KingVoid wrote:
Bottas got away scot-free when he took out Raikkonen in both Spain and Baku last year. Mercedes are complaining about nothing as per usual, just like when they were throwing around false accusations about Ferrari cheating with their battery (which also proved to be false).
I don't quite see how that was quite the same. Bottas didn't quite lock up under breaking and then didn't slow down enough. He braked before Kimi and went onto the curb. Don't think he had much other choice other than to possible outbrake kimi. But when he did what he did, the kerb made him loose control. From when he lost it, he couldn't really help what happened. if he went wider without going on the kerb, it is unlikely he wouldn't have hit Kimi anyway. I can't remember what they said now but he stewards IMO did a rather clear explanation on why it was 50 -50 blame on both drivers. Then Spain I thought Verstappen was the most to blame. Bottas created an opertunity or Kimi and Verstappen, but they chose to close in on Bottas when there was no space. Kimi had to because he had no space. Verstappen could have gone wider but may not have seen Bottas was still there. Others think different clearly, but I think a racing incident was right here.
Although with this latest incident with vettel and Bottas, if I look back over 2 years and the penalties were still generally as strict, the 5 second penalty for Vettel would be hopeless. But when I look at it now, I think it is right, though had no effect. But penalty points add something else to it I guess showing vettel was clearly in the wrong. If you look back at much worse incidents for example, (verstappen taking out Ricciardo in Hungary last year) That was a 10 second penalty. And just how much worse was this? Well, much worse. Verstappen suffered no damage and Ricciardo was knocked out of the race nearly taking palmer and other drivers with him. The difference between these accidence 2 was huge. And 10 seconds and 5 seconds isn't that different a penalty given what happened. I thought that one on Verstappen was perhaps a bit too slack and should have been a drive through. But if it was right by todays standards, then i can understand why some may think Vettel should not have had the penalty and just a couple of points on his licence.
But I would probably say the 5 second penalty was right. Vettel was clearly to blame. And Bottas very obviously suffered significantly more well before the penalty was decided. So in this sense, I'm not sure why this penalty shouldn't have been given. Did Bottas do anything wrong here? The rules last year and this seem to state that if one driver is clearly predominantly to blame for a first lap collision, they will get a penalty. One reason I think a penalty clearly was appropriate. They just seem more relaxed if drivers are fairly equally to blame.