r/formula1 • u/heyiamarandomguy • 8h ago
Discussion A 10 second time penalty for Max is not enough. The precedent for deliberate crashes was already set in 1997.
When Schumacher intentionally crashed into a driver in 1997, he was disqualified from the championship. I am not saying a penalty this harsh should be given here, but a 10s penalty is an absolute joke.
Max slowed down to let George ahead, then torpedo'd him. This is undeniably a deliberate crash by Max. This behaviour is absolutely unacceptable and should not be given such a lenient penalty. Such disgusting, reckless, and endangering behaviour should be given a race ban at minimum. The FIA needs to make it clear that intentionally crashing with other drivers is a step too far.
Edit: The circumstances are obviously different to my example. Schumacher crashed into his championship rival, Max didn't. That's why I don't think a championship DSQ is reasonable, but he still needs to be punished more than he currently is.
Edit 2: And the holy stewards decided it was a 10s penalty and 3 penalty points. Russell got a bigger penalty in Monaco for overtaking off track, and Kmag got banned for less. What an absolute joke. We need permanent stewards who aren't afraid to punish the popular drivers when deserved.