Formula 1 drivers have criticised the Sprint format and the FIA’s post-race legality check procedures following breaches of the sport’s technical regulations over the course of the United States Grand Prix.

The cars of both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were found to have exceeded plank wear allowances during the race in Austin, leading to the disqualification of both drivers.

Of the 17 finishers in Austin, the governing body only inspected the planks of four cars. With half of those checked found to have breached the regulations, fans and drivers alike have since questioned the legality of other competitors.

On Thursday, Hamilton led questioning of the FIA’s post-race legality checks saying that he had heard from “several different sources that there were a lot of other cars that were also illegal and weren’t tested, so they get away with it.”

Due to the Sprint format, drivers were only afforded one hour of practice running before cars entered parc fermé conditions, limiting major set-up adjustments.

“What the teams have in terms of data and information to set the ride heights for the weekend is very marginal, there’s not even really enough time to fill the cars up in FP1, just to get a feel for where they need to be,” Alex Albon told the media during Thursday’s press conference. The Williams driver was promoted to ninth in Austin as a result of the disqualifications.

“I do think, maybe you don’t need to check every car, every race all the time. But, you know, if there’s one, one driver in one team illegal, there’s a very, very high chance that the other car, the teammate of that driver, is going to be illegal as well,” Albon continued, sharing the same beliefs as Max Verstappen.

“So I don’t know how much it would take to check a couple more cars, but I don’t think that would be such an issue. But I don’t, know I’m not a scrutineer.”

Drivers were in agreement that the limited practice allowance on a Sprint weekend is likely conducive to the plank issues, with Pierre Gasly adding: “I think there’s a couple of things which we could do to improve what’s happened in Austin, starting with the Sprint weekend when we’ve got only the FP1 session on such a track.

“You’re doing 15 laps with quite a low amount of fuel in the car. So, to get a gauge of what you’re going to get for the next 70 laps, with two Qualifyings, a Sprint race, a complete Grand Prix of 59 laps, with a lot of fuel.

“You’re going pretty much blind after FP1 with very little information on where to base yourself. It’s a tricky situation.  Probably we can improve that process giving us more time to readjust if needed.

“I just remember my karting days, where you know, all top three cars were always checked. Whenever you finish on the podium, you should be checked every single time, and then on top of that, there could be random checks as well, running down the order. But yeah, I think it’s been always from the past, only in F1, where it’s not a standard to check all top three cars.”

Alpine team-mate Esteban Ocon was also in agreement despite his retirement from last weekend’s grand prix. The Frenchman believes that plank issues are nothing new to F1, and have largely gone under the radar.

“I think it is an extremely difficult exercise. Just to be guessing, you know, what your ride height has to be,” he began.

“There is a risk and reward, obviously, in that, sort of, exercise – that if you get the car lower you get more performance, but you know, it’s at the risk of are you going to be illegal with your plank.

“Yeah, I mean, we’ve seen cars changing set-up throughout the weekends because of those things. And yeah, it is just too short in FP1 really to set your car up. So yeah, I’m sure it’s not the first time that there were cars illegal like that on such weekends or such a Sprint weekend. I think on normal format, it’s a lot less likely to happen. But yeah, I’m sure on the other races there was as well.”

Classified 11th in Austin, Nico Hulkenberg came close to a return to the points for Haas. If excessive wear was as common as some drivers believe, further disqualifications ahead would certainly have presented a healthy boost for the Kannapolis based squad.

“Or I might have been illegal myself! You never know,” the German jokingly reminded journalists when posited the hypothetical scenario.

“Obviously these cars are incredibly sensitive to the ride height. The lower you get, the more downforce you get, that’s the constant fight we have, and we need to find the right balance.

“I think Austin is a bit specific with the bumpiness and also with a lot of apex and exit kerbs where you can run them quite aggressively – but you do use the plank and wear down those shims a lot, so maybe there is something to be to be looked at in a different way.”

Valtteri Bottas contends that the FIA is not taking feedback from Formula 1 drivers seriously enough amid the recent criticism regarding its policing of track limits this year.

The debate surrounding track limits reared its head in Qatar this month as a total of 51 infringements were noted and four drivers handed multiple penalties in the race.

