The FIA stewards will now take tougher action when Formula 1 drivers resort to vigilantism on the track. The topic came up at the team manager meeting for the Austrian GP because some racing teams felt that the sentences were far too lenient following the incidents in the third free practice session for the Spanish GP.
Despite intention, no penalty: From the Austrian GP onwards, no more
There, Charles Leclerc and Lance Stroll had to answer for two very similar cases. Because Stroll did not agree with Lewis Hamilton’s driving style and felt hindered on his fast lap, the Canadian aborted his lap and then almost drove into Hamilton’s car.
It was similar with Leclerc: The Ferrari driver felt hampered by Lando Norris, aborted his lap and drove straight in front of the Brit’s car out of spite. The two even collided slightly, and the McLaren front wing was damaged.
Both Stroll and Leclerc got off with warnings, although there was no doubt that both of them were doing it on purpose. Both admitted to being annoyed by the obstruction. Stroll even admitted that he deliberately allowed himself to be carried further and further out towards Hamilton because of it.
The stewards investigate cases in which drivers are obstructed after the sessions anyway. There is therefore no reason to take the law into their own hands. In order to put a stop to revenge fouls, warnings will no longer be enough from now on. The drivers affected can expect to be given penalty transfers.
First cases already this weekend?
There is a real risk that the new rule will be applied in Austria. The shortest lap times of the entire Formula 1 season are being driven on the 4.318-kilometer-long circuit. As a result, there are a lot of problems with traffic. In today’s sprint qualifying, the problems were limited, but tomorrow, after the sprint, qualifying for the Grand Prix will take place.
Because the punishment is at the discretion of the stewards, this is not a rule change. There are guidelines for this, but no regulations. Therefore, the change can be implemented through short-cut channels, i.e. by agreement. The teams support the plan.