Legendary F1 commentator Martin Brundle feels that there must be a “critical tweak” to the game’s driving tips following the drama surrounding Lando Norris’ battle with Max Verstappen at the US Grand Prix.
Norris was controversially handed a five-second time penalty for ‘leaving the monitor and gaining a bonus’ throughout his duel with Verstappen at Flip 12.
The McLaren driver had been perceived to overhaul off the monitor after Verstappen pushed him extensive.
On this occasion, Verstappen went off the monitor as nicely, however because the defending driver, he escaped a penalty as a result of he merely made the apex first.
The incident has led to prolonged debate over how the principles are policed and common stewarding.
Writing in his post-race column for Sky Sports activities F1, Brundle blamed the state of contemporary F1 circuits and known as for adjustments to the principles to make them easier.
“We witnessed again on the Austrian GP the place a easy channel of gravel and different circuit furnishings can dissuade driving off the outlined racetrack, with out having excessive kerbs which may dangerously launch automobiles into the air,” he mentioned.
“It prices cash to exchange and return this for bike racing the place it merely would not work, however within the grand scale of F1 issues that is not costly.
“The circuit layouts and run-offs create the issues, and the ever extra advanced driving guidelines fail to handle all the inevitable and diverse points. Do not merely blame the referees, that is not honest and will not resolve the issue. The driving tips want a critical tweak, and far simplification.”
Norris’ penalty wasn’t the one one which was closely scrutinised.
George Russell was hit with a five-second penalty on the identical nook for a transfer on Valtteri Bottas.
Russell was handed a penalty despite the fact that he tried to present Bottas room mid-corner – one thing Verstappen did not do towards Norris.
This inconsistency is one thing that irked Brundle.
“I do not know what occurred to the ‘allow them to race’ method from some time again which labored fairly nicely,” he added.
“So far as I am involved, if you happen to cross a automobile on the within of a nook, whereas remaining below management and never locked up, and preserving inside the monitor confines, then you’ve received the nook and might take the traditional racing line by means of the exit, and it is as much as the motive force who has been handed to yield, to not hit the throttle and inevitably run extensive.
“George Russell took an unreasonable penalty for this in Austin as a result of the rules needed to be utilized. As have others. If Russell was penalised for working Valtteri Bottas extensive, should not Verstappen have been penalised for working Norris extensive on the identical nook?
And here is one other query, given Norris had handed Verstappen down the skin earlier than flip 12, when Verstappen sailed again up the within, who was really doing the overtaking on the nook apex, Verstappen or Norris? it is much more difficult than that.”