Guenther Steiner thinks GPS, camera stills and other technology should be used to decide driver order if a red flag is needed before a sector has been completed; Haas boss also discusses Nico Hulkenberg’s start with the team and 2024 driver line-up intentions
By Jonathan Green
Last Updated: 20/04/23 2:16pm
There was chaos on the second race restart at the Australian GP, resulting in the third Red Flag of the race
There was chaos on the second race restart at the Australian GP, resulting in the third red flag of the race
Guenther Steiner wants the FIA to reassess how it decides restart orders in Formula 1 if a red flag is needed before a timing sector has been completed following a standing start.
The Haas team principal’s comments come in the wake of a chaotic finish to the Australian GP. A standing start re-start with two laps remaining in Melbourne led to multiple incidents at Turns 1 and 2 resulting in a third red flag of the race.
F1’s Sporting Regulations state that if a race is suspended “in all cases the order will be taken at the last point at which it was possible to determine the position of all cars”.
Because the field had not made it through the first timing sector, race director Niels Wittich decided to restore the order from before the restart to complete the one remaining lap behind the Safety Car.
Haas were the big losers of the decision as Nico Hulkenberg had jumped up to fourth after avoiding contact, and would have been in contention for his and the team’s first podium following Carlos Sainz’s five-second time penalty. The German was ultimately classified seventh.
The American team saw a protest against the result dismissed by stewards. While in that submission Haas acknowledged the limitations of GPS, Steiner would like to see it combined with other technology to try and make things clearer for spectators.
Reflecting on the ordering procedure, Steiner told Sky Sports: “They wanted to do the ordering on a timing line. With the technology that we have these days, GPS is accurate enough – we use GPS for the blue flag for example.
“They say it’s not accurate enough for a finishing position yet it’s accurate enough for a blue flag – we need to make our mind up what it is and what it isn’t.
“I really think there needs to be a lot of thinking. We could have frozen everything, via camera and via GPS, at the exact moment when the red flag came out.
“I think it will come up at our next F1 Commission next week. Let’s see what comes up – people are a lot less outspoken in meetings like this about it but everyone will have their opinion.
“I think in general, we need to do it for the fans. For me, the biggest thing was to make people wait half an hour for a race result knowing that it will not change anymore. We only had to go around another lap and a half.”
Martin Brundle discusses the red flags during the Australian GP, sprint events and George Russell outqualifying Lewis Hamilton
Steiner: Was third red flag needed?
Steiner also pondered if the FIA could have just used the Safety Car to negotiate the final lap and a half, and therefore remove the need to alter the order, rather than throw out the final red flag.
“The third red flag was completely unnecessary and just delayed the finish of the race for half an hour,” said Steiner ahead of the publication of his new book Surviving to Drive: A Year Inside Formula 1.
“Everybody knew at the second restart that if there was another red flag the race would start behind the Safety Car and go to the end behind the Safety Car, why not put the Safety Car out straight away and finish the race and let everybody go home?
“I think there needs to be some discussions on how we can do this better.”
Steiner surprised by Hulkenberg start, pressure growing on Magnussen
Kevin Magnussen clips the wall and completely loses his right rear tyre which brings out the second red flag of the race!
Hulkenberg’s result in Australia ensured his first points for Haas since signing as Mick Schumacher’s replacement after three seasons without a full-time drive in F1.
Hulkenberg has also out-qualified team-mate Kevin Magnussen at the opening three races of the year – by over half a second when reaching Q3 in Bahrain and Australia – and Steiner admits the 35-year-old has got back up to speed quicker than he expected.
“Yes, I’ve been a little surprised. That was what we wanted to expect but he came quickly up and it shows just having the experience of being an F1 driver, even if you are out a few years full-time, he was still on it,” Steiner said.
“He knows what he has to do and he has also got the motivation. That proves that we did the right choice.”
Haas boss Guenther Steiner says he and his former driver Mick Schumacher were ‘divided’ amid reports that the pair have fallen out. Steiner also insists Schumacher was treated fairly while with the team
In his book, Steiner explains how he wanted Hulkenberg to push Kevin Magnussen out of his comfort zone, and the 58-year-old says the Dane needs to get closer to his new team-mate.
He told Sky Sports: “The pressure is growing on Kevin and I think he will be dealing with it. He knows he has to deal with it. He knows what is at stake. He needs to be very close to Nico, they have got the same car and everything and he wants to be as well.
“Nico did a good job the first three races but we know Kevin can drive an F1 car pretty quick. He just needs to pull his socks up and get it done.”
Ricciardo to Haas? Steiner settles speculation
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner discusses speculation linking former McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo to team Haas
Steiner also confirmed his intention to continue with two experienced drivers in 2024 but played down speculation linking Daniel Ricciardo to Haas, telling Sky Sports News: “No, not at the moment.
“I think Daniel is with Red Bull, I don’t know for how long. I actually was with Daniel on the plane to Australia, so we had a little bit of a chat – but not about the contract, just about general life and what is going on, but we didn’t even go there, to be honest.
“So, I don’t know, Daniel wanted to take a year out and then see what he wants to do next, and I think when he is ready, he will phone people up and say: ‘I’m ready again’.”
Surviving to Drive: A Year Inside Formula 1 by Guenther Steiner is out now
The Formula 1 season resumes with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from April 28-30, with the first Sprint weekend of 2023 shown in full live on Sky Sports F1. Watch Saturday’s Sprint at 2:30pm and Sunday’s race at 12pm. Get Sky Sports
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