Frederic Vasseur Takes a Dig at FIA After Lawrence Stroll and Co’s Ill-Fated Protest at the Chinese GP

One of F1’s debatable rules has come under the scanner once again after the Chinese GP. During Qualifying in Shanghai, Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari suffered an untimely spin. The Spaniard lost control of his SF24 at the last turn and spun into the wall to a dead stop. Though he managed to start the engines again and go into the pits, Aston Martin tried to exploit Article 39.6 of F1’s sporting regulations to get Sainz ruled out of session. Highlighting the absurdness of the same, Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur has criticized F1’s “complicated” rules.

Carlos Sainz’s incident was caused by his SF24’s rear accidentally driving over the gravel at Turn 16. Though the Spaniard beautifully controlled his car to avoid a major crash, the car’s front wing came off, and the session was red-flagged. Nonetheless, he restarted his Ferrari and went into the pits. However, this stoppage while the marshals cleared the track allowed Ferrari to repair his car completely. Consequently, he got another chance to improve his qualifying time and grid position.

While everything seemed well, Lawrence Stroll-led Aston Martin tried to play spoilsport for Ferrari. They protested Sainz’s return, highlighting Article 39.6 of F1’s sporting regulations, which reads: “Any driver whose car stops on the track during the qualifying session or the sprint qualifying session shootout will not be permitted to take any further part in that session.”

The FIA, however, dismissed their protest without any further action. Frederic Vassuer, however, is rather annoyed by this forced obstacle. “We asked race control if we could start again, and they said yes – end of story,” Vasseur said, as quoted by Motorsport-Total.com. He then emphasized how all cars nearly stop when they are turning, but 39.6 doesn’t fit the context. “Then ten cars stop when they turn,” he added. “We have to define the situation exactly. But the rules are getting more and more complicated anyway,” he emphasized. “When I started the job, the sporting regulations consisted of 20 pages. Now it’s 75.”

The FIA’s decisions have been scrutinized many times over the last year. Fortunately, Ferrari didn’t fall prey to this time around. Frederic Vasseur, who voiced his frustration over this issue, has also put forth his opinion over F1’s other big change.

Frederic Vasseur questions F1’s overhaul of the ‘frustrating’ points system

As revealed by Helmut Marko, F1 is working to change the points system. They are considering awarding points to the Top 12 finishers instead of the Top 10. This move aims to allow more than the Top 5 quickest teams to score points. Though Frederic Vasseur has expressed how this change is beneficial to the sport, he has his reservations.

“I’m not against [the rule change], and coming from Alfa Romeo [now Kick Sauber], I perfectly understand the frustration that sometimes you are doing a mega weekend,” Vasseur said. “If there is no DNF in front of you, you finish P11. Now, if you do this [the proposed points change] and next year, you have six teams in front, then you will say it’s the same for P13, but we have to pay attention,” he added before reaffirming his stance. “I’m not against [the rule change].”

Vasseur’s opinions might be crude but the experience behind them is immense. He brings a boatload of knowledge to Ferrari and many analysts have predicted that he can turn the team’s fortunes around. Can he prove to be the leader that the Maranello outfit has been seeking since their last championship win in 2007?