The outcome of the Brazilian Grand Prix swung on the decision made by the leading drivers on whether to pit when the rain intensified around half-distance.
George Russell and Lando Norris tried to take advantage of a Virtual Safety Car period to take fresh sets of intermediate tyres to see them through the downpour. Behind them, Esteban Ocon and Max Verstappen stayed out, and the subsequent red flag cemented their position at the front of the field.All of the drivers appeared to be taken by surprise at how far the conditions deteriorated before race control intervened by sending out the Safety Car. Even that wasn’t enough to prevent a crash some drivers, notably Russell, warned about.
As always the challenge of a rain-hit race put the greatest strain of all on the communication between the drivers and their race engineers. Here’s how four of the front-runners coped with it, and the effect it had on their races.
Russell
| Dudley | Gap 0.8. Expecting heavier rain. |
| Russell | Yeah it’s already raining heavily now. |
| Russell | If it keeps going like this not too sure how long the inter will go for. |
| Russell | Struggling on this tyre now, mate. |
| Dudley | Yeah affirm. Just had a double yellow turn one, that has cleared. |
| Dudley | Pit window is very busy at the moment, George. |
| Dudley | Rain intensity… |
| Russell | Interrupting Starting to aquaplane. |
| Russell | Struggle to keep this thing on the road mate, it’s really bad |
The Virtual Safety Car is deployed in response to Hulkenberg’s crash. Russell has already passed the pit lane entrance by this point.
| Dudley | So there’s yellow, double yellow turn one, Hulkenberg. |
| Dudley | So be on standby we are in both windows here. So Hulkenberg beached at turn one, double yellow. |
| Dudley | VSC, VSC so delta positive. |
| Russell | I think this is almost red flag conditions now, mate. So much rain. |
| Dudley | Yeah, affirm. It is getting heavier and it’s only going to get heavier than this. |
| Russell | It’s absolutely chucking it down now, aquaplaning on the straights. |
As Russell completes a lap under the VSC, Mercedes prepare to bring him into the pits. Russell isn’t keen. He also warned about the rising water levels at turn 13, where Franco Colapinto later crashed.
| Dudley | Understood. So currently boxing for inter tyre. |
| Russell | I think it’s going to go red, mate. This should go red. We can’t keep the car on the road like this. There is going to be big crashes. Big puddle through 13. There will be a crash there. I think stay out. It should go red. Struggling to keep it on the road under VSC conditions, mate. |
| Dudley | Understood, mate. |
| Russell | Yeah big puddle 13, all the way through 13. |
Russell comes into the pits and at the last minute suggests fitting full wet weather tyres instead of intermediates.
| Russell | Approaching pit box This is X-wets now, guys. This is X-wets. X-wets. |
| Dudley | Er… on the inter. So we don’t expect this great intensity to last for long enough. So it’ll be close with Gasly on exit. So VSC has ended. |
| Russell | Traffic behind? I can’t see shit. |
| Dudley | Just Norris behind, one second. |
Norris passes Russell. The Safety Car is then deployed, at which point Russell becomes concerned they made a mistake by giving up positions by pitting.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
| Russell | This needs to go red, mate. |
| Dudley | Gasly 2.2 ahead, Norris one second behind. Do what you can. |
| Dudley | Safety Car, Safety Car. |
| Russell | Guys, I told you, we need to stay out. This will go Safety Car or red flag. |
| Dudley | So staying out, staying out. Rain intensity is reducing now. |
| Russell | Mate I can’t even keep this on the track, even under VSC. |
| Dudley | Yeah, rain level is now dropping. Expect rain level to diminish to nothing in roughly 10 minutes. |
| Dudley | So in the pit lane rain has almost stopped. |
| Russell | Fuck, I don’t know why… I’m floating on these straights. Literally every corner the tyres are not on the ground. I’m like a boat. |
| Dudley | Yeah affirm. We just dropped temps and pressures here with this speed and these conditions. |
Norris
Before the VSC period, Norris was running close behind Russell, and initially suggested the team should bring him in for a pit stop under green flag conditions to ‘undercut’ the Mercedes driver. However Charles Leclerc’s experience of trying to do that showed it was not the way to go.
