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Martin Brundle’s blunt ‘broken leg’ response after Zak Brown calls for return of 1980s Formula 1 rules

Posted on by Pranco
Martin Brundle’s blunt ‘broken leg’ response after Zak Brown calls for return of 1980s Formula 1 rules

Zak Brown and McLaren have called for changes to Formula 1 rules following the Lando Norris incident at the US Grand Prix. Norris was given a highly controversial five-second time penalty after overtaking Verstappen off the track.

McLaren point out that Verstappen also left the track, such was the aggressive nature of his defense. Indeed, George Russell was penalized for a similar – but not identical – incident with Valtteri Bottas, when the stewards said he had forced the Sauber wide.

Championship leaders believe officials have spoiled an exciting battle between F1’s newest rivals. And continue talking Sky Sports F1 after the first practice during the Grand Prix of Mexico City, Bag Brown called for relaxing regulations.

Great Britain's Lando Norris and McLaren chat with McLaren Chief Executive Officer Zak Brown in the garage during training ahead of the F1 Grand…
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Many have argued that McLaren should have ordered their driver to move back into position so he could continue his attack without risking a sanction. But Norris has used a Christian Horner tactic to reshape the story and answer his own questions during his press appearances.

The 24-year-old felt he had done nothing wrong at the time and had also spent much of his tire life chasing the Red Bull. McLaren called him into the pits six laps later so he could benefit from fresher rubber.

Martin Brundle looked unimpressed by what Zak Brown said

Brown wants drivers to ‘settle their differences’ at the track. In the eighties and nineties, then Sky pundit Martijn Brundle was racing, they had a ‘great’ arrangement where the stewards were more lenient.

“These rules didn’t exist when you were racing,” Brown said. “You raced a bit and just settled your differences on the track. I think we need to go back to the way it was done in the past. Then it worked fine.”

But Brundle was reluctant to look at his era through rose-colored glasses. He says drivers had to self-regulate because of the bigger safety concerns.

In 1984, the Englishman broke his ankles and feet in an accident in Dallas. Surgeons almost resorted to amputation, so severe were his injuries.

Ten years later, Brundle was hit on the head by Jos Verstappen’s Bennetton, but escaped without serious injury. Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger both died earlier that season during the San Marino GP.

“If you left (during that period) there was a good chance you would break your legs or kill yourself,” Brundle told Brown. “There was a bit of a conviction at the time not to run too far off the track.”

The advice Martin Brundle gave to Lando Norris after the Max Verstappen incident

Brundle wants to see Norris race harder against Verstappen move forward. He has told him to stop placing a ‘welcome mat’ for the Red Bull driver on the inside of the corner.

Former McLaren man David Coulthard had advice for Norris at. Like Brundle, he urged him to force drivers outside “for a change.”

More broadly, winter could see changes to Formula 1’s much-maligned rules. McLaren believes that Verstappen is exploiting the guidelines as they stand.

There will be no bulletproof solution. But Lewis Hamilton wants to see permanent stewards hoping to at least improve consistency.

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