In Miami’s dash Magnussen was handed three 10-second penalties for leaving the observe and gaining a bonus, which meant the Haas driver was in a position to maintain Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton behind. He additionally obtained a fourth penalty, this time a five-second addition, for leaving the observe for no justifiable motive that bolstered his penalty points tally within the course of.
Whereas Magnussen ruined his personal race, his techniques did permit team-mate Hulkenberg to attain very important factors, mirroring the Dane’s defensive drive in comparable circumstances in Saudi Arabia.
Magnussen’s actions have been slammed as “unacceptable” and worthy of a race ban by McLaren team boss Andrea Stella, with a rising consensus that the choice to lift the punishment from 5 to 10 seconds for this season does nothing to discourage drivers from blocking rivals illegally to profit a team-mate.
The Miami stewards determined to stay with 10-second penalties to keep up consistency with earlier choices, however raised in one of their verdicts the point that harsher penalties might be a better solution going ahead.
Autosport understands the FIA is eager to start out handing out drive-throughs in such situations, which solves the difficulty instantly as a result of it forces the offending drivers to pit and cede observe place inside two laps.
The matter is about to be mentioned by the groups, stewards and the FIA in Friday’s workforce managers briefing at Imola’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
The escalating punishment could be handed out in case of repeat offences throughout the identical race, when the stewards suspect drivers are deliberately going off observe to keep up their place.
A return of stewards telling drivers to present the place again, which was normal apply till handing that accountability to the drivers from 2022 onwards, isn’t into account.
Kevin Magnussen, Haas F1 Workforce, on the grid
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Talking completely to Autosport, RB workforce principal Laurent Mekies mentioned he was in favour of harsher penalties.
“It is one factor to sluggish strategically the vehicles behind you to assist your team-mates or to assist your race, it is one thing totally different to chop the observe and acquire a place on any individual to then sluggish him down,” the previous FIA man mentioned.
“I believe the game wants discover a strategy to keep away from from occurring. It is not that troublesome, it is referred to as a drive-through. The rulebook utterly permits the stewards to evaluate what occurred and do this.
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“And with the response of everybody, we in all probability don’t need that to proceed to be the way in which of doing issues, so in Monaco you may simply reduce the chicane and sluggish again down. Even when the man will get a giant penalty or penalty factors, it nonetheless helps his team-mate to get a degree.
“In order a bunch it is one thing that we need to make sure that we’ve the instruments to restrict that from occurring. I believe we’ve them and it is as much as them to implement it.”