F1 race director Michael Masi responds to criticism directed at the FIA and F1 after Lewis Hamilton’s punishment for his crash with Max Verstappen on the opening lap of the British Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton was given a ten-second time penalty after his collision with Max Verstappen at Silverstone last weekend, which has gone down the wrong way with some of the fans. The world champion was able to continue on his way and, despite his punishment, win his home race for the eighth time.
Michael Masi responds to that criticism by stating that his stewards do not impose penalties with the consequences they will have on those involved in mind.
“That was agreed long before my time after talks between the teams, the FIA and F1,” Masi told Motorsport. “Everyone was in agreement that the consequences should never be taken into account.”
“So when they deal with an incident, it’s all about the incident itself, not its consequences. That’s something the stewards have been doing for several years and the teams themselves make sure it happens.”
“When you consider the consequences there are so many variables, instead of judging the incident on its own.”
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner also criticized Masi for inviting Toto Wolff to have his say during the red flag situation. However, the Australian sees no point in this and dismisses Horner’s criticism that Wolff can influence the stewards in this way.
“If we have an incident after the race, we also invite the teams and drivers to appear in front of the stewards. During a red flag there is also that possibility, I see no reason why we shouldn’t.”
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