Until the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League
Andrea Stella, the boss of McLaren Formula 1, believes that Kevin Magnussen’s driving in the Miami Grand Prix sprint race deserved a ban rather than individual time penalties. The stewards have also suggested that the penalty approach in F1 may need to be changed.
Magnussen admitted to using “foolish tactics” to impede Lewis Hamilton in the Miami sprint race so that his teammate Nico Hulkenberg, who was ahead on the track, could build a sufficient buffer to secure two valuable championship points in seventh place.
The stewards penalized Magnussen on four occasions during his battle with Hamilton. Three penalties were for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, each resulting in a 10-second penalty. He also received an additional five-second penalty for leaving the track without a valid reason.
The third 10-second penalty for Magnussen also came with three penalty points on his license, as the stewards believed it warranted more than just a time penalty. However, no further action was taken for the alleged unsportsmanlike behavior.
Before the verdict was announced, McLaren team principal Stella expressed his strong belief that the FIA needs to take action against this type of driving. He suggested that a race ban would be appropriate, followed by monitoring the offending driver to ensure they have learned their lesson.
“For me, this case is relatively straightforward,” Stella said. “We have a situation where a competitor intentionally caused damage to another competitor. This behavior occurred within the same race and has been repeated throughout the season. How can penalties be cumulative? They should be increasing exponentially. Perhaps the driver needs to take a weekend off to reflect on their sportsmanship and then return. Only if they show loyalty, fairness, and good sportsmanship towards their fellow competitors should they be allowed to continue in this business. It is completely unacceptable.”
This issue is particularly sensitive for Stella, as his driver Lando Norris received a penalty for unsportsmanlike behavior last year in the Canadian Grand Prix. Magnussen’s penalties, which included license penalty points, now bring him close to an automatic race ban, as he has accumulated eight points within a 12-month period. Stella believes that the penalty system needs to be adjusted to discourage repeat offenses.
Stella suggested that the FIA should review the penalty system and propose changes to the sporting advisory committee. The stewards have also expressed their desire for this to happen, stating that penalties for repeat infringements may need to be increased to discourage similar scenarios in the future.
During the stewards’ investigation, Magnussen claimed that he believed he was entitled to race Hamilton the way he did. He was willing to accept the standard penalties for any infringements that occurred. Magnussen also argued that building a gap to Hulkenberg and assisting his teammate was within the rules and not unsportsmanlike.
The stewards agreed with Magnussen’s argument, stating that the standard for unsportsmanlike behavior must be high and that there was no clear evidence of an intention to behave in an unsportsmanlike manner. However, they did disagree with the way Magnussen repeatedly left the track.
Magnussen expressed his desire for greater clarity on what is allowed in such situations and suggested that the FIA should have the power to enforce position changes rather than applying time penalties. This suggestion was supported by McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who believe that the FIA should be able to intervene and force drivers to give up positions if necessary.
Overall, there is a consensus among McLaren and its drivers that the penalty system in F1 needs to be reviewed and adjusted to discourage unsportsmanlike behavior and repeat offenses.