Lewis Hamilton was also 😁 How could you forget they had those close calls right then 😍
And honestly, it’s baffling why Hamilton wasn't penalized for that first collision when he was clearly at fault, yet Maldonado gets hit with a five-place grid penalty for the second one... It isn't even surprising, considering he obviously slammed into him on purpose 😁 Ali, it seems like the standard scheme here: "we won't punish Hamilton for his mess, so we'll just give Maldonado a light penalty because we didn't penalize Hamilton"...
That second incident was pure intention from Maldonado and the penalty was far too lenient, but I don't see where Hamilton is at fault in any of the footage; it's likely just a racing incident.
James Walker57 said:He was braking right as he exited the corner and then spent a bit too much time coasting. You just don't do that. It’s dangerous, plain and simple, and there should have been a penalty. And since Lewis Hamilton and Max are protected like cornerstones of the establishment, he gets off scot-free.
I am not entirely certain. Lewis Hamilton likely escaped a penalty for two reasons. First, he wasn't actually in the wrong. Second, they likely chose to compensate by being far too lenient with Sebastian Vettel.
If you believe me—though you probably won't—it is still worth offering the thought.
One thing went right: the championship has finally kicked off properly. We finally got that collision between Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton, and they’ve officially started hating each other's guts. It's about time. 🙂
Now the real fun begins. This is where the season actually gets interesting. 🙂
They are both idiots, frankly. Lewis Hamilton paid the price for playing dirty when he tried to set up Sebastian Vettel against Sergio Perez 🙂, though even so, Sebastian Vettel shouldn't have reacted the way he did. He just can't.
I am looking forward to the rest of the season. I'm celebrating Daniel Ricciardo's win, because both those fools deserved to lose—Sebastian Vettel a bit more, but whatever.
James Roberts87 said:One shouldn't overlook Senna when discussing drivers who play dirty; after all, Michael Schumacher learned everything he knew from him.😁
Senna wasn't dirty. He was just incredibly aggressive, which is a completely different thing. There was nothing unsportsmanlike about his style, save for that momentary lapse in judgment during the Suzuki 1990 era—but even that was preceded by an immense amount of injustice.
Even if the Suzuka Circuit wasn't exactly the goal, it really just came down to sheer stubbornness. Senna was essentially half an inch inside Prost's car on the inside line, and he didn't even think to back off. Prost knew exactly where Senna was positioned, and frankly, he bears a huge chunk of the blame himself. Beyond that, there is simply no case to be made regarding any dirty driving on Senna's part.
stormybadger8 said:What are you even talking about... Pastor Maldonado absolutely hunted down Sergio Perez during Free Practice 3. He went out of his way to slam into him on purpose. Honestly, it’s probably because he was pissed that Perez didn't clear the way two laps earlier during that incredibly fast lap in Free Practice. Typical behavior. 🤣 Good grief, things have gone absolutely off the rails. 😵
Well, he didn't actually pick up a race ban or anything; it was just a grid penalty.
Heh, I find myself actually missing Pastor Maldonado. 🙏But even then, it wasn't quite the same thing. Even in the case involving Pastor Maldonado, the FIA's reaction was rather mild.
Daniel Ricciardo, what a driver. He definitely had some luck on his side today, but then again, fortune favors the bold. That double overtake to snatch third place? Absolutely masterful. That lean into the corner was pure class. Honestly, the guy can be so impressive when he wants to be—it’s just a shame about that ridiculous business with him drinking out of his shoe. 🙂
stormybadger8 said:If that was an intentional hit, then I don't know what to tell you... It was executed so poorly and weakly that it's beneath even someone like Palmer, let alone someone who actually knows how to handle a car. Get it together.😁 If Sebastian Vettel really intended to slam into Lewis Hamilton, it certainly wouldn't have looked like that.☕
Good grief, that contact felt more like a light tap than a collision...🤦
Besides, when has anyone actually received a black flag, a race ban, or anything similar for a crash, unless it was for extreme nonsense like Romain Grosjean in Belgium? I can't recall any other instance recently...
As far as I remember, even Maldonado didn't get penalized for that blatant attempt to take out Sergio Perez in Monaco, though he did chase him down the track and eventually slammed into him at the corner before the tunnel, so he escaped the race ban...🤣
But if Vettel is supposed to face a race ban just because he brushed against Hamilton's wheel slightly 🙂 And poor Hamilton is always being targeted; it used to be Felipe Massa, then Mark Webber, then Nico Rosberg, and now that they're gone, it's Vettel's turn.🙂
Maldonado and Romain Grosjean aren't the same; they made mistakes under racing conditions—during starts, due to misjudgments, heavy braking, or kamikaze moves. Vettel hit Hamilton on the side INTENTIONALLY; he steered directly into Hamilton.
It is crystal clear. Vettel needs to get his head under control, immediately. Absolutely immediately.
coastalwolf6 said:He was already slow enough to take the corner without any issues.
But no, he insists on braking like he’s navigating the streets of Monaco at barely 31 miles/h, instead of a track where you can cruise at a comfortable 218 miles/h right after that turn!
Watch these two videos:
That is the worst part of all.
That is precisely your issue; you are willfully ignoring cause and effect.
My friend, whoever the cause was is irrelevant. If Hamilton took a penalty, fine, but the telemetry showed he wasn't at fault.
The consequence is the actual problem. To you, it seems perfectly normal for a driver to drift sideways into another car and intentionally slam into them—bravo, my friend.