Although only a single driver – Alex Albon – was penalised during last weekend’s United States Grand Prix, track limits still provided a major discussion point throughout the event.

Following Friday’s running, the FIA elected to extend the track limits at certain corners overnight – including at Turn 19 where Max Verstappen was denied pole position.

Meanwhile, in Saturday’s Sprint race, George Russell was slapped with a five-second time penalty after overtaking McLaren’s Oscar Piastri outside of the white line at Turn 15.

Bottas admits he was stunned earlier changes weren’t made to combat the problem, insisting the drivers want deterrents put in place rather than having laps deleted.

“I think it’s hard work for the FIA to monitor every single driver in every single corner in every single lap, I think it’s almost impossible, so sometimes you might get away with it,” Bottas said.

“It’s tricky and it’s just track dependent, like Austin is almost provoking everyone to go to the limit, like Qatar, because there is a gain to be made if you carry more speed.

“So, there has to be a hard limit and it has been a discussion point for a long time, I think what all drivers were quite surprised was that there were no changes made from last year in Austin, there were no different kerbs or gravel strips, anything to prevent that, so we just want to see that we keep improving those things, instead of just having times deleted.

“We had issues there last year, so that needs to be changed – whether it’s gravel or some other kind of kerb to prevent us from going over.”

Asked if he thought that the drivers’ comments weren’t being considered enough by the FIA, Bottas replied: “Yes, I would say so.

“Definitively everyone had their feedback last year, so everyone was expecting some changes to be made and they weren’t, so hopefully next year.”

Both Albon and Russell suggested that minor time penalties weren’t discouraging drivers from breaching track limits to overtake a slower car in order to gain clear air.

However, Bottas denies that the situation has been enough of a regular occurrence in the past to warrant such concerns.

“In some situations it could be worth it, if you’re stuck 10 laps behind a slower car and losing 10 seconds, you take five seconds, but that’s a rare situation that it can happen.”

Bottas believes that the long-standing problem regarding track limits would instantly be clamped down on if gravel was inserted on the outskirts of more corners.

Asked what can be done to ensure an unfair advantage isn’t gained, the Finn said: “It depends on the situation, if it’s clear that you overtook because you went over the track limits then you should be forced to give the position back.

“That’s a bit of an issue but, again, if there was gravel, no problem! Like, the changes they made in Austria, they were good. They were adding gravel in some places, stuff like that. And what they did in Parabolica, in Monza, there used to be this strip of gravel as well, that was better.”

The Alfa Romeo driver is optimistic that the FIA is beginning to take note of the drivers’ complaints and is hopeful that stronger solutions will be implemented next year.

“I think they’re starting to understand because it’s also so much work for them, so they are getting s*** because of it, they cannot spot every single mistake, every single situation,” he acknowledged.

“I would imagine that come next year they’ll come up with some solutions. I think they are taking this seriously.”

Following criticism of the disqualification of both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc from last weekend’s United States Grand Prix, the FIA has offered insight into its post-race legality checks and procedures.

Hamilton was stripped of his second place finish and Leclerc sixth after FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer referred both drivers to the stewards for exceeding plank wear allowances in last Sunday’s race. The news of the disqualifications came some three-and-a-half hours after the conclusion of the grand prix.

Of the 17 finishers in Austin, the governing body only inspected the planks of four cars. With half of those checked found to have breached the regulations, questions have been raised over the legality of other competitors.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the FIA said: “A series of random checks are carried out every weekend on different areas of the cars.

“This process has been in place for many decades, and exists to ensure compliance with the regulations by virtue of the fact that the teams do not know before the race which specific areas of which cars might be examined beyond the standard checks carried out on every car each weekend (such as the fuel sample taken from all cars after each grand prix).”

Therefore, the FIA believes that as “any part of the car could be checked at any time”, the likelihood of disqualification should a team be caught should act as a strong enough deterrent to prevent breaches of the technical regulations.

As for why only the planks of four cars were tested, the FIA justified that time restraints on a grand prix weekend mean that it is simply not possible to utilise its full arsenal of checks on every car. This is especially the case for double and triple headers when teams need to rush off to the next race destination.

