Vettel robbed of first win of the season by FIA time penalty

The 2019 F1 world championship has been one of the most one-sided in recent memory. Mercedes have won every single race of the season and had both drivers on the podium in almost every single race so far, leaving them miles ahead in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships. However, last weekend in Canada threatened to change that as Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel secured his first pole position of the season, outqualifying the two silver arrows.

Vettel started the race well, holding off Lewis Hamilton in second place and looking set to control the pace. Hamilton was giving the 4-time world champion a run for his money, with Vettel having to use everything his Ferrari had to give to stay ahead and cling desperately onto the lead. As time wore on, it seemed less and less likely that Hamilton would be able to pass Vettel, the German was keeping him at bay, opening up a steady gap after long periods where Hamilton had been running faster in most sectors. But then, disaster struck.

It was remarkable that there was no collision between the two

Vettel, under pressure from Hamilton behind, locked up and lost control of his car going into a tight chicane, causing him to skid off across the grass verge. Meanwhile, Hamilton pounced from behind, almost getting past the race leader as Vettel re-emerged onto the track but having to slam his brakes as Vettel’s car forced him wide and almost into the barriers on the far side. It was remarkable that there was no collision between the two as they jostled at high speed for position.

The incident was reviewed by the stewards and Vettel was judged to have unsafely re-entered the track, receiving a 5 second time penalty as punishment. As a result, despite finishing in first place Vettel was awarded second in the race classification, to the outrage of the Ferrari garage. Vettel was absolutely seething in the cockpit, raging down his team radio at the decision for the rest of the race. Upon finishing the final lap, he stormed off and initially refused to do the customary interviews and podium presentation with the other drivers before his team forced him to return and avoid further punishment from the FIA.

A Mercedes fan will say that it was an unsafe manoeuvre

Personally, I can’t understand the decision taken by the race stewards. The slippery surface of the grass had no traction for Vettel to control his Ferrari as he came across the verge and out onto the track. This left him no option but to re-join the race in the manner that he did, even if he did almost cause Hamilton to crash into the back of him, as there wasn’t anything else he could do to avoid the Mercedes car. A Mercedes fan will say that it was an unsafe manoeuvre, but I don’t think that that you can have any racing at all without a small slice of danger, that’s what keeps the fans on the edges of their seats after all.

Does the FIA expect Vettel to let Hamilton through in that situation? Realistically a 4-time world champion who hasn’t won all season is always going to do everything he can to stay ahead, even if it is a little risky. Additionally, I think that Formula 1 needed Vettel to hold onto that top spot, for the sake of the sport. Mercedes have won every single race this season and it is starting to feel like it isn’t even competitive anymore, killing any suspense or excitement, so a Ferrari win would have been welcomed by most neutrals. It was a decision that could’ve gone either way, the officials ruled in favour of health and safety over competitive racing, a story that sums up the decline of this once exhilarating and unpredictable sport.