Formula 1 Special Episode: No Michael, No Safety Car

With Lewis Hamilton still in exile and pressuring the FIA to take action following a bitter defeat, has lobbying the ref in F1 gone too far? In the final race of the season with marshals required on track to recover a crashed car, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff harangued race director Michael Masi not to bring out a safety car. Perhaps it's time Mercedes were put in their place by a more forceful FIA?

[@lee8org]

I could not agree more Andrew. I am not fan of any those two leading drivers. Also there should be more investigation into Mercedes car. That gain of power at the end was suspicious.

[@danielmorgan9792]

Andrew, the issue is where Masi did not allow all the lap cars to un-lap themselves, that is what the issue was, also under normal rules the race should have finished under a safety car. What is done is done however F1 is severely tarnished now.

[@luckyluc25]

Masi should have let the lapped cars go 2 laps earlier, which still would have put Verstappen behind Hamilton. Same result. They will NEVER end a race of this caliber under yellow. 95% of the fans don't care anyways because they don't like Hamilton. Masi used article 15.3, which gave him control of the safety car period and what happens within it. I agree, it was a mess, but did you really think they would end under yellow? Ha. Yeah, OK. Mercedes got caught sleeping and they cry about it. If Masi had let the lapped cars go when he should have, 2 laps earlier, y'all be saying Mercedes screwed Hamilton for not pitting him. We'd be sayihg he lost it going wide in turn 5. Like he did. Why did he go so wide anyways? He could have covered that corner and the next one. Then he would have won the race. SMH

[@MENQN]

​@@luckyluc25 No c@rs are allowed to pass the safety car when Marshalls are on track

[@angelangelov2354]

Yes, Andrew, yes! That was so right! 🙃

[@MENQN]

Safety car wasn't done properly and it wasn't just about 2 racing drivers but also 18 other drivers who's racers were screwed so Masi didn't follow the correct rules procedure but only allowing the lap cars blocking Max in between Lewis was incorrect as there wasn't enough laps left and should of ended behind the safety car or red flag.

[@Pedro_Santo]

Epic season!

[@yodarex9561]

Horner and Masi chat have been frightful all season, let’s be honest. “Michael, all we need is one racing lap”… “All we need is one racing lap”... (and they got it !). Toto Knew since Brazil (even way before it) they're was something strange going on. Yes, Toto is part of the problem. As Horner. Those communications are awfull for the sport. But, at the end of the day, Masi's bad decisions lead to those chat. Two laps race in Spa ??? REALLY ???

[@EOSHDTV]

Yeah Spa was an odd one. Really a huge anti climax. But it wasn’t really safe. Although they’ve raced in years before in bad conditions there, the fog and standing water on track was something else this time

[@pallabmajumdar3026]

What about a virtual safety car. Why isn’t that used as much. That would have ensured the hard earned gap each driver had earned

[@EOSHDTV]

@@pallabmajumdar3026 Don't think they can do VC when marshals on track or crashed car on racing line. That's more like double waved yellows really, for lesser incidents

[@kansaicamera]

Andrew, you are absolutely right - if, if F1 would be a kind of sport, which it isn't anymore since, my feeling is something around 2010 and all this winning streaks of Vettel/Hamilton and caused by this overdisclosure of new media.

[@EOSHDTV]

Would be fun if Vettel won it next year though 😎