During the team bosses’ press conference in Baku, a renewed debate has arisen over the system for reopening penalty cases in Formula 1. While some advocate for more lenient rules, Alan Permane warns of the risks.
According to the Racing Bulls’ chief, there is danger lurking if the bar for a so-called right of review is lowered: “It will open the door to many more protests,” warned Permane. The team boss sees the danger that every decision of the stewards will come under fire. “If the stewards make a decision during the race, do you automatically have a reason to challenge it? That can’t be the intention.” According to Permane, the problem is not with challenging the penalties, but with the rules themselves. “Everyone wants to see racing. We don’t want drivers to be unable to overtake each other because of overly strict rules. If we loosen them a bit, everyone will benefit and we won’t have to challenge penalties.”
Opinions Remain Divided
McLaren team boss Andrea Stella has a clearly different view than Permane. He advocates for a relaxation of the current system. “I am in favor of making the reopening of a case a little easier,” the Italian explained. “The possibility to review a case should simply exist. The threshold is simply too high right now.”
Jonathan Wheatley, former sporting director of Red Bull Racing, knows the process around protests and reviews like no other. According to him, the system works fine as it is – precisely because of the strict criteria. “I am probably the expert here,” joked the Brit. “Protests and review requests are a fundamental part of this sport. But I believe that the bar is now set too high. There are many conditions that you have to meet. Within the group of team bosses, we say: ‘Let them race’ – and we must continue to support that.”