| Joseph | Lando, the Safety Car window is open. Please confirm full Safety Car… |
| Norris | Confirm. |
| Norris | Box to overtake at some point? |
| Joseph | We can consider it. We’ll think about it. |
| Norris | I think box. |
| Joseph | For what reason? Don’t do as a box to overtake, too much traffic. |
| Norris | No, it’s just starting to rain along. If you don’t want me to box I’ll stay out. |
| Joseph | We think this tyre is going to be okay for a bit. We prefer to stay out. |
| Norris | Okay. |
| Joseph | Lando, Leclerc pitted for a new tyre. He went into traffic and cannot clear it. Gap to Gasly is 20. |
The VSC was deployed after Norris passed the pit lane entrance. McLaren decided to take the opportunity to pit when Norris came back around.
| Joseph | There’s yellow flags turn one, keeping an eye on it. Virtual Safety Car deployed. Virtual Safety Car deployed. |
| Norris | It’s getting very, very wet. I’m struggling to see a little bit. |
| Joseph | Understood. Lando, we will box this lap. Lando, we’re going to do up one on the front wing. Lando, the pit lane entrance is very wet. |
| Norris | Yeah, what are you thinking about, the wet [weather tyre]? Or too much? I mean, it’s more than ever at the minute. |
| Norris | I think it’s too wet, mate, it needs to stop. |
The VSC period was cancelled as Norris arrived in the pits, meaning he lost much of the advantage of pitting at that time.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
| Joseph | Okay we don’t think the rain is going to last long enough to put a wet on. So we’re going to box this lap. Everyone’s fitting inters. |
| Joseph | Box this lap, box this lap. Careful, pit lane entrance very wet. |
| Norris | It’s just aquaplaning, though. It’s too dangerous. |
| Joseph | Just keep it on track, mate. |
Norris managed to pass Russell after rejoining the track. That left him fourth behind Ocon, Verstappen and Gasly. He gained on them quickly until the Safety Car was deployed due to the amount of rain on the track.
| Joseph | The VSC has ended. The VSC has ended. Close to Gasly at exit. Check recharge. |
| Joseph | Keep it on-track, mate, keep on-track. Lando, we think it’s okay mate, keep it on-track. |
| Joseph | Lando, we think this rain is two more laps, so we think it’s good to keep going. |
| Joseph | Safety Car deployed, Safety Car deployed. We need to be… stay on the delta. Observations are the rain is reducing. |
| Norris | Yeah, agreed. |
| Joseph | And Lando just before the line press recharge button. |
| Norris | I don’t want recharge on, I don’t want to be at the top of the pack now, it feels poo. |
| Joseph | Okay. Just use part throttle in places then. |
| Joseph | So Lando we can turn recharge off. We’ll have to toggle it once every lap, so I’ll keep reminding you. We’re still doing too much part-throttle, so we’re going to stay at the top. The rain has eased a lot at the pit lane. |
| Norris | What’s the schedule for the rain now to the end? |
| Joseph | We think 15 minutes of class one to class two rain. Then we might get a break in the wet. |
Norris’ hopes of either overtaking the leaders on their worn tyres, or jumping ahead of them when they pitted, were dashed when Colapinto crashed during the Safety Car period. The race was red-flagged, allowing the leading trio to fit fresh tyres without losing the lead.
| Joseph | So Lando in front of you Ocon, Verstappen and Gasly have stayed out from the race start. |
| Norris | The race is red-flagged I guess everyone can just change tyres for free now? |
| Joseph | They can. |
| Norris | Ah. |
| Norris | I’m going to get out. |
Ocon
Ocon was running fourth behind Yuki Tsunoda when the conditions began to worsen.
