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[Denthúl]

No offense to you guys or anything, but you would think that.

It's got nothing to do with bias. I just think keeping Hamilton third and reinstating Trulli as fourth seems the most fair. If the rumour is true that Hamilton did lie through his teeth to the stewards, then I would expect and hope he be punished.

That matter is another and it remains to be seen whether this is the case or just someone who dislikes him trying to kick up some fuss. I really hope (and indeed, think) that it is not true.

[McLaren Fan]

No offense to you guys or anything, but you would think that.

It's got nothing to do with bias. I just think keeping Hamilton third and reinstating Trulli as fourth seems the most fair. If the rumour is true that Hamilton did lie through his teeth to the stewards, then I would expect and hope he be punished.

That matter is another and it remains to be seen whether this is the case or just someone who dislikes him trying to kick up some fuss. I really hope (and indeed, think) that it is not true.

It is another matter, so, if true, I would not like to see it affect the result of the Australian Grand Prix, but some other kind of punishment should be applied.

[Denthúl]

No offense to you guys or anything, but you would think that.

It's got nothing to do with bias. I just think keeping Hamilton third and reinstating Trulli as fourth seems the most fair. If the rumour is true that Hamilton did lie through his teeth to the stewards, then I would expect and hope he be punished.

That matter is another and it remains to be seen whether this is the case or just someone who dislikes him trying to kick up some fuss. I really hope (and indeed, think) that it is not true.

It is another matter, so, if true, I would not like to see it affect the result of the Australian Grand Prix, but some other kind of punishment should be applied.

Indeed. JA seems to think that the resulting punishment could be along the lines of a one-race suspension. :/

[darwin dali]

If this scenario turns out to truly reflect what was going down at the stewards' meeting, then I'd like everybody to consider to contrast this with how SV handled his shunt with RK: very honorable as Murray indicated and I'd ad overly honest (though this doesn't mean more guilty than RK). These two drivers would be worlds apart in their attitude!

[McLaren Fan]

If this scenario turns out to truly reflect what was going down at the stewards' meeting, then I'd like everybody to consider to contrast this with how SV handled his shunt with RK: very honorable as Murray indicated and I'd ad overly honest (though this doesn't mean more guilty than RK). These two drivers would be worlds apart in their attitude!

Yes, Vettel seems very well-spoken. His incident with Kubica was very much 50/50, but he (perhaps unwisely) took all of the blame on his shoulders. He held his hand up to the accident behind the safety car in Japan a couple of years ago as well - and Webber, classless as ever, laid into him.

[racechick]

Well no-one seems to know what happened ? Most of it is hearsay. Its a mess.

[McLaren Fan]

Well no-one seems to know what happened ? Most of it is hearsay. Its a mess.

It wouldn't be Formula One if it weren't a mess!

[racechick]

Well no-one seems to know what happened ? Most of it is hearsay. Its a mess.

It wouldn't be Formula One if it weren't a mess!

This is true!

[darwin dali]

Don't y'all LUUUUV the soap opera that is F1?

[stonemonkey]

I'm only after watching the footage on the other thread. Trulli was clearly off the circuit, so Hamilton was not obliged to let Trulli re-pass or stop or slow right down, lest he cause a pile-up. If McLaren asked Hamilton to allow Trulli by, it was because of the FIA's ineffective sporting regulations. The common sense thing to do would be to let Hamilton remain third, but to move Trulli up to fourth.

How does that end up being the common sense thing to do? If it turns out that McLaren asked Lewis to slow down, causing Trulli to think that Lewis' car had a problem, then the result should be reverted to how it was at the chequered flag. Remember, Trulli would not have been able to hear McLaren telling Lewis to slow and yield the position.

The regulations are not entirely clear on what Hamilton was supposed to do with Trulli going off track. So, rather than risking another Spa Francorchamps 2008, McLaren seem to have asked Hamilton to allow Trulli to re-pass. In other words, Trulli was gifted back third place for no other reason than the FIA being unable to write the regulations properly. By the (flawed) book, Trulli should be reinstated third and Hamilton fourth, but that's not the sporting thing to do.

Flawed or not, the decision must be made based on the rules, which would mean that Trulli should be third. I'm all for writing a new rulebook, but not applying the rules that should be in it it to current situations.

No point in asking race control for their opinion at the time either, considering events at Spa08.

[Denthúl]

I'm only after watching the footage on the other thread. Trulli was clearly off the circuit, so Hamilton was not obliged to let Trulli re-pass or stop or slow right down, lest he cause a pile-up. If McLaren asked Hamilton to allow Trulli by, it was because of the FIA's ineffective sporting regulations. The common sense thing to do would be to let Hamilton remain third, but to move Trulli up to fourth.

