Franco Colapinto’s future is one of the hottest topics in F1. Over the last few days, Red Bull have confirmed their interest in the 21-year-old talent. Amidst this off-track speculation, Colapinto has given the stewards some criticism for how they approach penalty decisions.
Colapinto: The stewards look too much at the consequence
A series of scraps between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen have sparked conversation about how the stewards decide penalties.
The aftermath of their clash at the US GP even sparked a driver meeting that clarified the rules of engagement in side-by-side battles.
However, this does not mean all decisions moving forward will be met with unanimous approval. Franco Colapinto was among the drivers that were unhappy with the penalties awarded last weekend.
The Argentine believes his 10-second penalty (awarded after a fight with Liam Lawson) exposed a flaw in how the stewards assess incidents.
He explained his perspective to F1 TV post-race:
“I was slightly ahead at the apex, and then he braked on the dust and ran wide and pushed me off.
“Then he broke his front wing alone. It’s not something to complain, but I think the drivers need to try to understand what we can do better to try not to get these penalties.
“I think [the rules] are very favourable for the guy on the inside, and doesn’t leave much room of what to do for the guy on the outside…
“I think [the penalty] is related to what happened to Liam. That he broke his front wing – which is not my fault.
“They looked more at that consequence. I think the stewards shouldn’t be looking at the consequence after an incident.”
As the title race intensifies, every decision over the next few weeks is likely to be scrutinised. Now more than ever, penalties could tip the scales in the Championship.
Looking ahead to next season, teams and drivers will look for greater clarity on this issue.
