It’s a turbulent time at the FIA. After the earlier dismissal of F1 race director Niels Wittich, it was also announced this week that FIA steward Tim Mayer and F2 race director Janette Tan have left the governing body. The FIA could certainly use some good news, and it seems that they are now getting it following a successful meeting with the drivers about racing guidelines.
The rules surrounding wheel-to-wheel battles were once again the topic of discussion following the controversial Grands Prix in the United States and Mexico. During these two races, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris encountered each other multiple times on the track, resulting in several time penalties. This prompted FIA steward chairman Garry Connelly to gather the drivers during the Grand Prix weekend in Qatar.
Coureurs Agree
The chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, George Russell, provided more insight into the meeting. “It was quite productive,” the Mercedes driver told the media. “I think we all agree that the guidelines don’t need to be drastically changed.
According to the Mercedes driver, the penalties imposed by the stewards for infractions are generally always fair. “It was probably only Austin, that was the outlier,” George Russell refers to the incident between Verstappen and Norris during the American race. “I think many drivers agree that if you’re the overtaking car on the inside, rule number one is that you must be able to stay on the track. If you’re able to stay on the track, you have the right to make the (other) driver go wide, as it has been for all of us since we started karting.”
Circuits as the Main Problem
Russell explains that similar incidents mainly occur due to the nature of the circuits. According to the British driver, racers would be less inclined to go off the track if there were more gravel traps present. “The circuits are the main cause and the guidelines are a kind of interim solution that we need to agree on until we can tackle all circuits in the right way,” says the driver.