“In conducting these tests, a huge amount  of work goes on in the limited time available after a Grand Prix finishes and before the cars need to be returned to their teams for disassembly and transportation to the next race,” the statement continued.

“However, even though a wide array of checks are made, it is impossible to cover every parameter of every car in the short time available – and this is especially true of back-to-back race weekends when freight deadlines must also be considered.

“This is why the process of randomly selecting a number of cars for post-race scrutineering across various aspects of the regulations is so valuable. Each team is aware that selection is possible and understand that the chance of any lack of compliance being uncovered is strong.”

Since 2021, the FIA has been able to complete a more rigorous examination of any car.

“The scrutineering process isn’t limited to post-qualifying and post-race checks. The FIA also conducts additional examinations between qualifying and the race, and as well as the number of cars selected for post-race checks, at least one is selected for even more detailed analysis on internal components,” it is explained.

“These ‘deep dives’ are invasive and often require the disassembly of significant components that are not regularly checked due to the time it takes to carry out the procedure. This process involves comparing the physical components with CAD files the teams are required to supply to the FIA, as well as verification of team data that is constantly monitored by the FIA’s software engineers.

“As with everything in Formula 1, the process has evolved and been refined over the years to constitute the most stringent and thorough method of monitoring F1’s incredibly complex current-generation cars, acting as a serious deterrent while being practically achievable within the logistical framework of a Grand Prix weekend.”

George Russell has labelled the FIA’s quadrupling of maximum fines as “obscene,” stating that some drivers on the grid wouldn’t be able to afford such a penalty.

The FIA quadrupled the previous limit for driver fines, which was set at €250,000, saying that the fines hadn’t been “reviewed nor amended for at least the last twelve years” and they didn’t “reflect the current needs of motorsport.”

However, Russell had various issues not only with the fines but how they were applied and the way the news was communicated to the current crop of Formula 1 drivers, some of whom wouldn’t even be able to afford a penalty as high as €1 million.

Whilst Russell is now a high earner thanks to his drive at Mercedes – one of the biggest teams on the F1 grid – his route into the sport with Williams was a different story.

The Director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association was keen to stress the financial burden drivers in smaller teams put themselves under.

“I think it is pretty ridiculous that a driver could be fined a million euros,” said Russell ahead of the United States Grand Prix.

“In my first year of F1 I was on a five-figure salary and actually lost over six figures that first year paying for trainers, paying for flights, paying for an assistant and that’s probably the case for 25% of the grid,” Russell continued.

“We’re doing what we love so we’re not complaining about that, but if you take a year 1 driver, who probably by the end of the year is losing over 100k because of the investments he has to make and fine him a million, what’s going to happen?”

Another issue Russell was keen to stress was where the money goes once a fine has been issued, stating that he and his peers have requested this information from the FIA, but have yet to hear a response.

“We’ve requested before from the FIA to hear where these fines are going towards, the causes they’re going to, and they need to be reinvested into grassroots, but so far we’ve had no response on where that’s going,” he said.

“So we’d love to get some clarity and transparency and if they truly believe a million euro fine is worthwhile and it’s going to reinvest into the sport then maybe one of the drivers who has been paid a lot is happy to pay that fine, but it seems obscene.

“We just want transparency and understanding.

“I think already the fines are getting out of control and how Verstappen was fined 50k for touching a car, Lewis was fined 50k, it feels like these numbers are being plucked out of the air.

“I don’t know what you have to do to get fined €1,000,000.

“I mean, I don’t know any sport or profession outside of the corporate world.

“What do you do to be fined that amount?

“There’s got to be a lot more transparency just to understand where these fines are going.”

Russell hastened to add that communication between drivers and the FIA has improved technically, but more needs to be done.

“I think at least on the technical side with Nikolas Tombazis, it’s been a huge amount of effort and with Steve Nielsen on improving this but you know, we don’t want to be reading things in the media first and that goes for every topic.”

The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) will see technical directors from across the Formula 1 paddock meet with the FIA to discuss the issue of cockpit heat.

The matter has become a key point of concern following the Qatar Grand Prix, with the intensely hot conditions seeing drivers suffer throughout the race.

Logan Sargeant had to withdraw partway through, with other drivers complaining of faintness, nausea and heat stroke.

