On-track controversies in Formula 1 don’t get much bigger than the two championship protagonists coming to blows over the lead of a race.
That’s exactly what happened yesterday as Max Verstappen and Lando Norris collided at turn three while the McLaren driver was trying to wrest the lead away from his rival.But that moment had been building up for several laps. Norris was fuming in his cockpit that nothing was being done about Verstappen’s defensive tactics, which he felt violated the rules.
In response, Verstappen accused his rival of making unrealistic “dive bomb” attempts to overtake him.
Were the stewards right to intervene when they did? Should action have been taken sooner – or was no intervention needed at all?
The incidents
Lap 55: Norris backs out as Verstappen reacts
Norris made his first attempt to pass Verstappen with 16 laps to go. The McLaren driver moved off-line as they approached turn three. Verstappen, already slowing for the corner, jinked right off the racing line to cover off the move and Norris backed off. He pointed out on his radio that Verstappen had changed his line in the braking zone.
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| Lap: 53/71 VER: 1’08.772, NOR: 1’08.016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Okay, that’s 19 laps remaining. 19 laps. | Joseph | Lando, second strike, turn three. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | So Lando 1.1. | Joseph | Right, he’s 1.2. Let’s use… | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | And that’s Tsunoda ahead blue flags. | Norris | Interrupting Yeah, I see that… |
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| Joseph | RBB, RBB. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 54/71 VER: 1’08.789, NOR: 1’08.429 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Lando has DRS behind. And gap 0.8. | Joseph | ACS button press. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joseph | Suggest strat 13, strat 13. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 55/71 VER: 1’09.213, NOR: 1’09.348 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | So Lando on DRS he’s 0.7. Norris closes on Verstappen at turn three. The Red Bull driver reacts by moving to cover the inside line |
Norris | Norris closes on Verstappen at turn three. The Red Bull driver reacts by moving to cover the inside line Yeah. He reacted to my move. You’re not allowed to do that. |
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| Joseph | Okay, we’re on it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Norris | He saw me move. Then he moved. That’s not allowed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joseph | We’ve reported that to the race director. He saw you move and then moved. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lap 59: Norris goes off passing Verstappen
Four laps later Norris tried a similar move but this time committed to it. He ran wide at the exit of the corner, while Verstappen remained on the track. Although Norris left the corner ahead he returned the position to Verstappen.
However by running off the track Norris badly compromised his race. This was the fourth time he had gone beyond track limits, which incurred a five-second time penalty. Race control do not count a strike against a driver if they rule that the action of another driver caused them to run wide. Although Norris accused Verstappen of doing that by changing his line in the braking zone again, it seems the stewards did not accept this in mitigation.
Red Bull pointed out to Verstappen that Norris was at risk of a penalty, though it wasn’t given until shortly after the pair made contact five laps later.
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| Lap: 58/71 VER: 1’09.183, NOR: 1’09.161 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Gap 0.8, on DRS. | Joseph | Lando, third strike. So we’ve got a black-and-white flag that was turn one. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 59/71 VER: 1’10.646, NOR: 1’10.626 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Gap 0.7. | Norris | Norris goes down the inside of Verstappen at turn three, passes him and goes off the track, committing his fourth track limits infringement which incurs a penalty He can’t keep moving after I’ve moved, it’s just dangerous. We’re going to have a big shunt. He forced me to go wide. |
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| Verstappen | Norris goes down the inside of Verstappen at turn three, passes him and goes off the track He overtook outside the track. |
Joseph | Understood mate. He keeps forcing you off. It was the right thing to do to give the position back. Let’s get it again. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Norris returns the position. He already had black and white flags. He already had a black and white flag. |
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| Verstappen | [Sarcastic] Yeah, that’s my second penalty then. It’s super-clear. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Just head down mate, head now. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verstappen | Yeah, I know. Come on. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 60/71 VER: 1’09.399, NOR: 1’09.356 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | I’m not entirely sure how it thinks you forced him off. Max. As in, Lando went straight up the inside, went too far. | Norris | Yeah but I can’t keep doing this, if he keeps moving I’m going to lock up. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Norris | Oh… Jesus. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lap 63: Verstappen runs wide and keeps his lead
Four laps after that Norris got down the inside and made it around the corner without leaving the track. However Verstappen went off the track and kept his lead.
