Toto Wolff has voiced his frustration with the FIA’s inconsistent penalties following the controversial Austin Grand Prix incidents.
Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff was unimpressed by the stewards’ decisions during the United States Grand Prix.
Wolff described the decisions as “biased” after his driver George Russell received a five-second penalty for forcing Valtteri Bottas off the track at Turn 12.
The stewards also penalized Lando Norris for overtaking Max Verstappen outside track limits at the same corner while battling for third place in the closing stages of the race. However, Verstappen escaped a penalty for forcing Norris off at Turn 1 at the start.
Russell was surprised by his penalty, reacting with a shocked “What?” when informed during the race. Shortly after, Wolff came on the radio, saying: “It’s a joke, George, the penalty. It’s a joke.”
At the end of the race, Russell asked his team if Verstappen had been penalized for the early-race incident. Wolff responded over the radio: “No, he wasn’t penalized.”
“And in the end, Lando got penalized for being forced off track and overtaking from the outside. I guess it’s a bit of a biased decision, but you know, I’m not surprised.”
Wolff was equally critical when speaking to the media after the race.
“It’s inconsistent. Yesterday, we saw a few incidents just like this that weren’t penalized, fighting for actual positions, and getting this penalty is just completely strange and bizarre. I think we know it, but obviously, you can’t say it on TV, some of these decisions are made late on.”
“Sometimes there are correlations… between when certain decisions are made, which is a bit interesting.”
“For the stewards, it’s a tough job, and some are very good, some do their best, and you have to commend those guys. But some drivers like Max know how to exploit the rules. He knows there’s no real risk at the start and knows he has to do everything to be ahead at the apex, even if it means missing his corner.”
“These things need to be reconsidered; it’s no longer acceptable to just think this way.”
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Russell – Verstappen Cases Spark Wolff’s FIA Criticism Russell – Verstappen Cases Spark Wolff’s FIA Criticism
