2009 Australian Grand Prix - Melbourne (Central Park)

They both completely blew it. Honestly, Robert Kubica should have just held his nerve until he hit that semi-circular straightaway, where he could have slipped right past without all the drama... and as for Sebastian Vettel, he really just needed to ease off the throttle on that stretch before the turn.

Rebecca Thomas5 said:did you ever stop to realize that Brawn actually managed to snag more points in just one race—we're talking 18 here—than they hauled in during the entire previous season combined... which was only 14... and Jenson is right there with them too

Honestly, ☕ given how the FIA is acting regarding those controversial diffusers, I wouldn't be shocked if they just disqualify everyone and strip them of their points entirely.😢 FIA 👎👎👎

And now all that’s left is for the FIA to somehow figure out how to ban the double diffuser—then we can just hand Lewis Hamilton another victory on a silver platter... 😁😁😁.. I suppose I am just thinking out loud here... Brawn 🙏🙏🙏🙏

Maria Nelson2 said:It’s not even about Vettel having to cough up fifty grand; it's more about the fact that his team basically ordered him to limp back to the pits on three wheels instead of just pulling off onto the grass like any sane person would. I remember seeing something similar back in the day during a rainy race in Seattle, where a driver was forced to grind through a broken car just to satisfy some corporate metric, and honestly, watching someone struggle through that kind of nonsense just feels exhausting.

I mean, honestly—when you go on a live broadcast immediately after an incident and basically call yourself an idiot, a $50k fine and a 10-place penalty feels like a pretty light sentence, doesn't it?🤷

I’d be willing to put my money on the fact that if he had, say, called Robert Kubica an idiot instead, the stewards would have handed down a much harsher penalty. When you serve yourself up on a silver platter like that, the officials don't really need to go hunting for someone to blame.

stormybadger8 said:Haha, that's exactly why Kubica keeps insisting it's all Vettel's fault.🙄

Everyone knows he’s at fault, just like Sebastian Vettel. If he hadn't lashed out, people would be tearing him to shreds right now. Honestly, calling this one of the biggest blunders in F1 history is something only someone who’s actually watched a season or two would say.🙄

Look, I wouldn't go so far as to say Robert Kubica is some kind of loose cannon who just lashes out at anyone for the sake of it. The kid just got caught in a bad situation, lost his footing, and both of them ended up getting the boot. It happens. You don't need to keep hammering home that they were both world-class drivers; things just went south, it was a mess, and that’s the end of it.☕

Rebecca Thomas5 said:They both completely blew it. Honestly, Robert Kubica should have just held his nerve until he hit that semi-circular straightaway, where he could have slipped right past without all the drama... and as for Sebastian Vettel, he really just needed to ease off the throttle on that stretch before the turn.

It’s easy to play armchair expert after the fact. If you ask me, Robert Kubica is just as much to blame here—maybe even more than Sebastian Vettel. He’s sitting in a way faster car and is forcing risky moves for absolutely no reason. Meanwhile, Vettel is just fighting to hold onto second place with some pretty sketchy driving, but honestly, he doesn't have much choice since his tires are completely shot. What was he supposed to do? Just stay out of everyone's way or pull into the pits and retire immediately?🙄 A real driver always defends his position. He’s not just going to hand it over for free.🙄 Whether they bring back the old 12, 9, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 scoring system or go back to rewarding wins specifically, we’re going to see the true impact at every single race.☕

Honestly, I still prefer him and Robert Kubica. They’re both the kind of drivers who navigate a track like grandmas crossing the street—if someone looks even slightly faster behind them, they just veer off to the side and give up. It's ridiculous. Wouldn't it be nice if they actually tried to grab a single point instead of just throwing it all away? ☕

Honestly, this just makes me hate the FIA even more.👎 That penalty is absolute garbage. Zero common sense involved. It was just a racing incident, plain and simple. And honestly, what’s so dangerous about circling the track behind the Safety Car? Give me a break.🙄 Remember when Kimi was tearing it up on a blown tire? Good times. 186 milesWell, he completely fell apart in the final lap. I mean, let's be real—Rubens spent the entire first half of the race driving around with a smashed front wing and bits of carbon fiber dangling off the car.🙄 It’s not like it’s actually dangerous. 😵 And apparently, Kimi's exhaust was just as dangerous too. Honestly, their consistency when it comes to making decisions and enforcing rules is enough to give you a massive headache.🙄

Rebecca Thomas5 said:They both completely blew it. Honestly, Robert Kubica should have just held his nerve until he hit that semi-circular straightaway, where he could have slipped right past without all the drama... and as for Sebastian Vettel, he really just needed to ease off the throttle on that stretch before the turn.

