0
Charlie Whiting has admitted the new rule scrapping in-race penalties was exploited by McLaren-Honda last weekend in Belgium. After fans decried the grid penalties that spilled into in-race penalties for cars falling foul of the long-life engine rules this year, the FIA agreed to a tweak.
For McLaren-Honda at Spa, it meant the team could rack up penalties totalling an incredible 100-plus grid demotions for changing engines throughout the weekend, but never fall lower than last place on the grid. Team managing director Jonathan Neale said it was a "strategy to get more engines in the pool to give us a clearer run" into the second half of the season.
But when asked if McLaren had abused the new rule, F1 race director Whiting told Auto Motor und Sport: "The FIA had expressed these concerns to the strategy group. However, we had the feeling that the negative comments from almost all parties concerning the penalty system with additional penalties in the race was harming the sport even more. Of course," he added, "the rule was written in good faith, not to give the incentive to do what Honda did." (GMM)
Grand Prix of BelgiumLocal time
Grand Prix of BelgiumLocal time
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
M. Verstappen
V. Bottas
M. Verstappen
249,077 comments on McLaren
147 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about McLaren
Bahrain
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Portugal
Autódromo Internacional do Algarve
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
Monaco
Monte Carlo
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
France
Paul Ricard
Austria
Red Bull Ring
Austria
Red Bull Ring
United Kingdom
Silverstone
Hungary
Hungaroring
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Italy
Monza
Russian
Sochi Autodrom
Singapore
Marina Bay Street Circuit
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
Brazil
Interlagos
Australia
Albert Park
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
Replies (0)
Login to reply