Formula 1: 2021 Season

[Will]

I’m writing this to make sure that noting comes up on the main page as I just realized that I spoiled the race in my reply and that is not a very nice thing to do. I hope nobody saw it and that this is long enough to cover it up. My reply to the thread is in the spoiler tag.

Spoiler

Super exciting race today. In a place that the sport really shouldn’t be giving money to and a track which just seems plain dangerous.

So glad that Hamilton won, despite Max driving like a complete dickhead. For me it was further proof that Max just isn’t in the same league as Hamilton is. Can’t wait for next weekend and the climax of what has been one of the best seasons I can remember.

 

Edited December 5, 2021 by Will

[Aperson]

Michael Masi should be fired. What an absolute disgrace of a finale, bending the rules just to ensure that Lewis and Max could fight each other on the final lap. Like I get wanting to put on the show but bending the rules to do so? Masi's job is untenable after this.

[Will]

1 hour ago, Aperson said:

Michael Masi should be fired. What an absolute disgrace of a finale, bending the rules just to ensure that Lewis and Max could fight each other on the final lap. Like I get wanting to put on the show but bending the rules to do so? Masi's job is untenable after this.

I totally agree with this. This season has been a total mess as it comes to regulations and today was on a whole other level. I do (completely and totally) dislike Verstappen but would be OK with him winning it fairly. As it stands I feel like he’s won a manufactured title to ensure the next season of Drive to Survive ends in as much excitement as possible.

Liberty have done a lot of positive things for the sport but today was an absolute joke. I don’t think I’ve ever been so pissed off with the sport as I am right now.

[Julius]

It's been a long time since I've followed F1 closely, but I've heard a lot of controversy this season from friends who still follow it, and seen it front and centre on sports page a lot more than I feel was the case even just a few years ago.

I tuned in today and I 100% agree with you @Will, my first instinct upon seeing that call today was "Ah, there's that Netflix money at play." Don't get me wrong, I think it's been good purely for the viewership numbers of the sport, and by manufacturing this rivalry and with so much controversy this season, I won't lie, I'm thinking about reading up and getting ready to follow along next season for the first time in a while.

But the integrity of the entire sport and FIA needs calling into question for me, and this definitely reeks in a similar way to Lampard's disallowed goal against Germany at the World Cup in 2010. I think we'll see rule wording changes made off the back of this controversy so that the FIA et al can claim that they've done their part to ensure it doesn't happen again, but why one person is calling the shots like this - much less after stewards and Masi were said to be taking a backseat and not be making egregious and controversial calls after how so much of this season has gone? - blows my mind.

I don't think there have been any shady backdoor deals in this scenario, but I wouldn't question people if they felt that way after today. It's utterly disgraceful. 

Kudos to Lewis for keeping his cool about it - I'm sure he'll be back next year - but it leaves such a sour taste for me as someone who hasn't been following it closely, and so I can only imagine how robbed of a fair and sportsmanlike duel you guys and other close followers of the sport feel right now. 

Edited December 12, 2021 by Julius

[BowserBasher]

Feel the same way and we were saying a lot of similar thing in the discord chat. 
The whole season will be remembered for the wrong reasons, and that has been the best season for many years. The fact that Mercedes bought a lawyer with them to this event knowing something might happen says a lot. 
Lewis had the race and the title won and he did that on lap one. Perez did a fine job holding him up at one point and he raced cleanly and fairly to do it. And as soon as Lewis passed him he opened up the gap again. He had it done before that crash be Latifi. What happened after is just a farce. They changed the rules and their mind to manufacture the result they felt would get the most controversy and people talking about it. First the lapped cars where not to over take, then within 30 seconds they were allowed, but only the five between Lewis and Max, and then right after that the race restarted. That was a breach of the rules on two accounts. One being not all lapped cars had passed and two, after lapped cars had passed there needs to be one more lap behind the safety car. This was purely don’t to for that one lap. And by then Max had pitted for new sorts so it was already over for Lewis I felt. 
 

Rules are there, but it seems in F1 a lot of the times these rules are never clear enough and end up causing issues like this. One that is always talked about is track limits. Why do some tracks have this not enforced and people are allowed to run wide when other tracks it is, but only maybe on one corner. Come on, the white lines define the track. Stay in it. 
 

Obvioulsy Mercedes’ are appealing the decision that was denied after the race and they have that right to do so. Great season which ended on a sour and very controversial 30 seconds. 

[drahkon]

That was awesome.  

Obviously very controversial, but as a neutral viewer who got back to watching F1 this season...incredible final  
I guess Masi will not return?

By the way, wasn't Toto Wolff's "Michael, please no safety car." ridiculous? Safety cars are a thing for a reason and in my opinion it would've been much safer for the marshals.

One more thing: How freaking good was Checo's defense  Tough but fair driving and an absolute delight to watch  

 

Can't wait for next season...might actually start to root for Mick. Really hope Haas got a better car in store for him. 

[darksnowman]

With no other knowledge of the F1 season other than headlines lauding Hamilton, I would have told you he'd run away with it. Shocked to see news today that someone else has taken the title.