What happened in crunch Qatar F1 racing guidelines meeting?

F1 drivers met with the FIA on Thursday night in Qatar to discuss the policing of racing rules and the guidelines stewards use to judge incidents.

The driving standard guidelines were first introduced in 2022 at the request of the drivers to clarify what is and what is not permitted when overtaking and defending on track. They have been updated twice since their introduction.

The crunch meeting is held annually but there was extra intrigue surrounding the pre-Qatar Grand Prix meet given the controversy about several incidents that have occurred during the 2025 season.

Oscar Piastri’s penalty at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix divided opinion and is the latest example of an incident that has reignited the debate into whether the current guidelines work, if they are needed, and how they can be improved.

The meeting was also attended by the three driver stewards appointed for the 2026 season.

Here are the key points that were discussed and emerged from the meeting…

Five incidents in spotlight

Five incidents formed the basis of most of the debate. These were:

• Piastri’s collision with Kimi Antonelli in Brazil relating to overtaking on the inside.
• Carlos Sainz and Oliver Bearman at Monza relating to overtaking on the outside
• Sainz’s clash with Liam Lawson at Zandvoort and the application of the driving guidelines in long-radius corners
• Lando Norris picking up three track limits strikes in his attempts to overtake Charles Leclerc at Austin
• Max Verstappen and Leclerc in Mexico City for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage

Did the drivers get what they want?

Speaking on media day ahead of this weekend’s penultimate round of the season, Sainz proposed a drastic stewarding change and discussed the idea of scrapping F1’s racing guidelines altogether.

During the FIA’s third annual meeting, the stewards reiterated that the driving standards guidelines are exactly that - not regulations. 

Among the key takeaways from the meeting was a stronger emphasis on respect for yellow flags, and the discussion of potential additional concepts to further enhance safety.

Drivers made “a clear preference” for hearings to be held after the race when stewards believe not all relevant elements may be available at the time of the incident.

There was also shared agreement that the guidelines “cannot cover every scenario”, underlining the need of having an experienced driver steward on each panel.

The possibility of adding guidance on blue flags to the guidelines was also discussed.

The FIA said “the points raised will inform any future refinements to the DSGs, in consultation with the GPDA and the FIA Drivers’ Commission”.

However, it was ultimately determined that there will be no immediate changes to the driving standards guidelines document for the final two rounds of the season.