Esteban Ocon says he doesn’t remember drivers agreeing that certain racing incidents should be handled differently after he was penalised for a collision with Lewis Hamilton during the Monaco Grand Prix.
The Alpine driver was given a five-second time penalty for making contact with Hamilton on the approach to Sainte Devote. The sanction dropped him out of the points-paying positions at the end of yesterday’s race.“That penalty ruined it completely,” said Ocon. “I’m very frustrated.”
He spoke to the stewards about the incident after the race. “They said that if it was last year, it would have been a racing incident. This year it is not a racing incident.”
During the off-season F1 issued new guidance on how incidents involving drivers are judged by the stewards.
“Apparently we all agreed as GPDA [Grand Prix Drivers’ Association] that as soon as there is a front wing next to a tyre, there should be space. But I don’t remember when this has been agreed.”
The stewards’ guidance states drivers must give room to a rival if they are attempting to overtake on the inside providing the driver has a “significant portion of the car alongside the car being overtaken.”
Ocon was penalised because the stewards ruled Hamilton was far enough alongside him to be given space.
However Ocon said it’s impossible for a driver to make a pass in Monaco without some contact being made.
“I was just covering the inside, the inside line was wet, Lewis was on faster tyres. And any overtakes that have been made in Monaco, there was contact. You can’t list one in the last couple of years that there’s been no contact or lift track or anything.
“So we tried hard, we raced hard, obviously there was a bit of contact, but that should be a racing incident and it’s a bit frustrating.”
Ocon was also given a penalty point on his licence, which puts him on a total of four for the last 12 months.
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Broke1984 (@broke1984)
30th May 2022, 11:32
Kind of a weird one for me. By the time he took the corner only Hamiltons tyre was there and he was deemed at fault. If last year it was considered a racing incident then surely Silverstone would have been considered a racing incident except that time Hamilton was deemed at fault. Why would Ocon be at fault if Hamilton stuck his nose in like he did at silverstone last year
LosD (@losd)
30th May 2022, 12:12
@broke1984 I believe it was because at Silverstone Hamilton was not really at the curb, so he had space to avoid, while here Ocon closed the door with Hamilton nowhere to go.
I also remembered them as similar, but watching the videos there’s a pretty clear difference.
petebaldwin (@)
30th May 2022, 12:14
The new rules seem to encourage sticking your nose in even when a move isn’t really on… Seems a bit strange to be honest….
SHR Modding
30th May 2022, 18:41
But alonso got done in Miami for doing exactly that. So maybe there’s inconsistency there in applying the rules
John G.
10th June 2022, 21:44
I was thinking the same thing. Can’t pass someone, just brake late and get your wheel aside the other car. If that is the rule, I could see drivers taking advantage of it.
Mayrton
30th May 2022, 19:40
The Lewis status must have cone into play. It will wear out. Ridiculous decision to penalize Ocon instead of Lewis. This sport is becoming more of a farce with every race. Clear fault from Lewis
CP
30th May 2022, 23:17
woah, everyone clear the room, the expert has spoken.
petebaldwin (@)
30th May 2022, 12:12
That’s quite a significant rule change. If I understand it correctly, it means the incident at Silverstone last year would now be deemed a penalty to Max. Similarly, at Monza, it would be a penalty to Lewis.
Both drivers had their front wing (at least) alongside the rear tyres of the car in front so the defending driver should give them the inside.
LosD (@losd)
30th May 2022, 12:20
@petebaldwin I don’t think so, at least for Silverstone. For Monza… Maybe.
As I understand it, you need to give enough space, but not just jump out of the way. In Silverstone (as I wrote above), Hamilton did have at least a bit of space left. At Monza, Verstappen came in at a pretty silly angle, I don’t really see that pass attempt working without contact unless Hamilton did some crazy amount of avoidance… But the track bends so hard back and forth that it’s a bit hard to judge.
MacLeod (@macleod)
30th May 2022, 13:48
I was expecting a penaulty for Lewis for causing a collision. In turn 1 you can’t put your front into the rear while the track was wet Ocon had to turn on the racing line and not giving Lewis room so he would crash himself.
Those stewards and rc were not really good this weekend.
Gigantor (@kbdavies)
30th May 2022, 19:29
You generally expect Lewis to get a penalty for breathing, so that isn’t really surprising.
mystic one (@mysticus)
31st May 2022, 2:38
thats the same ocon complaining … do you really believe he was innocent and was just driving hard?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Av7yyu8vnY
Conor Sheehan
30th May 2022, 18:35
I believe control of the car would still be relevant so I think both Silverstone and monza would have stayed the same. Arguably neither lewis or max had control of the car in those specific circumstances.
This is guidance on leaving racing room for the overtaking driver but the situation can always change the matter. If lewis had locked up and hit Ocon, it would be his fault surely.
SteveP
30th May 2022, 21:43
ckquote>
Reading everyone’s comments here, I get the impression no one was sad enough to read through the change marked versions of the regulations – except me.
The old regs were a little unclear, but notes issued to teams did provide a little more clarity.
Probably a little upsetting to Max fans that the person deemed responsible for stuffing a RBR car into a barrier at high speed is the one that was driving it.
I’d need to go back and read the regs, but I think that one comes out as a Max at fault again.
Don’t shoot the messenger, but do note that Max has probably read the different regs and altered his driving style to match the requirements better.
Proesterchen (@proesterchen)
30th May 2022, 12:13
Quite frankly, putting a wheel in (in other words being behind by several meters at the closest approach, and with no hope of making a successful overtake) shouldn’t be enough to force the leading car off the racing line.
