e30ernest wrote: ↑06 Jul 2021, 08:28
I think there needs to be a distinction here:
1. If the driver on the inside is ahead, he/she dictates the racing line so he/she can take the racing line even if it means closing the door on the driver who is outside.
2. If the driver on the outside is ahead, he/she dictates the racing line so he/she can hold his/her ground on the outside and force the driver in the inner lane to take a tighter, slower line.
I think the grey area here is where do you check who's ahead. Is it under braking? Is it at the apex? is it on exit? My personal view here as both someone who used to kart and drive some circuit races is to count it from the apex.
So going back, Lewis absolutely deserved the penalty when he hit Albon, because Albon was ahead already. In the case of Lando vs Sergio, I think Lando was ahead on the apex so he should have not been penalized IMO.
This no different to Max vs Charles on turn 3 at this same track. Max dove in the inside and took the apex ahead of Charles, so he dictated the exit and drove Charles off the track.
Me personally, I do not think it is always fair to penalize the driver for taking the inner (racing) line. If the FIA will always penalize the driver on the inside for taking the racing line even if he is ahead by the apex, then any driver can force the driver on the racing line to take a tighter and slower line out. I think that would be unfair as well.