Stewards Struggle with Consistency at US Grand Prix in Austin

The US Grand Prix was a test for stewards on how to monitor track limits and overtaking: they failed.

The issue of track limits hasn’t been talked about as much in 2024. More street circuits with walls acting as track limits and gravel traps being implanted on race tracks (like Austria and Belgium) have made stewarding easier.

However, the US Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas presented a problem. As a newer track that’s also used for motorcycle racing, it has many long asphalt run-off areas where stewards are needed to police.

The Circuit of the Americas, built in 2010, initially used astroturf as a track limit policing but was removed on safety grounds for motorcycle racing. This means drivers can go off the track and gain a position and are also more inclined to push each other off the track as well.

Previously in 2017, Max Verstappen received a 5-second penalty for overtaking Kimi Raikkonen off the track in Austin, which also generated controversy.

Throughout the sprint race, it hasn’t been a problem. Drivers frequently pushed others off the track and received no penalty. The stewards had taken a laissez-faire attitude and let the drivers race.

However, there were problems today, which saw several controversial incidents. Most notably Lando Norris penalised for overtaking Max Verstappen off the track. Stewards seemed for no explainable reason to have changed their approach to a tough one.

There were two types of penalties drivers received:

• One for overtaking while off the track;

• One for forcing another driver off the track. 

In the Norris-Verstappen incident, both the drivers could have been guilty of an offence worth a penalty. Norris overtook Verstappen, but the three times World Champion did push the McLaren off track.

Source: Sam Bloxham/Getty Images

In similar incidents, the driver who was penalised was the one who pushed the other off the track, like George Russell and Yuki Tsunoda, while Pierre Gasly received a similar penalty to Norris. This lack of consistency has left many angry and confused.

Going into the weekend, stewards needed to be clearer over which driver would be penalised in similar incidents. Their decisions were inconsistent and they appeared confused themselves. What chance do the drivers even have? 

A more long-term solution would be to install the strips of gravel traps that were seen at the Red Bull Ring earlier this year, another track used by MotoGP.

The Losail Circuit in Qatar is likely to be the next serious test of stewards’ consistency and efficiency. 

Source: Mark Sutton/Getty Images

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