I can understand why Hamilton got a drive through and Massa got one too for his cut across the chicane which resulted in hamilton's spin, but why did Bourdais cop the 25 second penalty when Massa hit him and also Massa got away with overtaking in the pitlane exit without any complaint?
I thought that the white line was out of bounds and you got fined/penalised for crossing it?

I've been cursing Virgin all day as our cable tv has been down all day so I haven't seen the GP as yet.
However, from what I have heard and read so far, it seems that the powers that be have now decided to make it a complete farce! Maybe this is in response to complaints about targeting McLaren. Perhaps they just draw a team out of the hat at the start of the race and see if they can then penalise them for something during the race???

Cars exiting the pits arent allowed to cross it as its a safety realted thing, but cars doing 200mph down the straight are perfectly entitled to so Massa did nothing wrong there!! Stupid pointless line really in that case isnt it!!!

As for Bourdais, gawd knows how on earth they came up with that one. Rename the "race stewards" as "race fixers"!!!! Sad to say but if it had been anything but a Ferrari involved then i bet there would be no penalty for Bourdais.

Just adds to the stink surrounding the FIA and there more and more obvious bias towards Ferrari!!

Did you see the interview where Massa blamed Hamilton for Massa punting him off?? Wasnt he one of those drivers who said Hamilton should have pulled in behind Raikonen rather than go off the track???

you definitely get penalised for crossing it on the way out of the pits, afaik there's no rule that says you can't cross it the other way. *However*, the way he did that was extremely dangerous in my view, and it was only the fact that there were only a couple of laps left that meant he wasn't likely to collide with anyone. I'm sure he wasn't thinking of that when he did it, I reckon the red mist descended on him.

And punishing Bourdais for Massa coming round the outside and colliding with him, that just beggars belief. There's no rule that says people exiting the pitlane have to give way to cars on the circuit, and they were racing for position at the time - it's not like Bourdais was a back marker being lapped. I'd have thought Massa would be punished for causing (another) avoidable accident.

they ought to appoint a set of professional stewards who work at all the races, so there's some consitency in the decisions....

id agree that bourdais has had the pi55 taken out of him there. Complete farce.

quote:

---

Originally posted by vinny1275
so there's some consitency in the decisions....

---

I'm a Big Ferrari fan and even I am bewildered at the Bourdais penalty, I thought that nothing would come of the incident or Massa would have been penalised, but never expected Bourdais to be punished.

Normally I'm the first to defend the FIA decisions and don't believe that the FIA are biased towards Ferrari, but this decision beggars belief.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Richard Quinn There is... they're all cr*p!!

---

doesnt bourdais's car have a ferrari engine ?

quote:

---

Originally posted by Volvorsport
doesnt bourdais's car have a ferrari engine ?

---

slightly OT but would you ever lend David Coulthard your car. He really does seem to crash every race.

I have to say the FIA decisions are becoming more and more embarrassing. Massa drives into Bourdais but unlike all the other decisions the stewards wait until after the race has finished before making a decision and since Massa didn't get many points they have done whatever they can to improve his lot.

Its time the teams started a revolt against teh FIA and got a breakaway series set up to get away from this rubbish as it is proper turning off race fans

Sorry - rant over!!

Chris

quote:

---

Originally posted by Richard Quinn.
it seems that the powers that be have now decided to make it a complete farce!

---

FIA will only improve when Jean Todt joins them.....

crikey , youd think michelle yeoh could do better than jean todt !!

he must have a big tool .

quote:

---

Originally posted by Volvorsport
crikey , youd think michelle yeoh could do better than jean todt !!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by MikeRJ

quote:

---

Originally posted by Richard Quinn.
it seems that the powers that be have now decided to make it a complete farce!

---

That happened quite some time ago I'm afraid.

---

I too am extreemly disapointed with F1.
Back in the day whether i was young or nieve I used to go to Silverstone and watch mansell and Prost go at it head to head. There were no penalties if one of the drivers overtook the other or occasionally knocked the other one off the road.
Them came along baron von shumacher who had carte blanche to drive off the road anyone who came in his path or threatened his championship in any way.

Remember Damon Hill / Schumacher battles.

Then F1 got really dull for a few years as Ferrari just won, won and won.

Finally when we have a serious driver to follow in Hamilton and he actually stands a chance of winning a race or two and maybe even a championship, the FIA and Ferrari step in and make things dull and boring again.

I hope the FIA can butt out for the last two races and let the drivers do what they do best..................RACE.

Let them overtake, bump into each other, cut corners and know the others wings off. Let the drivers sort it out at the end of the race with a bit of fighting if necessary.
Anyone remember Eddie Irvine and Ayrton Senna (Senna took offence that a rookie would dare to challenge and try to battle with a world champion and they ended up having a bit of a fight at the end of the race)

I have been an F1 fan for a very long time but even I am having a hard time justifying watching and supporting an event where the referee intervenes too much at every race.

Stick the drivers in each others cars for a race, reverse the grid or just let them race for once.

OFF MY SOAPBOX NOW

good night

Hi

In my opinion the state of F1 today is entirely down to the influence / greed of the black shirt and his mate, the poisoned dwarf, not politically correct but at least it's off my chest now.

Regards Mick