Kubica probably should have just waited for one of those two openings to make his move

Rebecca Thomas5 said:
Kubica probably should have just waited for one of those two openings to make his move

Look, he could've overtaken him on any straightaway and been three seconds faster per lap☕ anywhere else besides that damn turn☕

If Red Bull Racing doesn't lodge an official protest against this idiotic penalty, they’ve clearly lost their minds.☕

Rebecca Thomas5 said:did you ever stop to realize that Brawn actually managed to snag more points in just one race—we're talking 18 here—than they hauled in during the entire previous season combined... which was only 14... and Jenson is right there with them too

Honestly, I’m ready to put some money down right now that they won't manage to pick up another 18 points before the season wraps up.🙏

Morgan Murphy7 said:Honestly, I’m ready to put some money down right now that they won't manage to pick up another 18 points before the season wraps up.🙏

Not likely.☕

Given this driver lineup, it’s hardly a shock. Today was pure luck. The car is incredible, but these two drivers have zero clue. I hate myself for even saying this, but if Michael Schumacher had been in this cockpit today, he would've lapped the guy behind him by a lap or two, regardless of the SC. This Rubens guy is a total disaster. And honestly, I can't remember the last time I saw such a pathetic second-place finish. Then you've got Button, who looks terrified of his own car—it's like he was driving at half throttle.🤷 Plus, he got lucky with those new SC rules; if things were like last year, he'd be sitting around 7th or 8th.☕

I still don't get that nonsense where everyone had to wait for Button just because he was technically the leader of the lap when the SC came out. He wasn't even on track; he was in the pits. But according to the stats, he was number one since Sebastian Vettel hadn't crossed the start-finish line yet. If it were Button, he probably would've ended up in 7th or 8th after exiting the pits, at least that's how it looks to me.🤷

Does anyone actually have the lap times from just before and after the first SC deployment?🤷

I'm still stuck on why they let the SC pass after Vettel had basically driven a whole lap ahead of it, only to make everyone wait for Button to take the lead.😕

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns21313.html

🙄The FIA claims they stepped in because Sebastian Vettel basically confessed he was struggling but was hell-bent on keeping his spot.🙄

It’s pathetic. They're actually punishing drivers just for what they say. 😵 Forget the racing, let's all head to the Betting shops—Kimi was clearly the real champ in 2009. 😬 There's zero competition. ☕

And here's the proof I was talking about:

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headline...29134226.shtml

So the FIA penalized a driver over a standard racing incident, all because of something Sebastian Vettel said over the Team radio.🙄

stormybadger8 said:http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns21313.html

🙄The FIA claims they stepped in because Sebastian Vettel basically confessed he was struggling but was hell-bent on keeping his spot.🙄

It’s pathetic. They're actually punishing drivers just for what they say. 😵 Forget the racing, let's all head to the Betting shops—Kimi was clearly the real champ in 2009. 😬 There's zero competition. ☕

And here's the proof I was talking about:

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headline...29134226.shtml

So the FIA penalized a driver over a standard racing incident, all because of something Sebastian Vettel said over the Team radio.🙄

lol, well, I did warn you all that Vettel was digging his own grave by basically calling himself an idiot.🤣

Kimi Räikkönen is taking it all this year.🙂

stormybadger8 said:http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns21313.html

🙄The FIA claims they stepped in because Sebastian Vettel basically confessed he was struggling but was hell-bent on keeping his spot.🙄

It’s pathetic. They're actually punishing drivers just for what they say. 😵 Forget the racing, let's all head to the Betting shops—Kimi was clearly the real champ in 2009. 😬 There's zero competition. ☕

And here's the proof I was talking about:

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headline...29134226.shtml

So the FIA penalized a driver over a standard racing incident, all because of something Sebastian Vettel said over the Team radio.🙄

I honestly think they penalized him because he didn't pit—instead, he just kept chasing the safety car, clearly hoping he could hang onto his position if the race ended under those conditions.
If they had just shown him this, we wouldn't have been left in the dark like that...

