Let’s not fall out, boys.
F1 has been about technology and strategy for many years now. Gone are the days when Mike Hawthorn drove to the circuit in his Jaguar, complete in bow tie and slip-on shoes, donned a crash helmet that would not have protected him against a piece of balsa wood striking his head before clambering into his Ferrari F1 racing car to take part in a Grand Prix.
Today’s drivers have to be good – very good. They have to cope with increasing amounts of technology whilst driving at up to 200mph. But the best driver may not win. The sport is dominated to a huge degree by technology and the tyre management issue is but one of a myriad of factors that influence races.
As for Sunday’s race, I too cannot understand the rule that allows teams to work on cars when a race is red flagged. My view is that the stoppage is simply an extension of a safety car period. The cars should be stopped on the grid and left completely alone apart from starting them up again. If the teams want to work on them the car should go into the pits and join the race from the pits (at the back) following the restart.
F1 is not everybody’s cup of tea. It would be a sad world if we were all the same. The losers on Sunday were the fans who would have been in for quite a frantic final few laps. But that’s motor racing. Those suggesting the race was fixed to give Vettel an unlikely victory should have a chat with Vitaly Petrov.