Formula 1’s governing body is to revise its racing guidelines following a meeting with drivers at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
The move comes after drivers questioned the decision to penalise McLaren’s Lando Norris following a controversial incident with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in last Sunday’s United States Grand Prix.
The FIA said in the drivers’ briefing in Mexico on Friday, sources in the meeting have told BBC Sport, that it would come up with revised wording to cover the specifics of the incident and present it to the drivers for approval later this season.
The FIA did not give details as to what would change, but the admission came in the context of a discussion about the tactics Verstappen had employed to keep his position and whether he should have been penalised.
The FIA initially gave an explanation for the decision to penalise Norris, sources said. Some drivers then disagreed with that explanation, after which the FIA said it would bring a suggested revision for discussion at a forthcoming race.
Insiders said it appeared that the FIA had come to the meeting prepared for this eventuality.
The meeting was described as “civilised” by one source. A spokesperson for the FIA said it was “collaborative”.
The majority of drivers feel Verstappen exploited in the move a loophole in the rules that govern defending from a car trying to overtake on the outside in a way that goes against racing ethics.
The FIA emphasised in the meeting the importance of being seen to be consistent in its decision-making, but drivers countered that there was no point being consistent if the wrong decisions were being made.
The idea of making track changes was also discussed, so there is a natural deterrent for a driver going off the circuit.
An FIA spokesperson said: “There was a general commitment to continue to update the driving standards guidelines.
“Bearing in mind the drivers requested the drivers’ racing guidelines and agreed to their introduction along with the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, each time they are updated it is consultation with the drivers.
“It is generally accepted that they should continue to evolve, not because of isolated incidents such as Austin, but driven by the desire to bring consistency to determinations and decisions from the stewards.”
In the incident in Austin, Norris was trying to overtake Verstappen around the outside at Turn 12, a tight left-hander at the end of a long straight.
Norris was a full car’s length ahead before they braked, but Verstappen braked later, before running off the track on the exit, with Norris outside him also running off track.
Norris overtook Verstappen while both were in the run-off area, and was given a five-second penalty for gaining an advantage by going off track.
A number of drivers felt that Verstappen should have been penalised for forcing a rival off track.
Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton said in a news conference the day before the drivers’ meeting with the FIA that he had been exposed to this tactic from Verstappen during their title fight in 2021.
Hamilton added: “You shouldn’t be able to come off the brakes and run more speed in and go off the track and still hold your place.”
The current rules dictate that a driver trying to overtake on the outside needs only be afforded room exiting the corner if the front axle of his car is ahead of that of the inside car at the apex.
Many drivers feel the rule needs to be changed to add a caveat that if the driver defending his position also ends up going off track, he should face some form of penalty.
Some in the meeting on Friday even expressed the view that stewards could have used part of the existing rules to punish Verstappen for forcing Norris on track.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly said: “There’s one rule which needs to be changed. It’s that whoever has got their front axle first at the apex has got the priority.
“But then how much car control have you got at that point? Because otherwise ultimately you’re just going to end up having situations where you can just dive bomb, not committing to the corner, just to make sure you’ve got your front axle at the apex.
“Even if you can’t make the corner, that’s going to be your corner. But then you might create other problems that you end up having all cars off the race track. And whoever gets the priority doesn’t get penalised etc.”
In the meeting, Verstappen said that if the rule was changed, he would drive to the new meaning of the regulations.
On Thursday the world champion tacitly admitted that he had been driving to the letter of the regulations.
“It’s how the rules are written,” Verstappen said. “I don’t make the rules. I just follow the rules as much as I can. I just implement the rules and play with them.”
On Friday, the FIA rejected a request by McLaren for a “right of review” of the five-second penalty received by Norris, which demoted him back behind Verstappen.