Teams concerned about fines for safety-based penalties

Max Verstappen against financial penalties

(GMM) A new penalty issued by the FIA in Hockenheim looks set to have a short shelf-life.

For unsafely releasing Charles Leclerc from a pitstop into the path of Romain Grosjean, Ferrari received a EUR 5,000 team fine rather than an actual sporting penalty for the driver.

Indeed, for the same infraction at Monaco, Max Verstappen received a five-second time penalty.

It is believed team bosses have now raised the issue with the FIA, arguing that fines paid by teams should not replace actual sporting penalties.

"This is about safety," Racing Point team manager Andy Stevenson told Auto Motor und Sport.

Renault's Alan Permane agrees.

"If this becomes the rule, each team should just deposit EUR 100,000 with the FIA before every race, and money can then just be deducted for every incident," he said.

Verstappen also thinks financial penalties are "not right" when teams stand to benefit from pushing the envelope in areas of safety.

"For a team, EUR 5,000 is nothing," said the Dutchman. "They won't mind spending that amount. From a security point of view, it's wrong."