F1 | Why the rules on moving under braking are so complex

While Max Verstappen and Lando Norris have found common ground on who is to blame for the accident that occurred during the Austrian Grand Prix, the issue of Formula 1’s guidelines on movements during a fight remains open.

There are currently two schools of thought, between those who think that more regulation is needed to eliminate that sense of uncertainty in the rules and those who think that we should instead simplify the rules, aiming to simply “let them slide”. Two opposing points of view for which there will never be a perfect solution.

While the FIA ​​has moved to try to provide greater clarity, even the documents it has released to teams regarding the rules during a duel admit that the nature of motorsport means that each incident must be judged almost independently.

For this reason, even in the guidelines sent to F1 teams and drivers, which prohibit moving while braking, it is in a grey area. In fact, over the past two years the FIA ​​has worked hard to define a series of rules that it intends to include in the International Sporting Code to apply to all its categories. These rules have been drawn up after consulting the teams and drivers, to ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to understanding what is and is not allowed.

These guidelines have not yet been formally incorporated into the regulations, but teams were told in February that they will form the basis of stewards’ decisions on potential infringements. Within the guidelines, a copy of which has been seen by Motorsport.com, there is specific reference to the position of those moving under braking.

It reads: “When defending, there must be no change of direction by the defending car, after the start of the deceleration phase, other than to follow the ideal trajectory.”

This statement would seem to suggest that the type of movements we saw from Verstappen in Austria might fall into the line of what is not allowed, given that, as Norris said, the Dutchman would have moved several times under braking.

However, as explicitly acknowledged in the document, it is an impossible task to impose an ideal scenario on every accident. Indeed, in a section at the beginning of the guidelines marked as “Important Notes”, it is stressed that: “Racing is a dynamic process. Although these guidelines indicate specific relative positions of cars at various points, the Stewards will always look at how the overall dynamics unfolded when examining an accident.”

The document then cites some of the considerations that the sports stewards will make to determine who is at fault for an accident and illustrates the factors that, according to the document, will be evaluated when it comes to making a judgment.

Examples reported in the documents include:

How the cars got into the accident (e.g. braking too late or moving while braking).

Was the move late or “optimistic”?

What could the pilots reasonably have seen, known, or predicted?

Do we believe the maneuver can be completed on the track?

Was there understeer/oversteer/lockup?

Did anyone position/drive their car in a way that contributed to the accident?

Did the type of corner contribute to the accident (e.g. camber of the corner and curbs)?

What were the tyres used, the laps completed by each set used and the grip conditions?

The guidelines document states: “These decisions are often subjective. The Stewards will consider each incident, with the expert advice of our Steward, and make the best, but final, decision at that time.”

In the case of Verstappen, while the stewards clearly judge that the actual collision between the Red Bull and Norris on lap 64 was the Dutchman’s fault, on the other hand the assessment of the complaints for the movement under braking is that, taking into account all the elements mentioned in the guidelines, there was nothing incriminating.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

Verstappen himself said on Sunday evening in Austria that he never thought he had crossed a line and violated the guidelines.

“For me it wasn’t a braking movement. Because every time I moved, I wasn’t braking. Of course from the outside it always looks like that, but I think I know pretty well what to do in these types of scenarios.”

While Verstappen says he and Norris agree on “99%” of what happened in Austria, it is unlikely to stop other drivers from asking for further clarification at Friday night’s drivers’ briefing at Silverstone.

Verstappen himself predicted how the meeting might end: “A lot of people don’t want to be at the drivers’ meeting for too long. Most of the time you think it’s going to be a long meeting and most of the time it’s not.”

But while guidelines on driving standards will be included in next year’s regulations, Verstappen thinks more written rules aren’t necessarily the right thing to do: “I think there are already too many rules in general for everything. So I think this will only complicate things.”