Norris said Verstappen had to give the position back as “I was ahead at the apex.” This is a reference to F1’s driving standards guidelines. Those guidelines state that when the stewards consider whether a driver overtaking on the inside they will “consider if the overtaking car’s front tyres are alongside the other car by no later than the apex of the corner,” which Norris had successfully done.
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| Lap: 62/71 VER: 1’09.528, NOR: 1’09.509 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Okay, let’s have mode seven Max. Gap 0.6. | Joseph | Push and hold available. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lap: 63/71 VER: 1’10.412, NOR: 1’10.234 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verstappen | Norris tries to pass Verstappen on the inside of turn three, the Red Bull driver runs wide and stays ahead He forced me off again. |
Norris | Norris tries to pass Verstappen on the inside of turn three, the Red Bull driver runs wide and stays ahead Yeah he has to give the position back. I was ahead at the apex. |
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| Lambiase | It’s not clever, is it? | Joseph | Yep. And he went off-track. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verstappen | He’s just dive-bombing, like, that’s not how you overtake. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lap 64: Contact
Norris varied his approach at the same corner on his fourth major attempt to take the lead. Verstappen defended earlier and Norris moved to the outside.
When a driver moves off-line to defend their position, they are required to leave room for another driver if they move back towards the racing line. At the point of contact, Norris’ left-hand wheels were on the white line marking the edge of the track.
The stewards did not note or investigate any of the previous incidents but Verstappen was given a 10-second time penalty for this collision, which left both drivers with punctures.
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| Lap: 64/71 VER: 1’38.003, NOR: 2’00.257 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verstappen | Nice. Oh my god. | Norris | Norris attempts to pass Verstappen on the outside approaching turn three. They collide and both drivers sustain punctures Yeah the car’s fucked. |
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| Lambiase | Box Max. Box. Got rear-left puncture. Box. | Joseph | It’s just a puncture. Box this lap, box this lap. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Tyre 13. Tyre one-three. | Engineer | Red A10, red A10. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | Look out for the white line pit lane entry. | Engineer | Diff red A10. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lambiase | And just a reminder strat 12 in pit lane. | Joseph | Red A10, please, red A10. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Norris | I’m in red A10, mate, are you blind? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Norris | He enters the pits It’s too much damage, okay, it’s better to just retire now. |
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Lap 64: A parting shot?
After the pair rejoined the track, Verstappen continued to try to keep Norris behind. The McLaren driver moved to pass him on the right-hand side as they accelerated away from turn four but Verstappen, watching his right-hand mirror, continued to pull to the right and Norris put his wheels onto the grass.
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What they said
After reviewing video of the incident, Verstappen said Norris made his early moves from long range, and defending his driving when the pair made contact.
“When you’re in the car initially, you think have I done something wrong? Didn’t I leave enough space, like half a car width or whatever. Of course you can always judge or argue about what is a car’s width. I honestly think I did leave a car’s width on the white line.
“Naturally, you race hard. I’m not there to give two cars’ width because I know that he’s going to get me on the exit. You race hard for a race win. I think that’s how it should be.”
Norris said Verstappen should accept he was to blame. “There’s a rule – you’re not allowed to react to the other driver,” he said. “And that’s what he did three times out of three.
“Two times I managed to avoid it and not run into him – not lock up and run into him – and the third time he just ran into me.“So I don’t know. I was just trying to drive my race and he was clearly a lot slower at the end. He ruined his own race just as much as he ruined mine, but nothing more I can do. I did my best and that was good enough, but it got ruined through not my own fault.”