| Peckett | Heavy rain expected in five to six minutes. Keep us updated on this tyre. |
| Peckett | Do you think this tyre would be okay in heavier rain, question? |
| Ocon | Yes. |
| Peckett | Okay mate. Leclerc boxed, Verstappen the car behind, 1.6. |
| Ocon | Yeah I [need] concentration. |
| Ocon | I’ve got a lot more pace than that, for info. |
| Peckett | Okay mate understood. Just keep doing what you’re doing at the moment. |
| Ocon | Yep. |
| Peckett | And Verstappen 0.6 behind. |
| Peckett | Heavier rain from now for five minutes. |
The Alpine driver made it clear to his team he did not want to change tyres when the Virtual Safety Car period began.
| Peckett | Single yellow turn one. Hulkenberg went deep there, he’s beached. Single yellow turn one and VSC, VSC. So yellow turn one, VSC. Let’s get positive on that delta. Recharge on please, recharge on. Double yellow where you are. |
| Peckett | Okay mate so all we are doing is staying near zero on that delta. |
| Peckett | Ocon passes Tsunoda Nice job with that overtake. |
| Ocon | There’s a lot of water now. |
| Peckett | Okay, copy that. How are the tyres? |
| Ocon | Probably too much, to be fair. |
| Peckett | Too much for these tyres, question? |
| Ocon | No, No. Whatever tyres. |
| Peckett | Okay Esteban can you repeat your last message, please? Nice and clearly. |
| Ocon | There is a lot of rain for whatever tyres. There’s too much water. Standing water. |
| Peckett | Okay, understood. Do you feel you need a new set of intermediates question? |
| Ocon | Emphatically No! |
| Peckett | That’s fine. That’s fine. Just making sure we’re all clear. So Esteban we’re staying out, unless you disagree. |
| Ocon | Yes staying out. Again. Too much water for the tyres. |
The VSC period ended before Ocon arrived at the pit lane, and he stayed out, taking the lead of the race. He told his team not to bring him in as he expected the race would be red-flagged.
| Peckett | Copy that. Turn one is now clear VSC ending. VSC ending. So get close to zero, ready to go. |
| Peckett | Gap behind two and a half. |
| Peckett | Okay Esteban if you need full wet tyres at any point, let us know. Everyone on inters apart from Perez on the full wet. |
| Ocon | They should red flag that. |
| Peckett | Copy. |
| Peckett | Okay. Esteban let us know if you need the full wet tyre. |
| Ocon | Yes but they will red flag… |
| Peckett | Stay… we’re going to stay out. We’re going to stay out at the moment. Okay if you need the full wet tyre, box, otherwise, stay out, please. |
| Ocon | Red flag, come on. |
| Ocon | Half-throttle down the straight. We can’t keep it on-track, guys. |
| Peckett | Lighter rain in three minutes. |
| Ocon | I’m staying out. |
During the Safety Car period Ocon made it clear to the FIA there was too much water on the track. The red-flag came soon afterwards when Colapinto crashed.
| Peckett | And Safety Car, Safety Car. So let’s get positive on the delta. |
| Ocon | Yeah that’s unbelievable the amount of water, guys, like crazy. |
| Peckett | Yeah. Understood. So Esteban rain decreasing in one to two minutes. If you think we can survive, it’s probably worth staying out. |
| Ocon | But if it decreases, yes. |
| Peckett | Yeah, it should decrease. It’s difficult to tell, but we think it’ll decrease. |
| Ocon | The grip is good in the middle of the corner. Just straight line. |
| Peckett | Okay mate understood. So carry on with Safety Car procedures for the moment. And Esteban we’re staying out unless you disagree. We’re staying out unless you disagree. |
| Ocon | They look at that, the FIA, because it’s too much water. |
| Peckett | Yeah understood. Okay we’ve got the Safety Car at turn four. We are in P1 at the moment. Verstappen P2, Pierre P3. |
| Ocon | Yeah it’s the plank. |
| Peckett | Understood. Okay mate so what we want to do is try and warm the front tyres as best we can. You can go brake five, brake five, add a bit of temperature in there. So the top five cars are all still on inters. Tsunoda in P6 is on the extreme. Norris and Russell in P4 and five both boxed for new inters. So rain dropping in intensity from now. No heavy showers expected at the moment. |
| Peckett | So we’d like to stay out if we can. Just do our best to warm these tyres. Okay so cars behind Verstappen, then Zhou, then Pierre. Zhou is a lap down. |
| Peckett | Okay Esteban so keep warming those tyres as best you can. No one in the pit lane. We’ve passed the Safety Car line for the second time. |
| Peckett | The over-sliding on the fronts is good. Keep that up, please. |
| Ocon | I can’t go quicker in a straight line. |
| Peckett | Understood. Just keep doing as best you can. Doing a good job. Everyone on inters is in the same boat. |
