Former F1 Champion Accuses FIA of Protecting Max Verstappen At United States Grand Prix

Saajan Jogia | Oct 23, 2024

Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen rounds turn 17 during the Formula 1 Pirelli United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Former Formula 1 champion Damon Hill has targeted the sport's governing body, the FIA, for its inconsistent ruling across the United States Grand Prix weekend. Hill specifically referred to the controversial scenario where Max Verstappen pushed Lando Norris off the track, but the McLaren driver received a 5-second penalty for exceeding track limits and overtaking Verstappen.

Tensions ran high during the race weekend at the Circuit of the Americas, largely due to the FIA's inconsistent handling of incidents. Penalties were applied in one situation but not in another, despite the similarities, leaving many frustrated with the lack of consistency.

In Lap 52 of the Grand Prix, Norris and Verstappen were engaged in a tight battle, with the former trying his best to pass the three-time world champion. At Turn 12, Norris attempted the overtake on the outside line of the left-hander but was immediately pushed beyond the track by Verstappen. Both cars carried enough momentum to go off track. However, Norris overtook Verstappen outside the track limits and refused to hand the position back since he was pushed off.

Although Norris crossed the finish line in third, ahead of Verstappen in fourth, a five-second penalty demoted him to behind the Dutchman. Verstappen’s sprint race victory, along with his podium finish in the Grand Prix, allowed him to widen his championship lead over Norris by 5 points, bringing the gap to 57 points.

However, there were several similar incidents over the race weekend where the FIA acted differently, such as Oscar Piastri's encounter with Pierre Gasly during the sprint race, where the McLaren driver was penalized for pushing Gasly off the track. The difference in the way both incidents were approached prompted Hill to share his views on X. McLaren team CEO Zak Brown agreed with Hill's assessment of FIA's 'bias', who then got a surprising reply from Hill. The 64-year-old F1 veteran stated:

"I'm not convinced the Stewarding was consistent in that race. But Lando went deep to pass and did so off track. That said, Max did not give him room on the exit and barged him off the track in turn 1 lap 1. The rules need to be better."

Brown replied, "Damon i’m convinced it’s not!" Hill responded to Brown saying "Yeah, but you're necessarily biased. Even if you're not!"

I'm not convinced the Stewarding was consistent in that race. But Lando went deep to pass and did so off track. That said, Max did not give him room on the exit and barged him off the track in turn 1 lap 1. The rules need to be better #f1

— Damon Hill (@HillF1) October 20, 2024

McLaren has confirmed that it won't pursue the issue any further, choosing to close the matter. However, it remains to be seen what steps the FIA will take to ensure its rulings are more consistent and justifiable moving forward.