Drivers warned they may face tougher penalties for queue-jumping in qualifying · RaceFans

The Japanese Grand Prix stewards have warned drivers they may issue tougher penalties for queue-jumping in the pit lane following four incidents during practice.

Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri became the latest drivers to receive formal warnings for overtaking drivers in the pits during final practice on Saturday. Lewis Hamilton and Lance Stroll received the same for similar incidents on Saturday during the second practice session.

The incidents occured as drivers queued in the fast lane of the pits as they waited for practice to restart following interruptions due to red flags. Verstappen and Piastri both overtook the drivers queueing in the fast lane by driving through the working lane.

Both drivers did so in order to perform practice starts from the designated area next to the pit lane exit lights. However, overtaking the drivers in the fast lane is forbidden under the race director’s instructions.

In Piastri’s case, the stewards noted that as the McLaren garage is closest to the pit lane exit, his infringement was less severe. “Car 81 [Piastri] overtook several cars whilst remaining in the working lane however it was noted that a review of video from car four [Norris] showed that due to the location of the McLaren garage, it was logical to drive directly from the garage to the practice start area.”

As Red Bull’s garage is further from the exit, Verstappen “overtook a significant number of cars whilst traversing the working lane en route to the practice start area, after having momentarily been in the fast lane,” the stewards observed.

However the stewards acknowledged that both drivers did perform practice starts and both attempted to ensure they did not leave the pits in front of the drivers they overtook. Piastri “tried to rejoin in the position he would have been in, had he been in the fast lane,” and Verstappen “rejoined after all cars in the fast lane had passed.”

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The formal warnings issued to all four drivers carry little force. Unlike reprimands, which can lead to grid penalties if drivers collect too many, warnings do not have a material impact upon a driver’s race weekend.

The stewards warned drivers they may issue harsher penalties for the same incident in the future. “In relation to the general subject of overtaking in the pit lane, the fact that a warning was issued for the four cases this weekend is not to be taken as a precedent and the stewards note that future breaches of pit lane procedures may involve a sporting penalty,” the stewards stated in their verdicts on Verstappen and Piastri’s infringements.

This has likely been done out of a concern that other drivers might overtake rivals in the pits during qualifying in order to gain a more favourable running position. The negligible impact of a warning might have been seen as an acceptable price to pay for a driver keen to ensure they do not miss an opportunity to set a lap time.