The FIA is considering the idea of punishing drivers who cause a red flag situation by definitively stopping their participation in the interrupted session. It is still unclear whether this measure would be applied only to the three qualifying sessions or also to practice sessions.
The discussion, which took place yesterday in an F1 governance meeting, referred to an incident that occurred last weekend in Austria, where Valtteri Bottas found himself on track with his Alfa Romeo stuck. The race control suspended the session with a red flag, and later Valtteri Bottas was able to restart his car and return to the pits to resume qualifying.
IndyCar has long adopted a clear regulation in this regard. If a driver causes a red flag in qualifying, their two best times are canceled, and they are no longer allowed to return to the track until the end of the session. This approach aims to combat potential deliberate incidents that can freeze the standings at a particular moment.
However, there is a downside. Considering the severity of the punishment, it could become a deterrent for drivers to take risks during the peak performance moment of the weekend.
More details will be known in the coming weeks. Currently, the topic has been discussed, but some points remain unresolved, such as the case of Valtteri Bottas, who was able to independently resume the track. No decision has been made at this time.
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