Components 1 has made a concerted effort to enhance the enforcement of observe limits at circuits this yr following a spate of controversies within the 2023 season.
Circuits together with the Pink Bull Ring, Silverstone, Shanghai Worldwide Circuit and others have put in new gravel traps, altered kerbs and repainted white traces in an effort to make the observe boundaries clearer for drivers.
In some instances this has been a transparent success. Final yr’s Austrian Grand Prix noticed 83 observe limits offences; that determine fell to only 16 this yr.
Though regarded by many as among the finest everlasting circuits to have joined the F1 calendar in recent times, the Circuit of the Americas in Austin has at all times had an issue with observe limits due to the beneficiant nature of its run-offs. A number of makes an attempt to discourage drivers from working large have been made previously, notably after Max Verstappen misplaced a podium end when he reduce the within of flip 16 whereas overtaking Kimi Raikkonen.
However the controversies have continued: Fernando Alonso was infuriated by the behaviour of the Alfa Romeo drivers in the course of the 2021 race. Issues got here to a head final yr when the stewards admitted they merely couldn’t choose whether or not drivers had remained inside the circuit confines because of the lack of obtainable information.
For F1’s return this yr the circuit has benefited from a programme of enhancements, a part of which was meant to deal with the observe limits drawback. White traces have been repositioned at turns 9 and 19, and widened at turns 11, 12, 15 and 20. New kerbs have additionally been put in at turns 9, 10 and 18.
Nonetheless too little has been finished to punish drivers for working large at corners, and consequently many infringements are nonetheless occuring. The variety of tracks limits infringements within the dash race rose from 16 final yr to 23 yesterday.
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The vast majority of these occured at flip 12. Infringements have been additionally famous at 4 different corners: one, 9, 19 and 20. Strikingly, none have been recorded at flip 15, regardless of George Russell leaving the observe at that time on laps 9 and ten as he was handed by the 2 Ferrari drivers. It is because the stewards don’t rely observe limits ‘strikes’ towards drivers in the event that they rule they have been pressured off by a rival.
In some locations the alterations seem to have been very profitable. Flip six was recognized as one explicit drawback space final yr. This has been tackled by narrowing the kerb on the within, which has the double profit of constructing it clearer if a driver has gone off the observe and discouraging them from doing it within the first place.
However at many different factors on the observe the penalty for going off is low. This led to pointless incidents when drivers went off whereas preventing for place: Kevin Magnussen and Yuki Tsunoda have been each informed by their groups to surrender locations, and Oscar Piastri collected a penalty.
As different tracks have proven, disputes and penalties corresponding to these might be averted by giving drivers a powerful disincentive to run large within the first place. The skin of turns one, 12 and 15 specifically would profit from the slim strips of gravel which have been added to corners in Shanghai, Pink Bull Ring and Hungaroring.
Following final yr’s United States Grand Prix the FIA stewards branded Austin’s observe limits enforcement “fully unsatisfactory.” Progress has been made however room for enchancment stays.
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