| Ocon | The restart is halfway at the control line? |
| Peckett | Yes, on the control. I’ll give you updates shortly. Be back with you in a moment. |
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
Verstappen
Verstappen moved up to fifth place on lap 24 when Leclerc pitted. His race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase tried to keep the communication to a minimum at this point:
| Lambiase | Expecting a heavier shower in around seven minutes, Max. |
| Verstappen | Getting very heavy here. Keep an eye on Charles’ lap times. |
| Lambiase | He’s pitting into traffic at the moment. Pace up front, 24.4. |
| Verstappen | How long is this going to last? |
| Lambiase | Info, Max: Leclerc still behind Hamilton and Bearman. Leader pace, 25.4. |
| Verstappen | A lot of water coming now, mate. |
| Lambiase | Okay, let me know when you think it’s extremes. That’s all I need to know, mate. |
The Virtual Safety Car was deployed after Verstappen passed the pit lane entrance. The team did not indicate whether they intended to pit him at this stage.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
| Lambiase | VSC is deployed – Lambiase misinforms Verstappen So, Max, we have Safety Car deployed, Safety Car deployed. Dash positive. |
| Lambiase | Max, tyres? |
| Verstappen | Does it keep raining or not? Now it’s still extreme. |
| Lambiase | We have this rain only for another four minutes, Max. We have this rain only for another four minutes. |
| Verstappen | Okay. Er… fuck. And after that, it’s dry or no rain? If it’s only four minutes, I’ll stay out. You need to advise with the radar, I don’t know that. |
| Lambiase | Yeah don’t worry Max. Just chatting here. I’ll let you know. Still happy with flap? |
| Verstappen | Er, yeah. |
By the time Verstappen reached the pit lane entrance the VSC had been withdrawn and he stayed out, now in second place behind Ocon. Lambiase urged him to avoid any mistakes as he was now in front of his championship rival Norris:
| Lambiase | At exit of Juncao VSC ending, Max, VSC ending. |
| Verstappen | Fuck, it’s a lot of water, but… Just try a lap. |
| Lambiase | Stay out. Recharge on. Just be very careful, please, Max. Very careful. So Max, Russell and Norris have pitted for inters. They are behind you. You are effective P2 on track. Just keep it on track. Keep it on track. |
Verstappen began lobbying for a red flag before the Safety Car was deployed. Lambiase echoed his point of view, claiming the conditions had become worse than they were the previous day when qualifying was postponed.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
| Lambiase | Ocon ahead. 41. All good. Just keep it on track. |
| Verstappen | Mate this is a red. It needs to be red, this. |
| Lambiase | Okay Safety Car deployed Max, Safety Car deployed. Dash positive. |
| Lambiase | All drivers have said exactly the same thing, Max. I’ve got no idea what’s going on. |
| Verstappen | Yeah it’s ridiculous, this. |
| Lambiase | Just stay out, stay out. The Safety Car is at turn four, Max, turn four. |
| Verstappen | ‘The track is filling up with water, like massive rivers. This is un-driveable. |
| Lambiase | Well we didn’t qualify yesterday in conditions better than this. So I’m not sure what’s going on, Max. But Safety Car, you’re picking it up at turn five. |
| Lambiase | We’re expecting another… message cuts out |
| Verstappen | The race is red-flagged My tyres are just… like a boat. We going into the pits, yeah? |
Miss nothing from RaceFans
Get a daily email with all our latest stories - and nothing else. No marketing, no ads. Sign up here:
Team radio transcripts
- “Am I dead last now?” Unheard radio from Hamilton’s disastrous Qatar GP
- Verstappen was fighting tyre graining, not his rivals, in title-winning drive
- ‘Being nice f**** me over’: Leclerc’s radio anger and Sainz’s criticism explained
- “That’s how we silence them”: Verstappen’s stunning Brazil win from start to finish
- “I’m trying not to die”: Bearman urged team to warn FIA over Brazilian GP conditions
2024 Brazilian Grand Prix
- “I didn’t really want to come back” – Hamilton explains cryptic Brazil radio message
- Ocon’s role in Gasly’s Q2 exit was almost another ‘flare-up’ at Alpine – Oakes
- Interlagos must improve “very bad” new track surface for 2025, say F1 drivers
- “That’s how we silence them”: Verstappen’s stunning Brazil win from start to finish
- Verstappen now has as many wins as F1’s first six world champions combined
Leksa (@leksa)
4th November 2024, 18:33
Again, we see how everyone expects the race director throw a red flag, so it’s better to risk it and stay on inters than pitting for full wets and losing your position. This is why full wets are never used.
