FIA to revise F1 racing guidelines following Verstappen US GP controversy – report

The FIA, Formula 1’s governing body, has reportedly agreed with the drivers to alter their guidelines on wheel-to-wheel combat.

The report comes from the BBC, following the scraps between title protagonists Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in Austin which became a major talking point.

FIA and F1 drivers agree to racing guidelines change

Additional reporting by Elizabeth Blackstock

Norris started from pole in Austin with Championship leader Verstappen for company on the front row, but as Verstappen launched up the inside into Turn 1, both drivers went wide, allowing eventual winner Charles Leclerc to swoop through into the lead.

And in the closing stages of the Grand Prix, Verstappen and Norris went to battle again, Norris attempting to go around the outside at Turn 12, with neither driver making the corner. Norris re-joined ahead of Verstappen and was given a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

F1’s rules of engagement therefore proved a popular topic for debate among the drivers at this weekend’s Mexican GP, and as per the BBC, this was brought up in the drivers’ briefing, leading to the FIA agreeing to change the wording of the regulations which would govern those Verstappen and Norris duels, with most drivers apparently feeling Verstappen had exploited a loophole with his defence.

The FIA will allegedly put the updated wording before the drivers for approval before the end of F1 2024.

As per the BBC, a spokesperson for the FIA said: “There was a general commitment to continue to update the driving standards guidelines.

“Bearing in mind the drivers requested the drivers’ racing guidelines and agreed to their introduction along with the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, each time they are updated it is consultation with the drivers.

“It is generally accepted that they should continue to evolve, not because of isolated incidents such as Austin, but driven by the desire to bring consistency to determinations and decisions from the stewards.”

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Verstappen’s F1 2021 title rival Lewis Hamilton was one of the more vocal drivers pushing for changes to the guidelines when he spoke to reporters in Mexico.

Put to him that a grey area was exposed in the F1 driving guidelines by that Verstappen and Norris US GP duel, Hamilton replied to the media, including PlanetF1.com: “I mean, it’s always been a grey area. That’s why he’s got away with it for so long.

“They probably need to make some adjustments for sure.

“Also, we do have inconsistencies weekend in, weekend out, obviously, depending on which stewards are there.

“And as a sport, we do need to level up on all areas. We look at like other global sports, they have full-time refs for example, and I’m sure that wouldn’t be a bad thing for our sport.

“But, yeah, you shouldn’t be able to… I mean, I experienced it many times with Max and you shouldn’t be able to just launch the car up the inside over your head and then go off and still hold your position.”

McLaren protested the five-second penalty for Norris which ultimately dropped him to P4 back behind Verstappen.

However, their right to review was rejected by the FIA, the grounds for that rejection being, the governing body explained, that an error in an FIA document is not new evidence, as McLaren had argued that Norris was no longer the defending car, but instead the attacking one having briefly pulled ahead of Verstappen heading into T12.

Verstappen holds a 57-point lead over Norris in the Drivers’ Championship standings.

Read next: McLaren ‘disagree’ with FIA as right to review Norris’ penalty rejected