Steiner questionne la pénalité de Verstappen à Djeddah : 'Les commissaires étaient incertains, alors ils ont fait une réduction
10:00, 24 avr.
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Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has criticised the stewards of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix for their decision regarding Max Verstappen's five-second time penalty.
The Dutchman received the penalty after a turn 1 incident with eventual race winner Oscar Piastri, with the Australian getting a better launch than pole sitter Verstappen to get to the first turn ahead.
The Red Bull Racing driver looked to make the move around the outside of the corner, but he ran out of room to do so and cut the chicane as a result, retaking the lead and then not giving the position back, meaning the stewards gave him the five-second penalty that changed the race.
Steiner unsure about the "discount" the stewards gave
The usual penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, which was what Verstappen was penalised for, is ten seconds. However, because it occurred on the first lap, the stewards saw mitigating circumstances and reduced the penalty to five seconds.
However, that was a move that Steiner found very confusing, not agreeing the the decision-making that came from the stewards in Jeddah.
"Why was it five seconds and not ten?" asks a dissatisfied Steiner in the Red Flags Podcast. "Now we have mitigating circumstances. But in life, you are right or you are wrong. It's like they're not sure if it's right or wrong, so let's make it five instead of ten. Let's give a little bit of a discount here."
"I don't know. If you were to commit an armed robbery with no bullets in your gun, is that mitigating or not?" wondered a disagreeing Steiner, with his co-presenters disagreeing with him, confirming that it would still be considered an armed robbery.
But would Steiner have agreed with the steward's decision to not have any mitigation and give the full ten-second penalty? "No, I would not be ok. I wouldn't have liked the penalty, but then they would have sent a clear message.
"Of course, games are played here, and that's part of racing," the former Haas team boss emphasises, believing that it was, according to him, a clear racing incident.
"I thought Max was in front, and how he played it worked for him. It was like, as they [the stewards] said, there were mitigating circumstances. It was the first round. If you do it in another lap... But you're racing. Should he go off, brake, and then let the other pass? No."
Steiner takes inspiration from IndyCar
The 60-year-old believes that the F1 penalty system is flawed compared to IndyCar in the USA, with Steiner recalling a discussion he had with former IndyCar driver and current IndyCar steward Max Papis.
"If it's 99% clear that it's a penalty, it's still not 100%. Don't give it," the Italian said, with IndyCar issuing no penalty if there's any doubt, an approach that Steiner is a fan of.
In my opinion, [the stewards in Jeddah] were like: 'Okay, it was a penalty, we think it's a penalty, but it was the first turn, so let's half the penalty.
"But, in my honest opinion, Oscar would have beaten him anyway, either in the pit stops with the strategy, because he was clearly in control when he got in front," concluded Steiner.
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