F1 fans call on sport to 'Void Lap 58' after controversy at the Italian GP weekend
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40 weeks after the last Formula One world championship ended in controversial circumstances, Lewis Hamilton fans are once again calling for decisions to be changed, following two incidents in Monza this weekend.
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Back in December last year, Max Verstappen pipped Hamilton to the driver's world title at the last race of the year in Abu Dhabi, in controversial circumstances.
Only some cars were allowed to unlap themselves behind the safety car, allowing the two title rivals to be next to each other, as race director Michael Massi pulled the safety car in with one lap remaining.
Verstappen on fresh tyres made easy work of passing his rival and taking the win and his first F1 world title, not that you needed to be reminded, it was everywhere at the time.
Whilst you might have thought that enough time had passed, and Verstappen's dominance of this season would have taken over, Sunday led to calls for lap 58, the final lap of the race last winter, to be voided.
The driver's were in Monza for the Italian Grand Prix with the world champion making his way from seventh on the grid, due to penalties, to lead the race.
However, with just a few laps to go, Daniel Ricciardo pulled up on the side of the road with an issue with his McLaren and out came the safety car.
LAP 47/53
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 11, 2022
Ricciardo has pulled up at the side of the track
We have a ⚠️ SAFETY CAR ⚠️#ItalianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/ETbdMtFN9T
Fans were first looking forward to a straight shoot out between Verstappen and Charles Leclerc for a few laps, after the safety car bunched the driver's together.
That excitement quickly died down though, as it emerged that there wasn't long enough to release all the cars and thus the race would finish behind the safety car.
Of course, that's exactly what should have happened last year in Abu Dhabi, something the F1 admitted earlier this year, putting it down to 'human error,' as Massi lost his job.
Not surprised #VoidLap58 is trending in light of further proof Abu Dhabi 21 was a robbery. The FIA still have time to do it btw, their own window is 5 years to change any of the results 🙂
— Jordan ¹⁰³ (@F1_Jordan) September 11, 2022
Comments closed. Scary, because of the similarity between Abu Dhabi 2021. This is how a corrupt sport works! #F1xed #F1 #VoidLap58 https://t.co/vxN88JRHi2
— Marcelo Oliveira (@hermides73) September 11, 2022
Now @fia need to accept that under reg 12.3.5, they have the authority to change the #AD2021 result 'on its own initiative' even though @MercedesAMGF1 didnt appeal#F1xed #VoidLap58 pic.twitter.com/ipsu01vvJU
— Gay Cars (@GayCars) September 11, 2022
There are almost no words.@fia literally proving themselves (twice today!) that Abu Dhabi was blatantly corrupt and manipulated.#F1 #VoidLap58 #F1xed #ItalianGP
— Harry (@Woodsy921) September 11, 2022
Oh, #F1xed IS trending, along with #VoidLap58 and Michael Masi. Have you seen this, @fia? This is what happens when you don't deal with sporting injustice properly. It keeps coming back. And it will continue to do so #F1 #ItalianGP
— Rob Myers (@RobLMyers) September 11, 2022
So in the same weekend we've had #VoidLap58 being implemented during the F3 race
— P (@NightNomad88) September 11, 2022
-AND- a race finishing under safety car
Both outcomes are under the rules because the FIA have just used it.
What wasn't in the rules got Masi sacked.#F1xed #HumanErrorChampion #MonzaGP #F1
Oh damn…so this is what a normal safety car procedure looks at the end of the race…cool#VoidLap58 #fixed #TeamLH
— TeamLH KE (@TeamLHKe) September 11, 2022
However, Sunday's decision was the catalyst for a lot of social media activity calling on the sport to reverse last year's decision, and it wasn't the only reason.
The F3 title was decided on Sunday, in the final race of their season, starting with six drivers still being able to mathematically win the title.
A crash with five laps remaining meant the race was initially red flagged, and then abandoned early, with Victor Martins getting a five second penalty during the red glad period, for exceeding track limits.
That would have been enough to deny him the title but the race was then taken back to the 15th lap, before the flag, meaning he kept position and was crowned champion.
Confirmation that the Stewards could #voidlap58 during the #abudhabiscandal but chose not to and that is why Max will always be #humanerrorchampion https://t.co/il2fOgeX9E
— SMD (@F1SMD) September 11, 2022
They gaslit us for MONTHS saying they couldn’t void lap 58, and yet 9 months later, they void 2 laps…my head is HOT pic.twitter.com/RfAzkfOQ0T
— s 🐝 (@formullana) September 11, 2022
Hamilton fans were pointing out that the same decision to go back to before the safety car could have been made 40 weeks ago, which would have been enough for his eighth driver's title.
We may be most of the way through this season, but some people can't let last winter go...
Featured Image Credit: F1/Alamy
Topics: Formula 1, Red Bull Racing, Mercedes, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton
