Carlos Sainz has proposed a radical new rule designed to stamp out the potential for drivers to gain an unfair advantage during qualifying.<\/p>\n
In Austria, George Russell claimed pole despite yellow flags at the penultimate corner after Max Verstappen crashed out.<\/p>\n
Carlos Sainz suggests automatic grid penalty for qualifying yellow flags<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> for news you can trust.<\/p>\n The situation led to confusion as to whether Russell\u2019s lap would be allowed to stand.<\/p>\n Verstappen left the road at the fast left-hander with his car impacting the barrier at the fast right-hander towards the end of the lap.<\/p>\n The incident was covered under a single yellow flag, meaning Russell was permitted to improve his time \u2013 provided he could demonstrate he\u2019d acknowledged the yellow flag zone.<\/p>\n He met that obligation by lifting heading into Turn 9, but such was the advantage he\u2019d built earlier in the lap that his time was still good enough to secure pole.<\/p>\n Russell\u2019s Mercedes teammate, Kimi Antonelli, abandoned his lap after misidentifying the yellow flag as a double-waved yellow.<\/p>\n Under double-waved yellow, drivers must slow down and be prepared to stop, forcing them to abandon their lap.<\/p>\n Immediately after the session there was confusion as to whether Russell\u2019s lap would stand, with timing screens serving only to reinforce that confusion with the Brit\u2019s in lap deleted as a result of yellow flags.<\/p>\n Speaking in Silverstone ahead of this weekend\u2019s British Grand Prix, Russell conceded the incident probably warranted double yellow flags.<\/p>\n Since they weren\u2019t present, there was no regulatory issue with his actions in the Red Bull Ring.<\/p>\n Instead, it has prompted discussion around how such incidents are handled in future, and a radical suggestion from Sainz.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s clear to me, at least, that that situation should have been a double yellow or a red [flag],\u201d Sainz told PlanetF1.com and other accredited media in Silverstone.<\/p>\n \u201cThe way George handled it, I think, was perfect for what the rule book allows you to do, and he deserved that pole position because he played the rules to perfection.<\/p>\n \u201cBut he should have never been, I think, allowed to finish that lap or to close a lap in that kind of dangerous situation.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the same time, if Max would have been on pole in the first run, and then he produces that crash, and then not everyone is in a red flag, and no one improves the lap, I think it would be unfair for George, Kimi, and everyone, because the guy that is on pole is not letting us improve the lap time.\u201d<\/p>\n His solution is to penalise drivers who trigger a yellow or red flag during qualifying with a grid drop, reasoning that it penalises those who disadvantage others, and disincentivises abuse of the system.<\/p>\n More ahead of the British GP<\/p>\n Lawson reveals stance after Lindblad ignored Racing Bulls team orders<\/a> \u201cI could have done last year in Baku when I was on pole and I was the first car out of the pits,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n \u201cI said, if I crash now, I\u2019m on pole. We all have these thoughts, and we all have these second thoughts and we all know how the rule book works.<\/p>\n \u201cFor that, I think that anyone who generates a yellow flag or a red flag in a qualifying should be three place grid drop, so at least you get penalised and you get disincentivised.\u201d<\/p>\n Sainz\u2019s concern is reasonable, with Michael Schumacher judged to have deliberately parked his Ferrari at the Rascasse during qualifying for the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix.<\/p>\n On provisional pole at the time, the German was penalised for his actions and made to start from the rear of the grid.<\/p>\n A director of the Grand Prix Drivers\u2019 Association, Sainz has often spoken on behalf of the body which represents the drivers\u2019 interests.<\/p>\n In this instance however his comments are made of his own accord.<\/p>\n \u201cI will potentially bring forward as an idea, and then we can maybe discuss if it should be the case or not,\u201d Sainz said of floating the concept with the GPDA.<\/p>\n \u201cI think this weekend, because of being a Sprint, we don\u2019t have a proper meeting about it, but I think we should.\u201d<\/p>\n What impact those discussions might have, even if received positively by the group, given the GPDA has no formal voice or power in the decision-making process.<\/p>\n Such a concept would also require careful consideration as it would place even greater scrutiny on race control\u2019s handling of qualifying incidents.<\/p>\n In Austria, Verstappen had cars on track behind him when he crashed in the final corners.<\/p>\n That put those cars in a vulnerable position as, had officials thrown a double-waved yellow flag, they\u2019d have had to abort their lap.<\/p>\n However, if the incident occurred early in the lap with no cars behind to impact, does a yellow flag incident still warrant a penalty, or should drivers be free to complete their laps?<\/p>\n \u201cAs there\u2019s one guy behind you, it\u2019s unfair, because that guy doesn\u2019t get a chance to finish the lap,\u201d Sainz reasoned.<\/p>\n \u201cThe same time, you could argue the same thing that is, if you have 10 minutes to complete a lap, why do we all leave it to the last moment?<\/p>\n \u201cWhy don\u2019t we all go [with] 18 minutes to go, post our lap, and we are sure that a yellow doesn\u2019t \u2013 or a red \u2013 disrupt.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve seen in so many places by now, that in places like Bahrain and Monaco, people are forcing yellows in Q1, and Q2, and Q3, and it\u2019s impossible to steward, unless you are a very clever ex-F1 driver to know how it works.<\/p>\n \u201cWith all this, not saying Max did it on purpose, I think Max had a failure \u2013 Max was not even on pole so he had zero incentive to do that \u2013 but I think we need to come up with ideas to try and solve those.\u201d<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n
Jeremy Clarkson at centre of new Alpine announcement ahead of British GP<\/a><\/p>\n