How grid penalties reveal a bigger problem for F1
Formula 1's latest embarrassment over grid penalties has prompted some soul-searching. But there's no real solution in the rulebook - only an overhaul of far greater significance
If you thought the Italian Grand Prix's grid penalty farce was bad for fans at home, you should have seen the chaos on the startline at Monza as the countdown to the race got under way.
With engines revving away in the garages, the grid girls - following their meticulous rehearsals the previous night - were all in place and waiting the pitlane to open and the arrival of the cars.
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Jonathan Noble is Motorsport.com’s Formula 1 editor. Having graduated from University of Sussex Jonathan worked for sports news agency Collings Sports reporting on F1, F3, touring cars and other sports, with articles appearing in The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, Reuters, Autosport and other publications. In 1999 he moved to Haymarket Publishing to become a senior editor at Autosport Special Projects, and one year later he became Autosport’s grand prix editor. In 2015 he moved to Motorsport Network, becoming the F1 editor for Motorsport.com. He is also a member of the Guild of Motoring Writers, and sits on the FIA Media Council.
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