Thursday 13 April 2023

Formula 1 - Australian Grand Prix 2023

(This wasn't delayed by advanced frustration with the whole thing, but because organising fencing competitions knocks the stuffing out of you. Friends shouldn't let friends be dragged into competition organising. Mine just laugh at me.) 

Where to start with the Australian Grand Prix? I was thinking of this gif:

but even that doesn't cover it. 

Once again, what could have been a half-decent race for Ferrari was ruined by factors out of their control. 

I say half decent, because half the team didn't make it past the first lap. Obviously, that was just a racing incident ... those happen on first laps. 

Much like the Alpine attack (on each other) - first lap after a restart, these things happen, no need to penalise anyone, especially not Pierre Gasly who is one offense away from a one race suspension. 

The thing I don't get, really, really don't get, is how those are just first lap incidents but Sainz jnr and Alonso is somehow someone's fault despite being on a first lap after a restart. 

It's almost like there's no consistency in how the race stewards are handling anything. Now I am used to this between races, because there's different stewards each race, but within the same race is pushing it. 

I'd dab the "even the FIA can't save you now" square, but that's for when Ferrari actually do something wrong, and aren't on the wrong side of screwball stewarding decisions.