Formula 1 drivers met for a crucial briefing at the Qatar Grand Prix on Thursday night. They have been planning the summit for weeks to discuss racing rules.
The consensus was that the guidelines needed to be tweaked after the incident involving Max Verstappen and Lando Norris at the United States GP. Norris received a penalty but many drivers felt Verstappen had exposed a loophole in the rules.
Defending his position into turn 12, the Red Bull star seemed to release the brakes to ensure he got to the apex first and claimed the corner. But he carried so much momentum that he ran off the track.
This forced Norris, who was attacking round the outside, deep into the run-off. The McLaren drove clean past him, triggering a penalty because he’d gained an unfair advantage.
But Verstappen may not be able to use that tactic next year depending on the outcome of the talks. Grand Prix Drivers’ Association director George Russell previously said 19 out of 20 drivers were aligned on what needs to be done.
Verstappen hit back at Russell in Qatar, insisting he wasn’t hindering the process. 2025 is expected to be F1’s closest season on record as the ground-effect era comes to an end, which will make the art of overtaking more important than ever.
Kevin Magnussen didn’t see any point attending F1 driver briefing at Qatar Grand Prix
One driver who didn’t take part in Thursday’s talks was Haas’ Kevin Magnussen. That’s according to Auto Motor und Sport.
Because he isn’t ‘taking part’ next year, Magnussen says the rules ‘don’t affect’ him. He’s losing his Haas drive after moves for Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman.
He was one of four drivers who were absent. Based on Magnussen’s logic, one can assume that two of the others were Valtteri Bottas, and Zhou Guanyu (both let go by Sauber).
The fourth was likely Magnussen’s teammate Nico Hulkenberg. Hulkenberg missed media day due to a cold, so may be able to offer his input at a later date.
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Magnussen’s stance is questionable. While he won’t be on the 2025 grid, these guidelines could still apply in 2026, when he’ll hope to be competing in F1 once again.
Indeed, he knows more than most that losing your drive isn’t necessarily terminal. He’s recovered from being sacked by McLaren and indeed Haas.
Magnussen has expressed interest in a Cadillac seat after the GM brand agreed a deal to join the grid. They may look to put an experienced driver in one of their cars.
The 32-year-old would likely advocate for lenient racing guidelines. He became the first driver to receive a ban under the penalty points system this year, and Russell felt Magnussen’s suspension was deserved.
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