Horner identifies NEW ‘trick’ possible with FIA driving guidelines

Much has been made over the past two Formula One weekends of the driving standards guidelines issued by the FIA. At the USGP Land Norris was given something of a controversial penalty following wheel to wheel combat with Max Verstappen.

Both cars left the circuit, but the world champion escaped a sanction from the stewards because his McLaren rival completed an overtake outside track limits. The Woking based F1 team sought a ‘right of review’ from the stewards following previously unseen onboard footage from the Red Bull car showed Lando Norris had completed the pass before the corner.

This should have reversed the stewards decision that Norris had “lost the right” to the turn as it was deemed at the time that Verstappen had defended properly by reaching the apex of the turn before the McLaren car.

 

 

 

F1 driving standards row

Whilst the stewards were sympathetic to the McLaren request, a procedural technicality prevented them from amending their decision, something which was noted as ‘unfortunate’ in the final statement from the FIA.

The F1 driving standards guidelines are issued by the FIA to the stewards each year but the document is rarely made available for public consumption. This of course leads to misguided debates over stewarding decisions when the exact advice is not properly understood.

Whilst Norris was peeved over his Austin penalty, it quickly became clear he would employ different tactics with Verstappen at the subsequent Mexican Grand Prix. To ensure the stewards ruled differently, Norris again on the outside of his rival launched his car into turn 4 at the Autodromo Romanos Rodriguez.

The McLaren driver had no chance of completing the turn without leaving the circuit, but he had the all important nose ahead at the apex of the corner. This time the stewards ruled differently from in Texas, with Lando now having the “right” to the corner, it was deemed Max Verstappen on the inside had pushed his rival outside track limits.

Verstappen lashes out at stewards

 

 

 

Verstappen huge penalty

Verstappen suffered a double misery in that he was penalised twice for the same wheel to wheel battle with Norris, receiving two ten second penalties which in effect ruined the world champion’s race.

Whilst the drivers had a lengthy meeting in Mexico to discuss the FIA’s driving standards advice to the stewards, the result was new wording would be proposed from the stewards for the drivers to agree for next year.

Christian Horner however believes action should be taken immediately given the current advice/rules have been tested to the limit and yet found to be wanting. With Verstappen’s penalties seeing him come home in sixth place only, the Red Bull boss believes the FIA and drivers should thrash out terms for wheel to wheel racing before the final four rounds of the 2024 take place.

“I just fear that we’re perhaps overcomplicating,” said Horner during a media event. “And all I would do is encourage that there’s a constructive discussion between the drivers and and the driver steward to say ‘okay, we’re going to have another four hotly contested races, what is and what isn’t acceptable.”

FIA debate Leclerc penalty pre-Brazil

 

 

 

Horner calls for FIA action now

The Red Bull boss refuted claims that the incidents between Max and Lando in Austin and Mexico were in effect the same and also that this weeks stewards decided to issue pay back for what their predecessors failed to deliver at the USGP.

“It’s slightly different because obviously both of them went off the track last week, and you can’t gain an advantage by passing off track,” he said. “I think this is different because Max actually hasn’t gone off the track, he stayed within the perimeter.

The Red Bull boss goes on to praise the “great racing” the fans are seeing this year in F1 but calls on the FIA to make clear and fair the rules of engagement which retains exciting on track duels whilst punishing bad driving.

“In the history of motorsport, being on the outside has always been the more risky place to be, but now it’s almost the advantage, because all you’ve got to do is have your nose ahead at the point that they turn, irrelevant of whether you’re going to make the corner or not.”

Verstappen: “I know what the options are”

 

 

 

Horner calls out “new trick” for drivers from latest judgement

This is Horner’s take on the stewards awarding Lando Norris the “right” to the corner, yet the rules are different when a driver is on the onside attacking an overtake to when they are the outside making the same play.

One journalist suggested the matter was serious enough it could take the death of a driver before this is understood. The Red Bull boss refused to contemplate such a drastic scenario repeating his previous point of the historical principles for motor racing driver duels. 

“It just changes a principle that used to be the advantage which was to have the inside line. [Now] the advantage will be to have the outside line and just brake later and claim foul.

“So I think we just have to be very careful because the laws of physics would not have enabled Lando with a weight of the car, he wouldn’t have made the corner.”

Colapinto set to join Red Bull

 

 

 

Red Bull right of review

As did McLaren, Red Bull may well ask for a “right of review” from the stewards although the fact Max Verstappen served his twenty seconds of penalty during the race means it can’t be undone. Norris was a different case in point because his five seconds punishment was added after the race concluded – and could therefore be reversed.

This doesn’t mean Red Bull have nothing to gain by asking the stewards to review the findings from last week because as part of his punishment the stewards awarded Verstappen two penalty points which takes him halfway to a race ban as Kevin Magnussen experienced after the Sumer break. With four tough races ahead, Max being free to get his elbows out without fear of a driving ban is worth the effort for Red Bull, though they will presumably fall short of the “high bar” nature of the criteria to force a stewarding review, as did McLaren.

Max’s twenty seconds of penalty is the second highest awarded to a driver this season after Kevin Magnussen was double sanctioned during the Miami Grand Prix.

‘Riddiculous’ rookie battle breaks out in F1

 

 

 

BREAKING: FIA find two F1 competitors in current cost cap rules breach

The Formula One financial regulations designed to level the playing field in the sport are clearly working. Toto Wolff announced last time out in Mexico that due to the recent amount of crash damage that Mercedes have suffered, they will be “sacrificing” the rest of this season with a view to putting their resources into next years car.

Toto Wolff admits Mercedes are “now in serious trouble” and struggling to remain within the cost cap set at around $135m which limits the team’s spending each season on going racing.

In days of F1 yore, this would never have happened as the bigger teams with deeper pockets would push their in season car development until the very last day of competition. Mercedes concerns arose following the high speed crash by George Russell in Friday’s second practice session at the Mexican Grand Prix… READ MORE