Today the FIA have for the first time published the guidelines given to F1 stewards on how to handle on track infringements. This document has been produced since 2022 after the accession by Mohammed Ben Sulayem too the role of FIA president.

The previous season there had been a number of incidents involving Verstappen and Hamilton in their titanic battle to be F1 champion and there was significant criticism of the FIA for alleged inconsistent handling of the various instances. This led to the F1 driving standards guidelines being provided to the stewards.

It was only late last season when the existence of the secret document came to light, when the handling of incidents between Verstappen and Norris in Austin and Mexico City cause a huge debate amongst paddock analysts. Max was accused in COTA of diving down the inside, claiming the corner whilst running his rival off track.

 

 

 

Secret F1 steward guidelines now published

The world champion was not penalised in Austin, Texas and in fact it was the McLaren driver who received a penalty from the stewards – for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage.  A leak of the stewarding guidelines was used to demonstrate, Verstappen had in fact been innocent given he was adjudicated to have reached the apex of the corner first. This gave him the ‘right to the turn’, meaning he was no longer obliged to leave space for Norris and neither was he obliged to remain within track limits – so no penalty was awarded.

For 2025 the Stewards’ guidelines have been updated to make the ‘dive bomb’ move less attractive and more difficult to complete. Now to be entitled to be given room when overtaking on the inside, the car making the move must have its front axle at least alongside the mirror of the other car prior to and at the apex. It must be driven in a fully controlled fashion from corner entry to apex and not be deemed to have “dived in.”

The key difference comes in the final part of the guideline. In the stewards estimation the driver must have taken a reasonable racing line and be able to complete the move – whilst “remaining within track limits.” Now the move by Verstappen on Norris in COTA would be declared illegal.

This new interpretation was seen at the recent Spanish Grand Prix. Having been passed at the late safety car restart by Charles Leclerc, Verstappen had a fight on his hands to keep the Mercedes of George Russell at bay into turn one. Russell dived down the inside but momentarily lost control of his car nudging his Red Bull rival off the track and down the escape road.

Breaking: Verstappen to Aston dead, as F1 programme set back now 2-3 years

 

 

 

Red Bull second guessing the stewards

Verstappen rejoined ahead of Russell, but Red Bull were so concerned of a potential penalty for their driver having left the track and gained a lasting advantage, they told Verstappen to give the place up to Russell. The stewards indicated later their decision would have been to allow Max to retain the place given Russell was not fully in control of his car.

Yet what was missed amongst the furore of the Red Bull driver apparently driving into Russell as he let him by, was why the F1 stewards didn’t penalise Russell for ‘forcing other driver off track.’ Had this been flagged as ‘noted by the stewards’ it would have been a signal to Red Bull the ruling they feared was not under consideration.

Ironically the errant call from Red Bull and the subsequent red mist from the world champion delivered exactly what the team had feared the most. A time penalty from the stewards was awarded to Max for colliding with George and with the field bunched up after the safety car – and with just a few laps remaining – saw Verstappen drop from P4 to P10 in the final race classification.

The matter was concluded in the stewards room, where they decided to hit Verstappen with three penalty points. This takes his tally to the dreaded eleven for the rolling calendar year, one more would see Max be awarded a one race ban. Yet the new FIA ‘penalties and driver guidelines’ document now reveals an even ore draconian option was available to the stewards in Spain.

Cadillac in disarray

 

 

 

Stewards could have awarded 4 penalty points

A collision with ‘apparent deliberate or reckless intent’, which a number of F1 analysts claimed was the motivation for Verstappen’s move, is worthy of four penalty points instead of three. This would have seen Verstappen sit out the recent Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.

The problem is that when the rules of motorcading are excessively codified, then the situations arrive where one regulation may conflict with another – or even nullify its implementation. There is an exception in the newly published stewards guidelines which allows for, ‘Causing a collision without a direct or clear sporting consequence’.

This of course applies to the Verstappen/Russell coming together in Barcelona, given George went on to claim P4 and Max took the chequered flag one place further back. Yet this regulation opens another can of worms for the stewards, who are not supposed to issue a driver penalty based on the consequences the rival he has wronged has faced.

Rule change favours Red Bull

 

 

 

Hamilton in Silverstone 2021

The classic example of this was in Silverstone 2021, when Hamilton was adjudged to have forced Verstappen into a high speed collision on lap one. The Red Bull driver suffered a 50g impact with the barrier but despite a time penalty from the stewards, Hamilton went on to win the race. Verstappen had one the previous three times out and it was clear that Hamilton desperately needed to take the lead early or be domed to another round of the Dutch and Austrian anthems.

Hamilton’s win shifted the momentum that summer and put his challenge for the title back on track. Yet there were no guidelines for the stewards to consider this incident as one with ‘apparent deliberate or reckless intent.’ Today the matter should be treated differently.

Max Verstappen showed last time out in Canada, his precarious points position will not stop him racing in his k won aggressive fashion. Should he come out of the Austrian weekend unscathed from a visit the stewards, the Red Bull driver will drop a further two points he received last year for his collision with Lando Norris.

Even so Verstappen will remain in somewhat of a precarious position just three points away from a race ban, until the Mexican GP in October, when a further two points fall away from his F1 super license.

 

 

 

New challenger for FIA president?

Whether its the wringing of hands or a gnashing of teeth in the Formula One paddock in Austria, it appears a deal may have been done for current FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem to stand for re-election unopposed in this year’s presidential elections in November.

The current regime, headed up by the UAE ex-rally driver has faced scandal and significant criticism and Ben Sulayem being the first non-F1 affiliated head of the FIA for half a century, tensions between the sport an its governing body have at times threatened to boil over.

The F1 drivers have expressed concerns over the autocratic nature of the current regime, where they feel their voice goes unheard and that they have faced petty campaigns against them over jewellery and officially approved underpants. So irritated by the drivers at their treatment, their union penned an open letter of complaint to the FIA last November. This was the first such document the drivers had ever collaborated upon…. READ MORE