Esteban Ocon, Alpine, Hungaroring, 2021

Top two finishers Ocon and Vettel under investigation after Hungarian Grand Prix

2021 Hungarian Grand Prix

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Hungarian Grand Prix winner Esteban Ocon and runner-up Sebastian Vettel are under investigation following the race.

Carlos Sainz Jnr, who finished fourth, and two drivers who retired are also facing investigations by the stewards.

Ocon, who scored his first Formula 1 win in the race, is alleged to have failed to follow the race director’s instruction on post-race procedures. The Alpine driver came to a stop after the pit exit taking the chequered flag.

The other four drivers, including retirees Valtteri Bottas and Lance Stroll, are under investigation for violations of the pre-race procedures, including the ‘WeRaceAsOne’ observance and podium ceremony.

These regulations state driver must “remove their t-shirts” and attend the national anthem performance “wearing their race suits”. Footage from the ceremony indicates Vettel did not do this, and was wearing a T-shirt showing his support for LGBTQ+ rights during the Hungarian national anthem.

Before the race weekend Vettel and other drivers spoke out against Hungary’s new legislation banning gay people from appearing in television programmes or educational material aimed at those under the age of 18.

Vettel suggested after the race the T-shirt was the reason for his summons. “They can disqualify me,” he told Sky. “They can do what they want. I’d do it again.”

Update: Vettel, Sainz, Bottas and Stroll given reprimands for pre-race violations; Ocon given reprimand for post-race violation

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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48 comments on “Top two finishers Ocon and Vettel under investigation after Hungarian Grand Prix”

  1. Good for Vettel.

    1. Definitely!

    2. I would imagine just ‘you naughty boy, don’t do it again’ as they did with Hamilton. Although some on here demanded a more dramatic penalty for this ‘offence’ in the past.

    3. Absolutely the same thought!

    4. Yeah, great response from him.

    5. Yep, good on vettel. Hopefully only a slapped wrist.

    6. Shots fired!

    7. Maybe F1 should just stop racing in countries with oppressive regimes?!

      1. Probably in a parallel universe where Germany is still there…

    8. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
      1st August 2021, 22:59

      Both Vettel and Alonso showed great maturity today and proved themselves worthy champions!

  2. How brave of vettel…

  3. Apparently even Sainz is under investigation.

    1. Of the 3 only Sainz might get penalty .

      1. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
        1st August 2021, 23:00

        I hope not – he drove so well today.

  4. Just give WDC to Hamilton already, there’s no need to keep racing anymore

    1. Why, because if they did keep racing Verstappen would win?

    2. Nothing came out of this. Vettel just got a reprimand for it.

      There is not conspiracy to hand the tittle to Hamilton or Verstappen. Please don’t spread rumors.

      1. But luck wise one would believe it to be so, baku around 11 points swing in favour of hamilton, silverstone maybe not 32 but at least 19, assuming a hamilton win and verstappen 2nd with fastest lap, imola again probably 15 points, that’s 45 points given to hamilton through lucky circumstances.

        Now, thinking about it, red flag at imola was very lucky, but apart from that it seems it’s more verstappen bad luck than hamilton’s good, cause example he’d have also won hungary if not for a strategic mistake.

        1. Ops, forgot hungary itself, I would think verstappen could’ve been 2nd with fastest lap in normal circumstances, so 6 points lost to hamilton instead of the 14 here, so let’s say 53 overall, those are over 2 race wins vs a 0.

          1. At what point do you stop calling it “luck”? Because you will have to, at some point.
            Lewis made an error today but that’s only obvious with hindsight. Had he stopped he would have lost many positions. He was damned if he did, damned if he didn’t. He then continued to race the wheels off that Merc at a track that is notoriously difficult to overtake on. No good luck involved. Just bad luck for Max.

  5. Is it under sporting regulation? If so which section?

  6. Davethechicken
    1st August 2021, 17:42

    These post race investigations are a real turn off for the fans. Enough already.

