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[Denthúl]

Oh grow up. Massa couldn't possibly have seen the yellow until after the final turn since it was only waving in a partially obstructed place after the exit. The danger was well off to the other side of the track and Massa was on a straight. It's not a big deal.

I completely agree. It's just more people trying to cause more issues. :/

[racechick]

I dont think Massa did anything dangerous and would have felt sorry for him had he been penalised. However- a rule is a rule and should not be open to interpretation by the individual or team involved. Massa may have seen Sato's stricken car and felt all was in control but what if that had not been the reason for the flag?

[Ferrari man 009]

I agree with that. he was 0.8 seconds ahead before he got to the zone. some people are making out that massa was quickest by about 0.01 seconds.

[Denthúl]

I dont think Massa did anything dangerous and would have felt sorry for him had he been penalised. However- a rule is a rule and should not be open to interpretation by the individual or team involved. Massa may have seen Sato's stricken car and felt all was in control but what if that had not been the reason for the flag?

If it had been anything more serious, there would have been yellows shown before the corner as well. To be honest, you're right, a rule is a rule. However, you shouldn't expect a driver on that kind of lap to lift off completely and drivers push the limits of the rules (and of safety) all the time. And he may have lifted off, but the danger area was small and he was on his way to the start/finish line anyway. :/

[racechick]

I agree I couldnt see a danger. In that instance!! Point is in a similar instance there may be an unseen danger so it cannot be left to the drivers to decide whether or not to obey a flag. If it is to be left to the drivers then the rules want clarifying

[Denthúl]

That's true, but it shouldn't be left to the drivers.

However, in this situation, I don't think anyone would have been penalised for that...

[McLaren Fan]

'Oh grow up. Massa couldn't possibly have seen the yellow until after the final turn since it was only waving in a partially obstructed place after the exit.'

Errm.... that's exactly what I was trying to show. which is why I also show that there's actually a green flag waving at the time Massa passed it.

Not you, the OP

Look you guys, aside form the confusion with the flags (Yellows and greens being shown, yellow one waved in semi-obscured position), there was no danger on the track, Sato was well out of harm's way by then and slowing down onto the straight is in itself a hazard - there were no flags before or during the final turn warning oncoming traffic of the hazard, so they would have been surprised by a slow moving Massa.

I agree. If Massa were penalised, it would have been very harsh.

[MrChips]

What happened after Massa went through waved yellow flags?
They eventually turned to red flags .... so something was probably dangerous on the track.
Massa didn't lift off ... did he flout the rules?
Should he have been penalised?

[MrChips]

If there was no danger on the track .... please answer why there was then a red flag waived and the session closed down for a few minutes ..... isn't that indicative of some sort of danger?

F1 really is F1at.

I have no great love for McClaren, any more than Ferrari ....... but there does seem to be some leaning towards some teams, in terms of stewards decisions, rather than equality to all teams.

It makes me, in turn, lean towards suppport for McClaren rather than FIA-supported Ferrari.

[Denthúl]

If there was no danger on the track .... please answer why there was then a red flag waived and the session closed down for a few minutes ..... isn't that indicative of some sort of danger?

F1 really is F1at.

I have no great love for McClaren, any more than Ferrari ....... but there does seem to be some leaning towards some teams, in terms of stewards decisions, rather than equality to all teams.

It makes me, in turn, lean towards suppport for McClaren rather than FIA-supported Ferrari.

They put out the red flags so that people could come and remove Sato's car. I know that I wouldn't want to be standing at the pit lane entrance even under double-waved yellows.

Furthermore, at one of the previous races (I can't remember which of the two) the ITV commentators made comments about how some drivers had been brought before the stewards because they had set fastest lap/sector times under yellows. They weren't penalised for it.

[texasmr2]

Ever heard the saying about real estate "location location location"? That's what we are dealing with here as the flag marshall's were BEHIND the wall so how the heck was Massa supposed to see the flag's, the pic's posted by stonemonkey prove it!

[MrChips]

Does that mean he may also ignore the flag indicators in his cockpit?

[Denthúl]

Does that mean he may also ignore the flag indicators in his cockpit?

I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be staring at my steering wheel if I was taking a corner in an F1 car. His focus would have been on the track, making sure he got round the corner perfectly so that he could get a fast time.

[texasmr2]

Does that mean he may also ignore the flag indicators in his cockpit?

The way I saw it, and I'm NOT making excuse's for Ferrari, is that Massa was basically rounding the last corner when Sato finally came to a rest so disrupting the car at that speed and sideload could have caused him a huge accident.

Basically we are talking peanut's so I'm thinking you just hate Ferrari, am I right?

[MrChips]

Do I hate Ferrari ? .... I don't think I do. …. but it is a fair question.

I do think that McClaren, in particular, have been singled out as a villain ... Ron Dennis especially.

My innate sense of fair play has been alerted to the extent that I tend to favour McClaren, until (and if ever), the pendulum swings the other way.

I just like to see rules implemented fairly … and manifestly, they aren’t currently being seen to be so.