How gravel "possibly" affects F1 penalties
How gravel "possibly" affects F1 penalties
FIA Formula 1 race director Michael Masi conceded the presence of a gravel trap on the outside of turn four likely played a part in the stewards' decision to penalise Lando Norris for his incident with Sergio Perez.
Lando Norris was hit with a five-second penalty for forcing Sergio Perez off the track in Austria with the Mexican later handed the same penalty twice, on both occasions for failing to leave racing room for Charles Leclerc.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner initially described the first instance, of which his driver was the victim, a racing incident but the stewards disagreed.
Asked if the gravel lining the circuit affected the decision-making process, Masi answered candidly: "Possibly, yeah. Obviously, gravel does have an impact in those places so yes, you would say looking at it logically."
Comparing the incident between Norris and Perez to that of the lap-one coming together between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen at Imola, where grass lines the track, Masi stated this is "very difficult" to do.
He added: “I think the first corner, lap one, and you have to remember this from a team’s perspective as well, that all lap one incidents are treated in a more lenient manner.
"That has been the case for a number of years under the ‘let them race’ principles let’s call it. But each and every one, it is very difficult to try and compare, I know everyone like to group everything, but it’s very difficult to compare two completely different corners ala Imola and turns four and six [in Austria].”
Penalty points here to stay
Alongside the time penalties applied to Norris and Perez, both drivers were also hit with penalty points on their FIA super licences.
If a driver hits 12 points, they receive an automatic race ban. The two points applied to Norris put him to a total of 10 for the rolling 12 month period, something that led to widespread criticism of the system.
“To be fair, it is a penalty points system that exists so it has been there all the way through," Masi said.
"It is no different to those driving on the road in a lot of countries that have the maximum number of points that they have to abide by and they have to adjust driving style and so-forth accordingly.
“So no, I don’t think they are harsh. It was discussed late last year and it is funny because it affects different drivers in different teams in different ways and the consensus was at the end of last year from involving everyone, teams, the FIA and F1, that there shouldn’t be a change for this year.
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Sainz manager speaks out on 'game playing' over contract
- 1 hour ago
EXCLUSIVE: World champion reveals 'logical' winning F1 Hamilton combination
- 2 hours ago
Why F1's RADICAL proposed points change is a positive step
- Today 15:57
Former F1 chief hits out at Hamilton 'EXCUSES'
- Today 13:57
Red Bull already sending parts to F1 race MONTHS away
- Today 12:57
Stats show SURPRISE F1 team dominate in crucial category
- Today 11:57
Related news
Norris reveals CHEEKY Alonso text after Austrian Grand Prix chaos
Newey reveals Red Bull could not stop Verstappen from taking POINTLESS risk
Russell insists Hamilton is still STRUGGLING with W14
How Austria track limits SHAMBLES shows FIA's flaws
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860