ChrisVB
30th May 2022, 17:40
Indeed, seems to me this new rule will lead to many more dive bomb overtakes, or tries at it.
mystic one (@mysticus)
31st May 2022, 2:39
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Av7yyu8vnY
think again, if you believe what everyone says… ocon was being dangerous multiple times… they are not all shown on the official feeds!
DonSalsa
31st May 2022, 20:09
Indeed, there were two incidents between them and I think the penalty was for this clip you’ve posted here. What most people are commenting on seems to be the other incident that happened at the apex of T1, which was the one that was shown on the live broadcast.
So people shouldn’t confuse the two!
JimClarkGable
7th June 2022, 5:12
Looking at the video, it looks like an optimistic Lewis dive, Ocon protecting the inside line & braking early.
What was the last successful Sainte Devote overtake BTW ?
Situs (@situs)
30th May 2022, 12:18
The penalty was for the second incident when Ocon pushed Hamilton against the wall.
LosD (@losd)
30th May 2022, 12:32
@situs I’ve seen the same from other commenters, but looking at the stewards notes, it seems like it is this one. The description (collision, not crowding off the edge of the track) turn (1) and time (16:39, the replay was shown 16:40:10) matches.
Steve AM
31st May 2022, 2:17
Spot on mate, couldn’t say it any better. Lewis always makes these dirty moves and blames everybody but himself.
StefMeister (@stefmeister)
30th May 2022, 12:35
@situs Thats what I thought initially but as far as I can tell the second incident wasn’t investigated & the wording of the penalty decision as well as what Ocon has said subsequently about his discussion with the stewards make it seem like it was for the initial bit of contact.
Jere (@jerejj)
30th May 2022, 12:53
@situs @stefmeister
What second incident? I don’t recall anything such as Ocon pushing him against a wall unless this was something that happened outside the world feed footage, which would be unsurprising considering TMC’s general directing.
anon
30th May 2022, 13:01
It was another missed incident – we heard the radio transmissions from the drivers indicating there was a second clash, but the broadcast team weren’t paying attention and so there wasn’t any footage.
Jere (@jerejj)
30th May 2022, 13:10
@anon True & just typical TMC:
FOM should’ve taken over world feed coverage directing for the Monaco GP a long time ago already.
Situs (@situs)
30th May 2022, 13:02
Can I put a link here?
Jere (@jerejj)
30th May 2022, 13:08
@situs Yes, although I already managed to find that close call.
Quite clearly penalty-worthy, so surprising that one didn’t even get noted.
Overtheoutside
30th May 2022, 14:24
Can you link it? I can’t find it
mystic one (@mysticus)
31st May 2022, 2:41
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Av7yyu8vnY
penalty was the different occasion shown on tv, but this was worthy of a penalty already!
StefMeister (@stefmeister)
30th May 2022, 12:33
This is why I sort of feel like there is a bit too much regulation around how drivers should race/overtake.
It’s sort of felt over the last 10 or so years that as they have started adding these rules/clarifications to try & get more consistency and give drivers more clarity on what is/isn’t allowed that all it’s really done is created situations where we are seeing more investigations & more penalties than ever before for incidents that don’t really warrant either.
Based on the angles of this particular incident i’ve seen I don’t think it deserved a penalty. Yes Lewis was a bit alongside but trying an overtake at St.Devote is always a high risk move, Especially when your not fully alongside/ahead on the way in.
Jere (@jerejj)
30th May 2022, 12:57
Ultimately, the right call under the present approach & is reminiscent of Hamilton’s incident with Maldonado in the 2011 race, also at Sainte Devote.
Ciaran (@ciaran)
30th May 2022, 13:19
@jerejj Good thinking, I was also reminded of the same crash. In both cases Hamilton inches closer under braking, but only gets to the defending driver’s read wheel/sidepod area. On most tracks this wouldn’t be grounds for gaining “rights” to contest the apex, but it seems that’s the most drivers can do in Monaco. Especially as it was in the wet, I think Ocon should have given him a bit more space.
ChrisVB
30th May 2022, 17:43
Shouldn’t the driver trying the overtake be more careful in the wet?
Well, all drivers should be more careful in the wet, but especially the overtaker, less the defender, in my opinion.
Wayne
30th May 2022, 13:50
Yes space should be given. Or close the door earlier and make the defensive menuvour clear.
cameron coulson
30th May 2022, 15:10
Typical response from Hamilton. Always sticks his nose where it doesn’t belong. Can’t handle his teamate is kicking his a@s
Dearls
30th May 2022, 16:38
Hey cc capacity.
Hamilton GOAT. 8 x FIA Rules F1 World Champion.
Clean as a whistle.
Adam (@rocketpanda)
30th May 2022, 20:29
Really don’t think Ocon should have been punished – it wasn’t even like Ocon turned in too early, Hamilton was so far back it was an opportunistic lunge that was only going to work if Ocon gave him the corner which he’s not obliged to do. Wasn’t alongside and with the way that corner curves and where he was Ocon would have literally had to jump out of the way for it to work. Equally the sheer amount of time that it took to deliver a penalty – after Hamilton complained about it, just, nah I don’t think that was fair at all.
mystic one (@mysticus)
31st May 2022, 2:43
really people should just shove people to walls … and go on his way like max days… just drive people of the cliff and deem ooops it was my corner! remember all the time you have to leave space like alonso once said but doesnt follow himself!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Av7yyu8vnY
DonSmee (@david-beau)
30th May 2022, 20:38
He collided TWICE with Hamilton. In one he pinched Hamilton into the barrier, In the other he cut across the corner without leaving space. I am not sure which one he was penalized for.
mystic one (@mysticus)
31st May 2022, 2:43
yup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Av7yyu8vnY
S
31st May 2022, 6:53
Do you think you could post that link again please, @mysticus?
5 times amongst 37 comments just doesn’t seem enough, does it…