F1 – The Austrian Grand Prix, in one way or another, always gives rise to great controversy. Last year there were around 1200 track limits viewed by the FIA, following an appeal request from Aston-Martin, which destabilized a large part of the final classification.
This year, however, the duel that saw the three-time world champion of Red Bull, Max Verstappen, as the "winner" against the McLaren of Lando Norris who was forced to retire, took center stage. Obviously, the Dutch ace lost the race but, even with damage to the left rear tyre, with the forced pit stop and the 10 second penalty imposed on him, he still managed to finish 5th in the standings, gaining 10 points on his first pursuers, Norris and Ferrari driver Leclerc, who positioned himself at the back after a race to forget.
Shortly before the "accidental incident" Lewis Hamilton and Alexander Albon were penalized 5 seconds for touching the line of the entry lane to the pits, while returning to the pits. Clearly it is a rule, it fits, I don't dispute it, but stepping on the line does not give the driver an advantage, as crossing the line that delimits the boundaries of the track several times can.
The "5 seconds" today are seen by competition judges as the panacea for almost all ills. But every "evil" is different from the others, from the most venial to the most serious. Only in exceptional cases, such as the actual advantage or the serious carelessness of an overtaking, are the 10 seconds given.
If touching the pit entry lane line is worth 5 seconds, even if it does not provide any advantage, theunsafe release, in simple terms, the "failure to give way" after making a pit stop which could cause a dangerous accident and involve people in the pits, should be worth 10 seconds, not half.
Do you want to punish those who tread on the line of the lane leading to the pits? Instead of giving 5 seconds, give 2 and a half. In my opinion, it is a fair punishment.
The penalties should have a value commensurate with the severity of the action performed and not all be the same for different actions. The ancient Romans would have used the well-known phrase "est modus in rebus": for every situation, the right moderation must be used. Formula 1, for its part, prefers the safety of the infamous "5 seconds". It doesn't matter if the driver didn't gain an advantage, the important thing is that he punishes himself and puts on a show.
Crediti foto: F1