Former Haas Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner has called out the FIA for the lack of penalties and the handling of the virtual safety car during the Mexico Grand Prix.
The chaotic start of the race in Mexico has come under scrutiny after multiple drivers left the track and potentially gained advantages. In addition to the start, marshals were seen crossing the track in front of Liam Lawson, and a virtual safety car was introduced in the closing laps of the race, leaving some questioning the reason as Carlos Sainz's car was parked near an escape road and out of harm's way.
"I mean FIA again, it's like what is happening? What is happening? I mean again we have this discussion left, right and centre, what is happening?" Steiner said during The Red Flags Podcast during the 'Rockstar and W****r' segment of the show.
"All the drivers got an opinion now as well, but nothing will change. Fernando, I think it was his opinion about what happened at the start with some get penalised, some don't get penalised.
"It's all wide open, and I could take a whole podcast segment on the FIA. I'm not critical about the people, I think it is generally how it is set up. These people actually haven't got a good chance to be good."
The virtual safety car was deployed with just a few laps to go as an intense battle was unfolding between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc in the fight for second, as Carlos Sainz pulled his car over to retire.
While the Spanish driver felt he had parked the car in a safe position, the FIA later released a statement, which explained: "The car subsequently began smoking, and race control received notifications of fire, making it clear that marshal intervention would be required for recovery."
Onboard footage was also released showing marshals running across the live track in front of Lawson's car. An investigation into this is ongoing.
Discussing the incident, Steiner added: "Yes, I think there's no cause [for the VSC]. I think what happened in the beginning, the marshals out there scared the **** out of the race director. He was still trying to deal with that one because having marshals out there, and I don't think that's his fault to be honest.
"Maybe the marshals took themselves because I just read it. I didn't speak with anybody that they were called out but then they were told not to go and they still went.
"I think he was still in shock and said I did not want to take any risk here and put the [VSC], but it was obviously the wrong decision because Carlos did the best anybody can do and he intentionally did that not to create anything at the end of the race. He was thinking about it, he was clear it was not like I just end up there by luck. He thought about it and we all know in these things Carlos is very smart.
"He drove there and put it out of the way. But I think the race director obviously saw a standing car and I think he has still the pictures in front of him of the two marshals running across the track with Liam Lawson appearing. So I think it was an overreaction there. That's an opinion. I have no facts on that one."
Steiner argued that double-waved yellow flags would have been sufficient. He added that permanent stewards would help to solve the issue of drivers leaving the track at the start of the race.
"What would a permanent steward do after this happened twice? He will sit down with the people at the race track and say 'Hey, every year we have got a problem here, which is very difficult to judge or to penalise, you cannot do that anymore, you cannot cut across.'"
Read and post comments