F1 drivers face tougher penalties

[CNR]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/moto...ne/9283716.stm

In 2011 stewards will be able to exclude drivers from a race or suspend them for the next grand prix.
The FIA, the sport's governing body, also identified driving practices it wants to eradicate.
They include drivers making more than one change of direction in trying to defend a position or the deliberate crowding of a car.

[Daniel]

Excellent. We need to see some race bans to sort out some of the more ridiculous moves stopped.

[Sleeper]

About time.

[555-04Q2]

More rules / rule changes, same circus.

[Daniel]

I can't wait to see a few drivers banned and then we can watch weak and strong races all season. It would be awesome to watch a race without drivers like Vettel, Hamilton, Alonso, Rosberg, and Webber etc, and to know they were banned would really make me tune in and highlight how much of an achievement it would be for a driver to win a race without those guys as competition.

So you're cool with people having accidents which are reckless and potentially fatal for themselves or the other driver and getting away with a slap on the wrist?

[ArrowsFA1]

I've got mixed feelings about this. There are already existing rules that cover driving standards but the issue has been the inconsistent application of those rules and the differing penalties applied at different times. Creating more rules does not solve that issue.

Also I don't like to see more and more restrictions placed on what drivers can and cannot do, and how they are supposed to go racing. Drivers themselves used to know the limits of what was acceptable, and dealt with those they felt were over the limit themselves. Now, it seems, the drivers have absolved themselves of that responsibility and need someone else to tell them what is or is not acceptable. Shouldn't they know themselves?

And another thing...one of the issues facing F1 is the lack of overtaking opportunities and I've always though the 'one move' rule made overtaking even more difficult. Just think, under that rule Piquet & Mansell might have been penalised for their ducking and diving at Silverstone in 1987.

This pronouncement by the FIA says "manoeuvres liable to hinder other drivers...are not permitted". Errrr...isn't defending your position deliberately hindering another driver? If so can you not now defend your position i.e. race?

[Sonic]

I've got mixed feelings about this. There are already existing rules that cover driving standards but the issue has been the inconsistent application of those rules and the differing penalties applied at different times. Creating more rules does not solve that issue.
Also I don't like to see more and more restrictions placed on what drivers can and cannot do, and how they are supposed to go racing. Drivers themselves used to know the limits of what was acceptable, and dealt with those they felt were over the limit themselves. Now, it seems, the drivers have absolved themselves of that responsibility and need someone else to tell them what is or is not acceptable. Shouldn't they know themselves?
And another thing...one of the issues facing F1 is the lack of overtaking opportunities and I've always though the 'one move' rule made overtaking even more difficult. Just think, under that rule Piquet & Mansell might have been penalised for their ducking and diving at Silverstone in 1987.
This pronouncement by the FIA says "manoeuvres liable to hinder other drivers...are not permitted". Errrr...isn't defending your position deliberately hindering another driver? If so can you not now defend your position i.e. race?

This

Just about spot on IMO. Defending is as much an art as overtaking, but where drivers are praised to the heavens for a good pass, defending your position is viewed as the work of Satin himself.

Clearly there has to be a line drawn in the sand. Things like Schumacher's move on Rubens. 98% of that was fine, right up until Michael refused to leave a single cars width to the wall.

As you say the drivers used to know the limits - that doesn't apply any more.

[SGWilko]

This

Just about spot on IMO. Defending is as much an art as overtaking, but where drivers are praised to the heavens for a good pass, defending your position is viewed as the work of Satin himself.

Indeed - the art of skillful defending has become diluted somewhat. The Shoe and Alonso respectively at Imola on different years is an example of how to defend skillfully. The Hulk at Monza in 2010 is an example of how not to do it.

Clearly there has to be a line drawn in the sand. Things like Schumacher's move on Rubens. 98% of that was fine, right up until Michael refused to leave a single cars width to the wall.

As you say the drivers used to know the limits - that doesn't apply any more.

Of course, quotes from the likes of Moss and JYS tell you why this is so;

"we don't drive dangerously because if we do, we die" or words to that effect.

[Cooper_S]

right up until Michael refused to leave a single cars width to the wall.

The fact Rubens was along side would indicate Schumacher did leave a single car width... the problem was he should have left 1.5.

The rule is fair enough but people must accept with such a rule we would never have see many of the past greats race very much. we have had 16 years without fatality and the two in 1994 were not related to drivers scrapping for position.

This is just another move to sanitise the sport I have watched regularly since 1986

[Daniel]

I've got mixed feelings about this. There are already existing rules that cover driving standards but the issue has been the inconsistent application of those rules and the differing penalties applied at different times. Creating more rules does not solve that issue.

Also I don't like to see more and more restrictions placed on what drivers can and cannot do, and how they are supposed to go racing. Drivers themselves used to know the limits of what was acceptable, and dealt with those they felt were over the limit themselves. Now, it seems, the drivers have absolved themselves of that responsibility and need someone else to tell them what is or is not acceptable. Shouldn't they know themselves?

And another thing...one of the issues facing F1 is the lack of overtaking opportunities and I've always though the 'one move' rule made overtaking even more difficult. Just think, under that rule Piquet & Mansell might have been penalised for their ducking and diving at Silverstone in 1987.

This pronouncement by the FIA says "manoeuvres liable to hinder other drivers...are not permitted". Errrr...isn't defending your position deliberately hindering another driver? If so can you not now defend your position i.e. race?

The wording sure is clumsy but so was some of the driving that we saw this year.

I'm all for racing. But some of the drivers have become too cocky IMHO and seem to think that because Senna's death was over a decade and a half ago that it's not going to happen to them because todays cars are so safe.

There were some really stupid moves this year like Webber on Kovalainen, Vettel/Webber on Webber/Vettel and of course Schumacher on Rubens though to be fair as someone pointed out, Michael did at least leave Rubens room even if there should have been more room left.....

We also saw some fantastic racing like Jenson and Lewis in Turkey where two drivers pushed each other and made for exciting racing but were obviously also very respectful of each other.

One driver killing or seriously injuring another driver would be seriously bad for the sport.