Driver penalty situation in F1 ’crazy’ - Ecclestone

Bernie Ecclestone says the way Formula 1 drivers are being penalised for on-track incidents at present is "crazy".

Pundits have been highly critical of some of Max Verstappen’s racing lately, but drivers up and down the pitlane are loudly calling on the FIA to clarify the "guidelines" about what is and is not acceptable.

"It’s getting crazy," said Ecclestone, the former F1 chief executive who quietly attended the Brazilian GP last weekend, as he lives on a nearby coffee plantation.

"You could sum up the current rules in one sentence - ’don’t fight or you’ll get into trouble’. We saw it in Mexico with the two 10-second penalties given to Max," the 94-year-old added.

"If you give those penalties for that, what are you going to do if something more serious happens? How many seconds will you give in that case? I think we’ve gone too far at that level," Ecclestone charged.

"Too clean, too methodical. It’s not really racing anymore."

However, Ecclestone has been a regular critic of many aspects of Formula 1, particularly since he was ousted by the sport’s new owner Liberty Media in 2017.

When asked by the Belgian broadcaster RTBF if he still recognises the F1 of the past that he led for decades, the Briton answered: "It’s like everywhere in the world. Everything changes all the time.

"I’m not saying the current people are doing a bad job, they just haven’t looked hard enough at the things that need to be gotten rid of and changed."