Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has hit out at what he believes to be inconsistency in the way the stewards interpret the rules.

While it was the Lando Norris penalty that dominated the headlines, Wolff highlighted the penalty handed to George Russell for forcing Valtteri Bottas off track earlier in the race.

According to the stewards, the Driving Standard Guidelines provide that when overtaking on the inside, a driver must not force the other car off the track and must leave a fair and acceptable width for the car being overtaken, as far as they were concerned this did not occur when Russell passed the Stake driver.

In mitigation, a 5 second penalty was imposed instead of the standard 10 second penalty because the stewards determined that the forcing off track was not deliberate, and Russell was in control of his car at all times.

Yuki Tsunoda was subsequently handed a 5s penalty for a similar move on Alex Albon.

Informing Russell of the penalty, Wolff described it as a "total joke", and subsequently asked by the driver whether Max Verstappen had been penalised for his move on Lando Norris at the start, Wolff informed his driver: "He didn't get a penalty, and at the end, Lando got a penalty for being forced off and overtaking on the outside.

"I guess it is a bit biased decision-making," he added.

Speaking to Sky Sports at race end, the Austrian said: "It is inconsistent. With Valtteri, it wasn't even a race. In the sprint we saw a few of those incidents that were exactly the same and weren't penalised when racing for positions, real positions actually. So receiving that penalty is completely odd and bizarre.

"I think we know why, but I can't say that on television," he added.

"Sometimes there are correlations," continued. "When there is decision-making that is a bit interesting.

"At the end of the day, it is a difficult job," he said of the stewards. "Some are very good, some are trying their best, and you need to salute these guys."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by kenji, 22/10/2024 23:48

"@Batman....it was naive to think, for even a brief moment that he, [Norris] was going to put a pass on Verstappen around the outside of that particular corner. It has been demonstrated ad infinitum visually that it was Verstappen's corner! Couple that with the fact that you can't go off track and pass another car without attracting a penalty. It was a slam dunk.....and the stewards acted accordingly. To all those who challenge the decision i would simply ask...would you share the same opinion if the roles were reversed and it was Verstappen who made a pass whilst off track? Looking forward to the next episode in Mexico."

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2. Posted by Batman, 21/10/2024 23:13

"Mr Wolf woke up late to this issue. For a long time, too long, the decisions of the stewards have been questionable to say the least. Not rarely depending on who did what. The rules, pretending to be clear, are in fact an open door to the stewards discretion. The move clearly ended up taking away any room for the overtaken driver to stay on track, forcing him off the track to avoid contact. I would therefore conclude that if there was no contact, it was because one and only one of the drivers took evasive action. The one who was penalised.
<Caesar's wife must not only be honest but must also be seen to be honest> "

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3. Posted by kenji, 21/10/2024 13:28

"I have now watched the Wolff/Kravitz interview twice. He's lost it. That was a rambling word salad that made no sense at all. "

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4. Posted by Stitch431, 21/10/2024 8:29

"The difference is that Max did not go off in the first corner at all. he still was on track with two wheels there."

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Wolff criticises stewards' inconsistency

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