Qatar GP: F1 drivers, FIA, stewards maintain ‘productive’ assembly to debate racing guidelines after Max Verstappen and Lando Norris controversy

The 20 Method 1 drivers, the FIA and the stewards held a “productive” assembly on Thursday forward of this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix to debate the game’s overtaking guidelines.

The dialogue comes a month on from Max Verstappen and Lando Norris’ fierce battles at the US and Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix, the place they had been embroiled in controversial incidents.

Norris was given a five-second time penalty for overtaking Verstappen off the observe in Austin, because the Pink Bull driver was first to the apex of the nook. Nevertheless, Norris, and different drivers, felt Verstappen pushed his rival off the observe.

Every week later in Mexico, Verstappen was handed two 10-second time penalties for his actions in wheel-to-wheel fight with Norris.

Verstappen, who sealed a fourth consecutive F1 title in Las Vegas, has brazenly acknowledged he races to the laws.

“I think we still need, for sure, a few more discussions about certain things,” mentioned Verstappen.

“However I feel it extra has to do with the observe structure. Some locations you’ve got loads of run-off and that creates loads of points, that is one thing we’ve to work on sooner or later. That is the principle drawback.

“If you have gravel, that stops you from doing things that takes a bit more risk than normal.”

George Russell, who’s a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Affiliation, was one in every of quite a few drivers who got a penalty in Austin for allegedly forcing one other driver off the observe when overtaking.

The Mercedes driver has been vocal for extra consistency within the sport and hopes for clearer guidelines in 2025.

“It was a productive meeting. I don’t think a lot needed to be changed,” he advised Sky Sports activities F1.

“Just the odd sentence that needed to be got rid of, such as if you are overtaking on the inside you need to leave a car’s width from apex to exit, hence why I got the penalty in Austin.

“There wasn’t essentially something within the pointers about Max’s manoeuvre, when you dive bomb and go off the observe. That was successfully uncontrolled.

“Everyone is in agreement with these things. It’s not like you have to turn the whole thing upside down and rewrite the whole rulebook. Just the odd thing needed to be changed. That’s been positive.”

Chatting with the written media, Russell mentioned what drivers in the end needed to see was adjustments to circuit design to offer a pure deterrent to drivers making an attempt to run large.

“If you are able to stay on the circuit [when overtaking on the inside] you are in your right to run the driver wide, as it has been for all of us since go-karts,” he mentioned.

“We additionally concluded that almost all of those points are all the way down to the circuits. We spoke about numerous points in Austin, I feel loads of the overtakes would not have even been tried had there been gravel there corresponding to Austria Flip 4, the downhill right-hander – you are going to go within the gravel when you’re one or two per cent over the restrict.

“Silverstone at Stowe, there was some great racing a couple of years ago with Lewis, Checo and Charles but ultimately everyone was off the track and that’s because the track allows you so.

“So the circuits are the basis trigger and the drivers are an interim repair that we are able to agree on till we are able to get all the circuits into a correct method.”

Hamilton ‘welcomes’ extra conversations sooner or later

Hamilton is conscious of Verstappen’s aggressive greater than any driver on the grid, having gone head-to-head with the Dutchman within the controversial 2021 season.

The seven-time world champion says F1 is now “going in the right direction” after Thursday’s dialogue, which lasted round one hour.

“The meeting was really productive. It’s the first time we really sat down with them,” Hamilton advised Sky Sports activities F1.

“We had clear and open discussions with the stewards, who have such a difficult job. Every overtake and every scenario is so different to the other.

“There’s nothing that may change for these two races however for subsequent yr, we’re engaged on the method and hopefully we welcome having extra conversations with them transferring forwards.”

He later added to the written media: “In their [ the stewards’] minds, this year, it has been better in terms of consistency but obviously everyone wants to be perfect.

“Till you’ve got these discussions, they will not totally perceive from the place we’re sitting and what we’re preventing for is correct or unsuitable, in sure situations. It is good for them to listen to, and for us to work on clear pointers, so from additionally within the automobile, you recognize what you’ve got.

“For example, there was talk about a warning but you know if you have that one warning and you wait for the last race of the year to utilise your warning, that doesn’t work.”

Sky Sports activities F1’s reside Qatar GP schedule

Friday November 29
9.55am: F1 Academy Follow One
11am: F2 Follow
1pm: Qatar GP Follow One (observe begins at 1.30pm)
2.55pm: F1 Academy Follow Two
4.05pm: F2 Qualifying
5pm: Qatar GP Dash Qualifying (qualifying begins at 5.30pm)*

Saturday November 30
12.10pm: F1 Academy Qualifying
1pm: Qatar GP Dash build-up
2pm: QATAR GP SPRINT
3.30pm: Ted’s Dash Pocket book
4pm: F2 Dash Race
5.15pm: Qatar GP Qualifying build-up
6pm: QATAR GP QUALIFYING
8pm: F1 Academy: Race One
8.45pm: Ted’s Qualifying Pocket book

Sunday December 1
10.55am: F1 Academy Race Two
12.15pm: F2 Function Race
2.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Qatar GP build-up
4pm: THE QATAR GRAND PRIX
6pm: Chequered Flag: Qatar GP response
7pm: Ted’s Pocket book

*additionally reside on Sky Sports activities Predominant Occasion

Method 1’s season-ending triple-header continues this weekend with the Qatar Grand Prix, reside on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream the ultimate two F1 races and extra with a NOW Sports activities Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime