23/10/2017
NEWS STORY
Whatever one thought of Liberty Media's pre-show 'entertainment', you have to admit that they tried. Whether it worked or not remains to be seen.
However, despite their best efforts, they will wake this morning to find that no matter how hard one tries, no matter what one does, F1 has this extraordinary ability to shoot itself in the foot, to make the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
And while the s**tstorm that follows yesterday's Grand Prix has nothing to do with drivers 'taking the knee', it is a s**tstorm nonetheless.
Having witnessed a bold, brave move that saw Max Verstappen take the final podium place, having started the afternoon from 16th on the grid. Having seen the youngster congratulated by his team and then make his way to the ante-room before stepping out on to the podium, discussing that move with Sebastian Vettel and generally basking in the moment, fans saw the Red Bull driver being told that he had been penalised, and thereby demoted to fourth, and unceremonially banished from the celebration.
Like a confused schoolboy he left the ante room, where an equally confused Kimi Raikkonen took his place, leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of just about everyone.
Indeed, one with a cruel sense of humour, bearing in mind that Bill Clinton was to present the winner's trophy, might even say, ‘close but no cigar'.
For while the youngster had exceeded the track limits and therefore broken the rules, this had been happening all weekend, and the only driver to be punished was the Dutchman, for a move made in one of the penultimate corners of the final lap.
"Shame on you FIA," tweeted his father Jos, a man not unused to controversy. "Obviously F1 don't know what racing is."
And so it began.
"This decision is the worst I've ever seen," said Niki Lauda. "He did nothing wrong.
"We're racing drivers, we're not on a normal road," added the Austrian, one of the greatest drivers to ever grace the sport. "It's ridiculous to destroy the sport with this kind of decision.
"At the next strategy meeting we'll bring it up the agenda and start all over again," he warned, "because we cannot do that, going too far and interfering. It was a normal overtaking.
"Charlie argues all the time there's white lines and you cannot drive over them," he fumed, referring to race director Charlie Whiting. "Why cannot you drive over white lines if it is possible? Build a wall there if you want. As long as there is normal circuit, you can use it. A white line is not a limit. We agreed this all, last year it was all agreed. And now we get this decision. I think it's completely wrong."
In the midst of all this, the Max broke cover, tweeting: "Disappointed with the inconsistency in decisions regarding track limits this whole weekend. Feel robbed but it was a superb drive."
Indeed, on the in lap at the end of the race, the Dutchman was delirious with joy, claiming it to be his best race ever.
Initially, on learning of the decision, the youngster had expressed disbelief, and asked about the decision let loose, a move that could see him in further hot water..
"I get a five-second penalty and a penalty point, but for what?" he asked reporters, the opening ceremony now a distant memory. "At the end of the day, everybody is running wide. The crowd is loving it and then you do something like that on world TV. The way they did it is unbelievable. The sport makes no sense. They kill the race like that."
Indeed.
Team boss Christian Horner appeared to take it one step further, suggesting not only inconsistency in the stewarding of the sport, but even possible bias.
"They said they wouldn't make that hasty decision again," he told Sky Sports F1. "They said that they'd listen, they'd look at all the facts, they'd listen to the drivers and then make a decision.
"What's happened? They've made an instant decision and I think it's a shocking decision. They didn't even listen to Max's argument. In other instances, they would have had the drivers in and listened to both sides. Maybe they would have come to the same conclusion, but at least give them the right of reply."
In reaction to Verstappen's comments, he said: "He has the right to express himself and in any sport emotions run high, that's what sport is," If he'd had said he was happy with that decision I'd be amazed."
Asked if F1 stewards are up to the job, he said: "It's a question that has been raised before. Consistency of stewarding depends on the stewards you get on the day.
"F1 is still immature in this country," he added, "it's a big race and with the lack of consistency in the decisions I should think all the viewers and the fans watching didn't understand. Even Kimi Raikkonen didn't understand why he was on the podium and not Max.
"Where do you gain an advantage and not gain an advantage? The race director was quite clear he had no issues with track limits, I understand it was discussed earlier in the weekend."
And if Liberty Media think this is the kind of nonsense it has let itself in for, just wait until the serious talk gets around to budget caps, prize money distribution and the new engine rules.
Check out our Sunday gallery from Austin, here.