For news on Mercedes dropping their appeal, scroll to the end.
What a great result for Mark Webber! Two wins on the trot and if you was watching the F1 Forum on the BBC Red Button, you would have seen the Red Bull team having a party on the top of their motor home in their pool!
Winning is Monaco is always special for any driver, Mark Webber joins that special list of Jewel in the Crown winners.
However a dark cloud did move over for two teams and two drivers. Micheal Schumacher of Mercedes GP and Fernando Alonso of Ferrari.
Just a few laps from the end, Jarno Trulli’s Lotus and Karun Chanhok’s Hispania collided at La Rascasse, causing the safety car to be deployed. It was deployed until the very end, and everyone crossed the finish line.
However Micheal Schumacher overtook Fernando Alonso. My first reaction was Penalty, as I had not realised that the safety car rules had changed slightly, where there is a 2nd safety car line where you can overtake, and Micheal Schumacher did overtook Fernando Alonso after this line.
My view at that point changed to that’s a fair pass, and also a clever pass by Schumacher…until you get this sport article.
Now Article 40.13 of the sporting regulations, which states: “If the race ends whilst the safety car is deployed it will enter the pit lane at the end of the last lap and the cars will take the chequered flag as normal without overtaking.”
Yes the safety did enter the pit line, but this is where we get a grey area. On the final lap the message from race control was “Safety car in this lap” in other words (In my view) it was being un-deployed. If that message had not appeared on our TV screens, then I would agree that rules was in effect and no overtaking. allowed.
Ross Brawn argued this point on BBC with screen-shots from race control, and I agree with him. He even showed camera-shots from the car showing green flags and green lights.
However the Stewards are taking the view that the safety car was still deployed on the final lap, and therefore no overtaking was allowed.
As I write this blog, Mercedes GP have decided to appeal this decision to the FIA. Expect a hearing within the next few weeks.
However I do fear that they wont be able to appeal. Anyone remember Belgium 2008 with Hamilton, and the appeal being ruled inadmissible?
This unfortunate series of events has unfortunately left the Monaco results being labled provisional.
Update 18 May 2010.
Late this afternoon, Mercedes dropped their appeal on the Stewards decision. This means the FF1GP results for Monaco are final.
The press release is here, but the short version is they won’t appeal, however the rule 40.13 will be reviewed at the next Sporting working group.
It’s clear that rule 40.13 is open to mis-interpretation, as Mercedes GP have shown. Even I still stand with Micheal Schumacher that he was in the right to overtake, and I will be the first to confess I’m not a Micheal Schumacher fan, and before anyone thinks I’m pro Ferrari, I’m not a Ferrari fan either. I’m more likely to back the Bristish drivers, but one thing I like is seeing a good race.
So why are we in this mess? Well it’s not Micheal Schumacher fault for overtaking Alsonso. It’s not Mercedes fault for mis-interpreting the confusing rules. It’s also not Damon Hill’s fault for being forced to make a very difficult decision.
No the fault clearly lies with the FIA for writing rules the rules badly.