Michael Schumacher penalty too light?

[wwgkd]

NASCAR has different safety standards. That's why their cars are 3,500 lbs, and there are massive fences everywhere on their tracks, and huge distances between the track and the pits. This:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9unxd0_8iUE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9unxd0_8iUE[/ame]

was a lot more dangerous than anything you see in NASCAR.

In fact the fans of NASCAR often criticise the other sanctioning bodies for not having enough safety. NASCAR decided to let these things work themselves out for the most part, and that's worked, for the most part. This feud they had to step in on with penalties and tell them to knock it off, which they did and have.

Also lets be real here, yes it was a vicious move but he did leave Barichello enough room that the pass was made. Remember some of the pit lane passes recently that nobody is talking about right now? Making a dive bomb across somebody over dirt and grassleaves you far less control than you get on the track, and they were still made at significant speed. Also, I highly doubt that he was trying to run him into the wall, he was just trying to block and didn't realize how much faster Ruebens was.

[clutch-monkey]

NASCAR has different safety standards. That's why their cars are 3,500 lbs, and there are massive fences everywhere on their tracks, and huge distances between the track and the pits. This:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9unxd0_8iUE

was a lot more dangerous than anything you see in NASCAR.

pussies.

[torque55]

i agree that it looked very harsh, but the fact is rubens passed. Which means he obviously had enough room.
On the other hand,
rubens also should have anticipated the move and went for the otherside to overtake, preventing all the drama.

[NoFenders]

i agree that it looked very harsh, but the fact is rubens passed. Which means he obviously had enough room.
On the other hand,
rubens also should have anticipated the move and went for the otherside to overtake, preventing all the drama.

Rubens only had enough room because he got lucky. Schumi closed the door when Rubens was half way through the doorway.
Blocking is a normal part of F1. Obviously Schumi's actions were a bit more than a block to warrant a financial penalty.

[henk4]

Rubens only had enough room because he got lucky. Schumi closed the door when Rubens was half way through the doorway.
Blocking is a normal part of F1. Obviously Schumi's actions were a bit more than a block to warrant a financial penalty.

the most dangerous part came when the track narrowed after the end of the pitwall, which forced Barrichello to steer back into Schumacher, who wisely veered off. Otherwise Barrichello would have ended on the grass.

[NoFenders]

the most dangerous part came when the track narrowed after the end of the pitwall, which forced Barrichello to steer back into Schumacher, who wisely veered off. Otherwise Barrichello would have ended on the grass.

I thought Schumi was being a bit of a drama queen veering as much as he did. It wasn't that close. I think he was trying to "even the score" in the eyes of the stewards, to keep himself from being penalized.

[henk4]

I thought Schumi was being a bit of a drama queen veering as much as he did. It wasn't that close. I think he was trying to "even the score" in the eyes of the stewards, to keep himself from being penalized.

could be, but when I saw it the first time on TV the end of the road looked agonisingly close for Barrichello.

[f6fhellcat13]

This still give a pretty good idea of just how close it was:

[henk4]

maybe the stewards of the race and the FIA should once more carefully study that picture.

[Ferrer]

It's not only about the closeness of it either. The speed should also be an important factor.

[LeonOfTheDead]

Also, Schumacher seems to be enjoying that picture.
Barrichello did an awesome calculation on where the wall was going to finish.

[Chernaudi]

A little off topic, but the LMP2 guys in the ALMS know what would happen if they threw a block against an Audi R10--they'd get drilled! At St. Pete in 2007, Romain Dumas threw a block on Allan McNish after Romain brake-checked Allan at the start. The outcome: McNish was black-flagged and had to do a stop and go for "jumping the start"(which IMSA revised starting proceedures after the Pensks Porsche repeatedly did brake-checks at the start of races as far as holding formation until the start/finish line was crossed), and Allan tore the rear fender off the Porsche and punctrued a tire on the Porsche with the Audi's dive planes. McNish's Audi was undamaged won the race, and the Porsche finished 3rd of 4th.

Fast forward to the end of the season: Stefan Johannson in an Acura tried to block Marco Werner in an other Audi R10. Result: The Audi broke the whole left rear corner off the Acura, and the Acura was ditched where it was after IMSA penalized Johannson for rough driving. The Audi was repaired and finished 3rd. So it's not a good idea to block something that's traveling at about 15-20 mph faster than you are at that section of track.

And don't get started on what would happen in NASCAR with their "have at it boys" policy-you block someone enough times, they'll probably dump you, or my take on how Indy Car handles it.

Blocking should be one move and and shouldn't be that agressive.

[wwgkd]

F**K Indycar's new policy. They went from a horrible decision on a penalty in Toronto to a thoroughly retarded rule to prevent it from happening again. As far as I'm concerned that was just a backwards step using the oportunity of the controversy to try to force more passing, since everyone knows passing is what makes races exciting.

[Kitdy]

F**K Indycar's new policy. They went from a horrible decision on a penalty in Toronto to a thoroughly retarded rule to prevent it from happening again. As far as I'm concerned that was just a backwards step using the oportunity of the controversy to try to force more passing, since everyone knows passing is what makes races exciting.

What's the deal?

[torque55]

this is getting ridiculous, i've been reading everywhere in the media TRASH against Schumacher.
His move against Barichello would have been considered very moderate in the 80's and the begining of the 90's. Now everybody is so stuck up, and Rubens himself who's been racing longer than any one else was saying he should have been black flagged. Im afraid that F1 is becoming too much of a girly sport. If they want to remove all the agressionmaybe they ought to put speed limiters too.