Who was Vettel's finishing celebration at Austin aimed at? [split]

Not sure if this has been mentioned already in this thread, but about Vettel's clapping gesture as he crossed the finishing line at Austin - I assumed at the time it was aimed towards his team for winning the constructors, but DC read it as him congratulating Hamilton? Is there a consensus as to what he meant by that?

I assumed it was to Lewis, but now you've got me second guessing.

I originally thought so too. Perhaps a sort of repentance for his rant over the radio once he had time to cool off?

I think it was to Lewis. He did it as he passed him, so...

It was also as he passed the pitwall. Honestly I think it would be an extraordinarily unusual gesture for him to have directed that at Hamilton. In the immediate aftermath of the race, you're not in a rush to congratulate the next guy, you're taking stock of your own events. It's one thing patting another guy on the back in front of the cameras afterwards and saying 'good job', quite another a voluntary gesture like that. I find it weird if he did mean it towards Hamilton. Still think it was aimed at the pitwall, which would also tally with his radio message.

I Think it was for Lewis.

If it was for his team,he would come behind Hamilton and celebrate close to the pit wall.

He tried to win the race until the very end and showed class on the very final.

People are too hard on Vettel sometimes,he is just a young man like us,and a very competitive one.

Imho it was to the RBR pit wall

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Also I have a niggling feeling that Lewis spends quite some time on this forum. I remember someone posting a photo of that. Lewis, if you are reading this, all the best and thanks a tonne for for all the highs you gave us in that McLaren.

That was a photoshop.

Edited by Coops3, 21 November 2012 - 13:14.

Wow we need a thread to decide whose Vettel's clap was for?

I created the thread (note [split] in the title) because Vettel was off topic in the Lewis thread. Please PM me if you have further concerns.

Imho it was to the RBR pit wall

Edited by aditya-now, 21 November 2012 - 14:27.

Wow we need a thread to decide whose Vettel's clap was for?

I guess anyone still answering the team hasn't read the responses here.

* Lewis returned the favor
* he did the same to Kimi in Abu Dhabi
* they had probably already passed the RB pit
* he would have done that close to the pit wall, not on the other side of the track

Clear as day ;-)

Every little thing and gesture is nowadays dissected, while years ago drivers could throw an opponent off the course and no one noticed (except for some track marshals). We live in the media, twitter and forum age.

Reminds me of a Dilbert (I think) I saw once of a guy furiously tapping away on his keyboard while his wife waits patiently in bed and he says he wouldn't be long, he'd just seen something that was wrong on the internet....

Still, we need a poll.

Maybe I'm the only one who saw it as sarcasm.

Does anyone have a video still of this, perhaps with some MS paint arrows drawn on it, to indicate the direction of travel of the hands and where they hit each other? As proof.

Edited by Zava, 21 November 2012 - 17:23.

Does anyone have a video still of this, perhaps with some MS paint arrows drawn on it, to indicate the direction of travel of the hands and where they hit each other? As proof.

Yes, please. A full-blown forensic analysis on the trajectory of the gesture and its intended as opposed to actual landing point as well as the relationship between said landing point and the direction of Vettel's eyes is essential for the proper continuation of this discussion.

This

Also I have a niggling feeling that Lewis spends quite some time on this forum. I remember someone posting a photo of that. Lewis, if you are reading this, all the best and thanks a tonne for for all the highs you gave us in that McLaren.

You're welcome.

Edited by Nahnever, 22 November 2012 - 00:21.

You're the one that split the bloody thread. I had no interest in making a full blown thread out of this. Cheers for making me look like a tit.

This

Also I have a niggling feeling that Lewis spends quite some time on this forum. I remember someone posting a photo of that. Lewis, if you are reading this, all the best and thanks a tonne for for all the highs you gave us in that McLaren.

You're welcome.

You're the one that split the bloody thread. I had no interest in making a full blown thread out of this. Cheers for making me look like a tit.

How true is that.

Reminds me of a Dilbert (I think) I saw once of a guy furiously tapping away on his keyboard while his wife waits patiently in bed and he says he wouldn't be long, he'd just seen something that was wrong on the internet....