Penalties?

[Gerard]

During the Canadian GP Sauber driver Pedro Diniz was involved in an accident with Arrows' Pedro de la Rosa on lap 49 and BAR driver Jacques Villeneuve with Williams driver Ralf Schumacher on lap 65.

In any event the two drivers involved were called in by the stewards after the race to discuss their accident along with Ralf Schumacher and Pedro de la Rosa.

Jacques Villeneuve and Pedro Diniz were both given a 25 second penalty, which was added onto their finishing times.

Excuse me for not understanding. Finishing times?
Pedro Diniz had a finishing time, but adding 25 seconds to that doesn't change anything because he wasn't in the points.

An exhibite of wisdom or good sense is even more lacking in the case of Jacques Villeneuve.
There were 25 seconds added onto his finishing time.
What finishing time?
Did the stewards in Canada see another race than we did?
'Hey guys, wake up! He didn't finish!'
He didn't finish as in 'out of the race'

I know the stewards were acting according to the rules.
But hey, here we go again.
The Rules.
I think the rules should be re-written because they obviously don't cover all situations.
How can a penalty consist of adding 25 seconds to a finishing time when there is no finishing time?
Crazy rules!

[Neil C]

Originally posted by Gerard
There were 25 seconds added onto his finishing time.
What finishing time?
Did the stewards in Canada see another race than we did?
'Hey guys, wake up! He didn't finish!'

Yes, Gerard, but now he didnt finish 25 seconds later than he didnt finish before. What could be clearer!

[Sparky]

One alternative might be to delay the penalty until the next round of the championship, but only when the penalty would have no effect on the pilote/team prior to that round.

It sounds harsh, but it certainly would be deterrant!

But I agree, Gerard. Red tape! GRRRR!

Those punishments are about as much use as a chocolate fireguard... Or an ashtray on a motorbike... Or boobs on a fish.

Ahem. Sorry. Lost the plot there!

[Minardi fan]

Without boobs on a fish I'm sure the bloke fish (well, most of them) would not be too pleased.



I completely forgot JV retired. When? How? Aaaaaargh I can't remember... :confused::confused:

[Diabando]

Yeah - its all about as funny as the 10 second penalty... which is never 10 seconds.

Dont worry Minardi Fan, my alarm woke me up at 2.50am to watch the race, I got half way through, and next thing I know - I woke up and it was the post race interviews

[EERO]

I'm with Gerard on this one, its an idiotic penalty-BUT, In both cases I say RACING ACCIDENT.

Jacques pulled a bone head-move, and Ralfie was an innocent victim, but as I see it, that's racing.

In my mind, from my perspective in the Hairpin, De La Rosa"s was the most inspired drive of the day. Diniz was just noodling around and as De La Rosa wa smoving back through the field following the pit stops, Diniz didn't give ground as they accelerated out of the hairpin-Aggressive?, Yes; Unneccessary? Maybe. But in the end, a part of racing and a twenty-five second penalty is just plain D-U-M-B.

[Jay]

Did you see that too?

That was right infront of where I was sitting. From where I was it almost looked like the car was going to fly right into my grandstand. It looked like Diniz just bullied him into the wall.

I thought that Diniz should have been DQed immediately. That was one of the dumbest things I have ever seen at a race or on TV.