Salo believes that tough on-track duels should not be penalized
Mika Salo, driver-steward for the FIA in Bahrain, was a privileged witness to the Button-Pérez battle in particular and he believes that this type of fight, even if quite aggressive, should not be penalized - which was indeed the case.
Mika Salo was present in Bahrain during the last Formula 1 Grand Prix. The former Finnish driver, who raced for teams such as Tyrell, Sauber, Ferrari, and Toyota, was there as the FIA’s 4th commissioner. While he did not confirm that the FIA had asked its commissioners to be more lenient this season, he agrees with the sentiment, believing that on-track battles between drivers should not be penalized, no matter how intense they may be.
« We really saw a great spectacle on track in Bahrain. I encourage this kind of tough battles, which shouldn’t be penalized. Button was very angry when Pérez hit him, and yes, of course, it could have ruined their respective races. But even though Pérez drove very aggressively, it was a great battle, » Salo told the Finnish television channel MTV3.
Salo also commented on the case of his compatriot, Kimi Räikkönen, who is currently second in the drivers’ championship behind Sebastian Vettel. Salo believes that the Lotus driver currently has an edge in tire management, but he thinks it may not last: « Kimi stopped one less time than the others, but I think that other teams will quickly learn how to use the tires. I doubt that Lotus will keep this advantage for very long. »
