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[Hammer278]

So that gives Alonso a free pass to overtake?

Yes, under the rules, a driver is obliged to leave room for another car to keep at least a part of one tire on the track.

Vergne took his racing line, Alonso was exiting the pits, and left the track when he could've just lifted and challenged him later. Instead, he got a squeeze, so chose to run off track, overtake and then call it "avoiding a collision". Sounds like a highly convenient excuse to me.

Seems you've changed your position a lot since the Massa Hamilton incident in Monaco two years ago

Under the rules, yes a driver is obliged to...and if he doesn't he gets a drive through or a reprimand. It doesn't mean the car beside him gets a 'free pass'. Where have we seen that before?

Hamilton, Massa in Monaco? When did Hamilton cut the track while overtaking Massa? Is there even space in Monaco to do that?

[Roth]

The stewards must have assumed Alonso had the speed and/or track position, had Vergne left the proper room, to take the position at the upcoming corner.

[Hammer278]

The stewards must have assumed Alonso had the speed and/or track position, had Vergne left the proper room, to take the position at the upcoming corner.

Doesn't work on 2 counts.

1) Assumption that Alonso would get the place? What if Alonso outbraked himself at the upcoming corner? You can't assume a pass when it hasn't occured.

2) The argument doesn't work for any of the past incidents, where cars on the outside which have been squeezed out eventually cut the chicane, and then told by the team to let the opponent past again or suffer a drive through.

There is simply no consistency applied in this scenario. If the stewards 'assumed' Alonso 'would've made the pass if space was given' it was an atrocious decision. It was still a very stupid decision to investigate this 'after the race' when Alonso had gained at least a few seconds easily by effectively cutting the corner and not being stuck behind Vergne as he should've been since the Vergne had the right of road.

Whatever Vergne said to the stewards he had to keep mindful what engine is powering his team. This was a combination of stewards without balls and Ferrari managing to throw their weight around again to get what they didn't deserve.

[NHcheese]

Alonso had soft fresh tyres as well. And he was in a faster car.

[Roth]

The stewards must have assumed Alonso had the speed and/or track position, had Vergne left the proper room, to take the position at the upcoming corner.

Doesn't work on 2 counts.

1) Assumption that Alonso would get the place? What if Alonso outbraked himself at the upcoming corner? You can't assume a pass when it hasn't occured.

2) The argument doesn't work for any of the past incidents, where cars on the outside which have been squeezed out eventually cut the chicane, and then told by the team to let the opponent past again or suffer a drive through.

There is simply no consistency applied in this scenario. If the stewards 'assumed' Alonso 'would've made the pass if space was given' it was an atrocious decision. It was still a very stupid decision to investigate this 'after the race' when Alonso had gained at least a few seconds easily by effectively cutting the corner and not being stuck behind Vergne as he should've been since the Vergne had the right of road.

Whatever Vergne said to the stewards he had to keep mindful what engine is powering his team. This was a combination of stewards without balls and Ferrari managing to throw their weight around again to get what they didn't deserve.

You, my friend, are a dog with a very big bone.

Look, if it had been Vettel I'd agree, but it's Alonso and he has enough problems already.

[1Lemon]

Grosjean passed Massa in Hungary by running slightly wide and was given a ridiculous drive thru that many thought was completely unjustified. Alonso goes massively off the track so much he gets airborne to avoid going JEV but in doing that passes him, finds an advantage and gets nothing. Another case of inconsistent stuarding.

[Hammer278]

You, my friend, are a dog with a very big bone.

Look, if it had been Vettel I'd agree, but it's Alonso and he has enough problems already.

Arf! Arf!

Doesn't matter how many problems a driver has....I saw Alonso's chick in the paddock and his retainer at Ferrari, he can easily deal with any 'problems' he might be having mentally/physically.

