Gone are the days when racing companies and racers alike prided themselves upon going all in for victory. Don’t believe me? Well, take a look at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and decide for yourself. Renault’s races—Nico Hulkenburg—decided that it was worth it to not go for a win and to pragmatically secure the sixth place. Regardless how big of a mockery it makes out of the spirit of sportsmanship, it’s the manner in which the “sportsman” went about his business that has caused the uproar.
Early in the race, Hulkenburg decided to go off circuit to take the lead on Force India’s Sergio Perez. Most spectators would expect such an indecent maneuver to result into a strict action, but the organizers—for some bizarre reason—decided to hand out a five second penalty, which caused Renault to finish in the sixth position.
However, it’s when you consider what the result meant that you realize the gravity of the atrocity that had been committed. The result was good enough for Renault to go ahead of Toro Rosso in the Constructor’s Championship and take the sixth place. As a result, Renault will have more competitiveness (and more money) next year. If the competitions, nowadays, allow for achieving results through clear underhanded tactics, then the organizers should, at least, communicate to all of the participants, so that the competition is fair and the sport isn’t reduced to a mockery!