Now the TAC, comprised of the 10 team technical directors, the FIA and F1 Chief Technical Officer Pat Symonds will meet virtually on October 31, shortly after the Mexico City Grand Prix to tackle solutions to the cockpit heat problem.

“We’re going to talk about it at the next TAC,” Symonds told Autosport.

“The FIA are doing some work on it, and I’m doing some work on it. “It’s not totally straightforward.

“IndyCars have different vent arrangements at different times. They are quite into their cool suits, which I think are a couple of kilogrammes, they’re not the end of the world.

“You decide what performance you get from weight. So if you are talking about a couple of kilogrammes for a cool suit, for example, you can figure out what that costs you in physics.

“You can’t exactly work out what you gain with the driver, but there will be a point at which you say actually the driver is going to have a drinks bottle.”

The issue of cockpit heat has been an extreme cause of concern amongst drivers ever since the situation reared its head in a nasty way in Qatar, but others have been dismissive.

In Thursday’s Press Conference, George Russell shot down criticism from former drivers such as Gerhard Berger, saying that “of course, we need to be gladiators, but when it comes to the heat there’s only so much the body can take.”

Meanwhile, Russell’s Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton has come down on the side of former drivers.

The veteran driver admitted to Sky Sports that although he “didn’t do the race, so didn’t get to feel the pain that the drivers felt,” he saw F1 as “an extreme sport” and said, “we are paid very highly for what we do and from my perspective when I’ve not been feeling great at the end of the race, I’ve just got to train harder and that’s how it’s been for me.”

No matter which side of the debate drivers fall on, the matter is now in the hands of the TAC, with the task being to seek out possible cooling measures that could be implemented into the sport in the near future.

The FIA made overnight alterations to the track limits at the Circuit of the Americas ahead of Saturday’s running in the United States Grand Prix.

Track limits initiated a heightened debate among drivers last time out in Qatar, where 51 lap times were deleted in the race and 10 time penalties awarded to drivers.

Lance Stroll was one of those to be penalised, with the Aston Martin driver brandishing the decisions as a “joke”, adding the stewards now “don’t understand Formula 1”

This weekend has already seen the discussion surrounding track limits become a main talking point following Max Verstappen’s deleted time in qualifying on Friday.

The Dutchman managed to pip Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to pole position by just 0.005s, but his time was wiped out due to venturing outside of the white line at the penultimate corner.

Following the traditional Friday night drivers’ briefing, the FIA has amended the track limits at three corners on the COTA track.

“Following discussion with the teams and drivers yesterday we have widened the white line on the outside at Turns 9, 12 and 19 – this is to give the drivers a bit of extra margin at these corners,” the FIA addressed.

The extended white line was most noticeable at the same Turn 19 corner where Verstappen was marginally caught out in qualifying.

Only Pierre Gasly in the Alpine fell foul of the revised limits during Saturday’s Sprint Shootout, an incident which had no bearing on the Frenchman’s progression beyond Q1.

Michael Andretti has labelled opposition to Andretti Global’s prospective entry to the Formula 1 grid as a ‘mystery’ as the team prepares to test a 2023 prototype in the wind tunnel next week.

Earlier this month, the FIA announced that it had approved Andretti’s bid to become the sport’s 11th team. Now, the outfit must agree commercial terms with FOM ahead of a targeted 2025 arrival on the grid.

Andretti’s bid has faced great criticism from incumbent team principals who fear that the American entry wouldn’t provide enough additional value to the sport to justify a dilution of prize funds.

“Thank you to the FIA and the president of the FIA for putting the expression of interest out there,” Andretti told Sky Sports F1 on Friday.

“It was very vigorous, it was a very tough thing to go through for our team and I’m proud to say we came out on top in every category, and we’re very proud of that.

“It definitely shows that we have the right to be here on the grid, and we’re excited about that. We think we have something really to offer to Formula 1 fans.”

Speaking of the criticism his bid has faced from would-be rivals, the CART champion said: “I don’t know. It’s a mystery to me in some ways, why they’re pushing back.

“They say we’re slicing the pie, but I think the point is, hopefully we bring in more than we’re taking away, and we really believe that.

