Logan Sargeant and Sergio Perez have spearheaded calls for an investigation of Formula 1’s “joke” penalty points system.
If the stewards determine that an incident warrants it, drivers will also get sporting penalties in addition to penalty points; a 12-point accumulation over a rolling 12-month period will result in a race ban.
After receiving several penalties recently, Kevin Magnussen, a driver for Haas, is getting dangerously close to that threshold. He currently has 10 points, the most recent of which were added following the Miami Grand Prix.
But drivers are concerned about how points are applied to different kinds of penalties.
Sargeant was given two penalty points for a safety car violation during the Chinese Grand Prix. Sargeant was just behind Nico Hulkenberg at the Safety Car 1 line when the Haas exited from a pistol.
However, the Williams driver feels that the system has devolved into a “joke” because more serious traffic violations do not result in license points.
When asked if he thought the penalty point system should be changed, Sargeant told Motorsport.com, “I think mine [in China] was incredibly frustrating.
“The fine is one matter. It was a joke to receive penalty points for what it was. I believe that you just receive reprimands for a lot of harsher things that occur during the weekend.
“People have slowed down in front of me in qualifying, almost had massive wrecks, and nothing happened. However, you receive two penalty points when I cross the line simultaneously with someone else and you are unable to observe it, which I believe is a bad direction to be going.
Prior to Magnussen’s encounters with the Miami GP stewards, Perez held the top spot in terms of penalty points.
In reply, the Red Bull driver gave an explanation, saying, “I think that given that we now have more races, it’s definitely something that should be looked at. Sometimes you already pay the costs for it and add some penalty points.
“There are a lot of points that are definitely over the line in every incident, if you look at all the points that every driver receives, but the law is there.”Hopefully, though, it will be something that can be examined later on.
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Fabio Quartararo: ‘To leave when you still believe would be wrong’
I believe a lot in Yamaha, I believe a lot in myself, and I know we’re going to come back, said Fabio Quartararo.
Although Fabio Quartararo acknowledges that staying with Yamaha “wasn’t easy,” he still has faith in the project because of the factory’s new operating procedures, which have been in place since January.
Since making his MotoGP debut in 2019 with the Petronas team, Quartararo has been a Yamaha racer. In 2020, he won three races for the satellite team before dominating the world championship with the factory squad the following year.
He started the 2022 season ranked first in the world championship rankings, but since then, he and the M1 have been winless, dropping him to second place in 2022 and finally to tenth place in 2023.
Quartararo told MotoGP, My decision [to re-sign with Yamaha] was not easy, but I think that to quit while you still believe in the idea would be wrong.” “I have a great deal of faith in Yamaha, in myself, and in our ability to return.
“It was crucial for me to have clarity regarding my future, and the choice I made was obviously influenced by the manner in which we have been operating since January.
It’s a revolution among the team and something I haven’t seen in the last two years.
“I’m particularly delighted that the new engineers—Japanese engineers as of late—have completely transformed the way they operate, and I think that their current aggressive approach will expedite things.”
The most important recent hire at Yamaha for Quartararo is Max Bartolini, a coveted new technical director who came from Ducati.
Quartararo stated, “Max was a huge figure coming to the brand—I will not explain [the reason for] the decision to stay at Yamaha.”
“I recall asking him as many questions as I could during our nearly three-hour first meeting. And Max’s knowledge is evident to me.
“Then, many Ducati employees inform you that you have a really important engineer and that you are aware of his dedication when you arrive at the first test.
“I also believe that he has a very high level of challenge in the team since he wants to win with a different brand and I want to return with Yamaha.
My MotoGP experience is primarily grounded in Yamaha. However, having other people visit from other brands to provide us with a brief update on how things are operating there is also beneficial.
“I believe that the team is quite good at this moment, but we need to improve a few areas to compete for better positions.”
With five rounds completed, Quartararo is currently ranked twelfth in the world championship, having accrued 25 points more than the new best rider on a Japanese bike, Joan Mir (Repsol Honda), a fellow former champion.
Even though he finished third in a wild Jerez Sprint, just ahead of a tire pressure penalty, Quartararo says Yamaha’s fortunes won’t change much.
He stated, “We are working on improving the bike so that it will be better for the second half of the season and especially for next year. We are not really focused on the results.”
It’s going to be a difficult year, to be honest. When you start riding a different bike at the age of three or four, I don’t think you’ll battle for many podiums or triumphs.
“I still have a lot to learn about riding a bike, and we do too. A lot is changing, and we need to get used to the new mindset, the new bike, and the new environment.
However, I am aware that in the next few years, the work they are doing now will accelerate.
“They have faith in me to lead the initiative to growth and return to success. We accomplished it a few years ago, so I believe we can succeed again.
Alex Rins, Quartararo’s 2025 partner, and the name of a proposed satellite squad are still up in the air.
