Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll have both escaped penalties for their collision on the slowing down lap at the Malaysian Grand Prix.
The pair made contact at turn seven which tore the left-rear wheel off Vettel’s Ferrari.
“On the approach to turn five during the slow down lap after the end of the race, car 18 (Stroll) was towards the middle of the track, car 8 (Romain Grosjean) was closing from behind on the inside of car 18 and at the same time, car five (Vettel) overtook car 18 on the outside and in doing so, turned in slightly towards the apex of turn five,” the stewards explained. “Simultaneously car 18 was moving slight away from the apex. This resulted in contact between the left rear tyre of car 5 and the right front tyre of car 18.”
“The stewards consider that no driver was wholly or predominantly to blame for the incident and will therefore take no further action.”
“The stewards also consider that even though the race has ended, caution still needs to be exercised by all drivers on the slow down lap.”
GnosticBrian (@gnosticbrian)
1st October 2017, 10:18
I thought drivers had to re-attach their sterering wheels before leaving their car on track – why was Vettel allowed to take his away with him?
MG1982 (@mg1982)
1st October 2017, 10:22
Cause the drivers in front (Mercedes, Ferrari, RBR) know they won’t get any penalty. Look now too… ”Vettel (and Stroll) cleared over crash on slow-down lap”.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
1st October 2017, 17:41
@mg1982 Lets kick ’em while they are down, the championship is over but people want Vettel to keep suffering. The crash is clearly Stroll’s fault, Vettel never hit nobody on a slow down lap, he has had plenty of those. Vettel was past Stroll and Lance turned right on a left hander….
SaraJ (@sjzelli)
1st October 2017, 20:09
This and only this. Stroll should wake the f up.
Miles
1st October 2017, 20:11
Clearly, the FIA has yet again turned a blind eye to Vettel’s and Ferrari antics. Throughout this season’s racing Vettel has breach the rules and got away with it. Watching a slow motion replay of today’s incident Vettel clearly turns into the left-hand corner across Stroll’s driving line. Taking his steering wheel is also clearly against the rules. It might get stolen is a flimsy excuse. The marshals’ were quick to react and it was on camera.
If Ferrari has to use a new gearbox for next’s week race that’s a 5 position penalty or will they use today’s incidence as an excuse to avoid the penalty.
I am not bias. Rules are rules.
Gabriel (@rethla)
1st October 2017, 10:38
@gnosticbrian I think its safe to say no Marshal is gonna need that wheel to tow that car. I have no idea why he felt the urge to take it with him however, maybe he wanted to give Wehrlein some motivation with a Ferrari steering ;)
Sonics (@sonicslv)
1st October 2017, 11:10
@gnosticbrian Most likely calculated risk.
Someone may steal the wheel (end of race, people can enter the track), or maybe there something important in there to keep secret (Ted suggest the clutch system for race start). What the proper punishment anyway? It definitely breaking the rules but Ferrari can argue keeping the wheel attached in that situation will not help the marshalls to clear the car faster. Grid penalty will be deemed too harsh so maybe they’ll give Vettel penalty point and/or slapping some fines, which is much better than losing a million dollar worth of equipment or losing a competitive secret if they can help it.
Notice Vettel initially leave the wheel attached but took a lot more time than needed to finally taking it off and bring it with him. I think in that time he received instructions from the pit to do so. I’m pretty sure the team would expected to be found guilty, it’s just about if the punishment is acceptable compared to the risk.
anon
1st October 2017, 15:08
@sonicslv, you’re right that thefts do sometimes happen – Force India had a steering wheel stolen during the Italian GP back in 2015, albeit from the garage rather than on the track, so I can understand why the teams might be a bit cautious about leaving the wheel in a place where some fans could get to it and take something like that from the car.
Jonathan Parkin
1st October 2017, 15:44
There was also a rule years ago that if a car breaks down no one is allowed to touch it except for track marshals I think it was on pain of disqualification. Not sure if this applies now of course
RP (@slotopen)
1st October 2017, 17:17
He seemed to double back. I wonder if he was having trouble remounting it. Perhaps the steering was in an awkward position.
Maybe he just couldn’t risk the display being visible for some reason. Post race procedures, etc.
Jabbadap
2nd October 2017, 12:35
Well yeah it’s mentioned in formula 1 sporting regulations:
Although it will need a towing car to get that wreck out of the track anyway…
Mark Saunders (@mcs1)
1st October 2017, 10:24
Correct decision.
Different rules for ferrari of course with respect to taking steering wheel.
Ben
1st October 2017, 10:28
So the fastest car out there today can’t be tested for weight, ride height or many other technical areas. The driver also broke the rules in not returning the car to parc ferme, getting a lift from another car and taking the wheel with him. But of course it’s Ferrari so no penalty.
Man United_Vettel (@siegfreyco)
1st October 2017, 14:38
what do you want him to do? drive ono with 3 wheels left? Piece the parts together again bit by bit?
MrBoerns (@mrboerns)
1st October 2017, 14:52
It’s not like the cars don’t pass through scrutineering before races
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
1st October 2017, 17:43
Are you Ben…Edwards?
John s
2nd October 2017, 1:54
I did notice during the race Vettel seemed to be sparking more than others. Since he dint quallify, arent they free tomset up the car anyway they want for the race?
