Albon proposes F1 rule change over key issue

Williams driver Alex Albon has proposed stricter measures for those who gain an advantage by leaving the circuit during F1 races following Haas' controversial point at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Albon was squeezed into the wall at the entrance to turn four by Kevin Magnussen before the Dane gained an advantage by running wide in battle with Yuki Tsunoda to keep 11th on the road at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

With two penalties applied to either his race time or his next pit stop, the latter of which never came, Magnussen was free to hold up the midfield pack and create a gap for teammate Nico Hulkenberg to pit into and secure a top-10 finish - a tactic described as "unfair" and 'unsportsmanlike' in the aftermath by rivals.

Albon was one of a number of drivers to have missed out on the chance a point because of the tactic and asked whether he was upset by the situation, the Thai-Briton told media including RacingNews365: "I'm not upset about the contact and not upset about [the slow pace] as I think anyone would do the same.

"If you've got a penalty and you have got to get another car to score a point and it's your teammate, it's going to happen.

"The way I see it is at tracks like Monaco, you have got the chicane - the only place you can actually overtake - and you cut it every single time someone tries to overtake you, to build a gap would be very easy to do.

"I am not sure there is an answer because how can you tell someone they are driving too slow in a race?

"You can do it under the safety car, which is what people do to make space and let their teammate pit or whatever, but I think it is what is going to happen coming through the season.

"When you remove one driver and a point comes on the table... not to say we are desperate but we are licking our lips, trying to get that point."

Drive-through penalties needed?

The penalties for minor incidents such as Magnussen's off-track gain have been increased from five to 10 seconds for the current campaign.

But suggesting further severity is needed, Albon suggested: "A drive-through I think would work well.

"I don't know how the other drivers feel about it but I distinctly remember George [Russell's] in Monza and five to 10 seconds is still not really a punishing situation, especially if you are a top team because you can easily pull out 10 seconds and if you do it early enough in the race, even more so.

"Tyre deg, around most tracks, can be one or two seconds a lap so it only takes five laps to achieve it.

"So let's see how it goes but it needs a review, just maybe a strong stance on it - you have to give the position back.

"I know there has kind of been an incentive to leave it up to the teams and drivers to decide if they need to give the position back, but in such a clear-cut situation like that, I'd force the position to be given back."