Much has been written about the silence of Lewis Hamilton and his unknown position on racing this year. Sources close to the Brit have said that the seven time world champion wants to see the result of the enquiry into the handling of the stewards decision making, before committing to the 2022 season. When we look into this, it’s not hard to understand why.
2021 threw up more controversial decisions than any other season in recent memory. Week after week, racing incidents were handled a different way than the week before. Team bosses were heard frequently lobbying their positions to the FIA, and things quite frankly depended into a shambles.
How do we go racing in 2022?
The main incidents of the year were overtaking, particularly under braking, into corners. The lack of gravel traps on tracks now has caused issues where drivers are running wide all four wheels off the track to overtake. The rules simply state that you must have one wheel the right side of the line. Seems simple enough but it’s not always being upheld.
Max Verstappen deserved his world championship for his brilliant driving over the year, but he was pushing the limit nearly every race.
Lewis Hamilton will want two things clarified. Firstly, an investigation into the final race decision which cost him an unprecedented eighth world championship. Secondly, rules of combat when it comes to overtaking.
Hamilton knows now that when Verstappen is attacking or defending, he is not going to back out under any circumstances legal or illegal.
We all want exciting racing but there has to be a line.
If you look at Verstappen’s overtaking manoeuvres, he tends to drive a straight line across corners once his nose is marginally in front. That leads the overtaken car with nowhere to go other than back out. As seen on the opening lap in the Abu Dhabi finale. That’s a technique that has been used for years and Max does it very well. The problem is that there’s a fine line between that, and driving another car clean off the road. On a lot of the passes its clear Verstappen came from so far back that he has very little chance of getting two cars through a corner. Of course the other car (usually Hamilton) has to either back out or crash.
Hamilton is now utterly sick of the situation. If he continues he will want the FIA to punish the same every week.
If you look at the final race of the season it’s very evident that the FIA at this stage had completely lost control. Fourth corner of the race and Verstappen once again threw a move from way back and gave Hamilton the back out or crash option. Max drove the same straight line across the corner. It’s a fifty-fifty move and you have to respect Verstappen’s bravery, even if I think the move is questionable. Hamilton then drove outside the track gaining an advantage and keeping the lead. Everyone watching assumed the FIA would ask Hamilton to give the place back but they ruled no investigation necessary. I can only assume they thought one move cancelled out the other. It’s a dangerous interpretation of the rules. If it hadn’t been for the insane way the race ended this incident would have been the talking point because Lewis Hamilton would have won from this technically illegal move to keep the lead. As for the decision that decided the championship its no wonder Lewis wants something done.
In forty years of watching sport, I’ve never witnessed such a ridiculous decision and I think a long hard discussion needs to be had how drivers, stewards and media go on from here.
The decision to let just the cars between Hamilton and Verstappen un-lap themselves under the safety car is just not in the rule book.
Michael Masi, the race director, copped an incredible amount of abuse over this and, to a point, rightly so.
However look at it from his point of view. We are now hearing the conversations between team bosses and the race director. Christian Horner and Toto Wolf where themselves completely out of control by then and their behaviour towards Masi was also out of order. The involvement of Netflix, with their Drive to Survive show, has allowed us access like we’ve never seen before. I, like most people, love it, but it is causing an unprecedented level of responsibility on a race director.
On that now infamous moment when the cars where under the safety car and all manner of arguments where being thrown at Masi, he would have known that no matter what he decided the outcome would be grim. If he had have applied the rules the correct way, Hamilton would have won under the safety car and Red Bull would have been furious. Especially about that turn 3 incident.
How do we move forward and get Lewis back? Well, Michael Masi may be asked to fall on his sword over this. They may need to remove him to fully move on. The safety car incident doesn’t need much discussion as its just plain wrong and the FIA need to come out and say that.
The combat rules are less easy. Modifying tracks my be one way to go but that may just cause its own issues. I think it all has to come down to drivers making a genuine effort to make a corner and leave room for the other driver. Launching a car into corners where the other car has to leave the track or crash, needs to be stopped.
Team bosses talking to the racing director also must be stamped out straight away. It’s too much responsibility for one person and totally unfair. The media, as expected, did their part in pushing the tensions as high as possible. The post-race interviews at times were pushing the teams, drivers and bosses towards a fight, as they relished the controversy. It does make great entertainment, that in turn gets views, but they are people too and will crack if pushed hard enough.
If I was Michael Masi and got to keep my job I may even resign regardless, as 2022 could be even worse.
Verstappen, Hamilton, Russell and Leclerc wheel-to-wheel into the first corner once we have lights out in Bahrain? I think think we will be off to the stewards, straight away!
WHEEL2WHEEL REPORTS 