Man United_Vettel (@siegfreyco)
2nd October 2017, 13:52
Yes they are free but they will still check if its legal else everyone would start from the pit lane if you can make the car 3 seconds faster by not following the rules in overtaking friendly tracks
F1Fan
1st October 2017, 10:38
Sure, let’s punish Vettel for taking away the steering wheel, but not Stroll for moving wide and hitting him. Wrong the former, but right the latter for some reason. Any thoughts on Alonso letting Ricciardo past but blocking Vettel? What about Ricciardo moving under breaking?
kanan
1st October 2017, 17:14
Ricciardo weaving was the real problem. What are they waiting for to enforce that rule I don’t know, for Vettel to do it? lol
FlatSix3.6 (@kegguts)
1st October 2017, 22:43
Don’t you think Seb would have screamed blue murder if he thought Dan moved and blocked in the breaking zone, not a peep, which is unusual for Seb, not so with his opinion on Alonso.
A motorsports fan
4th October 2017, 15:57
i think wettel was whining under losing. that behavior has caused more than one crash and should be banned.
moving under breaking has always been part of F1 and racing. in fact, we call it just racing. it was invented as an offense by Vettel – and he was the first and only to break it.
pking007
1st October 2017, 11:05
Vettel was clearly at fault but the stewards couldn’t take action against him lest they hand the championship to Hamilton so they needed a fudge. Also taking his steering wheel is against the rule and he took it deliberately because i think Ferrari are hiding something but i bet the the FIA will turn a blind eye to Vettels and Ferrari shenanigans.
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
1st October 2017, 14:30
In other news Indonesia is really, truly back to the mid-60s.
David Jones
3rd October 2017, 21:34
Right on pking007. I can’t believe more people haven’t at least question this.
My thoughts are that it seemed to me at the time that Ferrari only had one working car after qualifying… Kimi’s which they gave to Seb… Not one newspaper has even entertained this idea… So the crash was to disguise the fact that Seb had Kimi’s car…
Even it that wasn’t true it wouldn’t be the first that Seb has crashed into another car deliberately, I.e. Azerbaijan when he appeared to crash into Lewis…
nase
4th October 2017, 14:05
Hate to be so rude, but sometimes it’s needed:
Have you ever heard of parc fermé?
And that’s just one of many reasons why your conspiracy theory lacks any foundation. Good lord …
JA
1st October 2017, 11:12
will vettel’s car pass the post race scruteneering? i doubt the rear wing reconfiguration and the tri-cycle mod might bend a few rules, including minimum weight.
C
1st October 2017, 11:13
As for crash, a good decision but for not leaving steering wheel in car that’s questionable by stewards as usual.
Fred bowen-smith
1st October 2017, 12:15
It’s an old rule who’s time has come and gone. $1m for a wheel that can be easily stolen. So many stupid rules in the F1 book
Sonics (@sonicslv)
1st October 2017, 15:23
Actually it’s a fairly new rule. That rule exist so the marshalls can more easily move the car in case they able to just push it instead of having to call a crane.
Stephen H
1st October 2017, 13:31
Change of gearbox and a five place penalty for Vettel at Suzuka as well … potentially.
Ben
1st October 2017, 15:24
No chance. If Ferrari have to change it they’ll say to the FIA that it’s not fair and they’ll remove the penalty. I doubt they’ll even need to change it anyway.
MXMXD (@mxmxd)
1st October 2017, 14:26
So, in other words, Vettel at fault.
Steward Glass
1st October 2017, 16:07
Specsavers new advert.
Shimks (@shimks)
1st October 2017, 16:35
So just a slower version of the first corner collision at Singapore?!
RP (@slotopen)
1st October 2017, 17:06
Exactly my thoughts. Except this time a lack of attention rather than a poorly executed move.
kanan
1st October 2017, 17:20
Does anyone commenting here has any common sense or should we think of this place as an equivalent of Youtube/Facebook comments now… I am amused that anyone thinks there was something weird about what Vettel did during the closing lap as changing around places is a very common occurrence done by every driver multiple times during that lap in every single race anyway. And there was nowhere to go on Vettel’s right as he was just taking his line around a left hander and following that line as casually as possible really. Some really ridiculous comments here.
nase
1st October 2017, 19:26
I agree that the average comment has been horrible today. Far worse than normally. I wonder why.
David Jones
3rd October 2017, 21:40
I haven’t read all the comments but people have a right to be suspicious. You seem to be oblivous to Vettel’s past history and you have to admit if it wasn’t deliberate is was carelessness – not something you expect of a driver of Vettel’s calibre.
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
1st October 2017, 20:53
Just L.o.l.
What else will happen. Vettel has a nose for trouble. I wonder if they can now switch gearbox for free?
Ed Marques (@edmarques)
2nd October 2017, 4:35
I believe not, since was considered that no one was to blame.
If they have to change the gearbox, i think they will have a penalty
dave
2nd October 2017, 17:40
Vettel & Ferrari never get punished like other drivers & teams . Are there some backhanders being given because Michael Schumacher & Ferrari also never got wrong doing punishment. Remember him taking out Damon Hill to win championship.
geoffgroom44 (@)
3rd October 2017, 0:11
Alternative headline: “teenager mobbed in road rage incident”.