McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl believes teams are responsible for confusing the rules. He makes that statement after confusion arose in Japan about scoring in the shortened game.
The confusion was complete in Japan when Max Verstappen was crowned world champion after the race. The teams were also convinced: Verstappen was still short of a point because the entire race distance of 53 laps had not been completed.
Since only 29 laps were completed, just over half but less than 75 percent, it was assumed that fewer points would be awarded. This was not the case, however, due to the wording of the relevant rule, introduced after last year’s rain-soaked Belgian Grand Prix. It was a race that was shortened and could not be resumed, which did not happen in Japan because the last forty minutes were driven to the finish.
Read also: Verstappen was crowned Formula 1 world champion for the second consecutive time after the confusion
After the confusion, the party got underway at Red Bull, although they were surprised there too. According to Andreas Seidl, McLaren team principal, the teams are partly responsible for these confusing rules. “I feel responsible for this because we look at everything every winter and each team has the opportunity to raise points that are not entirely clear,” explains Seidl.
Seidl indicates that he has not yet gone into detail with the team on this loophole. “We understood everything we had agreed with the FIA and Formula 1: after Spa, this rule only applies if the race does not end normally. This is clearly something we have all overlooked. Therefore, it is our responsibility to try to do better in the winter and close the loopholes, if there are any. “
