Strange situations...

[Hondo]

If the leading car went wide out of the last turn, hit the barrier and lost it's left front wheel but the driver still got it to the checkered flag, under power, would he win or be disquailified for only having 3 wheels?

[fandango]

Might fail the weigh-in. But it would probably depend on who was driving. Alonso could imply it was sabotaged.
Hamilton would say it's his fault and he's since apologised to the wheel so everything's fine.
Kimi would say he was bored so it seemed like a good idea to take a wheel off, and Massa would have Schumacher to go and pick up the wheel for him 'cause he's nothing else to do.
And the FIA would rule that favouring one wheel over another in the championship is now illegal.

[Cozzie]

Might fail the weigh-in. But it would probably depend on who was driving. Alonso could imply it was sabotaged.
Hamilton would say it's his fault and he's since apologised to the wheel so everything's fine.
Kimi would say he was bored so it seemed like a good idea to take a wheel off, and Massa would have Schumacher to go and pick up the wheel for him 'cause he's nothing else to do.
And the FIA would rule that favouring one wheel over another in the championship is now illegal.

CLASSIC!

[Hondo]

Actually, while I appreciate the humor, I was hoping for a straight answer. I don't know about the rest of you, but the Alonso-Hamilton-FIA-McLaren-Ferrari thing has become a tiresome bore. Thats why I thought I'd try something new.

[keysersoze]

Might fail the weigh-in. But it would probably depend on who was driving. Alonso could imply it was sabotaged.
Hamilton would say it's his fault and he's since apologised to the wheel so everything's fine.
Kimi would say he was bored so it seemed like a good idea to take a wheel off, and Massa would have Schumacher to go and pick up the wheel for him 'cause he's nothing else to do.
And the FIA would rule that favouring one wheel over another in the championship is now illegal.

post of the year

[ShiftingGears]

If the leading car went wide out of the last turn, hit the barrier and lost it's left front wheel but the driver still got it to the checkered flag, under power, would he win or be disquailified for only having 3 wheels?

Probably disqualified for being underweight, but I think there'd be publicity in having the winning car only having 3 wheels. I think they'd win. Massa breached some procedure at Interlagos last year when he stopped last year, and wasn't penalised. I think the same would happen here.

[keysersoze]

I'm no rules guru, but the driver of the three-wheeled car would walk to the victory podium, take his trophy and champagne, and get interviewed by Peter Windsor.

Then, the second place team would protest. There'd be a inquiry, a hearing, and the driver would get to keep his victory but forfeit the points because of the minutae of the rules. However, the constructor would be allowed to keep its points.

That's my guess.

[Valve Bounce]

Great post, Fandango :up:

[ShiftingGears]

I'm no rules guru, but the driver of the three-wheeled car would walk to the victory podium, take his trophy and champagne, and get interviewed by Peter Windsor.

Then, the second place team would protest. There'd be a inquiry, a hearing, and the driver would get to keep his victory but forfeit the points because of the minutae of the rules. However, the constructor would be allowed to keep its points.

That's my guess.

Quite a reasoned guess, too! That seems likely.

[BeansBeansBeans]

This is like You Are The Ref, but for F1 :up:

As far as I'm aware, unless it could be proved that the driver gained an advantage by driving on three wheels (not likely), the victory would stand.

[tinchote]

If the leading car went wide out of the last turn, hit the barrier and lost it's left front wheel but the driver still got it to the checkered flag, under power, would he win or be disquailified for only having 3 wheels?

I agree with BeansBeansBeans.

To convolute your argument a little more, what happens if a driver crashes on the slow down lap? if the car is destroyed enough, it cannot be weighted and/or measured. Does the driver get to keep the race? This could be used as a loophole to run an illegal car; on the other hand, a crash after the race is finished shouldn't affect the outcome of the race, does it? ;)

[trumperZ06]

I agree with BeansBeansBeans.

To convolute your argument a little more, what happens if a driver crashes on the slow down lap? if the car is destroyed enough, it cannot be weighted and/or measured. Does the driver get to keep the race? This could be used as a loophole to run an illegal car; on the other hand, a crash after the race is finished shouldn't affect the outcome of the race, does it? ;)

;) It's happened in NA$CAR... likely more than once.

:D Darrel Waltrup once... when driving for Jr. Johnson... won the race, easily out-running everyone else. On the cool down lap... he put the tranny in neutral and rev'ed the engine until it exploded.

Everyone was sure his engine was illegal... but there weren't enough parts left to prove it.

:s mokin:

[tinchote]

;) It's happened in NA$CAR... likely more than once.

:D Darrel Waltrup once... when driving for Jr. Johnson... won the race, easily out-running everyone else. On the cool down lap... he put the tranny in neutral and rev'ed the engine until it exploded.