How does that end up being the common sense thing to do? If it turns out that McLaren asked Lewis to slow down, causing Trulli to think that Lewis' car had a problem, then the result should be reverted to how it was at the chequered flag. Remember, Trulli would not have been able to hear McLaren telling Lewis to slow and yield the position.

The regulations are not entirely clear on what Hamilton was supposed to do with Trulli going off track. So, rather than risking another Spa Francorchamps 2008, McLaren seem to have asked Hamilton to allow Trulli to re-pass. In other words, Trulli was gifted back third place for no other reason than the FIA being unable to write the regulations properly. By the (flawed) book, Trulli should be reinstated third and Hamilton fourth, but that's not the sporting thing to do.

Flawed or not, the decision must be made based on the rules, which would mean that Trulli should be third. I'm all for writing a new rulebook, but not applying the rules that should be in it it to current situations.

No point in asking race control for their opinion at the time either, considering events at Spa08.

CW's opinion isn't a final ruling. Ultimately, it's down to the stewards, who may interpret the events and regulations differently to CW. Unfortunately. :/

And DD, I agree - Vettel is probably the new Rubens in terms of niceness.

[Jensonb]

If this scenario turns out to truly reflect what was going down at the stewards' meeting, then I'd like everybody to consider to contrast this with how SV handled his shunt with RK: very honorable as Murray indicated and I'd ad overly honest (though this doesn't mean more guilty than RK). These two drivers would be worlds apart in their attitude!

Yes, Vettel seems very well-spoken. His incident with Kubica was very much 50/50, but he (perhaps unwisely) took all of the blame on his shoulders. He held his hand up to the accident behind the safety car in Japan a couple of years ago as well - and Webber, classless as ever, laid into him.

It's just Vettel's way, no matter what Eddie Jordan for example thinks of it

Incidentally, I maintain to this day that Vettel was blameless in that incident.

[Denthúl]

I guess it's somewhat more official, now. Which (unfortunately) means there is more possibility that it is true. :/

FIA to re-open Hamilton/Trulli inquiry

By Adam Cooper and Simon Strang Wednesday, April 1st 2009, 18:49 GMT

Lewis Hamilton, Jarno Trulli during the Australian GPLewis Hamilton is to be summoned before the FIA stewards on Thursday afternoon in Sepang in order to clarify why Jarno Trulli passed him under safety car conditions in Australia, AUTOSPORT has learned.

An FIA spokesman has confirmed that stewards from the Australian Grand Prix will reconvene to evaluate further evidence not available at the time of the initial inquiry - which took place after the race last weekend.

Hamilton was promoted to third place in the results after Trulli was concluded to have passed him under safety car conditions, on lap 57, and was given a 25s penalty that dropped him from third to 12th.

However, if Hamilton is deemed not to have provided all the details of the incident in the initial inquiry, he may face sanctions. While Trulli could be reinstated to third place in the Melbourne results, despite Toyota dropping its appeal.

Over the past few days, the FIA is believed to have unearthed new evidence including its recording of the McLaren radio conversations, which were not being monitored live and thus played no part in the original inquiry.

Hamilton passed Trulli when the Toyota driver slid off at the penultimate corner but the pair swapped positions later in the lap.

The recording allegedly provides fresh insight into the matter and the stewards want to check if it aligns with Hamilton's version of events.

Hamilton was quoted by SpeedTV as saying: "I was behind Trulli under the safety car, and clearly you're not allowed to overtake under the safety car. But he went off in the second to last corner, he went wide on the grass, I guess his tyres were cold. And I was forced to go by. I slowed down as much as I could. I was told to let him back past, but I mean... I don't know if that's the regulations, and if it isn't, then I should have really had third."

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh told the BBC after the Australian Grand Prix: "At the end, under the safety car, Trulli fell off onto the grass and Lewis had no choice but to go past him, he was not on the racing circuit.

"Trulli then re-took the place under the safety car, which ordinarily you wouldn't do so I know that the FIA are looking at it at the moment and doubtless we'll have a ruling in due course," he added.

Trulli said that Hamilton was so slow that he appeared to be in trouble.

"When the safety car came out towards the end of the race Lewis Hamilton passed me but soon after he suddenly slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road," said the Italian.

"I thought he had a problem so I overtook him as there was nothing else I could do."

[stonemonkey]

CW's opinion isn't a final ruling. Ultimately, it's down to the stewards, who may interpret the events and regulations differently to CW. Unfortunately. :/

My point exactly, if the people enforcing the rules can have a difference of opinion how are the teams supposed to know what to do? They made a mess of Spa and it looks to me like that's led to this and Trulli's the one that's suffered.

[Gaz]

This is getting daft