“It was not the right decision,” Mattia Binotto remains unhappy with FIA’s new interpretation of pit lane entry and exit rules
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Mattia Binotto
Mattia Binotto and Ferrari felt that they were hard done by the FIA at the Monaco GP. It was all going smoothly for the Italian team after both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz locked up the front row on the grid. But then rain came pouring down and make it a strategical hazard for the team. Since it’s impossible to overtake on the extra tight and slow corners of Monaco, pit stops were seen as an opportunity to overcut and undercut an opinion.
Red Bull took full advantage of it as Sergio Perez was able to overcut Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen did the same with Charles Leclerc. While they were coming out of the pits, it was alleged that both of them cut the pit lane exit line. This could have led to a 5 second penalty for both the drivers but video evidence quite clearly showed that Sergio Perez didn’t cut the line and Max Verstappen’s wheel didn’t cross the line entirely.
Ferrari still wanted a clarification regarding the same and asked the FIA to look into the rules around pit lane entry and exit rules. Niels Wittich has made it clear going into the weekend that the drivers must adhere to the rules In accordance with Chapter 4, Article 4 and 5 of Appendix L to the ISC. To simplify, this means drivers should not even cut the line at any given point which was the case in Monaco.
Mattia Binotto believes FIA needs to be more consistent with their decisions
Mattia Binotto believes that it was unfair to interpret the law when the words are crystal clear in the ISC. He expressed his unhappiness saying, “I think there has been some inconsistency in decisions. This one is one of the decisions which we are not happy.”
“And still we believe it was not the right decision. As a matter of fact, they had to change the race director notes here in Baku, and they had to change the pit entry.“
“So overall, I think that type of, let me say, discussion and action shows that there was certainly an inconsistency in Monaco. Now that’s the way they decided, we will accept and we are accepting as a matter of fact,” as reported by motorsport.
Mattia Binotto and Ferrari are well within their rights to be unhappy as there have been two different statements given by the FIA on the same issue in a matter of a week or so.
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Shubham Bajpai
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