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FIA considering Mexico track changes after corner-cutting row
Charlie Whiting says the FIA will consider making changes to Turns 1 and 2 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez after the controversy over corner-cutting during the Mexican Grand Prix.
Pablo Elizalde
Edited: Nov 10, 2016, 5:36 PM
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Red Bull's Max Verstappen was handed a penalty that cost him a podium finish after he went off track at Turn 1 when defending from Sebastian Vettel.
The Dutchman cut across the grass and returned to the track ahead of Vettel after skipping the Turn 2 chicane.
Lewis Hamilton had also cut through the grass at the start but, despite emerging with a big lead after his excursion, the Mercedes driver was not penalised.
Whiting said on Thursday in Brazil that the FIA is likely to ask for changes to avoid a repeat of those incidents in Mexico.
"I think we have done this in a number of circuits where you have a situation similar to the one we had in Mexico – the second chicane at Monza, the last chicane in Montreal, Sochi Turn 2," said Whiting.
"We have developed systems that drivers have to take a certain route back on the track [and] thereby are automatically slower.
"This wasn't a problem last year in Mexico simply because the grass was all new and it was wetter and more difficult to drive across. This year quite clearly it was easy to drive across and hence became a problem.
"It is very easy to rectify that and do a similar sort of arrangement to come back onto the track, which will mean drivers will come back slower and there will be no discussion whether or not they gained an advantage."
Whiting insisted Hamilton, who locked up and went off, did not get a penalty because he had not gained a "lasting advantage".
"I think the first, the principal difference between the two was that, in the Lewis Hamilton case, it was felt he didn't gain a lasting advantage and, in Max's, case he did," Whiting added.
"He [Hamilton] gains significant track advantage but gives it back immediately, we can see on the straight – backs off to 80 percent throttle to give advantage back, then a minute later the SC is deployed and that advantage gone completely, so stewards felt no lasting advantage.
"On the case with Max and Seb, if Max had done the same thing between Turn 3/5 he would certainly have lost a place as stewards felt he had gained a lasting advantage - that is the fundamental difference between the two."
Additional reporting by Jonathan Noble
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