The FIA may already include in the Canadian GP briefing a guideline for drivers to be even more cautious so that qualifying lane breaks do not hinder their opponents and, consequently, end in penalties
The FIA (International Automobile Federation) is studying the possibility of applying stiffer penalties to drivers who cause yellow or red flags during qualifying, disturbing the fast laps of their rivals. The issue gained even more strength after Alexander Albon's strong complaints against Fernando Alonso during the weekend in Baku.
In the session that determined the starting grid last Saturday, the Williams driver accused the two-time champion of braking too early at a certain point of the track in Q1, running off the track on purpose. "This guy needs to be penalized, it's ridiculous," the Thai driver said over the radio.
The race management even conducted an informal investigation into the incident, hearing both the French sporting director Alan Permane and team boss Otmar Szafnauer, but the matter did not end in a punishment. Alonso, in turn, said that "Q1 was a generalized chaos," explaining that he had made a mistake because of the used tires.
In Monaco, in the previous round, Max Verstappen had also vented about the application of penalties to those who hinder the fast laps of their opponents. The Dutchman was the main victim of the Sergio Pérez and Carlos Sainz collision at the entrance of the tunnel in Monte Carlo, losing the chance to improve his time and fight for the pole-position.
The F1 sporting regulations have an article that states that "drivers must make every reasonable effort to use the track at all times and may not leave it without a justifiable reason." Appendix L of the FIA International Sporting Code, which applies to driving conduct, reiterates in the same vein: "Drivers must use the track at all times and may not leave it without a justifiable reason."
It is therefore up to the commissioners to judge incidents, and they can, for example, exclude one or even all of the lap times of the driver involved, if the infraction falls within what is determined by the regulations. And if it is agreed between the FIA and the race management about the tightening of the rules, the drivers would already be warned about possible sanctions at the Canadian GP, which takes place this weekend.
One of the most notorious cases involving drivers leaving the track on purpose to disrupt qualifying happened at the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix. At the time, Michael Schumacher set the best time, but stopped abruptly at Rascasse, causing a yellow flag at the end of the session and preventing Fernando Alonso, his main rival that year, from fighting for the pole position. The commissioners, however, ruled that the Ferrari driver made a mistake on purpose, and Schumacher started last.
A similar incident occurred at the same spot in 2014, when Nico Rosberg slipped at Mirabeau, thwarting Lewis Hamilton's chances of being fastest in qualifying. But unlike his compatriot, the Mercedes driver was not punished.