Strategy Group to push for fewer penalties

Nov.12 (GMM) The controversy about driver penalties in F1 is still raging.

That is despite the fact that, after Ferrari renewed its push for Sebastian Vettel’s Mexico GP penalty to be reinstated, the stewards dismissed the new evidence.

Red Bull, whose Daniel Ricciardo inherited the podium after teammate Max Verstappen and Vettel were both penalised in Mexico, was not impressed with Ferrari.

“I don’t think what Ferrari is doing (protesting) is good,” the Australian said in Brazil.

“Two weeks later, to question the stewards decision, I find a little strange and I definitely can’t imagine the fans understand it,” Ricciardo added.

In fact, the bad feeling in the paddock about driver penalties has now reached the point that, according to Auto Motor und Sport, Red Bull and Mercedes are urging the Strategy Group to react.

The decision-making body will meet on Wednesday and on the agenda will be a vote to radically decrease the amount of penalties given to drivers.

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone agrees: “The rules are too complicated.

“We will be asking the FIA at the next Strategy Group meeting to make it all easier, so that everyone can understand — because even I don’t understand it anymore,” he said.

Mercedes team chairman and F1 legend calls the current situation “madness”.

“What is this overtaking rule?” he exclaimed. “This must be the driver’s choice.

“We need to stop all of this talking about incidents hours after the race,” Lauda insisted.

Despite all of that, Carlos Sainz revealed that he was surprised that – following the ruckus of Mexico – the drivers’ briefing was actually a quiet affair in Brazil.

“There was less said than I had imagined,” he revealed.

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