Originally Posted by BinaryDad: “Rumour is that Ham's tires were below the recommended pressure and that Merc were trying to cover a time penalty by building a gap.
**Edit**
Merc are under investigation - Rosberg's tires were 1.1 bar below spec and one of Ham's tires was 0.3 bar below spec.
So a time penalty may be incoming, but it wouldn't affect the end result.”
Originally Posted by Mandark: “Ooohh! An interesting outcome for once!!”
It could also be a DSQ - but I think that would require the stewards to think it was intentional rather than just a mistake. Merc set the tires with the approval of a Pirelli technician, so it's a bit difficult to say what the exact outcome will be.
Originally Posted by CLL Dodge: “Enough for a Ferrari victory.”
It appears Ferrari are under investigation too. Something seems to have gone wrong on the Pirelli's side. They might have gotten their sums wrong on the pressures to use for a given temperature...
Would be amusing for Ferrari to get a DSQ at their home GP...
**EDIT**
Seems to be some confusion as to whether Ferrari are being investigated as well.
For me there is far too much talking on the pit to car radio.
I wonder whether the other teams had wind of the infringement, if not then why did they not have the chance to pull within 20/25 seconds to preempt a DQ?
Have to laugh they way the Sky F1 lot are treating this like its a matter of interminable importance ...... anybody would think they are trying to solve a worldwide problem similar to Syria.
Come on guys, let's wait for the stewards decision and stop chewing it over and over, and over!
Originally Posted by BinaryDad: “Rumour is that Ham's tires were below the recommended pressure and that Merc were trying to cover a time penalty by building a gap.
**Edit**
Merc are under investigation - Rosberg's tires were 1.1 bar below spec and one of Ham's tires was 0.3 bar below spec.
So a time penalty may be incoming, but it wouldn't affect the end result.”
Don't forget that it's in Bernie's interests to keep the top of the drivers' championship close, so he's probably already had a quiet word in the stewards' ears to see if if they can wangle a full DQ, so that wouldn't surprise me.
The Italians and Ferrari would then be delighted, too... alternatively they'd probably take a 25.5 second penalty...
Originally Posted by d'@ve: “If (big if) it's a time penalty though, can't they carry it forward to the next race?”
I think the max time penalty is 25 seconds - anything that requires more is a DSQ.
I'm a bit unsure how they'll come down on Merc in this instance. The 0.3 on Ham's car is a very small infringement, but coupled with the 1.1 on Rosberg's car, it may suggest a possibility of Merc trying to play hard and fast with the rules.
The stewards will want to make an example and Bernie would love the show it would create. Hamilton is in danger of running away with the WDC at this point, and that's not good for profits.
The FIA have a habbit of letting Mercedes away with things and so I wouldn't expect them to get a meaningful sanction. I think BD explained that the tyre pressures etc are technical directives. Didn't Red Bull get a DQ from quali for braking ones of those.
It is a bit suspicious that before the GP hamilton was complaining about the new pressures being to high which really just said that mercedes like to run low pressures.
Originally Posted by BinaryDad: “I think the max time penalty is 25 seconds - anything that requires more is a DSQ.
I'm a bit unsure how they'll come down on Merc in this instance. The 0.3 on Ham's car is a very small infringement, but coupled with the 1.1 on Rosberg's car, it may suggest a possibility of Merc trying to play hard and fast with the rules.
The stewards will want to make an example and Bernie would love the show it would create. Hamilton is in danger of running away with the WDC at this point, and that's not good for profits.”
Max time penalty is 30 seconds apparently, equivalent of stop-go.
Agree with your analysis. Reckon he'll be disqualified.