I think that a reprimand IS a penalty. Who knows, if Vettel didn't have a reprimand from China, perhaps he wouldn't have been given a drive-through today. A reprimand is an official penalty which shouldn't be scoffed off.

That's not how it works, and you know it well. How many reprimands did Hamilton have before getting that drive through 'penalty' in Valencia? 3? 5? 100?

I'm out of here. This forum is such a bigoted place it's unbearable.

Let's not mention the 'lingering' incident caused by Webber in the very same race at Australia.

I'm out of here. This forum is such a bigoted place it's unbearable.

I don't think that there is any link between today's penalty and the reprimand in China and would take a great deal of convincing that there was.

In this world when overtaking is not easy, both driver have to take responsibility for such situations, and at some point one that is in loosing position has to yield to ensure there is no collision. Problem is, we do not see it. On the contrary, what we see is that any yo-yo of primadona cut just blames Vettel for his own inadequacies because they know they will get away with it. After all, to penalise Vettel is so fasionable. It started with Mr. Webber in Turkey, and there is no end to it, as we see. I was afraid this might happen, and now my feeling got confirmed. Seb is a marked man, and it will take some changes at FIA, RC specifically, to get it right.

I am still hoping that that Mr. Whiting will retire soon, because I am not sure how he can continue in his function anymore. Him and Stewards had the thing for Schumacher all those years, and now it's Vettel. It's a disgrace to watch F1 these days.

In this world when overtaking is not easy, both driver have to take responsibility for such situations, and at some point one that is in losing position has to yield to ensure there is no collision.

I am still hoping that that Mr. Whiting will retire soon, because I am not sure how he can continue in his function anymore. Him and Stewards had the thing for Schumacher all those years, and now it's Vettel. It's a disgrace to watch F1 these days.

I'm out of here. This forum is such a bigoted place it's unbearable.

Well, the FIA has never explained what reprimands really are, but I would bet a top dollar that it works just like this. Why, otherwise, would a reprimand be an official penalty laid out in the regulations, if they're just that, a reprimand. Surley it has to lead somewhere.

Today's penalty wasn't harsh I don't think. He wasn't in control of his car and took out Button.

Thats not me slagging him, just saying what I saw.

Two. One for the incident in China, which ironically involved Vettel, and one for not returning to the pit in Canada. Whoo, scary stuff. And why wouldn't this be precisely how it works, because despite what you say, I don't have a clue how it works, which was the reason I used the word 'perhaps'.

he made a error yet did nothing wronge ?
Human not your first language
surely error IS doing something wronge, he cocked up and got the deserved penalty, he certainly got off better than Button

I can't even watch this Belgian GP anymore, I'm fed up of all this nonsense. The organisation of penalties and sanctions was supposed to be improved this year I thought, yet there is still an obvious problem because once again, the wrong decision has been made. Many drivers have made mistakes and gone off the track this weekend, Vettel happened to be alongside another car when it happened; that was the only difference, yet he gets a penalty for it. Why?

I do not think that Vettel should have been penalised but to somehow paint this incident as 50/50 is just ludicrous.
Vettel lost control of his car, Button did nothing wrong.

I do not think that Vettel should have been penalised but to somehow paint this incident as 50/50 is just ludicrous.
Vettel lost control of his car, Button did nothing wrong.

he made a error yet did nothing wronge ?
Human not your first language
surely error IS doing something wronge, he cocked up and got the deserved penalty, he certainly got off better than Button

And the warning in Malaysia. That's three. Versus Seb's ONE.

Because as a direct result of HIS mistake, he ruined another driver's race - and ended up with a better result even WITH a penalty.

And it's not the first time this season he did it.

It would be outrageous were he NOT penalized.

He was overly aggressive. It was a mistake, to be sure. He tried to pass on the right, then lost control as he choose to try it on the left, failing to take into account for conditions.

Bigoted? What happened?

So what you are saying is everytime a driver spins or goes of the track they should get a penalty.

Did Luizzi get a penalty for steering into Vettel and completely ruin CryBaby's race? Penalties should handed out for the actual offense, not for how it affects the race of others IMO.

If Button did nothing wrong, it would indicate that Vettel were 100 per cent wrong, which thus begs the question why, in your opinion, Vettel shouldn't be penalised. We're more than half-way through the season and earlier faults must surley be considered.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree but the number of reprimands received by Hamilton, for example, would tend to support my view.

Yet how many times have Liuzzi been under the microscope compared to Vettel. You can only get so many free-passes (Turkey) and reprimands (China) for reckless driving.

I don't think that he should have been penalised, on balance, because it was a case of him having lost control of his car. There was zero intent.

Well on the live forum people said the track was damp but it obviously wasn't at that point, only Seb had a problem. Even in his own words he blames a bump and not the track dampness.

I think what got the penalising was that the rate of change of movement, ie the jink was so aggressive that he couldn't control the car and so piled into the side of Button.

If you compare that to Nico and Michael when they touched later, which was a racing indident, I think most people could see the difference.

Andy

Lewis got two, one for being squeezed in the pit-lane in China and one for failing to return to the pit after the Canadian GP qualification. There's obviously a difference between a reprimand for failing to return to the pit and a reprimand for squeezing someone in the pit-lane.

Maybe just maybe Vettel will "grow up" next year. It sure as hell ain't gonna happen this year...

So pushing drivers off track, blocking, race fixing, team orders, blatant weaving, cheating and overtaking safety cars are all excused...but an honest mistake somehow ends up the only one punished. This place is going downhill along with F1's own stewarding system.

Take care

............... and a warning in Malaysia for "weaving".

This thread would be full of people attacking the FIA if it had been Hamilton instead of Vettel.

So pushing drivers off track, blocking, race fixing, team orders, blatant weaving, cheating and overtaking safety cars are all excused...but an honest mistake somehow ends up the only one punished. This place is going downhill along with F1's own stewarding system.

Take care

Pushing drivers off track; penalised
Blocking; penalised
Race fixing; penalised
Team orders; penalised
Weaving; warned
Overtaking safety car; penalised
Vettel; should escape penalty