No controversy? Oh, I must have been misreading the whole of the internet for the past day or so then. I was under the impression that people had been discussing it quite a lot. And that not all of those people had a financial interest in Hamilton winning. Silly me.

Er. Yes, I know that. You’re kind of confirming what I just said. Would Lewis be champion if he’d pitted? It’s a maybe, but there there are scenarios where he wouldn’t, so I don’t necessarily see it as a mistake on Mercedes’ part.

Ah, who’s to say it was wrong? If Lewis had pitted, Max wouldn’t have. If it had ended under yellows, Max then wins by default.

Totally agree. The FIA have just shown the world that they can make critical split second decisions that go against their own written protocols whenever the fancy takes them, and that these decisions are able to change the outcome of an entire world championship. That ain’t right.

Agreed. The rules around swapping positions need looking at very seriously. When and how teams are notified, and where it can happen.

Yeah, it was a great lap to watch, but I’d have put money on him not finishing it after seeing him through the 2nd corner. All he needed was to be a couple more millimetres away from the ragged edge throughout the lap, and he would’ve still got pole easily. But Max being Max, he decided he had to be at 100% instead of…

“As to the brake check, if Lewis did the same thing to be clear of the DRS trip zone all the Lewis fans would be complaining that he was forced to yield due to race control and Max shouldn’t have hit him...”

I think you’re absolutely right.

100% yes. I’ve experienced an Audi TT and a Smart Roadster in snowy conditions. I’m not saying either would be ideal cars for those conditions, but my guess is that most people probably wouldn’t choose the RWD, automatic, rear-engined lightweight over an Audi with Quattro 4WD...

Really beautiful work there, Torch.

If you ignore the notion of it being an attempt at a replica, you could argue it’s a pretty handsome thing in it’s own right. But then someone will point out this side view, and your argument is immediately nullified...

Acceleration from zero is hampered by the automated clutch, but other than that, you’ll find the roadster is very surprising for such a tiny engine.

That would actually be pretty cool...

Innovative placement of the rear door handle there...

I accept it all happened in the heat of battle, but with the angle of the cars and a restricted rear view, could he really have known it was safe to do it after just a second or so of being stationary? I’m not sure...

And I think the fact that Max spun his wheels when, for all he knew, his rear tyre could’ve been sat on Lewis’s head is a pretty decent indication he’s a dick.

The comment that “In coming to the penalty the Stewards emphasize that they have only considered the incident itself”, made me wonder if there might be a possibility of other penalties still to come.

It’s a good point. I suspect there’s a big difference in the perception of what equates to a long distance journey in the UK. Over here, most people would think it insane to travel much more than 400 miles or so in one day, because we just don’t have those vast interstate roads. Given a decent charging infrastructure,…

That’s an interesting point, and it’s definitely the case in the UK too. Marketing always makes us believe we need more of everything, when in reality, it’s rarely true. Despite the pathetic range, I’ve found the Leaf to be a better second car for me than any ICE car I can think of.

Smart Roadster has to be up there. Enormous fun, 50mpg, and possesses an ability to make everyone who sees it that little bit happier.