Ex-F1 team boss baffled over lack of consistency in Max Verstappen’ incidents with Lando Norris
Guenther Steiner claimed that penalties issued by the FIA have been inconsistent amidst the battle between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.
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Max Verstappen and Lando Norris (via Planetf1)
Within a span of two weeks, FIA went from penalising Lando Norris for overtaking Max Verstappen in an illegal manner to slamming the Dutchman with hoards of penalties at the Mexican GP. This duality of the F1 world has not gone unnoticed. Moreover, this intrigued former team boss Guenther Steiner to comment on the whole ordeal, who was confused by the lack of consistency by the governing body.
Though the Mexican GP saw Max Verstappen being handed a myriad of penalties, the root cause for such action goes way deeper. Since the Austrian GP, the call for rectifying the mistakes in the racing guidelines had been surging in the paddock. With the two titans tripping over each other again in Austin, the echo for such demands resounded within the paddock as people felt the Dutchman had been exploiting the rules.
However, some people reckoned that the FIA wanted to come back at the Dutchman. Subsequently, when the 27-year-old was gamed by Lando Norris in his arena, he was charged with hefty penalties. This puzzled Guenther Steiner who questioned about how penalties were being issued so varyingly across the board.
I think he got it back from Austin, with an interest rate on top. Now, we are back to this inconsistency again. One steward sees it this way, and another steward sees it the other way. And here we are. What was okay last week, this week is clearly not okay.
Guenther Steiner said on the Red Flags podcast
On the contrary, a general consensus in the paddock affirmed that Verstappen’s penalties were fair. Anyhow, this discussion would not last for long as drivers and the FIA are scheduled to meet before the Qatar GP and make required changes in the racing guidelines.
Martin Brundle reckons Max Verstappen’s legacy might be tainted
Apart from this, the Red Bull driver has amassed a massive 61-race wins in his career. He has earned three driver’s world championships and is in the hunt for the fourth. Despite this, his recent trends over the track have not spoken so confidently about his ability to race cleanly, which might taint his legacy for future generations.
Former F1 driver turned commentator, Martin Brundle asserted that Verstappen’s racing antics could stain his legacy in the history books.
I know that Max doesn’t care what anybody thinks, but it saddens me when he drives like that. He’s a multiple champion, has more driving talent in his little finger than most of us ever had, but his legacy will be tainted by this sporting attitude and that’s a shame.
Martin Brundle wrote on his column on Sky Sports
On the other hand, multiple world champions have gone to any extent to secure the elusive title. Thus, the Dutchman would not be an exception and would continue to do everything in his bounds to conquer the driver’s championship.
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Geetansh Pasricha
(772 Articles Published)