F1’s racing rules to change before end of year after drivers’ “productive meeting” · RaceFans

Formula 1’s driving standards guidelines are expected to be revised before the end of the season following the controversial incident between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in Austin.

Norris lost third place in the race when he was given a five-second time penalty for overtaking Verstappen off the track. McLaren attempted to overturn the decision, arguing Norris passed Verstappen approaching the corner, and the Red Bull driver regained the position by driving off the track himself. However the stewards refused to consider McLaren’s argument, claiming they failed to provide the new evidence required for a hearing to go ahead.

However several drivers raised concerns over that decision and others made during the United States Grand Prix weekend. The matter was raised in a meeting between them and race director Niels Wittich on Friday.

Carlos Sainz Jnr said he expects the rules to be revised before the season is over, but suggested it may not happen until the penultimate round in December.

“I think it was a positive, productive meeting,” said Sainz. “A lot of drivers opened up about how they felt about each situation and what we think is the best way forward.

“How you interpret the rules and those driving guidelines that the stewards are going to apply penalties with, they’re still the same coming into this weekend, and probably I think they will be applied in a similar manner.

“But I think moving forwards it was a productive meeting and I think in Qatar we will have some solutions that hopefully will offer, I think, better understanding for the drivers and better racing in general. Hopefully it should be better.”

| Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free

George Russell, one of the directors of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, who was also penalised in Austin for another incident, said on Thursday the current rules failed to punish drivers who go off the track in order to defend their position.

“When I look back at it all, I think my penalty was correct by the letter of the law. I think Lando’s was correct, again, by the letter of the law, he’s gone off the track and overtaken.

“Max clearly brakes too late. He didn’t make the corner, he went off and he probably should have been penalised. But there isn’t a line or anything in the regulation to do so other than ‘stay in track limits’. So I think there should be an extra line in there if you out-brake yourself.”

However he pointed out the asphalt run-off areas at the Circuit of the Americas are too easily exploited by drivers and should also be changed, as has already happened at other venues this year.

“If there was a gravel trap on the exit of that corner, neither driver goes there. So I think we kind of go round in circles.

“The root cause of the problem is the circuit allowing you to run wide. So short term we need to make a change, but long term, that’s the solution.”

| Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free