The Crank’s been watching some Formula One lately. (Okay, he’ll watch Formula One just about any time, especially when it’s at Spa.) Not the most competitive racing in the world, but now and again you get moments of drama and, frankly, injustice. And the Crank *lives* for moments of injustice.
The latest transgression was visited upon Lewis Hamilton at Spa. In a situation where he was clearly trying to avoid an accident, Hamilton cut a chicane and wound up in front of the car he was trying not to hit, Kimi Räikkönen’s Ferrari. Properly, Hamilton did the right thing; he immediately let Räikkönen back past. Then, catching a tow, he set up and executed a clean pass at the next corner.
On review, the stewards of the meeting decided that this was not proper – that Hamilton had managed to gain an advantage by cutting the chicane. Never mind that he was so close to Räikkönen’s gearbox going into the corner that the evasive action was necessary; the fact that he came out of the corner in the same position – on Räikkönen’s gearbox – was somehow deemed to have given Hamilton an advantage.
Sorry, guys, you got this one wrong.
The Crank has a bit of experience with things like this, having pulled a trick or two during his days on the track. When a racer does the wrong thing, he or she should be penalized. But when the stewards do the wrong thing, the driver shouldn’t pay.
Hamilton did the sporting thing and what the rules required: He let the guy by. But as soon as that’s done, the race is back on.
He gets an appeal; let’s hope the board sees the world right.
