F1 drivers agree that the consistency of steward decisions for on-track incidents should be improved, following a controversial Belgian Grand Prix in which several matters were not punished.
In Monza today there were differing views among drivers about the various incidents in the Spa race last weekend, but there was something close to unanimity that the consistency of stewards' decisions should be improved.
"We have seen it for a long time, the penalties they are not very consistent" said Valtteri Bottas. "One race you get one for that and another you don't."
He added too that this was not a new matter for the drivers to raise with the authorities. "I'm sure in the drivers' briefing again there's going to be discussion about that we need more consistency.
"I don't know exactly what's allowed and what's not" he went on. "It would be nice to have much clearer rules and consistent penalties, but let's see."
Carlos Sainz concurred, saying "since I have been in F1 consistency of penalties has not been good enough."
Fernando Alonso also admitted that following his contact with Nico Hulkenberg in the pitlane in the Spa race, he was unsure whether he would be penalised or not.
"We all agree [that steward consistency is poor]" he said. "Even in my pitlane exit with Nico [Hulkenberg], we exit side-by-side and touch a little bit, I have no penalty, maybe in the next race I have a penalty. The next couple of laps I didn't know which steward I had this in race!
"I could be penalised, Nico could be penalised, both could be penalised. That is the problem we have now."
Jenson Button cautioned however that consistency while desirable is also likely hard to achieve. "We all understand that consistency is the most important thing, but it's also very difficult to get that because you're not going to get the same stewards at every race."
While Sebastian Vettel believed that the problems are related to over-regulation, and that more should be left to the drivers to sort out among themselves. "We ended up developing too many regulations, and therefore because taking every scenario as a different one ended up with every scenario being treated different. It's impossible to be 100% consistent in that regard…it would be much better if it was more in our hands".
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