It does make sense, however, as opinions vary on what constitutes an entertaining race. And my concern is that every boring race triggers instinctive calls for change that could lead to F1 chasing its tail, rather than doing what it does best.
Don’t get me wrong: the new F1 rules excite me. They seem to do a lot of things well, and anything that might disturb the order is welcome. But we have to keep our expectations under control.
How it works: penalty decisions in Formula 1
Team managers Red Bull and Mercedes-AMG haranguing F1 race director Michael Masi over the radio at Silverstone to penalize or release Sir Lewis Hamilton was not only improper but also unnecessary.
It is the stewards who make this call, not Masi – and they have a choice of four penalties: in order of least severity, a 5 second penalty which can be taken at the driver’s next pit stop; a 10 second penalty applied in the same circumstances; a driving penalty during which they cannot stop for new tires or for repairs; or a 10 second stop-and-go penalty.
In the latter two cases, “the driver concerned may not cross the line more than twice before entering the pit lane” after the team has been informed of the decision by the stewards.
Hamilton’s 10-second penalty, served in his only pit stop in the race, was deemed light by Red Bull after being deemed to trigger Max Verstappen’s 51g fall. It certainly did not meet their expectations when they put pressure on Masi.
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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-07-30 05:01:23