Juan Pablo Montoya, former Formula 1 driver, has asked the FIA to reconsider the rules regarding penalties for track limits after Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes was penalized during the British Grand Prix.
Antonelli, who was battling for victory against Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, was forced to pit in the closing laps due to a failure in the left wheel protection, which drastically affected his speed on track. With the damaged car, he accumulated several track limit infringements, resulting in a five-second penalty.
In post-race comments for _F1 TV_, Montoya expressed that penalties for track limits should only apply if the driver gains an advantage, and not when the infringements are due to technical problems with the vehicle. “If you go off track and lose time, you shouldn’t be subject to penalties,” commented the Colombian driver.
Toto Wolff, head of the Mercedes team, also discussed Antonelli’s penalty, indicating that sometimes it is complicated for the FIA to determine when a car is damaged enough to make a pit stop. These comments highlight the need for a broader discussion on the rules governing penalties in Formula 1.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
