Lewis Hamilton Is New FIA President Mohammed
Ben Sulayem's First Headache
Autoweek,
by
Mike Pryson
Original Article
Posted By: bad-hair,
12/17/2021 8:24:22 PM
Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been president of the FIA for less than 24 hours, and he's already in the middle of a controversy.
And that controversy is Lewis Hamilton, and specifically Hamilton's refusal to attend the annual FIA Prize Giving gala in Paris on Thursday night. Formula 1 rules call for the top three drivers in the F1 championship to attend the gala, which features a lot of trophies, red carpet moments speeches.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
JHHolliday 12/17/2021 8:34:40 PM (No. 1010444)
I held a FIA completion license for a driver for several years so I could race in international events like Sebring. I hate to see politics get involved for no reason whatsoever. I really can’t figure out what’s going on here.
6 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
JHHolliday 12/17/2021 8:46:42 PM (No. 1010450)
That should say “competition” license but I couldn’t get the auto suggest to change it.
5 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
bamapreacher 12/17/2021 8:47:04 PM (No. 1010451)
Obviously raaaaaaacism since Hamilton is the only black Formula I driver. At least that's what they'll claim.
1 person likes this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
IowaDad 12/17/2021 8:55:54 PM (No. 1010454)
Lewis is an amazing driver driving a fabulous car. Verstappen is a huge talent also driving a fabulous car. The rules covering the safety car are pretty vague, but were clearly ignored by the race director, trying to prevent the race from ending under a yellow flag.
The effect of an accident at the end of a race always penalizes the leading driver, and on this occasion cost Hamilton a world championship — and good dinner.
What a great year of racing!
3 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
edgar 12/17/2021 9:16:34 PM (No. 1010463)
Great point #4 about late wrecks.
2 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
BeatleJeff 12/18/2021 12:45:23 AM (No. 1010538)
Add this to the list of reasons why I can't stand Tiger Hamilton.
2 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
DVC 12/18/2021 12:57:16 AM (No. 1010546)
Hamilton is a whiny PITA. That arrogant, rich half black has the nerve to push his racist stuff on his team and peddle his race noise when he has been getting royal treatment his whole adult life.
If he doesn't get enough special treatment, he sulks. He's a fast driver, but still a jerk.
5 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
JimBob 12/18/2021 1:33:24 AM (No. 1010551)
Well, the only way I could care less about this 'controversy' is if I made a conscious effort to do so..... but that's too much trouble.
2 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
Hazymac 12/18/2021 10:07:31 AM (No. 1010913)
I'm with #4. It would have been worse than a shame to have ended the race--and the season and the championship--under a yellow flag. The top two drivers of the top two teams thus had one lap of racing to do, and whoever got to the checkered flag first would be champion. Since Verstappen had pitted following the late yellow flag--Hamilton couldn't because he was leader and would have lost position on the track--and had fresher rubber, he passed Hamilton on the fifth turn and Lewis wasn't able to immediately re-pass, so that was the race. And the championship. Without the yellow flag, Lewis would probably have won the race easily. But them's the breaks. That's racing. I'm sure Lewis will be back in the Mercedes next season. Mercedes has had the best car for the last decade. Red Bull is closest to Mercedes, but Ferrari and McLaren are making solid gains and could join the top two. Even the back markers in F1 are within about two seconds of the top teams, so it's getting more competitive. This year, Max won more and deserved the championship. Will Mercedes and Hamilton (and George Russell) still be the top team? Probably. Let them go racing and find out in '22.
1 person likes this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
ROLFNader 12/18/2021 10:35:22 AM (No. 1010961)
From some of the comments regarding the rules in this 'sport', I feel like I've read an article from a knitting magazine.
Gimme 1/4 mi drag racing, any day.
1 person likes this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
MDConservative 12/18/2021 10:50:27 AM (No. 1010984)
Auto racing is not what it was. Hasn't been for years. F1 is the leader in the transition, from competition to entertainment, each race an event, a gala. So the end of the race and the WDC was set up...people still tune into WWE 'rasslin. It's all about $$$ and "growing the sport". Whatever it takes, however it turns out.
0 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
DVC 12/18/2021 12:07:36 PM (No. 1011102)
Ending this championship under a safety car would have been an absolutely disgusting outcome. People want the drivers and cars to RACE and the teams to be forced to deal with their choices like when to pit, what tire compounds to select when, and such complex planning/strategy items.
Whiner Hamilton stayed out to retain his leading position when several other drivers made pit stops. (How many know that the car is stationary in the pits for 2.1 seconds to change all four tires in an F1 race?) Second place Verstappen made a very quick pit stop for new soft compound tires, and their careful long term planning left them HAVING an extra set of these tires available. Under the safety car, as a wreck is cleared, the farther back cars can close up the gap. And usually, lapped cars are let past the leader and safety car to let them get to the proper 'back of the pack' position for the restart. Race lead dithered, said that they wouldn't let lapped cars through (wrong), got a quick complaint, and changed to the normal "Lapped cars will pass the safety car". At this point.....there was only 1.5 laps remaining, and they pulled the safety car quickly to let the race end AND THE CHAMPIONSHIP end as a RACE.
That Hamilton had stayed out on his very old set of hard (slower) tires was HIS and his team's choice. And when the last lap of racing started, Verstappen had fresh soft (faster) tires and fought his way, with some difficulty from Hamilton, past to win the race and the championship.
Life is all about choices. Hamilton stayed out on his old tires. Verstappen pitted, and took the time penalty to get new tires. Choices.
And one final detail......teams do NOT get unlimited numbers of tires, but limited sets of each type (soft, medium and hard) and have to parse them out in practice, qualifying and the race to their own idea of the best benefit....more than a few teams over the season have found that they would LIKE to change to a certain tire....but had used them up previously. If Hamilton had pitted for fresh tires....he'd have been well back in the pack, and Verstappen would have been in the lead....with old tires. Or Verstappen could have pitted and they'd both have had time losses in the pits and fresh tires.
CHOICES. Whining after the fact is unseemly, but pretty typical of Hamilton. Poor little rich half black boy.
2 people like this.
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Sorry I'm done with F1 From now on it's not about racing. It's about RULES