Penalty decisions in Formula 1
HOW IT WORKS
The Red Bull and Mercedes-AMG team leaders haranguing F1 race director Michael Masi over the radio at Silverstone to penalise or let off Sir Lewis Hamilton was not only unseemly but also pointless. The stewards make that call, not Masi – and they have four punishments to choose from: in order of least severity, a 5sec penalty that can be taken at the driver’s next pit stop; a 10sec penalty applied in the same circumstances; a drive-through penalty during which they can’t stop for fresh tyres or for repairs; or a 10sec stop-and-go penalty. In the case of the latter two, “the relevant driver may cross the line no more than twice before entering the pit lane” after the team has been notified of the decision by the stewards.