Drivers want clarification on standards

Formula 1 drivers look set to ask race director Charlie Whiting for a clarification about driving standards in Friday night's briefing in Abu Dhabi following a host of incidents in the Brazilian Grand Prix.

While most of the spotlight remains on the opening lap collision between Jarno Trulli and Adrian Sutil, which continued with the pair arguing in public during an official FIA press conference in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, concerns have emerged about other incidents in the race.

Outgoing Williams driver Nico Rosberg said that he would be seeking a clarification from Whiting about what was acceptable these days - with the German believing drivers were now being too aggressive in defending positions.

His comments come after separate collisions between Mark Webber/Kimi Raikkonen, Rubens Barrichello/Lewis Hamilton and Kamui Kobayashi/Kazuki Nakajima which all occurred after the driver ahead moved across on his rival in a bid to keep hold of his position.

"Barrichello, Webber and Kobayashi did exactly the same thing," said Rosberg. "With Webber, Raikkonen lost his front wing, with Kobayashi, Nakajima had a massive off, which could have been much worse - you can really hurt yourself, marshals and others in that sort of accident.

"With Barrichello, Lewis ran into the back of his tyre. That was the third time - and it is not allowed to happen.

"It is Michael Schumacher who started this, like at Spa [in 2000], when Mika Hakkinen tried to overtake him and he ran him off the track. When the guy behind has made a decision [to pass] and the guy in front then moves over, it is very dangerous. You cannot do that."

"That was the first time I remember it being a dangerous issue, so it needs to be looked at and clarified from my point of view. I will be mentioning it in the drivers' briefing."

"I am not saying anyone has done anything wrong [in Brazil], because there has not been a clarification about it, but the view of the drivers needs to be taken into account and we say it is very dangerous. Something needs to be changed."

Former world champion Fernando Alonso, who was an innocent victim of the Trulli/Sutil incident in Brazil, agreed that a clarification in the rules must be sought.

"I saw everything more or less, second or third row because there were some cars between us," he said. "But I think tomorrow in the drivers' briefing we will discuss it a bit deeper."

SOURCE: Autosport

ED: I thought the Webber/Raikkonen and Hamilton/Barrichello incidents were just racing incidents, but I have to admit I was shocked that Kobayashi got no penalty for his move on Nakajima.

My Own View

Kimi and Mark's Incident = Perfectly legitimate, Webber is concentrating on overtaking into turn 4 and is not prepared to be overtook, it was just a lil bit too late

Jarno and Adrian's Incident = Perfectly legitimate. Sutil was on the racing line exiting turn 4 and had no right to allow Trulli back on to the track as he was half on the grass and did not even have half a car length on Sutil's car. Complete Racing incident

Lewis and Rubens' Incident = Perfectly legitimate. Lewis was pushing and just in the end got a great run out of Juncao and took the place, it was just close on how Ruben's defended his place, but Lewis pushed through and was sheer accident that it caused Ruben's a puncture. It did not cost Ruben's the title as at that point he was struggling and was not in a place to score enough points as it was.

Kobayashi and Nakajima's Incident = Unfair. Kobayashi as well he was doing just did not remember he was in Formula One at this point, and a quick Nakajima at the time was hoping to take the place, But with Kamui taking 2 chops at Kazuki instead of one which we all know is severely frowned upon, It begs the question why wasn't action taken on him for causing an unessacary racing incident. I hope Kamui learns from this.