There should a rule that red flag or SC won’t be called as long as there are cars still on inters.
David
4th November 2024, 18:39
Which is ridiculous because you falsely assume that the Wets would be safe in these track conditions. You wouldn’t be comfortable driving your road car in those conditions. So what benefit to forcing all the cars to queue in the pits to change tyres to prove the track isn’t safe to race on?
This “force them to race in the rain” mentality is the same as the “motorsport is supposed to be dangerous” mentality. F1 isn’t a bloodsport.
MichaelN
4th November 2024, 18:54
F1 isn’t a bloodsport, but drivers are free to retire if they don’t want to continue.
Note that the red flag must meet two conditions according to the regulations:
1) “If Competitors or officials are placed in immediate physical danger by cars running on the track..”
2) “… and the clerk of the course deems circumstances are such that the track cannot be negotiated
safely, even behind the safety car”.
These are pretty tall orders, and the red flag is arguably overused for ‘the show’ because nobody wants a repeat of half-neutralized races like the 2007 Japanese, 2010 South Korean or 2011 Canadian race.
Drivers and teams know this, and they now stand more to gain by risking an Intermediate gamble than by doing the proper thing, which is to 1) go to Full Wet and 2) slow down.
MichaelN
4th November 2024, 18:57
And to add, if F1 wants to keep red flagging wet races, which does have some merit in this era of enormous spray, they should at least do something about the gamble-part of the issue and stop the ‘free pitstop’ rule.
Cars who are yet to make the switch to Full Wet can do so at the first SC lap after the restart, shuffling all the gamblers to the back.
MattDS (@mattds)
5th November 2024, 7:32
I’ve said it before and I will say it again and again and again: a red flag will ALWAYS help some and hit others. And it will ALWAYS involve “gambling”. Making cars leave on unfit tyres after the red flag just helps a different group of drivers.
Just think of a normal race where some people opt to start on a soft tyre and some opt to start on a hard tyre. The latter group will go longer. If a red flag happens between both groups’ pit stop windows, then the former group is hit harder with current rules, and the latter group is hit harder with the banning of free tyre change under red.
This is luck of the draw, it’s part of racing, and you cannot eliminate it. Banning this will just create other seemingly unfair situations.
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
7th November 2024, 20:38
Unfortunately the free tyre change rule is necessary for safety reasons. Not only because it is necessary to match tyres to conditions, but because of the possibility of punctures and structural damage. Especially if the FIA continues its apparent “continue until the track is blocked” philosophy.
Grapmg
4th November 2024, 19:11
Why not declare it a wet race with mandatory full wets from start to finish. I guess they can develop full wet weather tyres that also last on more intermediate conditions.
Icarus
5th November 2024, 13:44
How is that supposed to work on races where it starts dry and ends wet? Or starts wet and ends dry? Or starts dry, goes through a downpour, then dries again?
Not all races are wet from beginning to end like Brazil was, and running the wet tires in the dry just kills them.
