Pionsinho has found the key to the legality of the crane. Check this out....(and thanks Pionsinho)

Pionsinho writes: The solution isn't in INTERNATIONAL SPORTING CODE AND APPENDICES.

It is in the FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Regulations, on Appendix H to the Int. Sporting Code in the chapter III.

6.1 If a car stops
If a car stops on the course, or leaves the track, the first duty of the course marshals in that sector is to take it to a place of safety. No driver has the right to refuse to allow his car to be taken off the track, he must do everything he can to help and obey the marshals’ instructions. Once the car is in a place of safety the driver may, if the specific regulations of the event permit, work on it in order to re-start. In such cases other means, such as breakdown vehicles, cranes, etc. should not be brought into action until the driver has made it clear that he will not continue.
It is desirable that the driver stays near his vehicle until the end of the race or at least informs the post chief how his car may be lifted, or towed back to the pits.

No interpretations... more clear is water "In such cases other means, such as breakdown vehicles, cranes, etc. should not be brought into action until the driver has made it clear that he will not continue."

It need FIA investigation like second place in Monaco???

Comments

[Fernando]

So the correct title is: "...the ilegality of the crane".

P.D.: Ed, congratulations for this blog.

[Carlos]

i'm not personally questioning the legality of this move, what i'm questioning is the criteria of the marshals, i guess it is a very thin line, but, when it comes to the FIA and specifically, to Charlie Whiting and his troop, you better be suspicious, the guy is willing to stretch the rules to breaking point provided he can help his idols.

do you remember last year, in the pilot's briefing after Hungary 06, when Charlie Whiting said that it was OK for a driver to cut short a chicane if the driver is defending his position? guess who was the driver who jumped the chicane twice?, yes, my friends, you guessed it, it was Schumacher, Michael, trying to avoid being overtaken by De la Rosa and Heidfeld

i have no doubt Charlie's new idol will get every support (within the legality and surroundings of course) from Mclaren and from the establishment to make the british dream come true, and even if the Crane affair was legal, it was a reckless move by the Marshals, Liuzzi or any other driver could have left his head beneath the crane for god shake !, could the Crane have not waited until all the cars were behind the Safety car?, no, because Hamilton would have lost more laps.

[Clark]

Well I'm still none the wiser. Was it against the rules or not? If the race had already been red flagged then the track is as good a place of safety as anywhere else, it would be empty.

More bad luck for Lewis? I was wondering what the third bad thing to happen would be :-)

Stuff all that, it's irrelevant rubbish. I thought it was a great race, a great race for Lewis and I read he thought so too.

Isn't that what everyone wants to see, a great race, a few (injury free) smash-ups, a bit of drama.

The FIA should know when they are on to a good thing, penalising drivers for trivia does not really add to the spectacle, it just makes them look a bit NuLab.

[Francisco de Miguel]

So?, Is it so hard to admit that your driver got illegal aid?

Poor friend, next seven races are going to be hard to swallow, I suggest you to move to cricket (no Spaniard playing yet).

and please, do not worry too much, Fernando would retire.....eventually

[Fernando]

Clark:

You're right, it was a great race and a complete fun; and I love the way everything happened, including the crane episode, Lewis brilliantly fighting from the back, the final rain, Felipe & Fernando, etc.

But I think we can talk (write) about it with our different points of wiew.

Lewis' crane is like Maradona´s goal with his hand in Mexico 86. Spectacular and unique, but illegal.

By the way, I don't think marshals and stewards tried to help Lewis on purpose. It was all a complete mess and like so many referees, they took a controversial decision, and Lewis happened to be there.

[Andy]

Red herring. Read it carefuly: "Once the car is in a place of safety.... In such cases other means, such as breakdown vehicles, cranes, etc. should not be brought into action until the driver has made it clear...."

This section does not apply as Lewis's car was not in a place of safety. I interpret this section as being about letting the driver try to restart his car before it is craned away for good.

[amackayj]

Lewis was at one point being told by the marshalls at Turn 1 to get out of his car and get himself to safety. Rather than heed the request, not only did he remain in the car but Lewis was gesturing to the marshalls to get the crane, organising people to his advantage.