P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Valtteri Bottas has said the stewards enforcing clearer rules on gaining an advantage on track would “make things easier” after Kevin Magnussen incurred multiple penalties keeping drivers behind at the Miami Grand Prix.
Valtteri Bottas has called for more clarity from the stewards regarding drivers going off-track to gain an advantage, suggesting that the FIA ordering a driver to give up a position would simplify the penalty system. The issue arose during the Miami Grand Prix weekend when Kevin Magnussen deliberately received time penalties while defending against Lewis Hamilton to assist his teammate, Nico Hulkenberg, in securing points. Magnussen acknowledged after the race that he did not enjoy resorting to such tactics but believed the penalties were justified as it was done for the team’s benefit. Bottas proposed that if stewards mandated a driver to relinquish a position within a lap under such circumstances, it would streamline the process. He also expressed that the topic would likely be discussed further in the upcoming rounds of the season. The practice of taking penalties to hold up competitors has been a recurrent concern this year, with Magnussen previously receiving penalties for overly aggressive defending at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Despite criticisms from various quarters of the paddock, Bottas emphasized that it remains the individual driver’s choice to exploit the current regulations in the manner seen with Magnussen and Haas.
