Formula 1 is facing pressure to revise its penalty system as Kevin Magnussen teeters on the edge of a race ban following a tumultuous weekend at the Miami GP for the Haas driver.
The Danish driver arrived in Miami still battling a virus he contracted in Shanghai, and then faced accusations of "unsportsmanlike behaviour" during his aggressive driving in the sprint race.
Yet to secure a deal for the 2025 season, Magnussen conceded he used highly aggressive strategies to keep the cars behind him, in order to "protect" his teammate Nico Hulkenberg's position in the points. The FIA, however, absolved Magnussen of the unsportsmanlike conduct allegations but issued him four time penalties, leaving him at the bottom of the race standings.
The stewards also imposed five penalty points on Magnussen's super license, bringing his total to ten. An accumulation of just two more points before next May would necessitate a mandatory one-race suspension.
Peter Bayer, the CEO of the RB team, voiced that the FIA should reevaluate its penalties in cases like Magnussen's. "The FIA should think about this," he stated.
Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher criticized the severity of the penalties imposed on Magnussen in Miami, describing them as excessive. "Even if he said the penalties were well deserved, the GPDA shouldn't leave it at that. It's too much, it's too harsh," he remarked to Sky Deutschland. "A different approach is needed."
Gunther Steiner, Magnussen's previous team leader at Haas, argued for fairer play in racing. "You have to play fairly. You can be aggressive, but we've seen this game for the second time now. As a driver, you can't be proud if you ruin someone else's race," Steiner noted. He suggested that the current system of time penalties is ineffective: "Once you get the first ten seconds, it doesn't matter to you if you get another ten seconds. Why not a drive-through? You then have to take the penalty within a few laps and then you're gone and you can't cause any more trouble."
Andrea Stella, the McLaren team boss, expressed that Magnussen's conduct in Miami warranted an immediate suspension. "It shouldn't be five seconds plus five seconds plus five seconds makes 15," he commented. "It should be five plus five plus five plus maybe a weekend at home with your family to think about good sportsmanship."
Oscar Piastri suggested a simpler solution to such issues. "All these problems would be solved if the FIA said 'You have to give that position back, otherwise it's a trip through the pitlane'," the Australian racer proposed.
Magnussen also faced criticism for a collision with Williams' Logan Sargeant in the main grand prix, which necessitated the safety car's deployment. "Magnussen should think about his risk management," Ralf Schumacher advised. "He was in the blind spot, but he stayed on his line like a bull. That makes you lose respect. It costs the teams money and also puts your opponents at risk. There also has to be some fairness. Hard but fair, ok. But just going in with the mindset 'Well, if I crash, what do I have to lose? If I'm not scoring points, I might as well crash'. That's the mentality behind it. That obviously can't go on. There are penalties for that in Formula 2 and Formula 3."
When queried about his overall harrowing experience in Miami and the implications for the future, Magnussen responded on Sunday, "I'd rather not comment."
