Formula 1
F1 teams to continue pushing for better track limits rules
Formula 1 teams are to continue pushing for better track limit rules in the sport, amid recent concerns about a lack of consistent application.
Jonathan Noble
Edited: May 28, 2021, 4:52 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
The controversy surrounding a run of penalties that Max Verstappen has suffered this year for track limit breaches had prompted calls from Red Bull in particular for a change of approach.
The matter was discussed during F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali's regular get-together with team principals over the Spanish Grand Prix weekend.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, who had been vocal about the problem after Verstappen lost a race win in Bahrain, and a pole position and fastest lap in Portugal because of track limit rules, said that a new working group was being looked at to work with the FIA on a solution that suited teams, drivers and fans.
"I think there's been some healthy discussion, and there's a working group being created," said Horner. "We just need to come up with something that's simple, clear and understandable for drivers, fans, and teams. It shouldn't be that difficult."
Read Also:
- Verstappen: F1 needs better solution for track limits
- Track limits making F1 battle "too controversial" - Montoya
- Why the FIA doesn't buy Red Bull's track limits gripes
It is unclear who will be part of the new group that Horner has suggested, but the FIA has had its own long-running track limits working group,
It reports to the FIA's circuits commission, and is focused on coming up with solutions that work across all motorsport categories – including MotoGP through input from the FIM.
The issue of track limits has been a hot topic throughout the 2021 season, with Red Bull in particular being on the receiving end of a number of sanctions.
There have been attempts over the years to try to come up with a consistent framework for track limits to be judged on, but one of the difficulties is that the behaviour of cars can change year to year.
So while an approach works perfectly well one year, a tweak to the technical regulations can mean that drivers are extracting performance in a different way and then abuse track limits in different places.
That was especially true in Portugal for example, where policing at Turn 14 was not needed in 2020 because drivers were not running wide out there, but became necessary this year because the reduction in downforce for 2021 was washing them out.
F1 race director Michael Masi said that coming up with a hard solution that worked for all tracks was very difficult.
"I think ideally, we would love to have a hard limit everywhere," he said. "But it's hard with the circuits.
"It's been an ongoing evolution process. In Portimao, there's some places that are track limit issues one year, and aren't the next. And vice versa.
"So it's an ongoing evolution that we're working together with each of the circuits. It obviously requires significant investment from them from that perspective. In one sense it would be lovely to have walls everywhere, as we'll see in a couple of weeks' time in Monaco, or in Baku, but obviously we're racing at different types of circuits all the time.
"So when we look at everything from a safety perspective, we need to find the best balance of everything in each and every situation. Each corner is different, and each circuit's different."
GPDA director George Russell said from his perspective he felt that the FIA was in a tricky spot when it came to juggling the many demands placed on it.
"Talking purely on behalf of George Russell the driver, rather than the director of the GPDA, it is very difficult and I do have sympathy for the FIA because ultimately they are just trying to make the circuits safer," he explained. "That is obviously the number one priority, but it has come at a consequence of track limits over the last few seasons.
"But I think it goes further than Formula 1. Formula 1 can manage it well with cameras and sensors etc but filtering down the junior categories, they do not have the resources to do that.
"Fundamentally something needs to change globally with all of these circuits. I don't have the solution, so that is why I sympathise."
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Liberty's "dumb Americans" were laughed at for cost cap - Maffei
Next article McLaren not done yet with upgrading 2021 F1 car
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Jonathan Noble
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
Formula 1
Formula 1
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Formula 1
Formula 1
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
Formula 1
Formula 1
Australian GP
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
Latest news
Autosport Business Exchange New York Examines the Forces Driving Racing’s Next Era of Growth in America
General
Misc General 2 min
Autosport Business Exchange New York Examines the Forces Driving Racing’s Next Era of Growth in America
Dan Ticktum secures Formula E Gen4 berth with newly-acquired Fortescue Zero team
Formula E
FE Formula E 7 min
Dan Ticktum secures Formula E Gen4 berth with newly-acquired Fortescue Zero team
Marc Marquez targeting “as close to 37 points as possible” at Aprilia-friendly Phillip Island
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Australian GP
1 h
Marc Marquez targeting “as close to 37 points as possible” at Aprilia-friendly Phillip Island
Porsche's IMSA GTP programme set to end: Could Penske switch to Cadillac?
WEC
WEC WEC
Losail
1 h
Porsche's IMSA GTP programme set to end: Could Penske switch to Cadillac?
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe