Poll: Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2021, Jeddah - Race 21

[Shocky-FM]

Hamilton should have been told Max was going to slow down, breakdown in communication caused the incident...

Weaving a lot too. It was bizarre.

I was more confused as to why Hamilton didn't go for the gap on the inside, regardless of whether he knew what was happening or not, Max left the door open and Hamilton was very slow to respond ... Max was probably confused as to why Hamilton wasn't overtaking him.

Communication breakdown caused this at the end of day, both drivers should have been informed in advance.

 

[Skyboat]

If I was driving behind Max and he slowed down unexpectedly, without any other information, I wouldn't try and pass due to fear of being smashed off at the next corner.

Wouldn't surprise me this will be Lewis' thoughts too based on this season alone.

 

[englishpremier]

Observe how everyone else gives a place back, you blend out, it was 200mph

Swerved to the left slightly too. Surely that on its own would be slightly damning.

While the top view looks like it, check the cockpit replay and that space does not look enough coming in at 300kph. And Max moves towards the left right towards the end. Not to mention there is no explanation why he bolted after if he was going to give the place back (for the next couple of laps).

Pretty much bang on the racing line wasn't he? You'd expect someone giving up a place to move to the side.

There was acres of space. Seem only some fans on forums now think it was suspect. The failure is the communication. The rest was the two gaming each other i.e. vying for DRS

Zero rules about having to jump off line to give the space back.

 

[.Lethal]

While the top view looks like it, check the cockpit replay and that space does not look enough coming in at 300kph. And Max moves towards the left right towards the end. Not to mention there is no explanation why he bolted after if he was going to give the place back (for the next couple of laps).

They weren't going at 300kph.

 

[ZeeWrath]

They're racing so they are trying to get an advantage.

Max wants to let him past and get DRS, if Lewis knew about it he would have passed him

Would be much less dangerous if they were told to go off the racing line and keep a constant speed or something

 

[Slam62]

Verstappen was slowing down in the middle of the bloody track...

Every time they show it the worse it looks.

 

[steve45]

I miss Charlie Whiting, He had presence, he had authority and he had the respect of the teams and drivers.

 

[GravyMonster]

Also, why was Max allowed to give the place back on the straight then immediately attack and pass in to the next corner? Hamilton did exactly that to Kimi at Spa in 2008 and got a 25 second penalty for it.

 

[Tombstone]

There was acres of space. Seem only some fans on forums now think it was suspect. The failure is the communication..

Seems to be pretty much what Toto Wolff has just said, that it appears to have been down to poor communication and the drivers not being told in the right sequence and that Hamilton didnt know at the time that Max had been told to give the place up

 

[Slam62]

They're racing so they are trying to get an advantage.

Max wants to let him past and get DRS, if Lewis knew about it he would have passed him

Would be much less dangerous if they were told to go off the racing line and keep a constant speed or something

Look at the car position and attitude, in the middle of an 8th gear straight

 

[muon]

When you are following a car closely behind and hoping to enter S3 as closely as possible, I don't think you even consider the possibility that the driver in front of you will drop 5 gears.

The only immediate explanation for that is a major technical problem, or what it felt like to Lewis, a brake test.

 

[Kenai]

If Toto is right regarding telemetry showing Max slowing then accelerating and then slowing again, that won't look good in the stewards room

 

[CaptainRAVE]

If Toto is right regarding telemetry showing Max slowing then accelerating and then slowing again, that won't look good in the stewards room

That’s a slam dunk if true. You ease off, pull to one side until the driver has gone by. Max knew what he was doing.

 

[turbot1984]

Wow! What a spread of votes ... most ever?

 

[Psycho Ned]

Whole incident was weird.

I presume pratting about with the DRS zone was the root cause of what went on but why did Max choose to act so confusingly for a simple give the place back situation? He was dawdling in the middle of the track and jinked left as Lewis pulled left. Just pull to the side and let him by then get the DRS??

 

[RoboCod]

Amazed they can do that so accurately with drones.

GPS

 

[ZeeWrath]

Look at the car position and attitude, in the middle of an 8th gear straight

yeah but he is looking in his mirrors and the closing speeds arent massive. I think he's playing games trying to let him past and be on his rear wing instantly. Nothing malicious just doing everything to get an advantage

 

[Steampunk]

Looking at the replays of Lewis running into the back of Max doesn't seem Max did too much wrong in slowing to let Lewis passed. Just seems Lewis misunderstood. There's loads of space when you see it from the overheads. Lewis hesitates because his team hasn't told him what's going on. I don't believe there is anything in the rules where Max has to get off line to Lewis past, he just has to give the place back.

Lewis probably didn't want to pass due to DRS. Which we've seen on some overtakes before.

It's basic driving standards accepted by all drivers to move offline when letting someone by. Just like all those other accepted standards that are there to stop the drivers crashing into one another and possibly causing injuries or worse. You have to trust the person you're racing against at 200+ mph isn't going to do something unexpected or dumb, hence having accepted conventions for things like giving a place back. Max knows this, he's just trying to cheat his way to a championship win.

 

[Slam62]

yeah but he is looking in his mirrors and the closing speeds arent massive. I think he's playing games trying to let him past and be on his rear wing instantly. Nothing malicious just doing everything to get an advantage

Yeah but you just don't do that,

 

[gord]

I definitely feel they were both gaming the DRS line. Lewis didn't want to pass before it, Max wanted him past so he could do exactly what he did later on. But as someone mentioned earlier, Lewis got penalised heavily at Spa for insta repassing after giving up a position.

This race was wild. Race management are partially responsible for Max's behaviour though. He has learned that diving the apex with no intention of making the corner properly is a viable strategy in desperate times.

 

[Flibster]

Here we go.. Horner on Sky.