The official verdict
The stewards did not address any of the incidents besides the contact between the two drivers on lap 64. For this Verstappen was given a 10-second time penalty, which did not affect his finishing position, and two penalty points on his licence.
They ruled that: “Before turning in, the driver of car one [Verstappen] moved to the left, causing a collision with car four [Norris]. The stewards determine that the driver of car one was predominantly at fault and therefore impose the above mentioned penalty in line with precedents.”
Norris was given a five-second time penalty for leaving the track four times. Prior to running wide at turn three on lap 59, he had also gone off at the same corner twice before and once at turn one.
Your verdict
Who do you think was responsible for the collision? Should the stewards issue a penalty? Cast your vote below and have your say in the comments.
The stewards' decisions on Verstappen's driving were:
- No opinion (2%)
- Far too lenient (53%)
- Slightly too lenient (22%)
- Correct (13%)
- Slightly too harsh (5%)
- Far too harsh (4%)
Total Voters: 130
Loading ...The stewards' decisions on Norris' driving were:
- No opinion (2%)
- Far too lenient (6%)
- Slightly too lenient (10%)
- Correct (49%)
- Slightly too harsh (26%)
- Far too harsh (7%)
Total Voters: 125
Loading ...A RaceFans account is required in order to vote. If you do not have one, register an account here or read more about registering here. When this poll is closed the result will be displayed instead of the voting form.
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Jere (@jerejj)
1st July 2024, 18:01
I voted for slightly too lenient & correct, respectively.
I simply felt these are the most fitting options.
roadrunner (@roadrunner)
1st July 2024, 18:20
Well, according to the rules they both deserve their penalties. But their poor race craft resulted in two punctures rendering the penalties unnecessary anyway.
If they really want to prevent this kind of (non)racing the FIA should put gravel at the outside of and at the run towards turn 3. We wont see neither the squeezing nor the dive-bombs with track limits infringements.
What needs to be addressed though are the late and erratic moves in and just before the braking zone like Verstappen did at the very first attempt. With the DRS closing speed it’s just too dangerous. Had Norris not reacted as quickly as he did he’d been flying into the sky.
uzsjgb (@uzsjgb)
1st July 2024, 20:51
Why would you want to punish “late moves just before the braking zone”? And which “braking zone”, that of the car in front or that of the car behind?
Sorry, but I find this all very weird. We saw a small misjudgement by Verstappen, which lead to a rubbing of wheels. An everyday occurence in racing. But so many people are calling for rules changes, track changes, harsher penalties. I just don’t get it.
I really hope these people don’t accidently tune in to an IndyCar race.
Jimmy
1st July 2024, 21:25
I am sure Verstappens late defensive moves would result in a penalty in indycar, they are pretty strict on that.
roadrunner (@roadrunner)
1st July 2024, 21:38
“ERRATIC late moves before the braking zone”. You left out the key word. Those kind of situations in which the defender reacts too late to the attack and steers right into the path of the overtaking car.
Like Schumacher on Hakkinen (Spa 2000), Verstappen on Raikkonen (Spa 2016) or Rosberg on Hamilton (2016). I want them to be punished because they happen too often and are plein unfair and dangerous.
pcxmac (@pcxmac)
2nd July 2024, 10:25
It’s just time to reinforce the front suspension of the McLaren to sustain heavy impacts with other cars. The Stewards have incentivized reckless driving, go with it, and take Max out of as many races as possible. Even if Norris gets banned from 1 or 2 races, he will still win the championship, if he manages to take Max out of almost all the rest of the races.
Osnola
2nd July 2024, 12:38
These kind of extremly toxic entries should be banned.
If you look at Xitter its even worse.
Even norris dad liked a post asking to put max in the wall at copse.
No real f1 fan ever should do that!
Please stop with this disgusting behavior
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
2nd July 2024, 14:20
Osnola, you’re viewing it the wrong way imo, we’re talking strategically, hamilton got a MASSIVE advantage with his mistake (he got a penalty) at copse in 2021, and especially with this silly penalty points system the risk of being banned for a few crashes is highly unlikely.
