So accusations are being thrown about that Rosberg went too fast in one sector after the SC was deployed.

Jenson Button claims he went 4 seconds faster than he should have, and will surely be penalized, giving Button another championship point.

Nico claims he gained no advantage, did everything as he should have under the rules, and sees no problem.

I more or less understand thanks to DC's explanation and Nico's follow-up to DC's question. Sounds like maybe what we're talking about is that Nico obeyed the letter of the rule, if perhaps not the spirit.

If so, I say good job to Nico.

Don't they have a timer to get into the pits once the SC is deployed? Should be pretty easy to check if Rosberg broke that rule or not.

Rules are rules - wether he gained anything or not is NOT the issue - whether he went over the mandatory lap time behind the sc is the issue.

It's obvious he gained an advantage from the SC being out (otherwise he would've finished behind the Brawns) but it's hard to say if he broke the rules.

Thing is, I don't want the WCC won in the steward's room,

What was the gap between Rosberg and Barrichello/Button the lap BEFORE the SC came out? That'll tell us if he gained an advantage.

EDIT #1: Ted on BBC saying, another hour before we know decision.

Than what do you make of yesterday, when 5 cars were relegated to the back by the stewards? Including the Brawns.
It's all in the game.

Another hour before the decision is reached.

Williams team on their way back to see the stewards. Has to be a case to answer there.

But it's possible on-track cheating that means it hasn't already been won. Do you think that should be ignored?

Nico is going up with the team - clearly a case to answer.

If they have broke the rules fair enough, but I would rather have it won on track.

If they brake the rules they deserve a penalty 25 second penalty.

Well, Rosberg was faster than Hamilton and Trulli although he was behind them. Can see what the claim is about. Would be a shame if true.

Rosberg and Sam Michaels making their way up to the stewards. A shake of the head from Nico makes me think Williams are expecting a penalty.

If the rules were broken then they did win it on track.

He definitely gained an advantage, but this isn't a surprise. It's usually an advantage when other driver cannot drive 100% while the other driver is driving into the box. He was in front of Button about 21 seconds or so. Very close with him, maybe Rosberg would have done another lap before his pit stop without SC.

He didn't sound convincing on BBC either.

If he is found guilty and given a 30 second penalty, then that allows Button to get a 6th in Brazil to become champion.

A penalty won't change the Button-Barrichello fight, it'll just mean that it'll be a point harder for Vettel

No, because Barrichello gets another point, too. Vettel is the one who loses with that penalty.

Before the stops, Barrichello was ~4 secs ahead of Rosberg who was right in front of Button. Button pitted and started improving his best lap times, he was gaining ground on Rosberg and Barrichello with every passing lap, so that when Barrichello pitted, he rejoined only just ahead of Button. Therefore Rosberg has won at least 5 seconds under SC conditions.

Button is confident about the penalty happening

".... I can't imagine us (Rubes) not picking up another point each."

I'm not too sure rosberg he will, it depends which sector he made up the time in, from rosbregs explanation he acheived detla time untill he go to the pit lane entry line yhen he was allowed go at the normal pit lane speed so if he made up the time in S3 then he won't get a penalty but if time was made up in S2 then he's toast.

what i don't get is that he was allowed to go faster in the pit lane than on the track, which is ridiculous to me considering the pit lan is classed has part of the track.

No penalty.

Low fuel message over-rode timing delta info on steering wheel. Stewards agreed he had slowed sufficiently given his lack of timing info thus no penalty.

# No penalty for Nico Rosberg. Constructors' championship continues to Brazil too
about a minute ago

Next time everyone will make a 'drive trough' during SC period

Toyota engine car in not penalized in Japan shocker.

So they found another way to beat the system. The teams just need to adjust their displays to ensure the delta is not visible when the SC is declared.

Excellent, it will now be won on the track and not in an office.

So they're effectively saying that he WAS guilty of speeding, but they'll let him off.

Another thing... we had quotes from Rosberg earlier on saying that he knew he was innocent and followed the rules. Now we know that he didnt actually know, and just made up some stuff for the press hoping that it was true.

looking at yesterday its ok to lose it in the office but not win it?

what a joke!! he did break the delta time but its ok their software reports low fuel before a safety message. should have got a penalty, the software should be changed for the next race to identify saftey messages before normal operating messages

also contridicts what Rosberg told the media.

They could hide it on, say, option 13.

Well, it will certainly stop all the snide remarks.

To win or lose it in an office is not right, it should be won out on the circuit.

Is there any source for this decision?

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79250

Maybe I misunderstood Button here but I understood what he said to mean that they were sure to at least pick up a point each in the two following races and thus clinch the WCC...

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79250

OK, what sort of 'gate' can we put this into?...

So the mandated time to run under SC is just for information. You can drive how you want.

Another great stewards decision. Keep the farce going after quali.

Hopefully something like Alonso 2003 will never happen again, but FIA isn't exactly doing a good job.

It should be won on the circuit within the boundaries which make the sport. Which are set in an 'office'.

Well, I guess the software is McLaren's, so put the blame on them ;)

Seriously, if him going faster was solely due to him diving into the pitlane, where the delta no longer applies and he is not impeded by cars in front of him, then he just got lucky.

Whoopy fricken doo.

Ofcourse Rosberg came out of the pits ahead of the Brawns. Rosberg was in the final sector when the SC came out so he only had to drive shortly on a reduced speed before he pitted. The Brawns had to drive on reduced speed for much longer (about half the track), as they were ~20 seconds behind him.

That also explains why the lap times of the frontrunners at that time were much quicker than the rest of the field.

keepingConstructorsInTheSportGate

He got lucky alright, but that wasn't the reason. He has been let off for breaking the rules.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79250
"The Race Director reported to the Stewards that Car No 16, Nico Rosberg exceeded the time delta from when the 'Safety Deployed' message was displayed until crossing the Safety Car line," a statement from the FIA said.

Just a question, how exactly is this delta time calculated?
Is it an absolute time above a flying lap, or is it scaled? Do you have to slow down the entire way around the track, or only in the yellow zone?

IF it is a fixed time more than a flyer (so a car in the last corner would have to drop say 20 seconds, the same as the car in the first corner) i think Rosberg was a little naughty. Or if the time is scaled to the distance remaining on the lap (so a guy in the final corner would only have to drop 5 seconds while a car in the first corner would have to drop 30), then it makes perfect sense that Rosberg came out ahead.

So Rosberg gets lucky. He's had a lucky weekend all told. Oh well

I don't see that gaining an advantage from SC deployment is a valid issue in terms of how these events unfold. SC deployment always result in some gaining, some losing out. Rosberg was apparently heading to the pits which were apparently still open for his scheduled stop while the SC and yellows delayed those 20 seconds or so back up the road. You can't help bad luck - just ask Nico after he was forced to concede his 2nd place and drop to the rear of the entire field in Singapore to do his stop/go at the time the field were bunched behind the safety car. More than a minor infringement deserved but it's just the way SC and stop/go etc can be so unfair. He did a pretty good job nursing a very ordinary car into the points of any kind today, good on him. Unfair advantages and disadvantages are a dime a dozen as were the qualifying penalties caused by the extraordinary number of incidents in qualifying.

this is unbelieveable, why are the stewards suddenly showing discretion in a decision???

To be honest my main concern is that once again the FIA have shown the inconsistent manner in which the apply the rules. They havent said that he is innocent of the offence, they have found an excuse to let him off. How does that work next time a driver ignores the delta?