Controversy in Austin: Toto Wolff Accuses F1 Stewards of Bias After Verstappen Escapes Penalty

Toto Wolff expresses worry over 'biased' stewarding as Max Verstappen avoids penalty

Mercedes team leader Toto Wolff has cast doubt on the impartiality of F1 stewarding following the United States Grand Prix.

Mercedes' team leader, Toto Wolff, has raised concerns about potential "bias" in the decision-making of Formula 1 stewards following a contentious United States Grand Prix.

George Russell received a five-second penalty for pushing Sauber's Valtteri Bottas off the track in the initial laps of Sunday's race at COTA. Wolff called the decision a "complete joke."

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In the meantime, Lando Norris from McLaren received a penalty for overtaking Max Verstappen, who is competing for the F1 championship, outside the track boundaries at Turn 12. This incident happened during an exciting late-race fight for the last podium position, which eventually was secured by the Red Bull driver.

In a conversation with Russell over the team radio during the cool-down lap, Wolff expressed his opinion that the choice not to penalize Verstappen for pushing Norris off track at the beginning of the race was an example of "biased decision-making."

Russell inquired, “Was Verstappen penalized for his actions at Turn 1?”

Wolff commented, "No, he wasn't penalized, whereas Lando received a penalty for being pushed off the track and passing from the outside. It seems like the decision-making might be a bit partial, but it's not unexpected."

Russell responded by saying, "Yes, that's unusual."

In an interview with Sky Sports following the race, Wolff criticized the "extremely strange and unusual" decisions made by the stewards during the Austin weekend.

"It's not uniform. The situation with Valtteri [Bottas] didn't even resemble a race," Wolff commented. "In yesterday's sprint race, we observed several similar incidents that went unpunished, despite involving genuine competition for positions."

"Getting that penalty is extremely strange and unusual. I believe we understand the reason, but I can't discuss it on TV."

When questioned about whether he believed it was a result of 'over-judicious' stewarding, Wolff responded, "Occasionally, there are connections."

When asked to clarify what he meant by 'correlations', Wolff explained: "It's when the decision-making process seems a bit intriguing."

In wrapping up the interview, Wolff remarked, "Ultimately, it's a challenging role. Some stewards excel at it, while others are doing their utmost, and it's important to acknowledge their efforts."

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