Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Casto
First... I really would like to see Alonso keep the podium just because. It was a wonderful thing that he stood on the podium.
Second... I think it's insane to think you can touch the car (even with a tool) and it not be a problem. Where is the line here? Can you put a wheel gun on the nut, can you slide a driver into an adjustment for a wing? IMHO, while gut wrenching, it was clearly an error by the team that should have resulted in a penalty. But it should have been called out at that time. Regardless of how the organizers handled this, how can the team continue to make the same mistake?
I was watching the pitstop live and I thought... That rear jack guy has placed the jack on the rear of the car! But I just figured, what do I know, I am watching TV and maybe he didn't.
This video was released a bit ago which I think does show it (pretty much as I watched on TV).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8kknvQyFyA
What do I think is happening? I think F1 is buckling under the pressure. They are using any "perceived" lack of clarity to effectively let Alonso keep the podium because that is what everyone wants. I fully expect there to be a "clarification for future races" that NOTHING (including tools) can touch the car while it is serving a penalty. As Teretonga says, there was a LARGE aggravating factor that they bungled the entire thing as well by not calling out the infraction when it happened. So Alonso and the team is getting a free pass on this one.
Richard |
Richard, the reasons for the reversal are based on previous precedents set with similar penalties..... FIA Stewards initially handed out a post-race penalty after deeming the rear jack making contact.
Under their interpretation, that constituted ‘working on the car’.
The Team subsequently exercised its Right to Review and submitted footage of other instances where that had gone unpunished.
The penalty was overturned and the underlying issue will be discussed ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.
Quote:
“The subsequent decision of the stewards to hear and grant the Right of Review by the Competitor was the result of new evidence regarding the definition of ‘working on the car’, for which there were conflicting precedents, and this has been exposed by this specific circumstance.
Having reviewed the new evidence, we concluded that there was no clear agreement, as was suggested to the Stewards previously, that could be relied upon to determine that parties had agreed that a jack touching a car would amount to working on the car, without more.
In the circumstances, we considered that our original decision to impose a penalty on Car 14 needed to be reversed and we did so accordingly.
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The 'new evidence' precedents were confirmed by way of video evidence submitted by AM ...the Stewards were shown minutes of the latest SAC meeting and
video evidence of 7 different instances where cars were touched by the jack while serving a similar penalty to the one imposed on Car 14 without being penalized.
The whole issue will be discussed at a meeting prior to the Australian GP. As for "The FIA buckling under pressure" they see it differently as in bold below.
Quote:
“The subsequent decision of the stewards to hear and grant the Right of Review by the Competitor was the result of new evidence regarding the definition of ‘working on the car’, for which there were conflicting precedents, and this has been exposed by this specific circumstance.
“This topic will therefore be addressed at the next Sporting Advisory Committee taking place on Thursday, 23 March, and a clarification will be issued ahead of the 2023 FIA Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.
“This open approach to the review and improvement of its processes is part of the FIA’s ongoing mission to regulate the sport in a fair and transparent way.”
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The quotes are from various FIA statements today.