Grapmg
5th November 2024, 20:01
I don’t know. All I know my tyres work both in wet and dry. So for safety you can develop wet weather tyres that are mandatory in certain situations and will last longer so we can see some proper racing. but still the spray is also a huge factor in safety so it’s sometimes better to red flag.
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
7th November 2024, 20:36
You can – and the more conditions they work in, the slower they are.
Davethechicken
5th November 2024, 7:28
It is a fair point. In commentary at the time they said Perez (who pitted for wets) was 7seconds a lap faster than the inter runners just before the SC.
There is something wrong with the tyres or race control if they red flag without the majority of drivers being on the correct tyre
MattDS (@mattds)
5th November 2024, 7:42
Which isn’t true. He could do one full lap between pitting and the SC, and that lap was a 1:41.6. Ocon did a 1:40.8 that same lap.
Sure, Perez didn’t exactly have free air, but it indicates that either he wasn’t THAT much faster with the full wets, OR they weren’t exactly so much better that he could just drive around others. Either way, it’s no reason for the commentators to just make up numbers :)
Davethechicken
5th November 2024, 7:58
I hadn’t seen the lap charts until now to check it and you are right.
I am pretty sure i wasn’t having auditory hallucinations and it was said on the Sky broadcast.
HT Onk (@pweb87)
5th November 2024, 11:15
They said the same thing on the German Sky broadcast. Maybe it was just some sector times that Perez set purple – as far as I understood some of the team radios, the main problem was aquaplaning on the straights because the plank hit the water. I think one of the drivers said he could only drive with half throttle down the straight.
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
7th November 2024, 20:35
@leksa The reason everyone expected a red flag to be thrown is because the FIA has regulations about when the red flag must be thrown, one of which is that if the marshals cannot see their counterparts on the next post, the red flag is compulsory.
If the drivers believed it was at that point, then they were correct.
What worries me is that I suspect they believed the FIA would leave the flag until someone blocked the track. If the ability to continue was spray-related rather than only depth-related (Russell and Norris believed so), then extremes would make the problem worse, not better.
David
4th November 2024, 18:36
When multiple drivers are saying it’s too wet for any tyre, and dangerous, the race director needs to take heed.
We had 2 or 3 laps there where the track wasn’t safe for any kind of racing. Frankly lucky that the two or three crashes we had during that phase of rain weren’t more serious.
miciek (@micio)
5th November 2024, 7:23
Yes, of course! If multiple drivers lobby for a red flag, it surely is just a safety concern and not their strategical move!
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
7th November 2024, 20:40
@micio “Take heed” does not mean “believe everything said”. The race director was clearly wrong and we’re lucky no injuries resulted from that mistake.
Davethechicken
5th November 2024, 7:29
Be interested to see what Perez was saying on team radio, he was on the full wet and going much quicker than the inter runners.
Nikos (@exeviolthor)
5th November 2024, 19:53
He was saying that he had the right tires for the conditions.
Tristan
4th November 2024, 20:12
Fully expect the matter to be swept under the rug and re-appear next time there’s wet weather.
Would love to see how many recent wet races have been controversial due to the red flag tyre change rule. Seems to be getting worse as teams get better at playing it and waiting for the red flag, or maybe it’s just recency bias. Why wasn’t the red flag brought out sooner? Why are teams that pit for wet tyres, which is the safe option punished competitively?
F1 was robbed of seeing Verstappen truly earn his championship in this race (or potentially not) through wheel to wheel racing by illogical rules.
Osnola
4th November 2024, 20:43
If this race does not fit your ” truly earn” status nothing will.
The red flag rule is the same for everyone ( although wdc contesters seem to get a special treatment with somevrules)
miciek (@micio)
4th November 2024, 21:25
It’s not the same for everyone. Drivers further back are benefitting more from this rule than drivers at the front.
Also, red flag should me just be a red flag. Tire changes shouldn’t be allowed. If a driver has tires that are safe to drive when the red flag condition appears, they will be safe to drive for when the race restarts.
Craig
4th November 2024, 23:10
I thought the “no tire changes under red flags without a good reason” rule was already brought in, unless they’re still uming and ahing over it or have grey areas still.
