911 Carrera

Make
Porsche
Segment
Coupe

Formula 1 is a magnificent sport, but it's currently being ruined by crazed fanboys. Any online discussion about the sport inevitably turns into an absolute dumpster fire as rabid fans try and defend their chosen champions. Oddly, the crazed fans are limited to two drivers; Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Both drivers have armies of men and women who have built an entire personality out of being either a Crashtappen or Lulu hater.

This has got to stop because it's toxic at best. It's impossible to have a decent discussion with other non-toxic fans out there because a Hamilton fanboy will inevitably appear and spew the standard reply that they've learned but do not understand: "Max is the human error champ."

Let's clear it up once and for all. No, he's not. Michael Masi made one mistake. He chose not to let the final two cars unlap themselves because he was under an enormous amount of pressure to get the race started. It certainly didn't help having Toto Wolff and Christian Horner crying in his ears the entire time.

Had Masi allowed the last two cars to unlap themselves, the outcome would have been the same. The cars were all bunched together, and Verstappen would have ended up directly behind Lewis Hamilton. He was on fresher tires because Hamilton chose not to exploit the safety car brought out by Goatifi kissing the wall.

Max Verstappen is not a human error champion. Lewis Hamilton is a poor strategic choices loser. Yeah, I said it. It's not a hill I'm willing to die on, however. During several civil discussions with other fans, I've come to accept that red flagging would have been a better option, but what's done is done.

Whatever the case may be, Max Verstappen is a two-time world champion, and he deserves respect. He puts his life on the line 22 weekends a year and leaves nothing on the table. My respect for him is massive, as is my admiration for Lewis Hamilton. You don't win seven world championships by accident.

I can respect Verstappen and admire Hamilton. Both things can be true.

Your faithful correspondent's latest rant was brought on by the budget cap breach. The British media are already calling for Verstappen to relinquish his 2021 world champion title to Lewis Hamilton. Let's just take a second and wait for more details before we do something drastic.

There are two points we need to discuss regarding the budget breach.

First, and possibly most importantly, the budget cap was implemented last year. The various teams received the new regulations and spent days trying to find loopholes. Bending the rules is a time-honored tradition, not just in F1 but in motorsport overall. The other teams simply found a better way of cooking the books than Red Bull, and well done to them.

Disagree with me? Tyrrel built a six-wheel F1 car for better front-end grip because nowhere in the rules did it say they couldn't. Brabham built the infamous fan car to extract turbulent air from underneath the vehicle for the same reason. It's also why Mercedes-Benz got away with its now infamous DAS system.

More power to you, Mercedes.

The three most expensive permanent employees are not included in the budget cap, and there is a dispute about whether Adrian Newey falls within these regulations. According to the FIA, Newey is a contract worker and needs to be included in the budget. Red Bull has a different interpretation, though it's not clear what the terms of his contract are. It's unlikely we'll ever know, as Newey has the right to privacy, just like any other individual.

If Red Bull managed to write off his costs to the team, it's a genius move. Removing Newey's cost (which has to be in the millions) frees up a lot of spending money.

The above is not the only rumor out there. Apparently, Red Bull also spent too much money on food, as it provides a daily lunch to all its employees in Milton Keynes. It's also generous regarding sick leave, which could also be why it's over budget.

All we know for a fact is that Red Bull is guilty of a minor breach, which is less than 5%. Immediately, every rabid Mercedes fan understood this as being $7.25 million over. The truth is that it could be between $1 to $7.25 million over.

We've heard rumors from respected outlets suggesting $125,000 to $1.2 million.

There is one likely outcome here, and Mercedes fans will not enjoy it. Red Bull will argue the point, saying that it's an "interpretation issue," and the FIA will slap it with a fine and a warning. The FIA has let too many things slide in the past due to the time-honored tradition of loophole exploitation. Next year, those loopholes will be closed, and the rules will no longer be open for interpretation. And guess what? Some smartass is already working on exploiting the next loophole. To think otherwise is ignorant.

That's how motorsport works. Teams read the regulations, find loopholes, and implement them. The FIA catches on and closes the loophole the following year. Why else do you think Merc's DAS could only be banned the next year?

If you're currently posting in all caps on social media, please dismount your high horse and STFU. Until we found out exactly where the money went, there's no proof that Verstappen "cheated his way to a second world championship."

Can Verstappen be blamed for the transgressions of the accountants anyway? We doubt he sits in on budget meetings. His job description is likely limited to driving, doing cardio, and awkward product endorsements.

While we're talking about F1, let's quickly dispel another myth. I abhor the comment, "it's just the car."

Yes, it is the car. In case you didn't know, F1 is a team sport. It's the car, the driver, the pit crew, the technical team, the IT guys in the back, the dude who makes the coffee, and the hundreds of office-bound employees. They all come together to form the perfect harmonious relationship between the car and the driver. So yes, it is the car. And your point is?

And can we please stop the personal attacks? Yes, Lewis Hamilton likes to dress up. So what? He's a free man, and he can wear whatever the hell he wants. And Max Verstappen isn't rude. He's not open about his personal life, and he takes a Kimi Raikkonen-like approach to answering questions. Short and concise, leaving little room for interpretations.

Attacking these guys on a personal level is just silly. It says more about you as a person than it does about them.

Before you post a comment about Hamilton's outfit, ask yourself one important question. What the f$%ck have I done lately? If you haven't won an F1 race, just leave it alone.

Why not just get back to the basics and just enjoy the racing? These last two seasons have been the most entertaining in 15 years. And yes, F1 is entertainment. It always has been. To say otherwise is ignorant. Why else would companies like Audi and Porsche want to get back into the sport? It's a great platform to promote a Porsche 911.

Finally, stop picking on the new fans who joined due to Drive To Survive (DTS). I remember a time when it was a struggle to find a kindred soul to talk to. I hate to get anecdotal, but I used to have nothing in common with my brother-in-law. He does something risk related in London, and we had nothing to talk about until DTS started airing. Now we can't wait to meet to discuss the latest F1 news. He's a Hamilton fan, but I don't hold it against him.

Before you accuse me of being a Verstappen fanboy, I'd like to share an image of our office pool below. I put my money where my mouth is and am solidly behind Bottas - and winning, by the way. Suck it, rest of the office.