Another season over, but fans can't help but be left feeling a bit disenchanted with the result. Whether it's real or not the competitor begging and apparent favouritism leaves most experiencing events as a touch distasteful. We want one on one not one versus a team.
I get that in a team there is an "A" and "B" driver, not always for the reasons people think, sometimes it's capability, sometimes other peripheral issues. But in sport we want the best of the best to perform unhindered, and this season's result seems to fall well short of that.
So I accept the team decisions, what I don't understand is how drivers escape officialdom. Yet it seems every year the driver / team that escapes scrutiny for various infractions ends up the victor. The evidence this season is pretty stark reminder to fans that all is not equal. In the last 4 or 5 races we had the eventual champion escape penalty, not once or twice but on four occasions, while other drivers were penalised 5s, 10s or subsequent even grid places for far lesser infractions. As much as I'd like to think it's a sport, it's hard to dismiss the events. Perhaps I understand the lack of penalty int he final race, because the price paid would be massive, but the genesis of the problem was months old. We can explain away one or perhaps even two escapes as lucky, but when the numbers start to add up the cynicism is earned.
The whole season makes me feel like I've just watched a dodgy Olympic diving session where the Russian or China judges give contestants except compatriots a fail.