  7. Imagine Hamilton benefiting from a Vettel penalty because Seb continues what Hamilton started.

    But seriously, what possible penalties can Vettel et al. expect?

    1. Vettel can´t get penalty for that, the precedence has been set last year in Emilia Romagna with Hamilton.

      1. no sorry, Tuscany GP was it.

      2. Was that where it was for Ham? This maybe a bigger thing in that it was during the National Anthem, which is a big thing for the suits in F1, FIA and the country concerned. Added to that senior politicians have been milking this for all its worth this week, although they all aimed their ire at Hamilton for better optics. If they had of paid a little more attention they would have seen Seb was the lead on this.

  8. Clearing the way for Lewis’ 100th win

    1. They didn’t violate sporting regulation, so could only be money fine. And that would be right. It’s absolutely fine to forbid sex propaganda among kids.

      1. Zach (@zakspeedf1team)
        1st August 2021, 18:23

        “People are equal” is not sex propaganda. Here to help.

      2. Correct! But why single out LGBT? Why not ALL sexual material for kids?

      3. Later you lost 4-0

  9. Zach (@zakspeedf1team)
    1st August 2021, 18:00

    First of all, the whole anthem is just nationalistic BS to placate Putin when Russia got it’s GP, there shouldn’t even be an anthem before an F1 race. Second, good for Vettel, I was never a Vettel fan, but I’m really coming around to him this season.

    1. @zakspeedf1team Well, that’s a clueless comment. They’ve been playing the national anthem before grand prix probably since the very start of motorsport. Certainly long before the Russian GP, or before Putin was even born.

      1. @tflb, no @zakspeedf1team is partly correct.

        It’s always been played I think. But the ceremony is relatively new. They made it a televised thing, which the drivers were required to stand for, 5 or so years ago at a guess.

        Certainly not clueless. His point is reasonable.

  10. No, FIA, don’t do this to me, especially after the great race we had…

  11. Must protect authoritarian leaders. May not wear anything to suggest people should be treated equally.

    What a great message for Formula 1 to send.

    Top response by Seb, though.

    1. Zach (@zakspeedf1team)
      1st August 2021, 18:12

      Sport and authoritarian regimes have gone hand in hand for a long time. Olympics, Football (soccer), and F1 are prime examples. That’s why the argument I sometimes hear of “sport and politics should not mix” is dumb, since authoritarians have used sport as a marketing exercise (sportwashing), and will keep doing it in the future. But instead people are angry over athletes voicing their opinions.

  12. Barry Bens (@barryfromdownunder)
    1st August 2021, 18:07

    These regulations state driver must “remove their t-shirts”

    Lewd! :O

  13. GtisBetter (@)
    1st August 2021, 18:09

    It’s all fine. They just got a friendly reminder at they all “forgot” they were wearing the shirt. At least that is what the FIA site says

  14. Let’s give every race to Hamilton. It’s for the greater good.

  15. Vettel suggested after the race the T-shirt was the reason for his summons. “They can disqualify me,” he told Sky. “They can do what they want. I’d do it again.”

    The snowflake syndrome of the young generation in a nutshell (despite him not being the youngest guy out there). Thinking they’ll change everything in the world just with beautiful words and colorful messages while fetichising that the world is incessantly trying to stop them… Or in reality it simply doesn’t care.

    1. I think, judging by the comments, a lot of people care @rodewulf.

      Snowflakey rants like yours above suggest you care. A good few people are offended by this kind of thing.

      Or, people like me, that care because I like to see people stick their necks out for others who’s voices don’t get heard.

      Either way I’d say most people seem to have a passionate opinion. They definitely do care.

      1. @gongtong Vettel faced a disqualification for failing to provide a fuel sample to FIA after finishing second in the race so the summon and a reprimand for his lack of proper attire is the least of his problems now. Many may feel ofended by his affected “protests” but many also will hold him in high esteem him for doing it so he’ll receive nearly as much support as criticism for his activism. We’re not talking about a Islamic society or something like that having just very little people to like those type of progressivist causes. So what I meant with people don’t care is that it won’t change much in the end. Some will like him, feel represented, honoured or whatever and some will disapprove him for being too sectarian and that’s it, not much practical consequences beyond it.

