12 - Malaysia GP (Sepang) - Penalties

No Chat is only mentioned before qualifying, from the few races I've attended. Maybe this should be addressed.

I have no problem with taking the penalty.

I would like to mention for the reference, that if receiving chat while in car chat can be switched off.

Code:

//*MULTIPLAYER.INI*\\

Allow Chat In Car="1" // whether to allow incoming chats to appear while in car

It is in the Rule book. Anyone racing should (supposedly) have read this whole document. Perhaps it does need to made more clear, but the assumption is everyone knows from having read the rules.

Section 7. League race weekend
RACE

Chatting is strictly forbidden until all drivers have finished the race. Drivers may chat to each other using the /w name message command. Communications may however be made by the LAT. Chatting will be penalised. Any driver who does not stop chatting may be kicked from the race and penalised further.

You're right that chats can be turned off in the car, but then guys would miss /w messages either from teammates or from the admins.
I understand your messages were to aid lapping cars, but in real f1 they don't message the driver, they just pull over or slow down.

I thought I'd try using the chat as after my first race (Germany) there was an issue from a lapping car hitting me. So I thought I'd give this a go, as I've seen it in other sim games. I felt it was innocent enough, and I didn't think it would illicit this kind of response.

Try not to worry too much, Richard and sorry if we are looking a little bit too 'hard' on you, but as the other admins already mentioned, it's in the rule book and we assume everyone actually READ it, since this is one of the main requirements for new drivers to join the league (actually reading the whole rule book), BUT... the stewards decision about it was also because we had 'incidents' with some drivers chatting (repeatedly) before during a race and one of them even got kicked from the race for doing that and annoying the other drivers (I guess it was Michal at San Marino in season 1), so... you're getting a 'start from the back of the grid' penalty, which doesn't change your Malaysia result (and points) and I believe it's not that bad if we compare both issues (yours and Michal's)...


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Official race results (after penalties), here:

http://www.rfactor-racers.com/t1203-12-malaysia-gp-results#25328

Alterations:

- NONE

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PENALTIES STILL TO BE SERVED:

- cueballUK: 3 places grid drop
- Richard Allen: start from the back of the grid

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P.S. Championship Stadings (updated after Malaysia penalties) here:

http://www.rfactor-racers.com/t1138-championship-standings-season-6#25333