On the Verstappen and Leclerc incident

"MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s" (mastermario) 07/01/2019 at 09:26 • Filed to: Formula 1

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I’ll get to my opinion in a second, but I was actually surprised by the poll results showing on F1's website.

I was expecting to to be split or more in favor of “no penalty”.

I’m actually in the “deserving of a penalty” camp. This incident seems to be much more deserving of a penalty than the Vettel one (Vettel did not seem to have complete control of the car yet when he moved to “block” Hamilton).

In this case the cars were wheel to wheel (i.e. neither had the lead position) and as far as I know the written and unwritten rules are that space must be left on the track when neither car is clearly ahead.

I think Max had a hell of a race and probably would have passed Leclerc by the end of the race anyways, but the move he did choose was a bit too aggressive and ambitious.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 07/01/2019 at 09:54

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Max “too aggressive & ambitious” Verstappen

smobgirl > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 07/01/2019 at 10:06

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My current opinion, not specifically on this incident:

If I never hear “he pushed me off the track!” o n the radio again it will be too soon. But we’ve evolved into a series of tattletales because there’s always a chance that a stewards’ ruling will take the risk out of fighting to get that place back. Max trying to claim Charles turned in on him as Max was running him off the track really took the cake though.

The Snowman > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 07/01/2019 at 10:13

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The title of the poll should have been. Do you like Ferrari more than red-bull?

NYankee1927 > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 07/01/2019 at 10:26

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I’m a Ferrari fan and I think it was a fair ruling. They both didn’t race as cleanly as they could have. LeClerc turned down a bit in the first half and Max let it track out all the way banging wheels. So there should be no penalty and it should be a lesson to them they are lucky to have finished while racing that hard

KnowsAboutCars > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 07/01/2019 at 10:39

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I would’ve liked to see that battle end differently (with a clean overtake and preferably to Leclerc’s advantage) however it wasn’t bad enough to be penalty worthy in my opinion. And neither should’ve been the incident in Canada.

wafflesnfalafel > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 07/01/2019 at 10:45

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we just need a kinder, gentler Verstappen...

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > KnowsAboutCars 07/01/2019 at 10:46

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I feel like it was a bit of cheap move and I’m right on the edge of the penalty or not line, leaning toward penalty just because you don’t just force someone off the track to gain position. If Verstappen had been clearly ahead by like half a cars length or more than I wouldn’t have had an issue with him squeezing Leclerc, but wheel to wheel like that just is a bit of a cheap shot in my eyes.

If you bring the previous incident into account too, this one seems more cut and dry than Vettel/Hamilton so it’s just the stewards being completely inconsistent. If they had not called the Vettel/Hamilton one a penalty I’d be more okay with this one not being one too.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > wafflesnfalafel 07/01/2019 at 11:12

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Wouldn’t be quite as fun to watch. 

haveacarortwoorthree2 > smobgirl 07/01/2019 at 15:36

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I think it was a penalty, but if you watch the whole thing LeClerc did slightly turn into Verstappen a bit initially and caused the first impact . Verstappen either clearly intended to run LeClerc off the track or he went into the corner too hot to stay on the inside line, though, which is why I think it deserved a penalty.