Grosjean slapped with One Race Ban

[Dare]

I thought that was a little more than a average jump
start.I was thinking at the time what the hell is he doing.
The way he turned right could have been extremely
distracting to the other drivers anticipating the start

[F1fanaticBD]

When did we have a racer banned for a race because of dangerous driving? I can't seems to remember. Pastor being very insensible and never to learn attitude didn't get any this year, where there were elements of malice and deliberate attempts were present? If someone shunt his fellow racer in practice session, that should be a race ban. For Romain it was a first corner run-up, all he wanted to do was to get ahead of Lewis, and as a result of contact between them a carnage and a almost a very fatal accident occurs. I am sure if there wasn't any Ferrari involvement, it would have a 10 place penalty. As Pastor is yet to shunt the Scarlet, he is not being banned yet.

[Scott]

Yeah, I can't seem to remember the last time there was a race ban for an avoidable accident either.  Plenty of opportunities to give that sort of penalty.     Like BD said, I'm pretty sure race bans are for intentional infractions.  Somehow I don't think Grossjean was thinking "wouldn't it be fun to squeeze Hamilton off the track" on the front straight.

I am sure if there wasn't any Ferrari involvement, it would have a 10 place penalty. As Pastor is yet to shunt the Scarlet, he is not being banned yet.

   

[lkjohnson1950]

Please, how many times have we seen the pole sitter veer across the track to cut off the 2ND place car and get no penalty at all. Romain was penalized because he took out Lewis and Ferd, if he had made the same move and hit midfielders it would have been a 10 place grid penalty. If he had only touched Lewis, he would have gotten a drive through. To me that's wrong. If the move is dangerous then the penalty should be applied to everyone who veers across the track whether it causes carnage or not. Speed did a slow motion replay of Pastor's start several times and the lights are clearly out before he moves. It was, as Varsha said, like a drag racer cutting a .000 light. It's getting to the point now where he is guilty until proven innocent every time. It was exaggerated by Kobi being slow off the line and Perez hesitating to avoid contact.

[cosworth151]

There is a major difference between the pole sitter diving across the track at the start (a.k.a. "The Schumacher Chop") and a mid-grid car doing the same thing. The pole sitter is diving into clear track, because he knows that everyone else is behind him. The mid-gridder knows that he is diving into a crowd. I am not a fan of either move, but the the mid-grid move is far, far more dangerous.

[lkjohnson1950]

Of course the "Chop" is more dangerous midfield, but if you're penalizing the move and not the result, it should be the same for all.

[cosworth151]

Not so much the result of one given incident, but the almost inevitability of disaster involved with a mid-grid dive. 

[Scott]

But it wasn't exactly a dive now, was it.  Looked pretty gradual to me.  He just didn't realize Hamilton was there.

[Canada Darrell™]

But it wasn't exactly a dive now, was it.  Looked pretty gradual to me.  He just didn't realize Hamilton was there.

Precisely what I have been thinking since last night. I disagree with the race ban but some sort of grid penalty would have been in order.

[hayleylsl]

Yeah, I can't seem to remember the last time there was a race ban for an avoidable accident either.  Plenty of opportunities to give that sort of penalty.     Like BD said, I'm pretty sure race bans are for intentional infractions.  Somehow I don't think Grossjean was thinking "wouldn't it be fun to squeeze Hamilton off the track" on the front straight.

I am sure if there wasn't any Ferrari involvement, it would have a 10 place penalty. As Pastor is yet to shunt the Scarlet, he is not being banned yet.

   

I believe it was in 1994...

I think it is quite a harsh penalty, but then again it could have been much worse, however i dont think the intent was to run anyone off the track, as a few people above have said Schumi and Maldanado have both ran people off into the wall without the one race ban punishment- then again that doesn't mean that what Grosjean did was unworthy of a severe punishment... i guess different stewards have different opinions.

As an aside does anybody know what Lewis was carrying to the pit's in his arms after the shunt?  I was very curious..

[F1fanaticBD]

I agree with you Lonny, it was gradual, we have seen people make much sharp Diagonal cut, previously. As Dare says, he just didn't realize Lewis was there.

And people last time it was in 1994.. almost 250 Grand Prix, 20 years before..

Haven't we seen anything or worse in these years? I am speechless, this is unbelievable, and simply unacceptable..

[lkjohnson1950]

i guess different stewards have different opinions.

As an aside does anybody know what Lewis was carrying to the pit's in his arms after the shunt?  I was very curious..

Exactly what is wrong with F1. The same stewards should be present at every race to bring some consistency to the rulings. Romain has really driven a nearly impeccable season and is banned while Maldonado has been all over and races on. I'm not saying Pastor should have been banned for any of his incidents, just that Romain deserved less.

I believe Lewis was carrying the end plate and outer cascade from his front wing, though I haven't a clue why.

[John S]

But it wasn't exactly a dive now, was it.  Looked pretty gradual to me.  He just didn't realize Hamilton was there.

Exactly that's why he got the race ban. To not anticipate cars from the pack to be around you at the start from an eighth place grid slot is very dangerous behaviour. That's aside from the fact that making diagonal moves, not a jink and staighten, but a consistent move sideways across when cars will be accelerating hard around you is incredibly aggressive or very, very stupid.    

[Scott]

Exactly that's why he got the race ban. To not anticipate cars from the pack to be around you at the start from an eighth place grid slot is very dangerous behaviour. That's aside from the fact that making diagonal moves, not a jink and staighten, but a consistent move sideways across when cars will be accelerating hard around you is incredibly aggressive or very, very stupid.    

No matter where on the grid, drivers dive for openings at the start.  If they didn't, we all wouldn't anticipate the race starts the way we do.  He was going for the gap and then a Sauber moved over in front of him so he moved further to the right.  Not much chance for a driver to be checking his mirrors at the same time.  Hamilton was behind him, and he simply had no idea Lewis was still by his rear wheels. 

Not sure why this argument seems to be between you and me, as there are enough others who have taken a side contrary to yours.  I think for a race ban due to a start incident (as Haylee suggested, there hasn't been one for 18 years), IMO it should have to be very clear that the move was intentionally dangerous.  In this case I don't believe it was.

[John S]

Sorry Scott it's nothing personal with my responding to your posts, it's just that your phrases seem to sum up the wrong side of the argument as far as I'm concerned.

I'm posting this vid (I hope Bernie lets it stay in play long enough for most to view it) to try to illustrate my point. In the first few secs of this vid we get the overhead shot of the start and it appears to me that Roman took a deliberate diagonal path across the track to cut off any car level or behind him from taking the inside into La Source. There is tons of room in front of Grosjean the whole time he is busy going sideways so he loses any excuse of avoiding anyone else for making the move. In fact Roman seems to target the spot that Lewis is heading for. Now perhaps this explains why the stewards are so upset about the incident.