The intended recipient of this warning is clear
They have not fallen on the back of their minds at the FIA either. And if they did, they must have had an approved helmet on. The federation also remembers the 1990 crash between Senna and Prost. Moreover, they are very well aware of how cunning the drivers are. That’s why they issue an indirect warning: if you crash on purpose, we’ll take points. It is not difficult to enter the intended recipient of the message. The FIA does not normally warn so explicitly.
As you know by now, Max Verstappen can become champion on Sunday by knocking Hamilton off the track. It doesn’t matter if he ends up in the gravel box himself. Then he is champion. Race management today publishes the notes for the event – as they do every week – and also touches on the sporting regulations of F1. It states that the following is prohibited: “Any violation of the principles of fairness in competition, conduct unsportsmanlike or attempt to influence the outcome of a competition in a manner contrary to sports ethics.”
FIA warns: ‘We can deduct points in case of crash’
They also make clear what penalties apply to unsportsmanlike behaviour. For all FIA championships, the stewards can also decide to impose the following penalties: suspension from one or more competitions and the withdrawal of championship points. Incidentally, for these regulations there is still a loophole in the form of the sister team Scuderia AlphaTauri. If they get points deductions, Red Bull will not be bothered by it.
The most famous example is the crash between Schumacher and Villeneuve in 1997. It was not to be missed in the images that Schumacher – although he first denied it himself at high and low – gives a slap. Schumacher had himself with it: Villeneuve was able to continue while Schumacher ended up in the gravel. As a penalty, Schumacher’s points were taken away. Otherwise he would have come second.
Or will Bottas do it?
We consider the chance quite small, but there may still be some resentment with Bottas. After all, he has to hand in his seat next year and leave for Alfa Romeo. It would not be smart for the future to smash his own windows, but who knows, there may be one last middle finger in the offing for his old employer. By driving himself and Hamilton off the track, Bottas could give both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships to Red Bull.
