Be it the apparent double standards over radio communications or drivers exceeding track limits, fans are getting very, very frustrated.

A sport already losing fans as the Mercedes steamroller continues to dominate, continues to shoot itself in the foot with decisions, and lack of decisions, that are making F1 a laughing stock.

It was over three hours after qualifying on Saturday before stewards finally decided to investigate Nico Rosberg's controversial pole-winning lap, the move said to have been made only after Lewis Hamilton had words with Charlie Whiting.

Other than the total lack of consistency on track limits, at Silverstone the race result was in doubt for several hours as the stewards investigated Rosberg's radio communications with his team.

Eventually ruling that it was only part of the radio communication that was illegal the German was hit with a ten-second penalty demoting him from second to third.

Previously, Force India, with an eye on the radio rules failed to warn Sergio Perez that his brakes were in danger of failing, the Mexican subsequently crashing out.

Then, in Hungary, following an update to the rules, Jenson Button was left fuming after he was penalised for a message that he insists was safety and not performance related.

"So the brake pedal going to the floor is not classed as a safety issue? Interesting," fumed the Briton over the team radio for all the world to hear. "I think Charlie needs to read up on what is safe and what isn't."

While Kimi Raikkonen has called for clarification of the rules following his battle with Max Verstappen, team bosses and drivers are left baffled by events on Saturday which threated the grid positions of a number of leading drivers after they failed to post times within the 107% limit of a chaotic Q1.

And if those whose job it is to understand and obey the rules, what of the fans, who, already frustrated by the fact that the final result might not be what they see on track, but that sometimes the rules, and their application, appear to favour one driver over another.

"In my opinion, we need to clean up all the grey areas in the rules," said Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene. "If you have a grey area you never know where you are going, and you start to go left and right.

"My president raised that topic a year ago," he added, referring to comments made by Sergio Marchionne, "he said clearly we have too many complications. Clear, simple rules can help the sport."

"We need a common sense rule, but probably in Formula One that doesn't exist," said Christian Horner. "It's like the radio situation with Jenson Button, I haven't seen what was said or recorded but we're over-regulating and making it too complicated for the fans.

"You need to keep it simple that a casual viewer can tune in and pick up what's going on without over-regulating."

At Mercedes, Toto Wolff has also admitted frustration at the inconsistency, claiming the sport's powers-that-be have become nervous following Jules Bianchi's accident in Japan in 2014.

Indeed, the Austrian has raised concern over another move that has left fans frustrated in recent weeks, the decision to start the British Grand Prix behind the safety car and the subsequent decision to leave the safety car out on track for longer than most drivers thought necessary.

With this in mind the Strategy Group will discuss the issue when it meets in Geneva on Thursday, where one of the other topic up for discussion is the Halo device, another topic to polarise opinion in the pitlane.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by TokyoAussie, 27/07/2016 3:35

"Consistently inconsistent. Radio comms warrant 10-second penalty one week, drive-thru penalty the next. Let them talk or ban radio. Sitting on the fence is like sitting on the fence."

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2. Posted by Jonno, 26/07/2016 23:28

"There will never be sensible rules in F1 all the time there is a power struggle between the FIA and FOM, with each side allowing Charlie Whiting to faff around to his hearts delight.
"

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3. Posted by ghendoaus, 26/07/2016 22:09

"Yep it's getting harder and harder to get interested, let alone excited by F1. The nonsense with the pay TV deals and the utter crap of so called spending caps (none of which seem to be adhered to), which have lead to the almost unbearably complicated rules surrounding development and the lack of performance of many teams; all have had the effect, on me at least, of driving waning interest into complete apathy!"

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4. Posted by edllorca, 26/07/2016 14:30

"If you have brake issues like pedal to the floor, staying out is a safety issue. If the car is safe enough to race then there is no saftey issue. Can't have it both ways...

Track limits are pretty easy to understand and yets drivers keep doing it so keep the penalties coming

Coaching is still not desired, I would have classified telling lewis to hurry up as coaching.

Verstappen was weaving wild yet no comment. Stewards 'decide' too much we do need more consistency."

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5. Posted by Stitch431, 26/07/2016 11:14

"As a fan I am in favour for simplifying the rules but even more important. Have a clear and simple list of sanctions that will be dealt, when a rule is broken. This list should be used consequently for everybody, no matter if it is the world champ or not. Also if the stewards have taken a decision, this should never be doubted after someone comes whining. Then please do not implement the halo and get rid of DRS. If that device is still necessary it only means aerodynamics have too much influence, so instead reduce it. Up with the mechanical grip and we will see slipstreaming and close racing again. The rule that all engines should operate within three percent of each other is a good one. That is my humble opinion on these matters!"

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6. Posted by Mad Matt, 26/07/2016 11:10

""Previously, Force India, with an eye on the radio rules failed to warn Sergio Perez that his brakes were in danger of failing, the Mexican subsequently crashing out."

One of the Force India bosses said on the C4 coverage that this isn't true. He said they had a problem with Hulkenberg about which they couldn't communicate via radio.

As for Jenson. On the one hand it seems silly but he did provide more detail when interviewed afterwards and said the penalty was for an instruction to change something on his wheel to override the failed sensor. You could argue that in previous times with a brake pedal that was going to the floor he'd have simply pulled off and retired the car. In this case he could have simply limped back to the pits to get an instruction to do the reset. I can see it from both sides. However, it's not like they didn't tell him the brakes were about to fail, they failed and then the team tried to find a workaround.

As for track limits I'm keen for those to be enforced but it must be reasonably consistent. They manage in BTCC so why not here?

I do agree with the comments about being overcautious and also with the call for consistency. "

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7. Posted by karel, 26/07/2016 9:26

"I was brave enough to have another look at F1 Hongary this WE, I heard and saw the troubles of Jenson and then I heard the penalty, driving last with serious break problems, a drive through , what a joke.

But rules are rules I suppose, Rules are ruling F1, not the exitment"

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Team bosses call for rules common sense

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