Günther Steiner challenges the FIA’s decision to reduce Max Verstappen’s penalty, urging stewards to apply consistent and firm rulings in racing incidents.
Günther Steiner is skeptical about the FIA’s approach to penalties, especially when it involves the potential for reduced sentences. A recent example occurred in Jeddah, where Max Verstappen was initially given a 10-second penalty, only for it to be reduced to 5 seconds by the stewards, since the incident took place during the race start and at the first corner.
The former Haas F1 team principal compares this to applying mitigating circumstances in criminal cases, like a bank robber whose gun isn’t loaded. He remains unconvinced by the reasoning behind reducing Verstappen’s penalty when the maneuver clearly went against the regulations.
“Now we have mitigating circumstances,” Steiner remarked during the Red Flags podcast. “In life, you’re either right or wrong. I haven’t seen many instances where the stewards seem unsure whether something was right or wrong.”
He continued, “So let’s make it five seconds instead of 10. Give him a little discount. But I don’t know… I wouldn’t say that if you rob a bank with an unloaded gun, it’s a mitigating circumstance.”
Despite his skepticism about the penalty reduction, Steiner acknowledged that he would have classified Verstappen’s action as a racing incident. He agreed with Red Bull’s perspective that Verstappen was ahead into the corner, even though he did so by lifting off the throttle without actively trying to take the corner.
“I wouldn’t agree with that. But it would have sent a clear message. For me, it was just racing. There are tactics involved, and that’s part of racing. You try to keep your position and play the game.”
Steiner also believes that Max was ahead, and his tactics worked out in his favor. “It was like mitigating circumstances. It was the first lap, but it’s racing. Should he have braked and let the other driver through? No.”
According to Steiner, race officials should avoid penalizing drivers unless they are absolutely certain that the action violated the rules. “One thing I’ll never forget is that in doubt, if it’s not clear whether it’s a penalty, the decision should be to not impose one.”
“If it’s 99% clear that it’s a penalty but not 100%, don’t give it. In my opinion, the stewards said, ‘Okay, it was a penalty, but we don’t think it was.’ But it was the first corner, so let’s halve the penalty. Honestly, I think Oscar [Piastri] would’ve passed him anyway.”
Steiner further expressed his desire for stewards to be more decisive when needed. “The stewards always try to be polite and not upset anyone. But I mean, a judge, obviously, if they sentence someone to life without parole, they know that person won’t be happy, but that’s their job. I’m sorry, but they’re just doing their job. Sometimes, if you think a driver did something wrong, give them 10 seconds, justify and explain it, and that’s it. If you say, ‘Yes, because it was the first lap,’ then again, we have a different rule for the first lap. It’s still a bit unclear.”
Finally, Steiner praised Verstappen for managing his emotions after the race and avoiding unnecessary controversy. “I think he played it very smartly, sending a message without offending anyone. If he was told not to criticize, he didn’t say anything.”
“If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything. He used that to his advantage, and I think he did it very intelligently. At least he managed to avoid too much criticism about what he should or shouldn’t have done.”
“Obviously, he shook hands with Ben Sulayem on the podium. We all saw that, so I think he calmed down a bit at that moment. But it was clear he wasn’t happy, and I don’t think he’s completely over it. But, you know, it is what it is in the heat of the moment.”
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Steiner Slams ‘Mitigating Circumstances’ in Penalty Decisions Steiner Slams ‘Mitigating Circumstances’ in Penalty Decisions
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