[Ferrari man 009]

There is simply no consistency applied in this scenario. If the stewards 'assumed' Alonso 'would've made the pass if space was given' it was an atrocious decision. It was still a very stupid decision to investigate this 'after the race' when Alonso had gained at least a few seconds easily by effectively cutting the corner and not being stuck behind Vergne as he should've been since the Vergne had the right of road.

The incident was within the last 10 laps and the decision to investigate after the race was taken on Lap 52 - when Alonso wouldnt have had time to take the drive through. I believe this rule change was made following Schumacher at Silverstone in 1998. Had the stewards given Alonso a drive-through on Lap 52, he could have taken it on Lap 55 and crossed the line as a result, which considering the time gain would have kept him in 5th!

Anyway, as you can see on Sagi's video - Alonso is alongside at the time Vergne comes across him. Vergne has clearly admitted to the stewards that he didnt see Alonso and had he done so wouldnt have moved over so much, leaving Alonso room. therefore he was admitting the incident was his fault and therefore the stewards effectively deemed it a racing incident and took no action.

Comparing it to Grosjean at Hungary is wrong. On that occasion, Grosjean chose to go round the outside. Yesterday Alonso had no choice, due to the line he had to take coming out of the pits. Lets also remember Massa was right behind and had Alonso braked to avoid Vergne he could have caused a shunt with Massa

[zurich_allan]

I have to add, that although I'm undecided on the issue, the issue is as clear as mud looking at two points:

1. Fuji 2008 when Bourdais was wrongly penalised when he exited the pits, was already way beyond the white pit lines, was on the apex of turn one and Massa turned in on him, hitting him. In that case, the stewards decided that Bourdais was at fault, having a duty as he was exiting the pits to do so safely.

Applying the same logic from past precedent therefore, the case yesterday is clear cut - Alonso was at fault.

2. Interestingly though to muddy the waters further - in that same Fuji example - Charlie Whiting's advice to the stewards was that MASSA was at fault and NOT Bourdais, yet the stewards chose to ignore his advice and go against him.

So conversely, the incident with Alonso yesterday WOULD be consistent with the race director's advice, if not the stewards....

I don't know. My instinct is that regardless of the circumstances, the overtake was only completed by cutting a corner and maintaining speed through that shortened distance as a result.

[Denthúl]

Comparing it to Grosjean at Hungary is wrong. On that occasion, Grosjean chose to go round the outside. Yesterday Alonso had no choice, due to the line he had to take coming out of the pits. Lets also remember Massa was right behind and had Alonso braked to avoid Vergne he could have caused a shunt with Massa

Alonso could see Vergne and could easily have backed off the throttle. Massa was not close enough to be an immediate danger, was in a position to see Alonso exiting the pits and would have had ample opportunity to move over to the right. Therefore the likelihood of a crash between the two was low. The only reason Alonso kept his foot down was because he knew he couldn't pass Massa if he got caught behind him.

[sagi58]

Grosjean passed Massa in Hungary by running slightly wide and was given a ridiculous drive thru that many thought was completely unjustified. Alonso goes massively off the track so much he gets airborne to avoid going JEV but in doing that passes him, finds an advantage and gets nothing. Another case of inconsistent stuarding.

And this, in a nutshell, is the problem with having different stewards at each race!!
Where in Hungary they didn't take all the facts into consideration, in Abu Dhabi, the stewards did!!

[Ichabod]

If Alonso had to leave the track to avoid a collision, why did he keep his foot down hard ?

[sagi58]

Not to get hit by Massa!!

[What's Burning?]

It's simple... it is the responsibility of the driver EXITING THE PITS to do so SAFELY. Ferrari was gifted a fifth place finish, thank you very much.

I'm just repeating the obvious since everyone is busy discussing the meaningless. The rules are very clear here. There is nothing to discuss.

[Ichabod]

Not to get hit by Massa!!

So, he was also anticipating his team mate rear-ending him, who was about 1 sec behind, and couldn't lift?