First, thanks to Ben for being the better man and accepting accountability and the result of the race committee decision. Second, thanks to Raj for providing perspective that comes from being in a place very few other people in the world have stood. Both help soothe some of the earlier comments that seemed to push into Euro-bashing.
But... From a race fan's perspective, when the race is "won" long after the last car crosses the finish line and the trophies have already been handed out; when race organizers emerge from their closed room a day later and announce that the winner wasn't and the new winner is someone else; it's very unsatisfying for the fans, and I'm sure even more so for the race teams. It doesn't look right, and it doesn't feel right, regardless of how carefully or impartially the rules were applied.
The whole approach to the AOC and WEC rules needs to be changed to forestall these kinds of after-the-fact results that seem to come up regularly. Penalties should be assessed when they happen and not at the end of the race or after the race. The organizers also should adopt a position that if something like the size of the gas tank or some other measurement changes during the race, and it wasn't due to intentional acts, and the team did not gain an advantage from it, then they should leave the finishing order undisturbed.
Otherwise, fans will drift away from WEC and to other race venues. Why bother watching a long race, when the results will be in doubt for several more days? Under the current circumstances, I doubt I will spend as much time watching LeMans in 2020 as I have these past 3 years. If I watch it at all. I think I'll watch golf instead.
