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 capable of maintain Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton behind. He additionally acquired a fourth penalty, this time a five-second addition, for leaving the observe for no justifiable motive that bolstered his penalty factors tally within the course of.
Whereas Magnussen ruined his personal race, his ways did permit team-mate Nico Hulkenberg to attain 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 group boss Andrea Stella, with a rising consensus that the choice to boost 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 take care of consistency with earlier selections, however raised in one in all their verdicts the purpose that harsher penalties may be a greater resolution going ahead.
Motorsport.com understands the FIA is eager to begin 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 group managers briefing at Imola’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
The escalating punishment can be handed out in case of repeat offences throughout the identical race, when the stewards suspect drivers are deliberately going off observe to take care of their place.
A return of stewards telling drivers to offer the place again, which was commonplace follow till handing that duty to the drivers from 2022 onwards, isn’t into consideration.
Kevin Magnussen, Haas F1 Crew, on the grid
Picture by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Pictures
Talking completely to Motorsport.com, RB group principal Laurent Mekies mentioned he was in favour of harsher penalties.
“It is one factor to gradual strategically the automobiles behind you to assist your team-mates or to assist your race, it is one thing completely different to chop the observe and achieve a place on anyone to then gradual him down,” the previous FIA man mentioned.
“I believe the game wants discover a strategy to keep away from from taking place. It is not that tough, it is known as a drive-through. The rulebook utterly permits the stewards to guage what occurred and do this.
PRIME: The can of worms opened by Magnussen’s Miami F1 dash antics
“And with the response of everybody, we in all probability don’t desire that to proceed to be the way in which of doing issues, so in Monaco you may simply reduce the chicane and gradual again down. Even when the man will get an enormous penalty or penalty factors, it nonetheless helps his team-mate to get some extent.
“In order a bunch it is one thing that we wish to ensure that we’ve got the instruments to restrict that from taking place. I believe we’ve got them and it is as much as them to implement it.”