And again in this case in terms of fighting for the championship verstappen benefitted from crashing with norris in the championship, unless he thinks russell, piastri or sainz are a serious threat, which I doubt, norris is supposed to be verstappen’s biggest threat, cause apart from verstappen he represents the best car\driver combination.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
2nd July 2024, 14:20
risk is very low*
Mayrton
2nd July 2024, 15:03
Apparently the rules state
Max made one defensive move going off the racing line towards the right (to cover the inside of the corner). Then he moved back to the racing line and left a car’s width. Seems correct to me if you look at the rulebook.
Mayrton
2nd July 2024, 15:09
So it wasn’t too lenient nor to harsh, it was a wrong decision, which in itself is fairly consistent of FIA
Kris
1st July 2024, 18:32
Verstappen has always driven like this, it’s just been hidden behind such a superior car for a few years we’ve forgotten about it.
I’m disappointed they didn’t comment on the moving under breaking or the lap Max got overtaken but ran wide and kept the place. I’d they’d intervened earlier the crash wouldn’t have happened.
Track limit penalties are necessary but should be based on corners where you gain an advantage, not run wide and lose time as a result.
pcxmac (@pcxmac)
2nd July 2024, 10:33
they are only being enforced on certain drivers, I saw lots of times where drivers were busting the limits and nobody was saying anything. The Stewards are using track limits to deter some drivers in order to advance others. Just like giving max 10 seconds which did nothing to his race finish, after he ran off Lando 3 times (can you say reckless? ; twice in to the corner, than one more time coming back on to the straight).
The guy could literally kill another driver and he would never be banned for a race unless he was at least 50 pts ahead in the standings. The guys who ‘direct’ the circus want certain drivers in the spotlight, its all a charade. The last thing liberty and guys like Toto want are guys like Lewis and Alonso hanging around, they want young guys attracting young-stupid fans who buy sponsor’s add pitches. Its nothing else than that, just a commercial. There is no innovation, just fleecing poor teams, and strict policies which artificially hold up the “valuation” of teams, which have no bearing in reality. A scam all the way through.
That said, it’s useful as a case study in modern affairs.
Osnola
2nd July 2024, 12:40
sounds like lewis at copse in 2021.
But the race incident in austria does not even come close .
p
2nd July 2024, 13:00
Well it tends to happen when you play the “My corner or we crash” game…
“But the race incident in austria does not even come close”…How about Monza 21?
PlosslF1
2nd July 2024, 13:04
Doh… didnt finish putting my name in..
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
2nd July 2024, 14:25
Monza 2021 wasn’t as dangerous, was a pretty low speed crash, just like austria; silverstone was by far the most dangerous in recent times.
PlosslF1
2nd July 2024, 15:56
I beg to differ there, the car actually struck his helmet and there was a risk that the carbon fibre of the floors edges could of splintered and struck him causing puncture wounds to the upper torso/neck area.
If it wasn’t for Halo he would be Dead, not in Hospital sending tweets and watching the race on TV…
Grapmg
1st July 2024, 19:10
I think Max said that is a 5s penalty than (for Norris) that is super clear. Not my second penalty…So he expected a 5s penalty for Norris after the track violation.
Renee (@renee)
1st July 2024, 20:25
Yeah the radio transcripts are a total mess. You can often clearly hear a person say something totally different from what it says in the transcript. And often the transcript doesn’t even make any sense.
Examples:
Lambiase: Just head down mate, head now. (head now??)
Lambiase: I’m not entirely sure how it thinks you forced him off. Max. (it? are they talking about AI? He said “he” not “it”)
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
2nd July 2024, 14:27
Yes, it’s just mistakes due to not checking articles before posting, they happen also in stuff unrelated to team radios.
Jim from US (@jimfromus)
1st July 2024, 19:11
Stewards didn’t penalize VER for driving slowly in pit lane during qualifying which gave him more of a gap than other drivers. Then he wasn’t penalized for unsafe release. Then he wasn’t penalized for weaving. So yes, the stewards share some of the blame.
