Over half of the Formula 1 grid have been issued with an official warning over their actions during the Tuscan Grand Prix restart that triggered a multi-car pile-up.
Nicholas Latifi, Kevin Magnussen, Antonio Giovinazzi and Carlos Sainz were all involved in a crash as the field prepared to restart the race at Mugello.
All four retired while stewards summoned Latifi, Magnussen as well as Daniil Kvyat, in order to understand the situation.
After a lengthy deliberation 12 drivers were issued with a formal warning.
The 12 are Magnussen, Kvyat, Latifi, Alexander Albon, Lance Stroll, Daniel Ricciardo, Sergio Perez, Lando Norris, Esteban Ocon, George Russell, Giovinazzi and Sainz.
“The Stewards conclude that the root cause of this incident was the inconsistent application of throttle and brake, from the final corner along the pit straight, by the above drivers,” read a statement.
“The Stewards acknowledge the challenges the location of the Control Line presents at this circuit and the desire of drivers to take advantage of the restart.
“However this incident demonstrates the need for caution to be exercised in the restart situation and note that there was an extreme concertina effect which dramatically increased as it moved down the field.
“We also note that some drivers might have avoided being involved in the incident had they not followed directly behind the car in front.
“By doing so they effectively blocked off all visibility of what was happening immediately in front of the preceding car.
“A warning has been imposed as it is the view of the Stewards that no one driver was wholly or predominantly to blame.”
Valtteri Bottas, who was the race leader at the time, was cleared of any wrongdoing.
“It was further noted that the driver of Car 77 (Bottas) and the other drivers involved in the restart not mentioned above, complied with the regulations,” they confirmed.
“Car 77 had the right under the regulations to dictate the pace.”
Regardless of what the rules say, it was stupid of Bottas to wait so long to gas it. With everyone sitting on go, delaying the restart is always going to heighten the risk of a serious accident.
What in your vast F1 experience makes you smarter than the stewards? I believe the exact lines you may have failed to read is , “It was further noted that the driver of Car 77 (Bottas) and the other drivers involved in the restart not mentioned above, complied with the regulations… Car 77 had the right under the regulations to dictate the pace.”
Can you make your point without getting all personal? I don’t pretend to know more than anyone else but it doesn’t take Mensa level intelligence to recognize that backing up the field that long brings more risks. Again…I’m not questioning the rules or the findings of the stewards however, because an act is within rules or regulations doesn’t necessarily make it safe and that’s the question the FIA must address.
Up voting UR own post? LOL!
If anyone has watched the F3 and F2 races, should have known that SC restart was going to be a problem. The “you-may-overtake-from-here” line should have been somewhere at the pit entry not at the S/F line…