F1 team bosses defend Niels Wittich amidst controversy after chaos
Apr.4 - Three team bosses have defended Formula 1's latest under-fire race director Niels Wittich following the chaotic and controversial Australian GP.
The media and many drivers were scathing of the handling of Sunday's Melbourne race and repeated questionable red flags and re-starts.
"The drivers are revolting against this chaotic Formula 1," observed Italy's Corriere della Sera.
"Niels Wittich abused the red flags, beyond all doubt. The German caused the most dangerous of situations, some of which are incomprehensible to the drivers and the spectators."
However, Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur declined to join the pile-on against Wittich.
"You cannot blame the system for this," he insisted.
"Of course, we have to know that if the race is restarted for the last two laps, it will be tough. We already had that in Baku.
"But you can't blame the race management," the Frenchman insisted. "Those are the rules and the race management followed them."
His Mercedes counterpart Toto Wolff, so furious after the 2021 finale in Abu Dhabi when the axed Michael Masi appeared to freestyle the race's dramatic conclusion, agrees that Wittich at least followed the rules on Sunday.
"We looked it up - it was the rule book," said the Austrian.
"It was a bit confusing, but it was like it's written down. Going forward, we just need to understand when it is a red flag and when it is a VSC or a safety car.
"I think for these incidents, it could have been an of them. So as long as it's clear how this is being interpreted, I'm fine with it."
Mike Krack, Team Principal, Aston Martin F1 Team
Finally, Mike Krack - in charge at Aston Martin - also didn't want to slam F1's sole race director Wittich.
"It's easy to criticise from the outside," he told DAZN, "but they are the ones with all the information.
"Was it safe for the cars to go through the debris? It's not easy to judge, but the race director has to make a decision and, as far as safety is concerned, the decision must be respected even if we don't like it."
And former F1 driver Timo Glock thinks that, no matter which way Wittich's race management decided, there would have been criticism from some.
"As Ralf (Schumacher) said, the race should have ended behind the safety car. But then there would have been boos from the fans in the stand because they wanted to see an exciting ending," he told Sky Deutschland.
"No matter how you do it, you do it wrong."
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Hamilton is to blame, he's the one that came on the radio saying a lot of debris.
I think that was a factor in throwing the red flag.
Course he is Les. Surprised no one else thaught of that.
Certainly a factor, everyone knows the Dames someone to be listened to at all times about everything
Quite right! Although ‘everyone knows’ is a very suspicious term’ best avoided.
"Everyone knows" my post was laced with a large dollop of sarcasm and p*** taking.
Likewise, nearly everyone knows I was too.
Sorry i mistyped "Everyone that matters knows" there we are , all correct now
Have you taken your pills today Shropp, as always he's got far to much say but that will stop when, "as I predicted" he goes to ferrari, he, he, what with that and the return of Masi he'll be in aright old state. Piastri to mercedes. 😜
Monday morning quarterbacks are more to blame than anybody. Everybody has an opinion about how, when and how a race should be held. However, if something happens and people are hurt or worse, crickets. Most of the criticism came from people who never drove in a race.
3 red flags in one race. It was pathetic, but caused a spectacle at least! I don't think it was safer at all to have those restarts, everyone gunning for the same tiny piece of road at the same time causing another huge accident! What a waste. Alpine taking out Alpine (which didn't do any favours for my fantasy F1 teams!). It was a farce.
VSC's could've sufficed, some learning to be done by the management.
The race had exceeded the requirements for minimum distance to be able to declare the race finished at the end of 55 laps. Sanity should have prevailed and the race declared following the second red flag incident.
Unfortunately, what prevailed was an absolute farce! It demonstrated that the FIA regulations are far too complex and absolutely nobody is conversant with them. Neither race management, nor team bosses nor the drivers knew what was happening.
What required minimum distance? Such requirement doesn't exist to my knowledge.
Nothing to defend, both red-flaggings (the last wouldn't have happened without the second) were excessive, given much worse incidents with debris or gravel on track have been safely manageable with SC in the past.
Red flags were to reel max in and give shamilton a chance to catch max
Quite agree, just the same as 21 don’t you think? Just imagine Max’s reaction if it had worked.