“If you look at the fan support on all of the surveys that have been done, we think that we’re going to add to it, not take away.”

Should the team be successful in negotiations with FOM, Andretti is planning for a 2025 arrival rather than 2026.

The American was proud to share the extent of preparations revealing that a 2023 spec prototype is set for wind tunnel testing next week.

“Our car is actually going to be in the wind tunnel next week, so we have a car already built up in ’23 spec. So we’re flat out.

“We’re building a team, so you know, at the moment it’s ’25, could be ’26, but we’ll see.”

As far as personnel, former Lotus and Renault F1 technical director Nick Chester was brought on board to lead the project earlier this year, and Andretti has his sights set on American talent to fill one of his seats.

“Obviously we’ve talked a lot about Colton [Herta] and Colton is definitely at the top of our list but obviously we have the points problem,” he added.

“So we have to see how he does in the IndyCar championship to hopefully get enough points to get a superlicence.

“But then we’ve talked to a few others as well that do qualify. But the goal is to have at least one American in the car and then an experienced driver in the other car to help mentor that.”

Formula 1 drivers were shocked to hear news that the FIA has quadrupled the maximum fine that can be imposed by event stewards.

In an announcement made on Thursday, the sport’s governing body revealed changes to the International Sporting Code approved at the World Motorsport Council in Geneva.

Fines in the series had previously been capped at €250,000. However, according to the FIA, this figure had not been reviewed or amended in at least 12 years “and does not reflect the current needs of motorsport.”

In the drivers’ press conference on Thursday, Lewis Hamilton weighed in on the discussion, also calling for transparency with where the proceeds from the fines go.

“I really do think we need to be thinking about the message that this sends out to those that are watching,” the seven-time champion began.

“If they are going to fining people a million, let’s make sure one hundred per cent of that goes to a cause.

“There’s a lot of money in this whole industry and a lot more that we need to do in terms of creating better accessibility, better diversity, more opportunities for people who wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to get into a sport like this.

“So many causes around the world. That’s the only way they’ll get that million from me.”

The FIA has since clarified that as it is a not-for-profit organisation, all income exceeding operating costs is reinvested in motorsports, primarily at grassroots and national levels as well as educating and developing race officials worldwide.

Hamilton was previously fined €50,000 for missing the 2021 FIA end-of-season gala after striking a deal with Mohammed Ben Sulayem in the wake of the controversial Abu Dhabi finale that season. This fine was donated to help support a student from a disadvantaged background to achieve an ‘educational qualification in motorsport’.

Reigning champion Max Verstappen was also stunned by the FIA’s decision saying: ” I would like to know what that offence can be! One mil! If touching a rear wing is €50k [referencing Brazil 2021], then I would like to know what one million is. Then maybe we can also sponsor the bottles of wine. I’ll get ready.”

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso agreed that the figure didn’t appear appropriate adding: “We are in a sport that is already considered very elite, very close.

“We are raising some topics about sustainability, environment. We are trying to do all our part on becoming more accessible. This is a sport for everyone and things like that. So when you put this big numbers or something like that, it seems not right.”

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc sided with Verstappen, adding: “It is a huge amount of money, so again, I have no idea about what deserves a €1 million penalty – but it’s more than that…

“I mean, some drivers are making less than that, so it’s a lot of money and… yeah… I don’t know.”

Kevin Magnussen described the prospect of a €1 million fine as “ridiculous” before joking: “Charles can give his watch – but I would disappear, never to be found again.”

Max Verstappen is expecting a “similar story” to Qatar when it comes to track limits at the Circuit of the Americas this weekend.

Last time out, the discussion over track limits dominated the Qatar Grand Prix weekend, with a total of 51 lap times being deleted during Sunday’s race in Losail.

That resulted in 10 time penalties being awarded – including three for Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate, Sergio Perez.

Lance Stroll, who was one of those to pick up multiple penalties, branded the policing of track limits “a joke” before remonstrating that the stewards “don’t understand F1”.

Verstappen has questioned why the topic is rarely ever mentioned at older circuits like Suzuka, which largely avoid asphalt run-offs to deter drivers from venturing wide.

