The 20 Formula 1 drivers, the FIA and the stewards held a “productive” meeting on Thursday ahead of this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix to discuss the sport’s overtaking rules.
The discussion comes a month on from Max Verstappen and Lando Norris’ fierce battles at the United States and Mexico City Grand Prix, where they were embroiled in controversial incidents.
Norris was given a five-second time penalty for overtaking Verstappen off the track in Austin, as the Red Bull driver was first to the apex of the corner. However, Norris, and other drivers, felt Verstappen pushed his rival off the track.
A week later in Mexico, Verstappen was handed two 10-second time penalties for his actions in wheel-to-wheel combat with Norris.
Verstappen, who sealed a fourth consecutive F1 title in Las Vegas, has openly stated he races to the regulations.
“I think we still need, for sure, a few more discussions about certain things,” said Verstappen.
“But I think it more has to do with the track layout. Some places you have a lot of run-off and that creates a lot of issues, that’s something we have to work on in the future. That’s the main problem.
“If you have gravel, that stops you from doing things that takes a bit more risk than normal.”
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Lando Norris was on team radio complaining that Verstappen pushed him wide on the opening lap of the USA Grand Prix
George Russell, who is a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, was one of numerous drivers who were given a penalty in Austin for allegedly forcing another driver off the track when overtaking.
The Mercedes driver has been vocal for more consistency in the sport and hopes for clearer rules in 2025.
“It was a productive meeting. I don’t think a lot needed to be changed,” he told Sky Sports F1.
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A 360-degree look at Norris’s overtake of Verstappen, which earned Norris a five-second penalty at the United States Grand Prix
“Just the odd sentence that needed to be got rid of, such as if you are overtaking on the inside you need to leave a car’s width from apex to exit, hence why I got the penalty in Austin.
“There wasn’t necessarily anything in the guidelines about Max’s manoeuvre, if you dive bomb and go off the track. That was effectively out of control.
“Everyone is in agreement with these things. It’s not like you have to turn the whole thing upside down and rewrite the whole rulebook. Just the odd thing needed to be changed. That’s been positive.”
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Listen to the heated radio messages exchanged during the US Grand Prix following Norris’s controversial overtake of Verstappen
Speaking to the written media, Russell said what drivers ultimately wanted to see was changes to circuit design to provide a natural deterrent to drivers trying to run wide.
“If you are able to stay on the circuit [when overtaking on the inside] you are in your right to run the driver wide, as it has been for all of us since go-karts,” he said.
“We also concluded that most of these issues are down to the circuits. We spoke about a number of 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 Four, the downhill right-hander – you’re going to go in the gravel if you’re one or two per cent over the limit.
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Watch Hamilton, Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc produce an incredible wheel-to-wheel fight for P2 at the 2022 British Grand Prix.
“Silverstone at Stowe, there was some great racing a couple of years ago with Lewis, Checo and Charles but ultimately everyone was off the track and that’s because the track allows you so.
“So the circuits are the root cause and the drivers are an interim fix that we can agree on until we can get all of the circuits into a proper manner.”
Hamilton ‘welcomes’ more conversations in the future
Hamilton is aware of Verstappen’s aggressive more than any driver on the grid, having gone head-to-head with the Dutchman in the controversial 2021 season.
The seven-time world champion says F1 is now “going in the right direction” after Thursday’s discussion, which lasted around one hour.
“The meeting was really productive. It’s the first time we really sat down with them,” Hamilton told Sky Sports F1.
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“We had clear and open discussions with the stewards, who have such a difficult job. Every overtake and every scenario is so different to the other.
“There’s nothing that will change for these two races but for next year, we are working on the process and hopefully we welcome having more conversations with them moving forwards.”
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Verstappen and Norris clash once again this season as Verstappen forces Norris off the track multiple times
He later added to the written media: “In their [ the stewards’] minds, this year, it has been better in terms of consistency but obviously everyone wants to be perfect.
“Until you have those discussions, they won’t fully understand from where we are sitting and what we are fighting for is right or wrong, in certain scenarios. It’s good for them to hear, and for us to work on clear guidelines, so from also in the car, you know what you have.
“For example, there was talk about a warning but you know if you have that one warning and you wait for the last race of the year to utilise your warning, that doesn’t work.”
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Red Bull team principal Christian Horner continued to defend Verstappen following his controversial defensive driving against title rival Norris at the Mexico City Grand Prix
Sky Sports F1’s live Qatar GP schedule
Friday November 29
9.55am: F1 Academy Practice One
11am: F2 Practice
1pm: Qatar GP Practice One (practice starts at 1.30pm)
2.55pm: F1 Academy Practice Two
4.05pm: F2 Qualifying
5pm: Qatar GP Sprint Qualifying (qualifying starts at 5.30pm)*
Saturday November 30
12.10pm: F1 Academy Qualifying
1pm: Qatar GP Sprint build-up
2pm: QATAR GP SPRINT
3.30pm: Ted’s Sprint Notebook
4pm: F2 Sprint Race
5.15pm: Qatar GP Qualifying build-up
6pm: QATAR GP QUALIFYING
8pm: F1 Academy: Race One
8.45pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday December 1
10.55am: F1 Academy Race Two
12.15pm: F2 Feature Race
2.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Qatar GP build-up
4pm: THE QATAR GRAND PRIX
6pm: Chequered Flag: Qatar GP reaction
7pm: Ted’s Notebook
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula 1’s season-ending triple-header continues this weekend with the Qatar Grand Prix, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream the final two F1 races and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime