Drivers call for clarity on blocking after Rosberg incidents

**vcs316** · 11th May 2012, 04:04

Following incidents involving Nico Rosberg, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton at the Bahrain Grand Prix, Formula One drivers have called for clarity over the rules regarding blocking on track.

Both incidents occurred between turns three and four with Rosberg moving to the inside to block Hamilton and then, in a separate incident a couple of laps later, Alonso. Hamilton got past by running outside the track perimeters, while Alonso backed off.

In a thinly veiled reference to the incident on Thursday, Alonso wrote in his Ferrari blog that drivers no longer have the same levels of on-track respect they had in the past. Questions along similar lines were poised to a number of the drivers on Thursday and several said blocking would be discussed in the drivers' briefing.

"Two drivers raised concerns about it so we need to discuss it," Rosberg said. "If there was a danger, which I didn't cause on purpose, then we need to implement rules so that it doesn't arise again. We could look at implementing more rules in that situation because it is not very clear, but it can be looked at."

Hamilton said he was not dwelling on the incident, but thinks it would be good to tweak the rules to make things clear.

"Baring in mind that it's in the past and I don't really care to even think about it too much ... I think at the end of the day it was great racing and the fans enjoyed it," he said. "Fortunately nothing happened from it and neither of us got in trouble. Hopefully from it we will try to rectify the rules a little bit to make them clearer so that we won't be in that position again.

"Lots of people have comments about it, but the only two people that truly know what happened are me and him because the footage that you have is from the front and it's very difficult to clarify in that footage whether I was alongside or not. Some people were saying I went off the circuit to overtake, but then some people don't realise that I had my front wing alongside the car.

"But it doesn't really matter. Hopefully the stewards made the right decision and this weekend we'll rectify exactly what the rules say and then we won't be in that position again."

Red Bull driver Mark Webber was one of the people who felt Hamilton should have been penalised for overtaking off the circuit.

"All I would say on that issue is that I was surprised that Lewis was allowed to keep his position," Webber said. "For sure, it was a situation that Lewis didn't want to put himself in either - to find himself completely off the track. He stayed with it and ultimately the move was allowed to be kept. I'm sure we'll talk a bit more about it in the drivers' briefing."

However, Michael Schumacher - Rosberg's Mercedes team-mate - believes the FIA's lack of action means the rules on what is and what is not allowed are clear.

"It's always a question of who is criticising and why they are criticising," he said. "In the end should you really ask that question or is the answer pretty straightforward. We have a governing body, the FIA, that will analyse, as they have done after Bahrain, and they clearly stated that they think it's fine. If they think it's fine then I think everybody has to deal with it and has to accept it and that's about it. If it is not within the rules the FIA would have taken action and they did not do that. And I didn't see anything wrong either."

Sebastian Vettel also gave his views on the subject: "I think the rule is clear. You can argue. I think there were two incidents with Nico in Bahrain, one with Fernando and I think Fernando made his point clear afterwards. And with Lewis, and I think Lewis got past, so I think you can talk for hours now, but if you saw the situation in Bahrain, it's exceptional, because you have a kind of asphalt run-off.

"Yes, it's pretty dirty but we always try to go on the limit, the one who is overtaking, the one who is defending. Surely sometimes you need to respect that the guy is there and you need to leave the space. I think if it would have been grass, it would have been a different story. You wouldn't go there in the first place. In Fernando's case I think he would have made the same point."

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

**Alessandra** · 11th May 2012, 08:51

Yup, I'm looking forward to the drivers' briefing. It really has to be sorted out - where is the race track and where is it not. Must a driver leave sufficient space for another to pass, albeit without all wheels on the track.

