The always outspoken Jacques Villeneuve has chimed in on the debate over last weekend's US Grand Prix regarding the controversial decisions made by the stewards, the Canadian branding the latter “amateurs” and “incompetent”.
Focusing on the incident involving Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in the closing laps of the race, Villeneuve believes the stewards' decision to sanction the McLaren driver reflected the enduring inconsistency of the officials' judgments.
Norris was handed a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage during his overtaking attempt on Verstappen, who took place just four laps from the finish of the race.
But Villeneuve believes both drivers should have been penalized.
"The F1 stewards made a mess,” Villeneuve told CanadaCasino.ca. “At the start does Max deserve a penalty for pushing Lando completely off the track? Yes.
“Let's look at the incident where Lando was punished. Did Lando floor it when he was on the outside of the track? Yes, I did. Was he ahead at the apex? It's difficult to see from the angle but possibly.
"Why was he off the track? Because he had been pushed off the track! He did gain an advantage but Max did not make the corner. They were both off.”
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Villeneuve's main contention lies in the apparent selective application of the rules. According to the Canadian, the rulebook clearly states that drivers who force others off the track should receive a five-second penalty, and in this case, Verstappen's actions warranted the same punishment as Norris received.
“The rules are clear. When a car drives someone else off the track they get a five second penalty. Both Norris and Max should have had a penalty. One incident does not excuse the other. That would have meant Norris third and Max fifth.
"The stewards were not balanced. If you are going to be strict about the rules then apply them to everyone. It makes a huge difference and it has a real impact on the championship.
The 1997 F1 World Champion also expressed his dismay at the stewards' failure to even investigate Verstappen's role, calling them “real amateurs.”
“They didn't even acknowledge that Max Norris pushed off the track. They didn't even look at it. They were real amateurs," he added.
“If both had been penalized, Norris would have got two more points and Max would have four less and another extra two points for McLaren from Piastri.”
The eleven-time Grand Prix winner believes the core issue is the inconsistency shown by the race stewards. He argues that a driver's action should be penalized based on the act itself, not on the final result.
“It was just incompetence by the stewards to not see what was going on,” he added.
“People want to see consistency. It should not be based on the results of the action by a driver. It should be based on the action itself. Because Norris got an advantage, they penalized him while ignoring who started it all.
“There were two separate incidents. Both should have had five second penalties. “It is quite clear in the rules.”
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