27/10/2024
NEWS STORY
Despite failing to have Lando Norris' Austin penalty overturned, the ongoing furore has at least caused the FIA to review the racing guidelines.
The move follows talks between the drivers and the sport's governing body in Mexico, with the FIA aiming to have new guidelines in place for the penultimate race of the season.
"We know and appreciate the stewards' work," Alex Wurz, chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association told Sky Sports. "We know that they have a difficult role and situation and very much appreciate that we have a good dialogue to first make decisions more consistent, which definitely is the case, but we now collectively see that there is room for improvement.
"No wants over-regulation," he insisted, "we want to see good racing, and the sentiment is, that with a collective push, we will improve the guidelines for next season."
In the aftermath of Austin, the main bone of contention is the rule whereby whoever gets their front axle to the apex of the corner first 'has' the corner, something at which Max Verstappen has become adept.
"There's one rule which needs to be changed," said Pierre Gasly. "It's that whoever has got their front axle first at the apex has got the priority."
"You shouldn't be able to come off the brakes and run more speed in and go off the track and still hold your place," added Lewis Hamilton.
"I think we'd probably all want to see the same stewards all year long so that the drivers and the stewards can all be on the same page and that we can apply common sense when needed rather than having to follow the letter of the law," said GPDA director, George Russell.
However, as far as Verstappen is concerned, the move changes nothing.
"I don't make the rules," he said on arrival in Mexico. "I just follow the rules as much as I can. I just implement the rules and play with them."
"For me, in terms of racing, nothing changes," he said in the wake of the drivers' meeting with the FIA. "The rules can always be better, you should always strive for that, right? It's never perfect. I understand that.
"I think, where the problem starts is that on that track you can very easily just drive offline," he continued. "If there's just a gravel pit, you never get into that situation, because the car on the outside never brakes that late as there's obviously the risk of going off. The same on the inside, because then you always go in more carefully, so you never have that scenario.
"On certain circuits with a lot of run-off that is a problem and of course the FIA sees that too. They might also want to, like in Austria, put in a few gravel traps. That does help."
Asked if he thought the move to change the rules was a deliberate ploy aimed at him, he said: "No. I just think they want to know themselves."
"It was a positive, productive meeting," said Carlos Sainz. "A lot of drivers opened up about how they felt about each situation and what we think is the best way forward.
"How you interpret the rules and those driving guidelines that the stewards are going to apply penalties with, they're still the same coming into this weekend and probably I think they will be applied in a similar manner.
"But I think in Qatar we will have some solutions that hopefully will offer a better understanding for the driver and better racing in general. Hopefully it should be better."
Check out our Sunday gallery from Mexico City here.