F1 driving guidelines update as ‘root cause’ identified for racing inconsistency
Lando Norris and Max Verstappen were involved in two tight battles in Mexico and Austin.
George Russell has given an update on the driving standards guidelines in use in F1, after a key meeting between the drivers and the FIA in Qatar.
Russell serves as director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, and spoke on the ‘tweaks’ that are set to come to the driving guidelines among the drivers, with the belief being that the “root cause” of inconsistency is the circuits rather than the drivers themselves.
‘Everyone’s in agreement’ after ‘productive’ F1 driving guidelines meeting
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
Mercedes driver Russell explained the discrepancies between different circuits allows for drivers to defend in different ways, which means the rules of engagement can differ as a result based on the race weekend.
He explained that, where there is a hard limit on the track – such as grass or gravel – that creates a natural deterrent where asphalt run-offs do not – which he hopes will be addressed to create a single solution for the drivers next year, along with the potential change to a track limits warning being given when a driver runs off track after going off around the outside.
Referencing the close moments between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen in Austin and Mexico in particular, Russell added that the moment of Verstappen running Norris off-track at the Circuit of The Americas was the “outlier” when it came to decision-making so far this season, where other decisions have proven largely correct.
“It was pretty productive,” Russell said of the Qatar meeting to media including PlanetF1.com.
“I think we all agree the guidelines, they don’t need massive changes – I think they just need the odd sentence removed or adjusted.
“But I think everybody’s clear with what happened in Austin, what should have been a penalty, what happened in Mexico was rightly penalised and, generally speaking, over the course of the year, I think the decisions have been pretty good. It was just probably Austin, that was the outlier.
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“I think a lot of drivers are aligned that if you are the overtaking car on the inside, rule number one is you have to be able to stay on the circuit.
“If you’re able to stay on the circuit, you are in your right to run the driver wide, as it has been for all of us since go karting.
“We also concluded that most of these issues are down to the circuits. You know, we spoke about a number of the issues in Austin, I think a lot of the overtakes wouldn’t have even been attempted had there been gravel there, such as Austria, Turn 4, the downhill right-hander. You know, you’re going to go in the gravel if you go one or two per cent over the limit.
“Silverstone at Stowe, you know, obviously had great racing a couple of years ago [2022] with Lewis and Checo and Charles – ultimately, everyone was off the track, but that’s because the track allowed you.
“The circuits are the root cause, and the guidelines are kind of like an interim fix that we need to agree on until we can get all of the circuits in a proper manner.”
When a similar meeting took place in Mexico City, Verstappen is believed to have been the only driver reluctant to agree to the proposed guidelines for next season, but Russell said that has now been upgraded to a full grid of 20 for the updated rules.
“Everyone’s in agreement,” Russell confirmed.
“To be honest, I know there was maybe a bit of disagreement when we had the meeting in Mexico, but I think that was probably just a bit of self-protection.
“I don’t think it’s rocket science. I think we all feel the same way, if you’re overtaking on the inside and you make the corner and you’re not running off, it’s your corner.
“You want to see hard racing. You want to see drivers battling wheel to wheel. It looks awesome when people are going through the gravel and sparks [are] being flown up, and I think the stewards recognise that.
“If you’re on the outside being overtaken, it’s on you to yield. And right now, there is a line in the regulation that says the inside driver needs to leave room to the guy on the outside from the apex to the exit, and I think that’s going to be getting binned off, and I hope it’s going to be from this weekend onwards.
“I think the overtaking rules on the outside will not be changing much, and I don’t think we’ve really seen much of a problem.”
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