Kata
5th November 2024, 0:36
Changing tyres during a red flag condition is up to now still allowed. The FIA is keeping the rule out of safety reasons and that is that mostly a red flag is called out after something that happened and left debris on track.
If someone picked it up it is possible that when getting out to race again this could cause a tyre failure with all the additional consequences (accident with even possibility of taking other cars out).
Tristan
5th November 2024, 2:35
The thing I don’t understand is why to the FIA’s mind picking up a flat tyre by running over debris is somehow less fair than getting a free tyre change.
The former would be a much rarer occurance, and falls much more in line with “thats racing” than getting a free tyre change for no good reason is.
Tristan
5th November 2024, 0:10
Completely disagreed. He would have earnt it a lot more had he actually passed the front-runners on track in those condition and it makes no sense to argue otherwise.
MattDS (@mattds)
5th November 2024, 7:52
He already came from the back. Sure it would have been even MORE impressive, but that doesn’t mean this wasn’t a masterful drive in itself. Lando went off, Lewis went off, so many others did. Meanwhile Max didn’t make the slightest mistake, passed 3 people around T3, gave proper strategic input by himself.
Put this together with having the second/third/fourth best car for most of this season and then tell me again he hasn’t earned it by racing…
Tristan
5th November 2024, 9:44
I’m not saying he hasn’t earnt it, I happily congratulate Max…
But to be clear Lando was able to get out of the car and say Max got lucky, which is true he did.
If Max had literally driven past him. It never would have crossed his mind to say that, and thats what I mean by earnt it. It would have been unequivocal.
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
7th November 2024, 20:42
Osnola, it wasn’t through wheel-to-wheel racing. It was through the FIA refusing to follow its own regulations (on multiple levels) and the resulting conditions meaning there was no point in most people trying to defend against Max.
The FIA cheated us of a decent race (and, indeed, of a race that would withstand reasonable legal challenge). Max did well simply to finish this one, but anything beyond that was the gift of the FIA.
Mayrton
5th November 2024, 11:27
Never mind this. Where is article nr 15 about how Lando got away with a start infringement? We would be up to article 15 by now had it been Max. You know I am right. Everybody would be fuming about the leniency granted to Max.
And where are the detailed and long articles on the VSC timing in the Sprint or the red flag timing during quali. I am sure that would they have benefitted Max rather than Lando we would have had a vast amount of articles on this as well.
SteveP
5th November 2024, 18:10
The proverbial bee in bonnet eh?
“Got away with” – sigh.
How many days running do you need to be pointed at the FIA document detailing the judgement?
Document #84
Summary: 5,000 Euro fine and a reprimand.
Keith and Will possibly decided that, me giving precise detail and extracts from the FIA documents, the slam dunk nature of the penalties and the two-second reaction time you seem to expect from the RD being impossible – then just possibly, me answering you repeatedly should have done it to death.
In short the penalties were not only clear-cut, and accepted as such by Max, the red flag timing made zero difference – having passed the scene of the accident Max was not permitted to improve on his previous time in that sector and did not have time remaining in the session to go again, with or without a red flag.
Aquila_GD
4th November 2024, 22:40
Ocon is like an oracle. Seemed to be the only guy with his mind working at 150mph on a wet Brazilian track
Roger Ayles (@roger-ayles)
5th November 2024, 14:40
People seem to be forgetting that the red flag wasn’t called because of the conditions, it was called because Colapinto crashed.
There’s an article on Autosport today where the FIA say that when the intense band of rain hit they were starting to see rivers form along with deep standing water in places & cars were beginning to aquaplane on the straghts. That intense band of rain was expected to last 5 minutes so the plan was to bring out the SC for a few laps until the worst of the rain had passed & then keep it out to clear the standing water before resuming.
They were never looking at a red flag until Colapinto crashed.
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
7th November 2024, 20:43
@roger-ayles That didn’t work in Brazil 2003. I would be interested to know what the FIA told itself to believe physics had changed in the intervening 21 years.