Fifth Column-Nigel Roebuck

Until the rules on track limits are enforced consistently, or flouting them puts a driver at a disadvantage, they’ll continue to be disregarded.

IN AUSTIN MAX VERSTAPPEN, HAVING PASSED KIMI Raikkonen for third place on the last lap, looked suitably exhilarated as he awaited the podium ceremony with Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, but his expression swiftly changed when Raikkonen entered the room, and someone advised Max that he should leave.

As we know, Verstappen had ‘exceeded track limits’ as he snicked past the Ferrari, and that being so, the stewards had no alternative but to penalise him. Their decision was not well received, for Max’s move on Kimi had been beautifully executed, but inescapably all four of the Red Bull’s wheels were ‘off the track surface’ at the time.

Christian Horner pointed out that this was the sort of racing fans were crying out for, and Niki Lauda described the stewards’ decision as the worst he could remember. On an emotional level, I entirely agreed with them, but rules are rules, and you can’t ignore them as it suits you.

What you can complain about with this particular rule, though, is a lack of consistency in its application. For one thing, at some circuits it seems to be more fiercely in force than at others; for another, some incidents are punished, while others slip under the radar.