Decisions of the race management: Verstappen sees a parallel to football

(Motorsport-Total.com) – The referee is often the focus of many sports because of his decisions. The anger of those involved is often very great when an alleged wrong decision is made and a disadvantage for the own team arises. According to Max Verstappen, it is just as difficult in Formula 1 as in football to find the right size.

The personal perception of the race stewards naturally plays an important role, because they have to make an informed decision quickly with the available pictures. The personal line, which differs between the rule-keepers, plays a major role in the decision-making process.

“It's like in football, isn't it?”, Verstappen told 'Motorsport-Total.com' , “There are different referees there and some draw a yellow card faster than the others. It is the same here. Of course there is the rule book, but the race stewards have scope to decide whether used to be used.”

No uniform line possible

Verstappen also sees a difference in the different mentalities and nationalities and draws here too a parallel to the sport in which the round has to be shot into a corner: “In the Champions League, the referee can be very different from a game in the Premier League (where the referees usually let the game run more; note d. Red.). “

“Sometimes you get away with a yellow card, others give you a red card and you ask yourself: 'Became once is actually going on here?'” This is exactly how it should feel for the drivers in the premier class, where different race directors drive different lines in their rule design.

Michael Masi, the successor to the late ex-race director Charlie Whiting, has loosened the leash somewhat in Formula 1 and granted the drivers more freedom. A black and white flag has been introduced to act as a yellow card. However, this was only used once in Italy against Charles Leclerc.

Verstappen strengthened the back of race management

As the race stewards rotate, Verstappen realizes that to a certain extent there can be no consistency in the decisions. “It's okay,” says the Dutchman. “If you're on the wrong side, a punishment is always bad. If you've done something really bad, you can accept it.”

at 50 / 50 – Verstappen always predicts trouble because the driver will fight back. He says: “It's not easy for the officials. I was on the race board in Formula E and saw them punish. They don't really want to. But sometimes they just have to do it because it's like that the rules. “