“At some tracks there’s just a lot of run-off, so naturally you find the limits a bit easier,” Verstappen explained on Thursday ahead of the United States Grand Prix.

“We never really talk about track limits for example in Suzuka and that’s probably a bit more of an old-school track.”

The debacle in Qatar followed a similar situation earlier in the year in Austria, when there were over 100 track limit violations investigated by the stewards post-race.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem underlined earlier this week that tracks could be dropped from the F1 calendar unless they impose measures to address the issue.

Verstappen has also blamed the newer venues on the roster and the extensive run-off areas present at those select circuits for the growing problem F1 has encountered.

“For sure the latest track standards, they have a thing to do with it,” he added.

“It’s a bit of a shame because I feel like with some of these new tracks that you’re more focussed on a quali lap not to go over a white line than actually finding the limit or just the pure enjoyment of pushing.

“It’s more like you’re looking ‘oh, did I make it or not?’ and then ‘ah yeah, I made it’. So it’s a bit odd.

“But we need to do a better job because I think this weekend will be the same story.”

The Dutchman also rejected the notion that drivers should reduce their speed to ensure they remain within the confines of the track.

“I will happily let anyone else drive my car and see if they can do better with track limits,” he concluded on the matter.

Meanwhile, along with Verstappen, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc also considers the issue to be dependent on the circuit configuration.

“There are some tracks that are much more difficult to manage than others,” he confirmed. “I think Qatar was one of those, here it probably will be one of those, too.”

Leclerc has suggested using the kerbs to define track limits would avoid the confusion that has arisen from instructing drivers to remain within the bounds of the white lines.

“I’ve always preferred in the past to use the red-and-white kerb because this is a reference that we can actually feel inside the car,” he reasoned. “Whereas the white line, we are so low in the car that it is very difficult to see exactly where we are.

“If we are two centimetres out or exactly on the line is very difficult, whereas with the kerb you can feel it much more what’s going on and it’s a better reference.

“But now it’s been quite a long time that we are staying on the white line and it’s the way it is at the moment. We just need to try and find a way, especially with the way the kerbs are done and the tracks are made in order to help each other for it to become less of an issue in the future.”

Stroll ended the Qatar race situated ninth on the road, which would have granted him his first points since the summer break.

However, penalties dropped him to 11th. Like Verstappen, the Canadian is anticipating the order in Austin. being impacted by penalties awarded for track limit infringements.

“There’s a few corners here you’ve got to watch out for,” Stroll warned. “So I think it’s something to think about at a lot of tracks now with the track limits being a challenge.”

Lewis Hamilton believes that he wasn’t singled out by the FIA over the decision to revisit the track crossing he was fined for during the Qatar Grand Prix.

The FIA this week announced that it would further investigate Hamilton’s return to the paddock after a race-ending crash with George Russell in the opening lap of the Qatar Grand Prix.

Hamilton was fined a total of €50,000, €25,000 of which is suspended for the remainder of the season, and issued a reprimand for crossing a live race track.

In a statement issued by the FIA, Formula 1’s governing body said “in view of his role model status”, it was gravely concerned by “the impression his actions may have created on younger drivers”. 

Asked if he felt singled out by the FIA’s decision to re-examine the case, Hamilton replied: “I don’t think I was singled out. Ultimately, I think it’s just poor communication.

“I don’t think what they’ve said is exactly what they meant. I think what they mean is they are just going to look into how they can tackle those sorts of things going forwards to make sure it doesn’t happen.”

“I think there was a karting incident recently where a kid was hit, so we really need to make sure that we’re continuously focusing on safety. I think that’s really at the root of it. But I just think they probably need to speak to their PR agent to do a better job.”

Hamilton was referencing the World Karting Championship’s round at Franciacorta earlier this month, where 22-year-old Joe Turney underwent ankle surgery after being struck by another kart.

“They’ve spoken to me and their actual point, I think, is important. When I sat in the meeting with them or in the stewards’ office, obviously I put my hands up. In the heat the moment, it was the wrong decision.

“What’s important is to send the right message, particularly for the younger drivers throughout the ages, that that’s not the thing to do.

“And I apologised at the time and I think they were just looking how to make sure that doesn’t happen moving forwards.”