Williams Chief Questions Unclear F1 Rules After Max Verstappen-Lando Norris USGP Scrutiny

Saajan Jogia | Oct 27, 2024

James Vowles - Williams Racing / Williams Racing Press Image

Williams team principal James Vowles has raised concerns over Formula 1’s regulations following a controversial incident between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris on Lap 52, Turn 12 of the United States Grand Prix, which saw Norris handed a 5-second penalty. Vowles questioned the clarity of the current rules and highlighted uncertainty about how similar incidents will be handled in the future, emphasizing the need for more consistency in enforcement.

Norris was handed a penalty for overtaking Verstappen while going beyond track limits. The incident occurred when he attempted to pass Verstappen by taking the outside line on the left-hander. However, both cars ran into the run-off area. Despite the move allowing Norris to cross the finish line in third place, the penalty for the track-limit breach ultimately dropped him to fourth, undoing his position gain.

The Dutchman did not receive a penalty, though he allegedly crossed the white line during the close encounter. The FIA drew criticism from McLaren and several others for its inconsistent rulings, as many other drivers involved in similar incidents received no penalties. 

Meanwhile, Verstappen's exploitation of the Formula 1 rule book's grey areas came to light, especially after seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton opened up, saying that he had been a victim of it in 2021, the year when Verstappen and the Mercedes driver's rivalry peaked in the premier class. Speaking about the same year, Vowles told Sky Germany, as quoted by GPfans.com:

"If we look back at the 2021 season, something similar happened with Max. Max always tests the limits of the rules, but he is still testing the limits. I think the bigger discussion for me is, do we want that in our sport or do we want it to be a little more damped like it used to be?

"The fact is, Max got off the track and he braked late to keep his car in front, but overtaking manuevers like this have been done like this for a while now, especially from him. In this particular case, I think the stewards made the right decision, that's my opinion, but the bigger question we have to ask ourselves is, do we want racing to be like this in the future?"

He added:

"It's like to push someone off track and then not be able to make the turn, that's just not the right way. That's my opinion, you can't be next to the car, you can be in front while braking, and then both cars go wide. We don't want to see this kind of racing."

When he was asked if he believed no one should have been punished, Vowles said:

"Yes, but the rules are the way they are at the moment. The question is how we're going to do this in the future.

"It's not as clear as it should be, so it has to be changed in the future."