MacLeod (@macleod)
2nd July 2024, 8:08
Unsafe release? not during the race the second time when the pitstop was slow he had to wait. And Weaving you don’t know what is weaving as your allowed to break a tow once and there were no more. Driving slow during Qualifying is normal they all do that making room.
MichaelN
1st July 2024, 19:58
I’ve said this before time and again: crowding people off is a HUGE no-no in the FIA Code. Start properly enforcing this, and much of this discussion goes away.
Unfortunately, 20 years of Whiting’s poor leadership on officiating has turned F1 into a Senna-esque free-for-all where even the director of the GPDA (i.e. Russell) says it’s all good to just run someone off when you ‘have the line’.
This is just not true. And they’re doing this on purpose, which makes it even worse. Amateurs in sportscars can go side-by-side for many corners, but these guys just refuse to, counting on their opponent to give up because F1 cars are notoriously fragile.
So it’s inevitable that at some point someone will want to make a point, and then you get silliness like this. And on that note, the worst part of this sequence of events to me is Verstappen – with a puncture – pushing a much faster Norris unto the grass. That should have been a second penalty for sure.
uzsjgb (@uzsjgb)
1st July 2024, 20:42
Well, they did enforce crowding people off against Hülkenberg, and then they did not enforce it when Norris crowded Verstappen off. 50% is better than nothing. Verstappen never crowded Norris off, nor was he penalized for it. As can be seen from the picture above, Verstappen left enough room. I suspect that is why the stewards also gave Norris a part of the blame for the crash.
gDog (@gdog)
1st July 2024, 22:23
You clearly misunderstand where the edge of the track is. The edge of the track is the white line, not the kerb. The rule on leaving space is for space for a whole car width inside the track, i.e. inside the white line. Norris is already partially over the white line, i.e. outside the track.
This different to the track limits rule, you only need two (or one?) tyres partially inside the track at all time.
The drivers may use the kerbs all the time, but they are not part of the track. You’ll note they only use the kerbs on the inside at the apex corners and the outside at the exit; never in the braking zone, you can’t brake safely on saw tooth kerbs like that one.
It’s pretty evident from that image that Verstappen did not leave a whole car’s width inside the track.
Gus
2nd July 2024, 3:51
Some of you might be surprised to learn that once a corner begins, the FIA sporting regulations have almost nothing to say, besides ruling that drivers must remain within the track limits! Here, the sporting regulations defer to long-established norms for racing, which may not be known by all fans, and which contain significant gray areas.
AlanD
1st July 2024, 20:44
I fully agree re crowding off and I get annoyed at the excuses such as “his front wheels were a few millimeters ahead at the apex of the corner so he didn’t have to leave room” or whatever it is they come up with. I think the rule should be that if they have any part of their car alongside you, you have to leave them room. This idea that it is their racing line is just nonsense. So many times on S-bend configurations we’ve seen a car hang on round the outside of the first corner , the commentator is saying “he’ll have the inside for the next corner” followed by “but the race leader has shut the door on him”, meaning the other car has forced its way across the track. I know they all do it in F1, doesn’t matter if it is Max or Lewis or Logan Sergeant, doesn’t make it right. All it does is deprive us of seeing true driving skills.
Frank
1st July 2024, 23:53
Someone who is regularly featured to deliver the expert co commentary on flemish tv referred during the 2021 season to the famous Villeneuve Arnoux battle and stated that this would not be possible anymore as both would supposedly get 2 minutes worth of time penalties.
I dont know where he got that idea. They run side by side without ever crowdinng the other one off.
Let’s get back to those epic fights and let’s make it our first action to start penalizing the moves that make a lap-long fight impossible.
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
2nd July 2024, 4:19
A combination of track limits and overtaking/defence tactics not in accordance with the 2020s regulations (Villenueve and Arnoux being understandably more interested in the 1979 regulations, which were much more permissive due to pre-dating regular “crash or yield” driving).
