foxmulder_ms wrote: ↑27 Nov 2017, 19:00
If you pass someone outside track limits the penalty has been
always 5 seconds, no?.
No it hasn't, for one thing the 5 and 10 second penalty were brought in relatively recently. Passing off track was always told to give the position back, if you don't you get a penalty. before the 5/10 second penalty were brought in the way to push a driver back behind the guy he passed off track they gave a drive through to force them backwards if they chose to be idiots and not give the place back.
The 5/10 second penalties were brought in to give smaller options for some penalties. They were never brought in to replace penalties like that though. Again the intention was give up the place voluntarily or get a penalty to make you give the place back. Somehow the stewards decided a penalty that wouldn't force him to give the place back was sensible when it absolutely never was.
Stewards are just misusing the options for 5/10 second penalties in recent years and letting this passing while off track get out of hand.
Stewards have always somewhat conveniently used time penalties to establish a fair order when something happened in the final few laps of a race. In Verstappen's case he wasn't given 5 seconds because he passed off track, he was given 5 seconds because they could see from the finishing times that 5 seconds would force the place to be given back. It was incorrect, they should have given him a 15 second + penalty precisely so future stewards don't look at that decision and base a future decision off it.
Stewards are setting themselves up for a situation in which drivers who are stuck behind a slower car will just always pass off track, cut a corner and won't ever be actually punished for it. 100% the wrong decision and I'm angry that nothing was done to fix the decision after the race via formal complaints and a review of the situation.