Everyone was sure his engine was illegal... but there weren't enough parts left to prove it.

:s mokin:

Exactly! It will be very interesting to see that happening in F1. What would authorities do? If less than 8 cars finish the race, a car that has crashed can be classified and get points: and that car doesn't go through scrutineering, does it? :)

[Hondo]

Another one. I believe a car must cross the line under it's own power but if the engine blows and the car coasts across the line, does that count?

DW and Jr. Johnson? It goes without saying that their car was illegal. Two of the classiest "innovators" that NASCAR has ever had.

[rohanweb]

Might fail the weigh-in. But it would probably depend on who was driving. Alonso could imply it was sabotaged.
Hamilton would say it's his fault and he's since apologised to the wheel so everything's fine.
Kimi would say he was bored so it seemed like a good idea to take a wheel off, and Massa would have Schumacher to go and pick up the wheel for him 'cause he's nothing else to do.
And the FIA would rule that favouring one wheel over another in the championship is now illegal.


lol@fandango

[fandango]

Another one. I believe a car must cross the line under it's own power but if the engine blows and the car coasts across the line, does that count?

DW and Jr. Johnson? It goes without saying that their car was illegal. Two of the classiest "innovators" that NASCAR has ever had.

Of course it would count. It would be still going forward under its own power. There have been cases of running out of fuel on the slow-down lap, without any sanction.

How about this one. What if the engine blows and the car gets rear-ended by the second placed car, pushing both over the line in the same order, but with neither car able to go any further.

[Easy Drifter]

More or less off topic. How about when NASCAR were sure Smokey Yunick had a too large gas tank and other illegallities. They had the tank out of the car when Smokey got fed up, got in the car fired it up, drove out of the track and back to his shop leavng the gas tank at the officials feet.

[markabilly]

More or less off topic. How about when NASCAR were sure Smokey Yunick had a too large gas tank and other illegallities. They had the tank out of the car when Smokey got fed up, got in the car fired it up, drove out of the track and back to his shop leavng the gas tank at the officials feet.

Well?
Do not leave us hanging---

We are waiting....

Was the gas tank too large or not?



:D

[tinchote]

Another one. I believe a car must cross the line under it's own power but if the engine blows and the car coasts across the line, does that count?



When a car is coasting, it is using (previous) energy from the engine. So it can be said that it is still running on its own power. The question would if the driver is pushing the car (as Mansell with his Lotus, and I think it happened a few more times).

[Easy Drifter]

I suspect you Know Mark. Yes. But the gas line ran into the top of a lower roll cage tube and out the other end, except there was no line in the tube! Just a gallon or so of gas.

[Malbec]

Yeah but what happens if an alien spaceship crashlands on Hamilton taking him out on the last lap in the lead, but blasting Alonso 10 places back and Kimi across the line first, would Kimi's championship count then?

[Erki]

There wasn't much left of Alonso's car when he got 3rd place in Brazil 2003... Fisichella's car caught fire after the same race in the pits too...

[tinchote]

There wasn't much left of Alonso's car when he got 3rd place in Brazil 2003... Fisichella's car caught fire after the same race in the pits too...

True, those are good examples. I'm still surprised that no one seems to have tried to exploit the loophole.

[Hondo]

Of course it would count. It would be still going forward under its own power. There have been cases of running out of fuel on the slow-down lap, without any sanction.

How about this one. What if the engine blows and the car gets rear-ended by the second placed car, pushing both over the line in the same order, but with neither car able to go any further.

Since he was pushed across the line with a dead engine, he would probably be scored as a dnf if there were still 8 cars running on the lead lap.

[grantb4]

I think the rule is such that if the parts fall off through an accident (not jettisoned) then the results stand.

Speaking of which, how come no one looked into JV's first world championship attempt in which he was up against Damon for the WDC in Suzuka and his wheel fell off inexplicably. Certainly the FIA would flip out if that happened in Brazil!

[fandango]

Since he was pushed across the line with a dead engine, he would probably be scored as a dnf if there were still 8 cars running on the lead lap.

How could he be, considering the finish is when the leader crosses the line?

[euskalteam]

Yeah but what happens if an alien spaceship crashlands on Hamilton taking him out on the last lap in the lead, but blasting Alonso 10 places back and Kimi across the line first, would Kimi's championship count then?


:LOL:

[airshifter]

If the wheel was held on by the tether, and the car passed weight inspection, I don't see why it wouldn't be qualified as finishing.

At the Daytona NASCAR race this year, a car finishined upside down and on fire! :)

[jso1985]

True, those are good examples. I'm still surprised that no one seems to have tried to exploit the loophole.

probably telemetry could prove it was made on purpose