The first action penalising lap-long fights would have to be to change most of the circuits, the second to remove DRS (and not replace it with the ersatz DRS proposed in 2026).
PlosslF1
1st July 2024, 20:02
When I read about all this I cant help but Hum the Eminem song “Guess Who’s Back”…. :)
BassClef (@bassclef)
1st July 2024, 21:34
I don’t understand why the stewards don’t give them a one race ban and then suspend it the way they did with Schumacher and Hill. That would at least send a stronger message.
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
2nd July 2024, 4:15
@bassclef Consistency. Possibly due to the suspension not getting the message across to either Schumacher or Hill…
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
2nd July 2024, 14:32
This would actually be a season where they could afford to do that, like they did in 1994: schumacher was running away with the championship, like verstappen is doing now, and again vs a british driver, so being banned for 3 races if anything would make the championship more interesting, and then imagine if we got a championship deciding collision in the last race, a jump back to the past!
Lyndamarks
1st July 2024, 21:52
Neither deserved a penalty.
It’s called good, hard, aggressive racing and the fact so many so called fans seem to think all of this warrants a penalty is damning of how far the sport has fallen!
Just proves modern fans don’t know what real racing is in the show over sport era where it seems the kids just wany easy push of a button non contested DRS drive-by’s.
kcrossle (@kcrossle)
2nd July 2024, 1:32
I’m not a “modern fan”, watching since 1957. F1, at times, has devolved into rubbish thanks to Senna, Schumacker, Verstappen ‘if you try to pass we will crash’. This is not “real racing”.
pcxmac (@pcxmac)
2nd July 2024, 10:38
some people confuse hero worship with quality racing.
timber
2nd July 2024, 14:09
and some confuse reality with toxic conspiracies, which one is it today? because I always enjoy myself when I red your comments.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
2nd July 2024, 14:37
I tend to agree, and regarding the penalties I know I was in the minority but I went for slightly too harsh on verstappen (minor contact, 5 sec penalty for example) and far too harsh with norris, so that it sends a “let them race” message.
From what I saw generally, there’s 2 options that massively prevailed for each driver: half the voters thought verstappen should’ve got a much bigger punishment, maybe a drive through (20 sec), 1\4 of the voters thought he should’ve got a slightly bigger punishment, maybe 15 sec, and as for norris half the voters thought the 5 sec penalty was fair and 1\4 thought it was slightly too harsh, which now I think of it means no penalty would’ve been preferred.
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
1st July 2024, 22:10
Track limits has got to a daft point now. The original thing was about “leaving the track and gaining an advantage”. But attempting a move, failing, running wide and giving back the place to me should not count as a strike in any logical world other than a draconian automated world that will ultimately just stop attempts at on-track action further.
slowmo (@slowmo)
1st July 2024, 23:38
I agree but I’m not sure that incident was what counted as I personally saw him exceed track limits after he received the black and white flag. He was really pushing the limit on every corner.
Asanator (@asanator)
1st July 2024, 23:31
I just wish they would enforce the rules as they are. Verstappen should have been given the black and white flag for the first moving in the breaking zone as a minimum, a penalty for the 2nd, a penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage (unlike Norris who gave the place back) and a penalty for the collision. Based on previous incidents Norris could have had a penalty for forcing verstappen off track.
That’s not to say that I agree with the rules as they are written or interpreted. But at least enforce the rules as they are. I do agree that giving a driver a track limits penalty (Norris) for leaving the track then gi ing the place back is a nonsense though.
pcxmac (@pcxmac)
2nd July 2024, 10:53
They won’t enforce the rules against Verstappen. He’s perfect for the brands wish to appeal to more submissive types who are attracted to more ‘sociopathic’ types. If they enforce the rules, then hes a ‘beta’ just like the rest of the regular guys on the grid, he loses his special appeal, and then all the people who make money off of his persona, lose out, commentators, advertisers, etc…
It’s branding, marketing, or as Edward Bernays puts it: Propaganda & The Engineering of Consent.
