Zak Brown makes rules legality claim as McLaren right of review hearing held

Zak Brown has explained why McLaren opted to petition for a right of review over the Lando Norris/Max Verstappen incident in the United States.

McLaren lodged a petition with the FIA to be granted a right of review over the United States Grand Prix, with the Woking-based squad eager to have fresh eyes on the situation that unfolded at last weekend’s United States Grand Prix.

Zak Brown: McLaren have a different view of the outcome

McLaren’s Lando Norris was given a five-second time penalty after overtaking Red Bull’s Max Verstappen while both drivers were outside track limits at Turn 12 in the closing stages of the United States Grand Prix.

Verstappen, braking later than Norris into the corner’s apex, pushed Norris wide while running out of permitted track surface himself, with the McLaren driver given a penalty after keeping his momentum up and overtaking the Red Bull in the incident.

McLaren, who believed the resulting steward’s inquiry was focusing on Verstappen’s actions, was duly left surprised by the fact it was Norris who was given the penalty – Verstappen being judged to have conformed with the FIA’s own Driving Guidelines related to driver behaviour in battle.

With McLaren and Red Bull representatives summoned to appear before the FIA stewards in the Mexico City Grand Prix paddock on Friday, McLaren CEO Zak Brown appeared on Sky F1 to address the logic behind why the petition was lodged.

“We obviously disagree with the outcome there, hence wanting to have another conversation,” he said.

“But, yeah, best we leave it to let that meeting happen and then see what comes of it.

“You know, these things are difficult, but we have a different view.

“I think a lot of people agree with our view that Lando was in front, and, if you look at it from that perspective, you maybe have a different outcome on that corner. But let’s see.”

With the stewards in Austin quickly reaching the verdict of penalising Norris, the British driver made the case that discussing the matter following the race would have been a preferable way of handling the controversial moment – a verdict Brown agreed with as he said the sport needs to go for the “right result”.

“Unfortunately, it happened towards the end,” he said.

“So I do think they probably felt some pressure because I think it was Mexico (sic), was it, a year or two ago where you had a podium swap.

“That’s not ideal, but what’s ideal is the right outcome, and if that means a podium swap or a bit of a delay, I think that’s the better approach.”

Speaking before the stewards reached a decision on McLaren’s petition, Brown weighed up the question of what he would consider to be a fair rule change to be made to address situations like what occurred in Austin.

“I’ve seen some quotes, I think we maybe have too many rules,” he said.

“There’s a reason why we have former F1 drivers and racing drivers as stewards. I think they know best what’s going on.

“I think we’ve got to kind of free up the rules a little bit and let the FIA stewards have a little bit more discretion because they know what’s really happening, versus the very technicality of who got to the apex first.

“Well, if you put your foot down, you’re going to get to the apex first, but maybe you won’t make the corner.

“So I think we need to open up and just leave it a little bit more to the F1 stewards to use their discretion because you guys [Sky F1 presenters] will all know, you kind of know what’s going on and we can’t let lawyers around the legality of rules dictate race outcomes.”

McLaren’s right to review was rejected by the stewards as their argument that the FIA’s statement that Car No. 4 was overtaking Car No. 1 was incorrect was deemed not to be significant.

The FIA statement read: “The concept that the written Decision was the significant and new element, or that an error in the decision was a new element, is not sustainable and is, therefore rejected.”

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Christian Horner: There’s no new evidence to present

With McLaren required to be able to present a new and significant piece of evidence to the stewards to be granted a right of review of the incident, Red Bull boss Christian Horner said he believed the calls made by the stewards at COTA were completely fair.

“Well, obviously, there’s a criteria that it has to fill,” he said of the petition lodged by McLaren.

“Whether it fills that, I’m not sure. I don’t think there is any new evidence.

“So, look, I mean, you have to trust in the process. I think the Stewards are in difficult positions. I felt that the calls they made were absolutely fair and right at the weekend. You can’t overtake a car off the circuit. So, you know, that’s where we are.

“It’s McLaren’s right to invoke that. Yeah, they’re probably rueing the fact that they didn’t let Max back past because they had such a pace advantage at that part of the race with the overlap of the fresher tyre that they would have probably quite easily passed Max in those last four laps anyway.”

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