Russell: “19 out of 20 drivers are in favor of a change in regulations” on how to defend in F1

On the sidelines of the Mexican Grand Prix, drivers and some members of the FIA gathered to protest against the lack of coherence shown by the FIA following the incident between Norris and Verstappen in the United States. That day, the British driver received a five-second penalty for overtaking a driver off the track, while the Dutch driver did not receive any sanction.

New measures to be taken quickly

Therefore, before the Mexican Grand Prix, George Russell, Mercedes driver and director of the GPDA (Grand Prix Drivers Association), believed that the governing bodies of the FIA should modify the overtaking rules to make them stricter and avoid potentially dangerous maneuvers.

« We had the discussion last week in Mexico, and the majority agreed on what needed to change. I think the FIA wanted a bit of consistency. But again, the majority thought that if something is wrong, we should change it and implement it immediately.
» The majority of the Formula 1 paddock seems to agree with the statements of the Mercedes driver. They denounce in particular the aggressiveness shown by Verstappen, who dove inside the corner while Norris was trying to overtake him, forcing the McLaren driver off the track. These statements were heard by the FIA, which announced following the drivers’ briefing on Friday in Mexico that it would review the overtaking rules.

Verstappen doubly sanctioned in Mexico

Last week, at the Rodriguez brothers’ circuit, she kept her word by being much more severe towards the triple world champion, imposing two 10-second penalties on him: one for pushing Norris off the track in the turn and another in turn 8 for going off track and gaining an advantage. Sanctions that delighted George Russell, who had pointed out the FIA’s leniency towards the Dutch driver in Austin, despite a behavior that did not respect the F1 Code of Conduct. The sports commissioners understand what needs to change, explained the Briton to the media, including Racefans. If you look at Mexico, penalties were imposed, and I think they were justified. Perhaps they should have been imposed in Austin as well. But I think everyone agrees on where the limit lies.

« Currently, we are witnessing a number of maneuvers that are simply unacceptable… It’s no longer entertaining in terms of sports, it’s becoming unfair. If we can say that the first struggle may have been 60-40 in terms of responsibilities, for the second one, I haven’t seen anything like it since 2021. » Russell took this opportunity to criticize the triple world champion, who was outraged by the number of seconds of penalties he received, suggesting in passing that he would not handle situations differently despite the severity of the FIA.

« He is a triple world champion, he knows what he is doing, there is no doubt about that. He is a tough driver, he has always been aggressive, and that, I think, is great. If you exceed the limit, you are penalized. If you are at the limit, you achieve something exceptional. And last week, he exceeded the limit, he was penalized. In the past, he has been at the limit and has not been penalized. So, he knows what he is doing and I think that last week’s penalties were fair, and he cannot challenge that. »

Pilots in favor of a change in the regulations

Even if it is difficult to get these new rules approved by all pilots, the Briton explains that 19 out of 20 drivers agree on what needs to be done. The winner of the Austrian Grand Prix is satisfied with the direction taken by the FIA and is convinced that this trend will continue in the upcoming races.

« It is good to see that these incidents have been penalized, and I believe that in Brazil, what we have seen in Austin or Mexico will no longer be tolerated.
» Faced with pressure from the drivers, the FIA will probably not wait until 2025 to formalize these changes, and they could prove decisive in the title race between the two main protagonists, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.