I understand cause and effect quite well. I stood by Sebastian Vettel many times last year to defend him, but what happened here was a total lapse in judgment. Even if the FIA decided to let it slide for reasons known only to them—given the penalty was a joke—I expect at least an apology. They should sit down and have a conversation with Lewis Hamilton.
stormybadger8 said:It happened... Once they realized Kimi Raikkonen wasn't at fault, they just labeled it a racing incident and moved on... Since the Mercedes driver isn't going to be blamed anyway, there was zero point in investigating anything further.🙂
Stop talking nonsense and tell me why Sebastian Vettel didn't pick up the black flag. Why? Was it just an accident? Mercedes gets all the favoritism, bravo my friend, your grasp on reality is truly impressive.
The FIA gives him a gift—a total GIFT—and you're still rambling on about how they favor Mercedes. Unbelievable.
I find it hard to believe how many Sebastian Vettel fanboys are lurking on this forum trying to defend him 🙂.
The poor German isn't to blame for anything here, though frankly, I couldn't care less about him or Lewis Hamilton. I don't care if Hamilton lifted or not, nor do I care who should have been penalized for the initial contact. Telemetry told its own story; if I’m being honest, I think Hamilton should have been forced into a pit stop for cooling. It feels as though he lifted intentionally, even if the telemetry suggests otherwise. In short, I am entirely indifferent to their first contact and any subsequent fallout.
However, that second intentional side-swipe was nothing short of pathological. Sebastian Vettel proved he is mentally unstable; that wasn't a normal reaction. It was a momentary lapse in sanity. I've grown accustomed to his outbursts, his threats, and his middle fingers, but this has crossed a line.
I truly wonder who is protecting him or sucking up to him within the FIA. A ten-second penalty for an intentional collision is nonsense. He needs an immediate race ban and should be sent straight to a psychiatrist for his own good.
Naturally, he hasn't offered an apology to anyone; instead, he remains offended. The man is going so far that he’s actually questioning his own actions and why he was penalized over the radio—truly exemplary behavior from a four-time champion.
Of course, the Sebastian Vettel fanboys here refuse to acknowledge the telemetry and choose to blame Hamilton, who, I must remind you, was leading the pack and controlling the pace. What's more, nobody else complained, and nobody else crashed into someone from behind due to Hamilton's lifting.
Hamilton was setting Sebastian Vettel up against Sergio Perez, and honestly, I would have done the same. What excuse does Vettel have for slamming into someone from behind? A complete budaletina, really. An unrecognizable individual, ever since his final year at Red Bull Racing.
Not only is the FIA clearly shielding him with a ridiculous penalty, but he also has the luck of the draw that Hamilton has to pit due to car issues.
But no, apparently Hamilton is the coward because he asked why Valtteri Bottas wasn't slowing down, whereas Sebastian Vettel isn't a coward, even though Kimi Raikkonen mysteriously vanishes from the track whenever the German comes charging at him.
It is disgraceful for the sport and shameful for Sebastian Vettel. As a human being, he ought to apologize to Hamilton for the intentional hit, but naturally, an egoist with such a clouded mind is incapable of doing so.
During the red flag period, Hamilton looked for him in the pits, but of course, the German couldn't be bothered to show up.
analogpilot16 said:Guys, I could really use some help here. Has anyone dealt with a situation at DraftKings where a bet on Kimi doesn't count as a placement? I placed my bet online and was feeling pretty good after the race; I thought I had a decent little win lined up. Then later, the ticket shows up as invalid, claiming Kimi Raikkonen > achieve his placement. 🤔🤔
He pulled out a few laps before the finish, right? And ESPN.com lists him as DNF. Does this happen with sportsbooks? Will they actually acknowledge the error and fix it?
To put it bluntly: if a driver completes 90% of the race, he has achieved his placement. That’s what the sportsbook rules state. Unfortunately, you just missed the mark. Tough break, man.
stormybadger8 said:So you've decided it was intentional, but based on what exactly? 🤣 Did Vettel steer into Hamilton on purpose? Maybe he was just swinging the wheel wildly for no reason. 🙂
It was perfectly clear that Vettel lost his cool, lunged toward Hamilton while waving his arms around, and subsequently slammed into him. However, claiming it was premeditated is a stretch... Because if he were certain he could take Hamilton out of the race...
You misunderstood me. I'll keep following the sport, but I'm done with this forum. There is far too much nonsense and stupidity here.
As for the second incident, that was deliberate interference. It was pure intent, and there is no debate there; Vettel acted like a total jerk.
Consider this my response to you on this thread, and it shall be my final post here.
I am nearly finished following this sport. After those ten seconds being handed out instead of a black flag, there is simply no point. Intentionally hitting an opponent—intentionally—gets you penalized with ten seconds? Now that German piece of trash will just keep flipping people off and doing whatever he wants. I am not defending Lewis Hamilton, but if it is concluded that he braked unnecessarily, then fine, take the penalty. But Vettel wtf. That is it. My departure from the forum is final. Disgusting.
If Lewis Hamilton doesn't get penalized, there's honestly no point in watching this sport anymore. Sebastian Vettel, conversely, should be penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Lewis Hamilton slowed down exactly within the permitted limits. It was entirely legitimate.
What on earth are you all complaining about? The leader has every right to dictate the pace of the race. Honestly, Vettel will be lucky if he doesn't end up seeing a black flag at this rate.
Good grief, Sebastian Vettel intentionally veered into Lewis Hamilton. That’s just unacceptable. What does he think he’s doing? Ham has every right to dictate the pace while leading; it was on him to adjust his speed accordingly. Purposefully swerving like that should at least earn him a warning.