        Snowflakey rants like yours above suggest you care. A good few people are offended by this kind of thing.

        I only care to comment on the topic and explain why I think those protests Vettel has been doing recently seems juvenile naivety to me. If you disagree, that’s okay. But notice that I don’t care enough about it to say that he should stop doing it, so that his attention-seeking display doesn’t offend me at all. I’m not an old guy myself so I understand the reasons behind it, but I don’t share that type of view.

        Or, people like me, that care because I like to see people stick their necks out for others who’s voices don’t get heard.

        And here’s implied one of the reasons why I don’t identify with this type of activism that only see the needs of a group, always wanting to play the oppressed card. I know there’s inequalities in our society and people have the right to act trying to diminish them, but not for the cost of freedom of expression, for instance, and more state intervention curtailing freedoms. I also concede that not everyone waving rainbow flags out there want the state’s heavy fist to punch non-aggressors, but the majority of activists are keen to ask the government to intervene if that’s for the benefit of their identitarian goals.
        If one really wants all voices to be heard, this person needs to accept that every individual has the right to speak their minds, without branding the first criticism as racist, bigoted or anything like that and wanting that message to be erased without double checks. If it’s really a hate message then I agree that media owners have the moral duty of not letting it freely spread online, but we see all over the internet many genuine criticism made in good faith being accused of hate just because of who is being criticised. It’s not right at all.

        Either way I’d say most people seem to have a passionate opinion. They definitely do care.

        Yes, many oppose those topics in a rather exaggerated way, just like some bring those topics in a provocative manner like “group x is responsible for some bad thing” generalising certain groups of people to fit the oppressor category. This type of approach just antagonises even more, because it’s “us against them” kinda of thing. Then their enemies hit back and finally we have what we see today, partisans fighting for all sorts of ideological causes, each time more bizarre and rooted in paranoia.

        1. Rodewulfsmom
          2nd August 2021, 1:28

          Rants about the loss of freedom of expression while complaining about someone freely expressing themselves. The lack of self awareness is palpable

          1. Rodewulfsmom

            Rants about the loss of freedom of expression while complaining about someone freely expressing themselves. The lack of self awareness is palpable

            Here’s where you get this wrong! Pay enough attention and see why:

            But notice that I don’t care enough about it to say that he should stop doing it, so that his attention-seeking display doesn’t offend me at all. I’m not an old guy myself so I understand the reasons behind it, but I don’t share that type of view.

            I have the right to criticise whatever I want, that’s within freedom of expression. But I don’t have the right to demand others to stop making their own stances even if feeling offended by them, that would be the end of free speech. My text makes it clear that I don’t want Vettel’s expression to be curtailed, provided that it’s in accordance with Formula 1 rules that apply for all involved (as part of their own business), despite the fact that in my opinion his “protests” are somewhat ridiculous and his overly passionate comments – and Lewis’ comments are no different – rather counterproductive to convince others of his causes.

          2. ranTs ABout THe Loss OF freEdom Of ExprEsSIoN WhiLe COmpLaIniNg aBOUT SOMeone FreElY expresSinG ThEmSelVES. The lAcK Of SeLF aWaREnEsS iS palPAble

            Who the hell is behind this username? Is this the same “sodidschumacher” person? Is this the Russian anon? Is this one of the biggest enemies here? You should sit down and shut up. You have no hiding spots.

  16. Robert Chapman
    2nd August 2021, 1:56

    I am with Seb. I think his stand was remarkable. He continues in the path Lewis fought for. However he got the so called slap on the wrist for the t-shirt but then gets dq’d for the fuel shortage. So they got him in the end. I feel it was just another way to get him . I realize the rule calls for 1 litre for testing. I also realize you can identify a person from a simple drop of blood or a diabetes test with a pin prick.
    Another silly rule in my eyes.

    1. So they got him in the end. I feel it was just another way to get him

      Tinfoil-hat conspiracy levels are running high

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