FIA publish key guidelines around penalties and driving standards

The FIA has issued two documents to offer stewards a consistent platform to base their decisions regarding on-track incidents. In a bid to offer further transparency to the tools available to the F1 stewards, the recommendations have been made public to broaden understanding of how the penalties are applied. The first document relates to guidelines of time penalties and penalty points, covering a wide range of scenarios that could occur throughout the weekend. It details the penalty that should apply for a certain infringement, with the severity differing between free practice, qualifying and the race. The second sheet covers driving standards, and like the list of potential penalties, the FIA details it is not official regulation as "many incidents require subjective judgement". The FIA has detailed that the documents have been developed at the request of drivers in F1 and formulated in consultation with the FIA Drivers' Commission and with drivers and teams. Further refinements will be carried out in the months ahead as the FIA has promised ongoing consultation with F1 drivers and teams. "Greater transparency within the governance of our sport is an important issue and this is a useful step in that direction," said George Russell, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association.  "Hopefully it will be beneficial for the sport to give the media and fans a clearer understanding of the rules of engagement when we're racing on track, and to help them understand how the stewards reach their decisions." The penalty and penalty point guidelines can be viewed here. The driving standard guidelines document can be viewed here.