Skip to main content

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Recommended for you

Are F1's technical changes for Miami enough to ease 2026 concerns?

Feature
Formula 1
Are F1's technical changes for Miami enough to ease 2026 concerns?

FIA confirms changes to 2026 F1 rules ahead of Miami GP

Formula 1
Miami GP
FIA confirms changes to 2026 F1 rules ahead of Miami GP

Wolff warns against ADUO “gamesmanship”: Only one F1 manufacturer has a problem

Formula 1
Wolff warns against ADUO “gamesmanship”: Only one F1 manufacturer has a problem

Why 2026 F1 rule changes involve "a scalpel, not a baseball bat"

Formula 1
Miami GP
Why 2026 F1 rule changes involve "a scalpel, not a baseball bat"

Cars and stars from the 2026 Goodwood Members’ Meeting

General
Cars and stars from the 2026 Goodwood Members’ Meeting

Sutton takes early BTCC lead after Donington Park opener

Feature
BTCC
Donington Park (National Circuit)
Sutton takes early BTCC lead after Donington Park opener

Close encounters bookend glorious Goodwood’s 83rd Members’ Meeting

General
Close encounters bookend glorious Goodwood’s 83rd Members’ Meeting

Why 'inevitably' struck again in IndyCar as Palou won at Long Beach

Feature
IndyCar
Long Beach
Why 'inevitably' struck again in IndyCar as Palou won at Long Beach

F1 team bosses want rethink on 'joke' rules

Team principals Maurizio Arrivabene and Christian Horner have called for a rethink of Formula 1's rules after they caused controversy during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend

A lengthy debate took place on Saturday night over the application of the 107% rule that could have impacted on 11 drivers.

There was also a delay in the launching of a probe into whether Nico Rosberg breached a rule regarding double-yellow flags, with the Mercedes driver exonerated several hours after qualifying.

Arrivabene believes Formula 1 needs to simplify its rulebook, echoing comments made by Ferrari's president Sergio Marchionne late last year.

"My president raised that topic one year ago, more or less," said Ferrari chief Arrivabene,

"He said clearly we have too many complications. Clear and simple rules could help.

"We need to clean up all the grey areas in the rules.

"When you have grey areas you never know where you are going. You start to look left, right, up, down."

Red Bull boss Horner agreed, adding that common sense was required and rules, such as the restrictions on radio communication, were confusing for fans.

"We need a common sense rule, but probably in Formula 1 that doesn't exist," he said.

"It's like the radio situation with Jenson Button [who received a penalty for being assisted by McLaren with a problem during the race].

"I haven't seen what was said or recorded but we're over-regulating and making it too complicated for the fans.

"You need to keep it simple that a casual viewer can tune in and pick up what's going on without over-regulating."

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen was frustrated with the way the rules were interpreted concerning Max Verstappen's defence of position in their battle in Hungary and took aim at the rulebook as a whole.

"It's a joke with the rules," he said. "A good example is in the qualifying on Saturday.

"You have the 107% rule and the people who didn't go through from first qualifying they applied it to but not on the rest.

"So how can you suddenly have the same rule and apply it in the same qualifying two different ways?

"Can somebody explain how that works?

"It seems to be a part of this place and something must change.

"It just looks bad to people outside and it's not fair.

"There's a rule and it should apply exactly the same way every time."

Previous article Hamilton 'over-managed' Hungarian GP, didn't delay Rosberg - Wolff
Next article Why Red Bull failed to fight Mercedes in Hungary

Top Comments