Michael A.
2nd July 2024, 12:02
What is this ‘breaking’ zone that gets so much mention?
It is fast coming to the time when there could be a barrier along the centre of the track so that two cars cannot make contact. Or, instead of a race as we know it, have a 71 laps time trial for each driver/car and work out the winner from that!
Formula One is sinking fast into the cesspit it and the FIA have created.
PlosslF1
2nd July 2024, 21:47
What is this ‘breaking’ zone that gets so much mention?
Its the zone where you brake… :)
Audrey
2nd July 2024, 0:43
What I dont get is they say Verstappen.dod not leave enough space while norris left 2 tires where at the left white line. You are allowed to go outside of the linebut have to keep 2 tyres inside right?
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
2nd July 2024, 4:13
It’s not clear to me that the stewards accepted lap 59 as an example, because Norris also went off-track in the run-up to Turn 4 on lap 63 (the one before the crash). If the lap 63 one was strike #4 for the stewards, it would also explain why the timing of the decision could not be any earlier, frustrating as it was. One-and-a-bit minutes is unusually fast for a stewards’ decision (as opposed to about 6 minutes, which is… pretty typical for an almost open-and-shut case).
Peyton
2nd July 2024, 6:36
63 was nof offtrack for Norris. He kept it on track but Verstappen went over the runoff to keep the lead.
Mayrton
2nd July 2024, 7:07
… conveniently ignoring the fact that there as a (non damaged) car coming on the racing line and impeding it would be an offense.
BustedGoldCoast
2nd July 2024, 9:03
There are sensors for everything, so why can’t sensors be installed in the cars that react when a part of the car passes over the white line. The teams are notified immediately & after 3 notifications they have to perform a drive through penalty, if it’s on the last lap then add 30 seconds to their position.
Harsh penalties will stop both teams & drivers from trying to gain that illegal advantage, on street circuits the concrete barriers act as a great deterrent a gentle swipe of the wall will lose you a few tenth’s but a good wack of the wall will usually mean your race is over.
Steven Williamson
2nd July 2024, 12:28
Lando, proper racing is not possible against this bully. Time to go full Senna on him, start pushing him off the track, with a little contact, every possible opportunity, a public showing, none of these wimpy slight moves under braking, take the penalties as an investment in the future.
Carl Parker (@mysticarl)
2nd July 2024, 15:23
Max should have had a black and white flag for moving under braking well before any contact ended up happening – that way he could have been penalised properly for braking the rules.
Osnola
2nd July 2024, 17:02
There was no moving under braking. Even the biased herbert agrees there.
It was norris whining and the Brits jumping on the bandwagon…
PlosslF1
2nd July 2024, 17:47
No he did something that is as bad if not worse which is going to lead to massive crashes unless stamped out, he went diagonally across a high speed braking zone. You could say thats smart but once everyone starts doing it there will be carnage… good for viewing figures and news sites I suppose…
PlosslF1
2nd July 2024, 18:00
Oh, forgot to add that it is still moving in the braking zone, and as I’ve said before once here ‘Do that in iRacing and see how long you last’… ;)
Ulrik Kaul Pedersen
2nd July 2024, 20:02
If it had been Magnussen and not Verstappen he would have been shot by the stewards.
Verstappen has a longer leach then all other drivers.
David
2nd July 2024, 20:56
Same results as the racefans poll “Are you from the UK?”
PB
4th July 2024, 16:35
Verstappen should have had a track limits violation the previous lap.
He was beaten but kept the boot in on the run off area.
Penalty for the crash was about right, by the rules. I think the rules with a 10s maximum are too lenient on
crashes. This is aggravated, as Andrea Stella noted, because Verstappen has a long history of unfair defence,
both moving in breaking zone, not leaving cars width and either not attempting to make the apex nor stay on track.
c.f. Interlagos ’21 among MANY others.