The FIA has recently acknowledged that in the closing stages of the Austrian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen should have been given a warning for his manoeuvres against Lando Norris, Autosport reports. This incident resulted in the pair colliding, ending Norris’ race and relegating Verstappen to fifth place.
McLaren argued that the collision could have been avoided if Verstappen had been warned early on about his actions, namely moving while braking, a clear breach of the sport’s rules. Under Formula 1 rules, a driver defending his position must not alter his trajectory once the deceleration phase has begun.
This particular oversight by race officials came under scrutiny during the team principals’ meeting at the British Grand Prix, chaired by F1 race director Niels Wittich. Wittich admitted that, upon reviewing the incident, it was clear that a proactive approach should have been taken, which included showing the black-and-white warning flag to Verstappen.
The incident has prompted the FIA to adjust its guidelines on the use of the black and white warning flag. Amendments to Appendix H of the FIA International Sporting Code will expand the conditions under which this flag can be displayed.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella commented on the FIA’s post-race analysis and subsequent admission, as quoted by Autosport:
“We are pleased because I think the FIA has expressed its opinion on what happened in Austria and we are satisfied that this opinion confirms that our understanding immediately after the race was correct, and during the race to a certain extent.
“During the race you are not in a position to have much influence, because you cannot even speak to the stewards. You can speak to the race director, but he does not actually speak to the stewards.
“So our interpretation was confirmed by the FIA, who obviously will have reviewed it internally and may have updated their interpretation.
“And I think we all came to the conclusion that a warning should have been given to Max, if the black and white flag had not been put out. And that would have prevented an escalation that led to the collision.”
