Jolyon Palmer has hit out at the FIA for their controversial Brazilian GP decision, saying that they have compromised their consistency.
The FIA made a critically-panned call regarding Max Verstappen forcing Lewis Hamilton off the track in Brazil. He got away unscathed when it was a stonewall penalty, and that decision sent F1 fans into fits of rage.
Even though Hamilton ended up winning despite the odds against him, it left a sour taste in the mouth for many.
Mercedes requested a ‘Right of Review’ after it was revealed that the FIA had made the call without looking at the onboard footage from Verstappen’s Red Bull.
Palmer hit out at the FIA for their controversial decision, and said that it has sent out a negative message to everyone involved.
As quoted by f1i.com, Palmer wrote in his column for the official website, “I’m dubious about the decision.
“For me, it raises questions about precedents for racing in the future – and from a sporting point of view, it didn’t make sense to me.
“We’ve had many incidents this year of drivers forcing each other off the road, and some have been contentious, like when Lando Norris was penalised for squeezing Sergio Perez onto the gravel in Austria.”
No excuses
“Had Verstappen managed to at least stay on the track himself, then I think we would be in the grey area seen so many times already this year; is it hard defence and the driver on the outside has to back off, or is it squeezing another driver off the road?” he asked.
“If Verstappen had stayed on track, I think the former could be argued, and that is what has been the case in almost all circumstances this year. But the fact that Verstappen was so late on the brakes, from a tight angle, meant he also had to run off the road by multiple car widths.
“That denied Hamilton the chance to stay on track. That for me is a clear case of a driver being forced off.
“If this sort of defensive manoeuvre is now acceptable, how can we expect another move to be completed around the outside, so long as there is the ever more popular asphalt run-off?” he concluded.
Read more: Palmer insists Norris “was a match for Hamilton” at Russian GP