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Stefano Comini and Jean-Karl Vernay critical of inconsistent stewards’ calls in Hungary

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Stefano Comini and Jean-Karl Vernay were two of a number of drivers critical of inconsistent decisions and indecisions made during the race weekend at the Hungaroring.

One of the main points of contention were track limits penalties at Turn 4 and the Turn 6 chicane, with a number of drivers having their laps deleted in qualifying, while some others allegedly escaped penalty.

On race day, it was more of the same, with black and white flags waved a number of times, with five drivers called to the stewards after Race 1 for alledged consistent breaches of track limits, but with no action taken.

Craft-Bamboo Racing were the team most perhaps the most penalised in qualifying, with both James Nash and Daniel Lloyd losing their fastest laps for transgressions made on other laps, under a new rule which was applied during the weekend.

While almost every driver lost a lap or was reported to the officials at some point, it was consistency that was challenged from most corners, both on and off record.

“I did one or two track limits, because my car is so difficult to drive and unsafe,” said Comtoyou Racing’s Stefano Comini to TouringCarTimes, also unhappy with the handling of his Audi RS 3 on full ballast this weekend. “Every time I got a track limits warning – but the other guys don’t care and are driving over the track everywhere – it’s a shame, it’s not racing.”

Team WRT’s Jean-Karl Vernay was also critical, particularly on qualifying, where a number of drivers questioned the M1RA Honda team’s best laps.

“We’ve seen some weird penalties in the past, and the stewards keep talking,” said Vernay to TouringCarTimes. “When you say something, you have to do it. They say if you cut Turn 4, you’ll get your lap cancelled, when I cut Turn 4, I got cancelled, but it seems it’s not the same for everyone else.”

The only penalty handed out after the race was an out-of-position penalty for Zengo’s Ferenc Ficza, with Jean-Karl Vernay and Pepe Oriola not punished for leaving a large gap to the safety car at the restart of Race 2. A number of drivers and teams also believed that Race 2 pole-sitter Jens Reno Møller had potentially jumped the start, but this wasn’t flagged for investigation, with Møller going on to finish in third place.