It’s hardly a shock that Nick Heidfeld was struggling😢



He had his own fair share of issues right at the start

And since it wasn't Fernando Alonso on the side, Blažičko was busy bringing up Nelson Piquet on the grass😕

Man, Brawn GP is built like a tank😲



A totally clean situation. They would've been handing out penalties for this stuff last year

Donna Nelson23 said:I honestly think they penalized him because he didn't pit—instead, he just kept chasing the safety car, clearly hoping he could hang onto his position if the race ended under those conditions.
If they had just shown him this, we wouldn't have been left in the dark like that...

He got an order from the pit wall for that, and that's not why he was penalized—just read the link above. 😉Otherwise, why would he get flagged? Rubens drove half a race with a broken wing, and last year Kimi dealt with a loose exhaust flapping in the wind. Same goes for when Kimi had those totally shredded tires and a car bouncing off the track because of them. Even Vettel spent time behind the SC and realistically could have finished P2, no matter how stupid it looked.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74072

Total disaster. They also slapped Trulia with a penalty for absolutely no reason (unless 🤷 is lying), but this whole thing is just ridiculous. I mean, what’s even the point of an SC with only two laps left?🙄 Stopping the race and deciding the podium based on the current standings☕ is pointless. Nothing was going to change in those two laps anyway, unless they wanted to pull stunts like this one.🙄

And of course, we get another guy celebrating on the podium only to end up with zero points at the next race.🙄

The FIA claims they want overtaking and excitement, yet they penalize drivers for actual racing incidents.😵 What's next? Penalizing anyone who happens to be significantly faster than the rest during qualifying? It's awful. I honestly have a feeling that in seven days, they'll be handing out penalties to BGP or whoever manages to land on the podium. This situation with Toyota makes zero sense anymore; they might as well sell the whole team for a dollar just to stop dealing with this nonsense.😢

stormybadger8 said:http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74072

Total disaster. They also slapped Trulia with a penalty for absolutely no reason (unless 🤷 is lying), but this whole thing is just ridiculous. I mean, what’s even the point of an SC with only two laps left?🙄 Stopping the race and deciding the podium based on the current standings☕ is pointless. Nothing was going to change in those two laps anyway, unless they wanted to pull stunts like this one.🙄

And of course, we get another guy celebrating on the podium only to end up with zero points at the next race.🙄

The FIA claims they want overtaking and excitement, yet they penalize drivers for actual racing incidents.😵 What's next? Penalizing anyone who happens to be significantly faster than the rest during qualifying? It's awful. I honestly have a feeling that in seven days, they'll be handing out penalties to BGP or whoever manages to land on the podium. This situation with Toyota makes zero sense anymore; they might as well sell the whole team for a dollar just to stop dealing with this nonsense.😢

Trulli is a joke... he spun off under the SC, Hamilton passed him because there was no sense waiting around for him to get back on track, and then Trulli actually overtook him while still under the SC... it was pathetic.☕

But I really don't get your point... last year a deserved win was stripped away, and so on... the FIA is famous for having rules that are in total shambles, so why is this any different? There’s going to be so much chaos both on and off the track for the rest of the season that it’s becoming laughable.🙏 🙏

stormybadger8 said:He got an order from the pit wall for that, and that's not why he was penalized—just read the link above. 😉Otherwise, why would he get flagged? Rubens drove half a race with a broken wing, and last year Kimi dealt with a loose exhaust flapping in the wind. Same goes for when Kimi had those totally shredded tires and a car bouncing off the track because of them. Even Vettel spent time behind the SC and realistically could have finished P2, no matter how stupid it looked.

It seems objectivity just goes out the window the moment your favorite driver takes a podium😉. 😁