Topic: Push Square Formula 1 thread - F1

Quite a disappointing race this time out. Brazil was such a good race it was going to be tough for this to be on the same level. The most interesting thing going on was Alonso holding on to that third place. Bottas’ recovery drive was shaping up to be good at one point considering he looked like he was going to have another one of those weekends where he just stalls out in the midfield.

Still good to seem Hamilton close the gap a little so as to keep things interesting in the last few races. That and it stops the petulant RB and MV thinking they are entitled to both championships.

Great start from Hamilton today and then the right call from the stewards for me for that move from Max (for once!)

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Utter farce all along. It felt inevitable after that crash (for 18th place!) though. Probably the correct decision to let the lapped cars through but dodgy as heck doing it after Horner whinged on the radio.

What a terrible way to decide the title after Hamilton had destroyed Verstappen on track today.

I think I am more happy for Christian Horner than I am for Max

I didn't notice at the time but apparently only the backmarkers between the two cars were let through as well?

@Iver To be honest I have no clue how to feel about that. Seems whichever choice made stuffs someone over. Shame to end an amazing season like that.

@Thrillho yeah that’s the unusual part. I thought you let them all through or none of them but I’m not an expert on the rules.

That feels all kind wrong. Hamilton deserved to finish 1st in the race. Just because some race director wanted some action, they have now made it into a farce.

I'd say that Max deserved it for the season he's had but that race director decision was puzzling. Gutted for Lewis.

Only after a sporter from your country loses, you lot blame the rulebook. 😅

It's just a pretty dumb sport. Who wins has always been 95% a matter of money and luck anyway. That doesn't diminish the driver's accomplishments, but just saying that as a game/competition the sport's never been interesting. So don't start about that now is what I'm saying.

@Iver clever way to twist my words

@Kidfried Well, the race director has literally made up the rules at the end to make it an exciting finish but one which massively favoured the driver who had been almost 12 seconds behind before the crash...

That was a joke at the end. You either let all lapped cars through or none at all. How can it be right (other than for the Netflix crowd) to allow just the lapped cars between Lewis and max through.

Lewis was gracious in defeat though and says more about him as a person than maxs little walk off the podium tantrum last week.

It was a great season and personally I had no horse in the race, didn’t mind who won. That decision was absolute nonsense though, you can’t throw the rule book out to make things more interesting. It’s a sport, not reality TV. From what I’ve seen of the exact wording of the rules, Mercedes have a case. It would be a real shame if it was decided in the courts but regardless, the FIA have thrown away the end of that season.

Last week Christian Horner made comments about how the sport misses Charlie Whiting. Bet he's glad he's not there today

At least I can post this

Just caught up with the race. I’d class myself as a fan of F1 rather that wanting any particular driver or team to win but that was definitely a dubious finish to the season.

I can understand how they wanted to try and not interfere too much with the lead of the race and let the race play out on track but they even ended up ballsing that it.

One term I’m pretty sick of hearing this season is “hard racing”. It basically seems to get wheeled out to cover everything that MV does like everyone else is just “racing” 😆

@nessisonett Don't know what's worse, the decision or that music video.

Great season. Max a worthy champion over the course of the season, congratulations to him.

But not in that race, or that way, he was never in it.

Horrible decision at the end. That wasn’t “motor racing” as Masi called it, that was farcical a fait compli. Max on fresh softs, Lewis on 40 lap old hards… there was only ever one winner. Championship decided by race director. Nobody with any integrity should want that in sport regardless who they support.

It would be like a referee deciding to offer a penalty with no goalkeeper to win the World Cup.

Shameful decision making, sadly in line with so many bad decisions on both sides this season. Under Liberty Media F1 has become more Netflix documentary that sport, more interested in drama than sporting integrity. A sad day for sportsmanship.

Regardless congratulations Max Verstappen and commiserations Lewis, who showed real integrity and sportsmanship in defeat. Displaying everything the officiating lacked.