Magnussen used similar tactics in the sprint race as he did in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to help his teammate, Nico Hulkenberg, score points for the Haas team. He veered off the track multiple times to avoid losing positions, which earned him 35 seconds worth of penalties. However, this didn’t stop him from keeping his position until Hulkenberg secured points.
Mercedes engineer Stella disagreed with the decision to clear Magnussen of unsportsmanlike behavior. She believes the FIA needs to take action and adjust its rules because Magnussen’s repeated tactics are intentional and harmful to other competitors.
Stella expressed, “The penalties should be more severe for repeated offenses. It’s not fair that drivers can accumulate penalties without facing significant consequences. This behavior is unacceptable and needs to be addressed immediately.”
Stella also mentioned that the FIA needs to come up with sensible proposals to address this issue and hopes that new rules or guidelines will be implemented soon.
One solution suggested by drivers like McLaren’s Lando Norris is for race control to enforce drivers to give up positions rather than letting teams make the decision. This would prevent drivers from using tactics like Magnussen’s to gain an advantage.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri added that while mandating drivers to give up positions may have its challenges, in cases like Magnussen’s, it should be straightforward. He believes that if the FIA instructs drivers to give up positions and penalizes them for not doing so, it would deter such tactics.
Piastri emphasized, “If the driver is openly admitting he deserves the penalties and did it for the team, that’s wrong.”
