FIA Meets Drivers Over F1 Guidelines: No Immediate Changes Despite Debate

The FIA confirmed no immediate changes to its driving standards guidelines document for the final two rounds of the championship, despite a highly anticipated meeting with drivers. The recommendations for stewards will remain as is for now.

The discussion at the Losail circuit, ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix, centered on the guidelines that have sparked significant debate and controversy this season, particularly after several disputed decisions.

Why it matters:

After being introduced in 2022 to boost stewarding consistency and later made public for transparency, the guidelines have become a major point of contention. Drivers argue that strict adherence to the written definitions often overrides common sense and actual racing physics, leading to penalties they deem unjust. This ongoing friction between drivers and the FIA's interpretative framework impacts race outcomes and overall sporting fairness.

The Details:

• Driver Concerns: Ferrari's Charles Leclerc highlighted the issue, stating, "Today we are really sticking to the book," which "makes it difficult to have common sense sometimes in specific situations."
• Incidents Reviewed: The "frank, open and collegial" discussion covered five specific incidents from the current season:
  • The Interlagos clash between Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Oscar Piastri, and Charles Leclerc, where Piastri's 10-second penalty was widely seen as unjustified by drivers, despite aligning with guidelines.
  • The Carlos Sainz–Liam Lawson collision at Zandvoort, for which Sainz received a 10-second penalty later overturned by Williams' protest.
  • The Monza collision involving Oliver Bearman and Sainz, where Bearman was penalized.
  • These crash incidents highlighted concerns that rigid application of guidelines, particularly those focusing on car positioning on corner entry, prompts drivers to "race to the apex" in a way they deem unnatural or unfair.
  • Two track limit incidents were also discussed: the Leclerc-Max Verstappen case in Mexico regarding "leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage," and the Lando Norris-Leclerc incident in Austin concerning track limits during overtaking.
• FIA's Stance: The FIA maintains that data from the past three seasons shows the guidelines have contributed to greater consistency, an assertion supported by detailed team analyses. They also noted that the current document was "reviewed and agreed with the GPDA," meaning drivers were involved in its initial development.

What's next:

The meeting concluded with several key takeaways, though no immediate changes to the guidelines themselves.

• Delayed Decisions: A "clear preference" was expressed for stewards to delay certain decisions until after the race, allowing them to gather all relevant information and hear from drivers.
• Experienced Stewards: There was a shared view that guidelines cannot cover every scenario, underscoring the importance of having an experienced driver-steward on each panel.
• Other Discussions: Points included a stronger emphasis on respecting yellow flags, discussions on additional measures to enhance safety, and a review of blue-flag procedures to clarify expected behavior from lapped cars.
• Future Changes: While broad agreement exists between the FIA president and GPDA on having permanent, professional stewards, disagreement on funding remains. Whether further modifications to the guidelines will occur after the 2025 season is currently unclear.