F1 | Salo: “The penalties had become too many”

A new course seems to have begun in Formula 1. After years in which penalties and sanctions were the order of the day for drivers, the race direction seems to have completely changed its strategy.

The confirmations arrived with the Chinese GP, with Vettel not being penalized for his controversial position on the grid and with the clash between Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez allowed to proceed without any measures.

A different approach to racing and driver behavior also confirmed by the former driver and commissioner in China Mika salo: “I have always believed that this is the right approach – he told the Turun Sanomat newspaper – the penalties had become too many. Really, sanctions should come for things like overtaking with yellow flags, with the safety car or when there are serious violations of the regulations."

Salo then explained why they decided not to sanction Hag for his position on the grid, speaking of a regulatory gap that should be filled: “With such an anomaly in the regulations we have decided to let Vettel go. We could have given a warning, but in these cases it is better to have a more specific rule first."

Manuel Lai