F1 teams could face penalties if they visit race stewards without invitation. Formula 1 teams have been warned they could face penalties if they visit race stewards without an invitation.

One of the controversial aspects of last weekend’s British Grand Prix was the way in which both Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and Christian Horner lobbied the stewards as they looked into the crash involving Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

Wolff had gone there on the advice of F1 race director Michael Masi in a bid to make sure that they were aware of the FIA guidelines regarding who has the right to a corner during the fight for positions.

However, Masi appears to have changed his stance and has now warned teams that unprompted visits to the stewards will not be tolerated.

In a note sent to all competitors, Masi said that access to the stewards for anyone other than the necessary FIA officials would only be allowed with ‘prior approval’ or as the result of a summons.

Teams have been told that if they are found to be in breach of this latest guidance then they could face sanctions under Article 12.2.1.i of the FIA’s International Sporting Code.

This deems that an offence will be deemed to have taken place if a competitor has failed: “to follow the instructions of the relevant officials for the safe and orderly conduct of the Event.”

Sanctions for such an offence can range from a reprimand all the way through to disqualification.