lad ... ahh bless!) were literally on the edge of our seats watching the race ... the best and most exciting bit of F1 racing I'v seen in years ... and actually a damn shame that Kimi lost it and hit the wall as I'd have liked the battle between him and Lewis to have continued all the way to the finish line.

 

As to the post race news ... once again the Stewards/FIA ruin the sport ... I hope for the sake on the sport, and not for the sake of Lewis, that there is enough evidence to prove that Lewis had to take evasive action as him and Kimi battled for the same bit of the final chicane and that Lewis lifted to some extent to rightfully let Kimi back into the lead ... and surely a 25sec penalty is harsh in what seemed like a proper, normal racing battle like there should be.

 

Thank you Kimi and Lewis for a great race, definitely the race of the season. Lets hope it isn't forever remembered as a great battle that was ultimately won by the stewards!

 

Very good point Hybrid.

[Nodz86]

This might just be me but when Lewis slowed down for Kimi to pass, does kimi go past him slowly rather than belting past and seem to slow down a bit in front of him??

 

I think that it was a good close race shame about the stewards.

[Tundra]

Lewis said in press conference that Kimi was slow in the hairpin, breaking very early (maybe a brake test hoping a Lewis error?).

[iBilo]

Pathetic is all I can say.

[Nodz86]

well heres mclarens statement:

 

McLaren lodge Belgian Grand Prix appeal

 

McLaren confirmed on Tuesday that they have lodged an appeal against the penalty handed to driver Lewis Hamilton following Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix. Hamilton was given a 25-second time penalty by race stewards at Spa-Francorchamps, after they decided he had gained an advantage by cutting a chicane during his late battle with Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen.

 

"Following our decision to register our intention to appeal the penalty handed out to Lewis Hamilton by the FIA Stewards at the 2008 Belgian Grand Prix, we hereby confirm that we have now lodged notice of appeal,” explained McLaren’s Formula One CEO Martin Whitmarsh in a statement released by the British squad.

 

As a result of the time penalty, Ferrari’s Felipe Massa was declared the winner of the Belgian race, while Hamilton was dropped to third place.

 

McLaren’s statement in full:

Martin Whitmarsh said: "Following our decision to register our intention to appeal the penalty handed out to Lewis Hamilton by the FIA Stewards at the 2008 Belgian Grand Prix, we hereby confirm that we have now lodged notice of appeal. Lewis describes the incident as follows."

 

Lewis Hamilton said: "In the closing stages of the race I was catching Kimi (Raikkonen) consistently, lap by lap, and with three laps remaining I got close enough to attempt to overtake him on the entry to the last chicane. I managed to get slightly ahead of him in the braking area for the first apex of the chicane. He fought back approaching the second apex - but, in doing so, he left no room for me on the inside line. The only way for me to avoid a collision was therefore to cut inside the second apex.

 

"I came out of the second apex in front of Kimi and so I momentarily lifted-off on the straight, to ensure that Kimi got back in front. The team also came on the radio and instructed me to allow Kimi to repass, which I had already done. As a result, Kimi crossed the start/finish line ahead of me and 6.7km/h quicker than me.

 

"After allowing Kimi to completely repass, I crossed from the left side of the track to the right side of the track, passing behind Kimi in the process. I then attacked Kimi on the inside of the first corner, and successfully outbraked him."

 

Martin Whitmarsh added: "From the pit wall, we then asked Race Control to confirm that they were comfortable that Lewis had allowed Kimi to repass, and they confirmed twice that they believed that the position had been given back in a manner that was 'okay'.

 

"If Race Control had instead expressed any concern regarding Lewis’s actions at that time, we would have instructed Lewis to allow Kimi to repass for a second time."

 

http://forum.turboduck.net/newreply.php?do=postreply&t=5461

[Nige]

Everyone should refuse to watch F1, I mean everyone then maybe then the FIA will finally go figure that people are sick of tired of it.

 

 

 

Although I think the break off series will scare them more ........

[Eudemon]

Any doubts just watch this: http://sundayafternoonclub.blogs.topgear.com/2008/09/09/belgian-gp-onboard/

[YeOldeTDUMan]

Well McLaren are going through with the appeal ... I think it was great that Niki Lauda has slammed the decision ... see even a Ferrari man thinks it's silly ... lets just hope the Max and Bernie roadshow see sense!

[MaDaSp7]

Any doubts just watch this: http://sundayafternoonclub.blogs.topgear.com/2008/09/09/belgian-gp-onboard/

Agreed, that's great on board video that demonstrates even more how bad the steward's decision was.

 

It's good to hear that McLaren haven't backed down on this one.