UPDATED BELOW: Mercedes appeals.
The stewards have spoken.
Back you go, Herr Schumacher!
I’ll have to tip over to Autosport, as neither the FIA nor F1 site has the news yet.
The penalty means Schumacher ends up in 12th place, pushing the two Force India cars further up the points and gifting the final, single point to …. Sebastian Buemi of Toro Rosso.
Do you think it’s the right decision? Is the 20-second dock fair? Should it have been more? Less? And, most of all: Does it feel like a consistent decision from the stewards?
Here’s the finish and season points rundown, via Autospot.
Monaco GP finish
Pos Driver Team
1. Webber Red Bull-Renault
2. Vettel Red Bull-Renault
3. Kubica Renault
4. Massa Ferrari
5. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
6. Alonso Ferrari
7. Rosberg Mercedes
8. Sutil Force India-Mercedes
8. Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes
10. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari
11. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari
12. Schumacher Mercedes
13. Petrov RenaultWorld Championship standings, round 6:
Drivers:
1. Webber 78
2. Vettel 78
3. Alonso 75
4. Button 70
5. Massa 61
6. Hamilton 59 6. Force India-Mercedes 30
7. Kubica 59 7. Williams-Cosworth 8
8. Rosberg 54 8. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 4
9. Schumacher 22
10. Sutil 20
11. Liuzzi 10
12. Barrichello 7
13. Petrov 6
14. Alguersuari 3
15. Hulkenberg 1
16. Buemi 1Constructors:
1. Red Bull-Renault 156
2. Ferrari 136
3. McLaren-Mercedes 129
4. Mercedes 76
5. Renault 65
6. Force India-Mercedes 30
7. Williams-Cosworth 8
8. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 4
UPDATE: Here’s the news from F1. They are calling it a drive-through penalty:
Schumacher penalised for Alonso safety-car pass
Mercedes GP’s Michael Schumacher has been penalised by the Monte Carlo race stewards for his overtaking manoeuvre on Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso in the dying moments of the Monaco Grand Prix.
Schumacher was handed a drive-through penalty, which is converted after the race into a 20-second time penalty, dropping him from sixth to 12th in the results.
Schumacher passed Alonso just as the safety car pulled in at the end of Lap 78. The FIA stewards, which included his old sparring partner Damon Hill, have deemed the German breached Article 40.13 of the Sporting Regulations, which states that “if the race ends whilst the safety car is deployed it will enter the pit lane at the end of the last lap and the cars will take the chequered flag as normal without overtaking.”
Schumacher’s demotion moves Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi, who had finished in 11th, into the points.
And, as the story continues. Mercedes is appealing the decision, so now we all get to enjoy the spectacle that is the FIA Court of Appeal.
Finally, commentators are putting in the particular regulation; I think what is at issue is whether the safety car still was in effect at the “end of the race.” Apparently the lights did go back green in the moments before Schumacher made his move.
It isn’t quite as cut-and-dry as we’d all probably like. Surprised?
