Oliver White
McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton has been cleared of any wrong-doing following the investigation handled by the Chinese Grand Prix stewards. It was thought that Hamilton’s driving behaviour behind the second safety car period at last weekends Japanese Grand Prix may have contributed to the collision between Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. Vettel ran into the back of Webber causing the end of both races, and Webber suggested that he had to take evasive action to avoid a slowing Hamilton ahead of him.
It was decided by the stewards that the appalling weather conditions meant that imposing a penalty on the championship leader would be inappropriate.
What has become apparent is the view clearly expressed by all drivers and team managers alike that the conditions at Fuji were exceptionally bad and worse than those previously experienced when the race starts behind the safety car. Steward’s Announcement.
I just think it’s a real shame for the sport, Formula One’s supposed to be about hard, fair competition. That’s what I’ve tried to do this year, just be fair.
There’s been some real strange situations this year where I’m made to look the bad person and, by the looks of it, this weekend be given a penalty. If this is the way it’s going to keep going it’s not somewhere I really want to be. Lewis Hamilton.
What a weird reason for the judgement. I think most of the blame for the collision lay with Vettel anyway, but surely:
1) Dangerous conditions require drivers to be more cautious, not less
2) If the conditions were so dangerous, why was the race running? Red flags are precisely for conditions where dangerous incidents are unavoidable.
Which only goes to show that sometimes the officials make the right decisions, even if for the wrong reasons. I would draw your attention to one interesting fact: not only have the stewards exonerated Hamilton from driving erratically, they have also rescinded Vettel’s penalty. There has been a lot of passion and heat in the arguments about Hamilton’s driving but, so far, I have seen nothing but approval from both sides at the cancellation of Vettel’s ten grid spot penalty. The incident was not worth penalizing anyone for in the first place – now justice has been done!
And it also illustrates what good policy it is to have a weep in the pits after a very public blunder – makes everyone feel sorry for you and gets them on your side. 😉
I doubt Mark Webber’s feeling sorry for him 🙂