**Tobes** · 11th May 2012, 09:31

It is a tricky one, on one hand you have Lewis and Fernando objecting to Rosberg's 'defensive' driving, both felt at the time that Nico was at fault as he effectively forced another driver off the road, then you've got Webber thinking Lewis should have been punished for over-taking off the circuit, both sides can argue their opinions, so where is the line drawn..?
Jonny Herbert on Sky said if he'd been a steward in Bahrain he'd have punished Nico so not even the stewards are in agreement as to what is acceptable...
Bahrain is a bit of an odd circuit as pretty much all the run off is tarmac, so does (to a point) slightly encourage drivers to put their cars in places they might not if they were in say Spa for instance...

**Rob** · 11th May 2012, 09:39

Originally Posted by Tobes

It is a tricky one, on one hand you have Lewis and Fernando objecting to Rosberg's 'defensive' driving, both felt at the time that Nico was at fault as he effectively forced another driver off the road, then you've got Webber thinking Lewis should have been punished for over-taking off the circuit, both sides can argue their opinions, so where is the line drawn..?
Jonny Herbert on Sky said if he'd been a steward in Bahrain he'd have punished Nico so not even the stewards are in agreement as to what is acceptable...
Bahrain is a bit of an odd circuit as pretty much all the run off is tarmac, so does (to a point) slightly encourage drivers to put their cars in places they might not if they were in say Spa for instance...

Should put grass and gravel traps along the side again at tracks. Instead of all these ASDA (other supermarkets available) carparks around the tracks. If there was grass and gravel then they would think twice about pulling moves like that because they would be out of the race.

**sav_pap** · 11th May 2012, 11:44

Originally Posted by Tobes

It is a tricky one, on one hand you have Lewis and Fernando objecting to Rosberg's 'defensive' driving, both felt at the time that Nico was at fault as he effectively forced another driver off the road, then you've got Webber thinking Lewis should have been punished for over-taking off the circuit, both sides can argue their opinions, so where is the line drawn..?
Jonny Herbert on Sky said if he'd been a steward in Bahrain he'd have punished Nico so not even the stewards are in agreement as to what is acceptable...
Bahrain is a bit of an odd circuit as pretty much all the run off is tarmac, so does (to a point) slightly encourage drivers to put their cars in places they might not if they were in say Spa for instance...

I think that it's another thing to put your car out of the track (when you overtake) or forcing another driver out when you are being overtaken!
Rosberg should have been punished anyway, his moves were too risky and dangerous because he left no room to others and forced them out of track.

**sav_pap** · 11th May 2012, 11:48

Originally Posted by Rob

Should put grass and gravel traps along the side again at tracks. Instead of all these ASDA (other supermarkets available) carparks around the tracks. If there was grass and gravel then they would think twice about pulling moves like that because they would be out of the race.

Right but I assume that in the case of Rosberg moves against Fernando and Hamilton this would have resulted both cars (nando's and hamilton's) stucked in the gravel with no fault from them?

**Hornet** · 11th May 2012, 14:38

Originally Posted by Rob

Should put grass and gravel traps along the side again at tracks. Instead of all these ASDA (other supermarkets available) carparks around the tracks. If there was grass and gravel then they would think twice about pulling moves like that because they would be out of the race.

It will not stop the defending drivers like Rosberg from pushing other drivers off track because why would Rosberg cares what happens to other drivers?

**GamD** · 12th May 2012, 01:23

Originally Posted by sav_pap

I think that it's another thing to put your car out of the track (when you overtake) or forcing another driver out when you are being overtaken!
Rosberg should have been punished anyway, his moves were too risky and dangerous because he left no room to others and forced them out of track.

If he done wrong he would of been punished, if there was a wall they would not of even attempted to pass him like that. They got cought in the slips stream and at no point were they next to him over the required distance to pass.

**Hornet** · 12th May 2012, 04:46

Originally Posted by GamD

If he done wrong he would of been punished, if there was a wall they would not of even attempted to pass him like that. They got cought in the slips stream and at no point were they next to him over the required distance to pass.

Either you're next to a car or you're not. Even if its just a wheel length

Otherwise the next time a car is beside you on the straight using DRS, its ok to just shut them off by pushing them onto the grass?

I hope Britney gets a taste of his own medicine, lets see how quickly he'll change his tune.