Horner warns FIA against "overzealous" penalties

Christian Horner has warned the FIA against being "overzealous" in handing out on-track penalties in practice sessions.

F1 has welcomed two new race directors this season in Eduardo Freitas and Niels Wittich, with the latter overseeing the first three races of the campaign.

After a spate of impeding incidents at the Australian Grand Prix, drivers were handed reprimands for their offences, which when tallied to five in a season will result in a grid penalty.

This is an avenue of punishment not often seen in practice sessions but has come amidst further clampdowns regarding jewellery and fireproof underwear.

"Well, I think it's actually something that the drivers actually requested," said Horner, addressing the blocking reprimands.

"But I think, again, there needs to be an element of common sense. Too many penalties in practice one is… the biggest thing, I think, as a deterrent for the drivers, is a fine.

"That tends to be what hurts them the most so maybe we should look at fines rather than reprimands and potential grid penalties."

The drivers were driving the new Albert Park layout for the first time and citing the voyage of discovery as part of his warning, Horner added: "You don't want to be too overzealous, I wouldn't think, in FP1 on a circuit that's relatively new and so on.

"But as I say, it's something that gets discussed at great length in the various meetings, but I think we just need to come up with and simplify some of these regulations."

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