Should Hamilton get a penalty for missing the ceremony?

[chrisc90]

Sporting regulations 2021.

https://www.fia.com/regulation/category/110

Now listed under archive tab

[Wouter]

Nobody likes going to the FIA Gala, but it is an obligation that comes with it.
If you stay away for no reason and without written notice, you will earn a penalty.
It concerned the 2021 season, so in this case an appropriate penalty, but not a penalty that applies to the new 2022 season.

[Just_a_fan]

Get over it.

You do realize a question is not an attack, right? This is not anti-Hamilton narrative or anything like that. It's just a question that essentially states "the rules are such, do you think they should be enforced?". No more, no less.

I think the question flags up an important issue - the overall quality of the enforcement of the rules that apply to driving standards. The recently applied "let them race" dogma has led to some very questionable driving being let off without penalty.

I think if we want to apply the rules - even the funny little ones that no one even knew about until now such as attending post-season jollies - then we need to apply all of the rules fully and correctly. And that means doing things such deliberately driving a competitor several car widths off track should be penalised there and then.

It would be good for the FIA to use the change in the race directorship to draw a line in the sand and say "from now on, anyone taking the mickey (stronger words are available) will get a proper slapping". F1 is looked up to by many as being the best drivers in the best cars and yet we see some very questionable, amateur-level, driving at times and it is allowed to happen "for the show". Decisions should not be made on the basis of who the drivers are and whether they are in a title fight or not, etc., as all of the drivers are in fights for points that benefit their teams and their colleagues back at the factory.

Let's have consistency of application of the rules across the entire grid and across the entire season. That one thing would make F1 better for many existing fans and more attractive for new fans too.

[Tiny73]

No. No, he shouldn’t.

This thread has “locked” written all over it. Perhaps the mods should lock it now and let it die before the tiresome vitriol starts?

The mods already have said it’s ok to warrant its own thread - after I questioned it in the Bahrain topic.

Providing people don’t bash each other - it’s a pretty relevant question ahead of the season start

It’s not really a relevant question surely? If the FIA were going to punish him they’d have done so by now. Threads like this just bring out the same tiresome tribal arguments and serve no purpose.

Frankly if the FIA want to be sticklers for rules there’s a lot bigger fish to fry than this non-event

[chrisc90]

No. No, he shouldn’t.

This thread has “locked” written all over it. Perhaps the mods should lock it now and let it die before the tiresome vitriol starts?

The mods already have said it’s ok to warrant its own thread - after I questioned it in the Bahrain topic.

Providing people don’t bash each other - it’s a pretty relevant question ahead of the season start

It’s not really a relevant question surely? If the FIA were going to punish him they’d have done so by now. Threads like this just bring out the same tiresome tribal arguments and serve no purpose.

Frankly if the FIA want to be sticklers for rules there’s a lot bigger fish to fry than this non-event

It’s relevant, in my opinion, because it was a breach of sporting code between the last race of season and the following race this season.
A breach of the rules should be subject to investigation/punishment

[chrisc90]

No. No, he shouldn’t.

This thread has “locked” written all over it. Perhaps the mods should lock it now and let it die before the tiresome vitriol starts?

The mods already have said it’s ok to warrant its own thread - after I questioned it in the Bahrain topic.

Providing people don’t bash each other - it’s a pretty relevant question ahead of the season start

It’s not really a relevant question surely? If the FIA were going to punish him they’d have done so by now. Threads like this just bring out the same tiresome tribal arguments and serve no purpose.

Frankly if the FIA want to be sticklers for rules there’s a lot bigger fish to fry than this non-event

It’s relevant, in my opinion, because it was a breach of sporting code between the last race of season and the following race this season.
A breach of the rules should be subject to investigation/punishment

No need for any tribal arguments

[Just_a_fan]

A breach of the rules should be subject to investigation/punishment

But in the current climate of "let them race", breaches of the rules are often not investigated or, if they are, not punished. To suddenly jump on something that no one outside of a few particular fans are interested in, or even aware of, smacks of pettiness. And it smacks of wanting to affect the 2022 championship in favour of other parties, too.

[chrisc90]

This is a off-track concern though…. Would it be any different if a driver didn’t show up to a media interview they are also required to attend?

I’d rather not see it affect the championship, but the way the regulations are written, means it could potentially have a impact on the championship this year

[Just_a_fan]

This is a off-track concern though…. Would it be any different if a driver didn’t show up to a media interview they are also required to attend?

I’d rather not see it affect the championship, but the way the regulations are written, means it could potentially have a impact on the championship this year

It doesn't matter that it's an off track concern - the FIA has gone down the road of selectively applying the rules depending on circumstance for a number of seasons now. If that's good enough during a race weekend then it's good enough post season.

They don't have to do anything about it. They aren't required to investigate it nor are they required to penalise him. The stewards at Bahrain can't do anything unless it is referred to them by the race director - they can't call it in directly as it's not something that's happening on track during the event.

So if they do look at it, we can assume it's because the FIA has decided to make fools of themselves by being stubborn / make a statement to other drivers [know your place!] / are going to rigidly enforce all of the rules all of the time. Which of those do you think most likely to apply, knowing the FIA as we do?

[silver]

This is a off-track concern though…. Would it be any different if a driver didn’t show up to a media interview they are also required to attend?

I’d rather not see it affect the championship, but the way the regulations are written, means it could potentially have a impact on the championship this year

In one of the episodes of DTS Season 2021, Daniel Ricciardo asks his associate if there would be a fine and if that is huge if he skips the media duty after a race where he was totally down and disappointed and his associate tells him it's not ok and has to attend. At that point in season, Ricciardo was distraught due to lack of results. It evidently means the driver cannot skip the media duties or any obligations.

[codetower]

I think he should, so long as it doesn't affect the championship. I could see a hefty fine or something along those lines. It wasn't an offense that affected the 2021 championship, so I don't think a penalty for the offense should affect 2022's championship.

Rules are in place and should be enforced, no matter who breaks the rule. If there is no penalty, then what's to stop any other driver from just skipping the next gala? If the FIA doesn't mind, then change the rule.

[WaikeCU]

Wasn't he in the UK about to become knighted to Sir Lewis at that time?

And even then missing this ceremony...

First world problem really

[Just_a_fan]

Rules are in place and should be enforced, no matter who breaks the rule. If there is no penalty, then what's to stop any other driver from just skipping the next gala? If the FIA doesn't mind, then change the rule.

So long as all rules are enforced fully going on from here. They haven't been for some time, of course.

For a sport that has been somewhat "generous" in what it considers to be something that needs to be enforced, suddenly doing so now would look a little crass and even a little like they are making an example of him.

[Mandrake]

It's again another thing in the FIA book of being inconsistent. Rules are rules (I'm reading the quoted rule for the first time so I did not know before that there are reprimands in place) so he should have been given a penalty. If LH had quoted COVID as the reason to not show up then it might have been dabateable, it could even have been agreed with the FIA. Instead he played the drama queen and said nothing, so there's no reason for him to not show up.

I don't think he will get a penalty tho. Let's hope the FIA inconsistency stops from next Friday onwards.

[shamyakovic]

Sporting regulations 2021.

https://www.fia.com/regulation/category/110

Now listed under archive tab

But where does it say that there is sanctions for not attending?
It just says they must attend. But where does it state this leads to sanctions??

I can't find any thing anywhere

Perhaps it's time to just close the chapter of the farce from 2021 AD. Wasn't robbing him of the championship is enough for all his haters? Didn't everyone got what they want?