Eurosport - Mon, 13 Oct 15:53:00 2008
Formula One World Championship leader Lewis Hamilton has said it was unfair to punish he and Felipe Massa equally after their respective mistakes in the Japanese Grand Prix.
McLaren driver Hamilton's advantage over title rival Massa is down to five points after the Brazilian was promoted to seventh following a post-race penalty for Sebastien Bourdais.
Bourdais was adjudged to have been at fault when he and Massa touched as the Frenchman exited the pit-lane, while the Ferrari driver served a drive-through penalty for earlier causing Hamilton to spin and the Briton suffered the same fate for forcing Raikkonen off the track at the race start.
Hamilton (pictured in red cap) said he committed an error after losing his pole position to fellow front-row starter Raikkonen while indicating that he was not happy that Massa was not punished more heavily.
"You can always look back and wish you did something else," he reflected. "I made a mistake and I paid for it. This sort of thing happens: you've just got to keep your head up and keep going.
"We [he and Massa] both got the same penalty, but I didn't hit anyone and he did. I guess that's just the name of the game."
Before learning of Massa's second point thanks to the Bourdais punishment, Hamilton said the World Championship race was unaffected by events at Fuji.
"I don't think it makes any difference," he said. "I lost one point today, which I guess is damage limitation, and we'll move on to next week.
"We will still be just as competitive, and we're going to make sure we win the last two races - not at any cost, but we plan on winning."
The final rounds are set for China and Brazil, with the next race in Shanghai in a week's time.
Comment 366 - 385 of 425
No doubt that LH would have hit FM if FM did not go wide at chicane.
Bourdais said it perfectly when asked "Will you do anything differently next time?" and He answered "Yes ofcourse. Next time, I will roll out the red carpet and say; Massa, here you go, the track is all yours." The whole FIA is a sham. More disgraceful than Mad Mosley S&M session at a London flat. Now every team is being penalised for not bringing a wipe to race track. LMFAO. I can't stop laughing.
Two things amazed me about decisions during Sunday's race. Firstly the first corner was a mess but when isn't it? If all the drivers who cut up others at the first corner were penalised the timid drivers (who don't actually exist in motor racing, let alone F1) would have scored a lot more points. Secondly, can someone please explain the pit exit farce. Massa got the turn wrong. No harm was done and the race should have just continued. Why an enquiry was held and how Massa became the victim are beyond my understanding.
yes Thats fair enough ............ but hamilton is a greedy driver, he should go wide instead of trying cutting massa out off the track
Martin B: I remember seeing Jody Schecter (driving a Ferrari) spin on the first lap of the British GP at Silverstone and wipe out both the Surtees cars as well as a number of others, I think about 5 in all. It was impressed on him that he did not need to try and win a GP on the first lap, but their was a lot more overtaking in those days. He took the advice on board and eventually became World Champion in a Ferrari. Hopefully RD will not be slow in giving LH the same advice because he has made far too many mistakes this year to deserve the Title.
Robert P, post 354: Max Moseley's father, Sir Oswald Moseley was leader of the British Union of Fascists, aka The Blackshirts, in the 1930s. He married in Germany in the house of, I think, Goebbels the Nazi Minister of Propaganda, and Adolf Hitler was the Guest of Honour. After the marches and riots against the Jews in the east end of London in the late 1930s Sir Oswald and his wife were imprisoned during WW2 in a house in the grounds of the prison Wormwood Scrubs (I think) where Mad Max was born.
Lewis your driving style suits me fine, it's about time we had a driver with some balls instead of all this procession racing.
Senna did it, Prost did it, Schumacher did it & Mansell did it & they have all gone down as being great drivers, you just need to keep your cool a little sometimes.
A win in China & massa finishing fifth or below & your WC.
as a new commer to F1 i am begining to believe that my partner is right when he says farrari will win and all their penilities are sorted out in their favour. I would hate to give up watching F1 but there is always NASCAR!
David-Martin77 Comment320: McClaren have to be careful when and how they appeal against an improper decision! It says in the rule book FIA/Ferrai, that should an appeal be made it is well within the powers of the Committee to increase a penalty already given, so you see McClaren have to cut their losses and Grin and Bare it!Ferrai do not have this restriction for obvious reasons! They accept the lesser punishments handed out in order to keep the other team quiet!
Jbolan: I presume you are taking the p#ss as usual when you confuse the legendary Jim Clark with the so-so singer Dave Clarke. The great JC raced in only 72 GPs and won 25 - a win ratio of 37%, no mean feat given the fragile nature of Lotus cars at the time. If you really didn't know that JC died in an F2 race in 1968 then I am not surprised at the stupidity of your posts.
Also you are still making snide comments about Lewis's dad. What have you got against the Hamilton family? Perhaps you are jealous of their loving relationship? Perhaps you still haven't been introduced to your own father so that you don't understand the bond between a father and his son.
Post 364 jbolan you are the MAN!! I would laugh more if you could be more exact with your English spelling. Don't worry my son I'm with you. Good comments though. hahahaha
LH is a cry baby. Grow up boy! Best if u get out of F1 or your license is taken away. You are a menace to all the drivers in the paddock with ur constant errors.
Hamilton is a dirty pilot, and Massa did very good!!!
comment 372 Ferrari and Massa are the biggest cheats in F1, Massa can only overtake by going off the track to do so. He should have got another drive through for his overtake on Webber and how they ruled his stupid move on Bourdais wasn't his fault I'll never know!! Where the hell was Bourdais supposed to go once he was crammed into the apex of the corner by a driver with all the room to simply drive around him. So far they've had to give Massa 8 points just to keep him in contention!!
I @#$% hate this censorship! I write a clean valid comment and get "Invalid Comment"
Why dont we stop racing and decide the world championship by havig a draw a bit like a raffle but let ferrari by 99% of the tickets and let the little dwarf idiot (Eclstone) do the draw! That would probably be more fair.
No matter which way you cut it, you have to admit that Hamilton looked like a hotheaded fool going into the first corner, and then trying to pass Massa. Some say that's the way he drives and he knows no other way. If that's the case we are going to see him throw the championship away again. He needs be less reckless, and believe he can win races and the championship without being the first car coming out of the first corner.
i think FIA should hire ex F1 drivers for the stewards jobs really.
im not a ferrari or mclaren fan but the truth is that lewis hamilton drives like a maniac out there...he is the only one to blame for the penalties that he receives because he thinks he can just push his way through the pack at all costs...he is an immature driver who cant accept being passed as it was seen on the first turn when kimi got by him...lewis loses his head whenever he is passed and starts making dumb mistakes that nearly cost other drivers their races...the massa bourdais ruling was completely wrong though there was nothing else bourdais could do that one was on massa
gallacher.f, please don't compare Lewis Hamilton with Sir Stirling Moss. Lewis is very gifted and a great driver but he has no class. Sir Moss also agrees that Lewis is a great driver. Maybe he will grow up before he kills someone on the track. Even his move at the end of the race to pass Alonso was a rookie action. The race leader is on cruise control and here comes the Lewis a lap down. It would have been funny to see him wreck Alonso and get a 10 spot grid penalty for the next race. Lewis has money and an ego. I'm not impressed by either.
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