Several F1 drivers have said they expect the series’ penalty points system to be reviewed after Kevin Magnussen was suspended for one race at this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Magnussen received his last two penalty points for his collision with Pierre Gasly at Monza, and the light contact between the pair saw both drivers run away from the second chicane and continue in the order they arrived. Magnussen was penalised for attempting to overtake but has now reached 12 penalty points in the last 12 months, and his team-mate Nico Hulkenberg believes the ban risks damaging the overall quality of racing.
“I didn’t see two penalty points there, and the 10-second penalty is very harsh in my opinion, and most drivers feel the same way about it,” Hulkenberg said. “I’ve litigated with Fernando. [Alonso] In the Austrian sprint race, I got stuck going into turn 3, went wide and he had to go off the track, that’s racing.
“To overtake, we have to step out of our comfort zone and take risks, and that’s what happens sometimes. In my case, it was the same with Fernando. [Magnussen and] Pierre, both drivers said “nothing”, which means that if there is any contact at all, the supervisor wants to intervene and there will be consequences.
“The drivers feel that not all contacts are really necessary so perhaps the penalty guidelines should be reviewed and changed because we have to race and otherwise it is difficult.
“It’s going to be boring and dull because we can’t race anymore. We’re always going to get penalties. But the issue will be raised in the drivers’ meetings, [race director] Niels Wittig.”
Hulkenberg’s views were not dissimilar to Alex Albon’s, but the Williams driver felt Magnussen had abused the rules earlier in the season and should have been given a harsher penalty in other instances.
“I don’t think anybody is a real fan,” Albon said. “The punishment should be in the race itself. If you look back at what Kevin did in a couple of races, he should have been punished a lot more than he did in those races. That set a precedent and he kept doing it. It’s a little messy.
“There were some that were dangerous, some that weren’t. So it seems a little bit strange. Even the fact that it resets right after a one-match ban and goes back to a clean slate seems strange. So I don’t quite understand it.
“We talked about it in the drivers’ briefing. Everyone agreed that the system needs to change a little bit. We need to be a little more lenient about what constitutes penalty points. If we do it right, it can be fine. I think the whole system will be rephrased. Some of it will be addressed next year.”
Yuki Tsunoda suggested that the limit should be raised given the number of races taking place in the current 12 months.
“I was in a similar situation and almost got banned two years ago,” Tsunoda said. “I don’t think the penalty points have changed in the last 10 years since they were introduced. I think they should be a little more strict now. It seems a little stricter for 24 races. But at the same time, everyone is on the same page, so we have to deal with it.”
Most drivers argue that Magnussen’s actions against Gasly were not serious enough to warrant a ban, but George Russell says there has to be a line somewhere when it comes to repeat offenders and Magnussen has had several other incidents that should not have been repeated.
“This is a conversation that has been going on for years when drivers are sailing too close to the wind,” Russell said. “No one has been banned for 12 years, so was the penalty point harsh enough?
“You could argue that his penalty point at Monza was harsh, but others were not harsh enough. Also, we need to set a precedent for the junior series. You can’t drive dangerously or erratically. At some point, he has to be punished for it.”
