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Totally agree. I think, if they hadn’t let the 5 lapped cars through and Verstappen passed all of them and still won, that would be fine. Setting them up for a one lap sprint with one car on fresh tyres seems to be handing a massively unfair advantage to the team that pits.
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The more I think about it the more I think Mercedes bottled it to an extent. There was every chance there would a full s/c at some point after the first VCS. They chose to keep track position by not pitting when they had the opportunity, so they were always going to be massively vulnerable if there was a late SC.
But at 12 seconds clear of RB then if Merc pitted then RB would have stayed out and got track position.
RB had the luxury of essentially a free pitstop. If they put on fresh tyres and there was no SC then they finish 2nd, which is where they'd have finished with old tyres too.
If they don't put on new tyres then they probably finish 2nd regardless of whether there's a SC.
They could react to Mercedes, but Merc couldn't do the same (which is fine)Seemed Mercedes and RB both made the sensible call in staying out and changing tyres respectively.
Never been a Lewis fan, but definitely seems robbed today.
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Jung
duncs
@Dooks-Fatberg
Bleh. What a mess. While we're on on it, not making Lewis give back the lead in the first lap or two was annoying as well. Perhaps if Mercedes HAD given the place up they'd have been in a better position later on.
The more I think about it the more I think Mercedes bottled it to an extent. There was every chance there would a full s/c at some point after the first VCS. They chose to keep track position by not pitting when they had the opportunity, so they were always going to be massively vulnerable if there was a late SC.
I does feel perverse that you can be running almost (but not quite) a pitstop ahead purely on merit and effectively be disadvantaged because you can't afford to hand track position to the cars 15 seconds behind you, but there you go.
This season has been great in many ways, but i'm so disheartened that so much of if has been all about controversial inconsistent race director and steward calls. Hard to feel excited about next season after that farce.