After 1200 Violations & 20 Penalties Served to Lewis Hamilton & Co., FIA Propose an Effective Measure to Put an End to Future Chaos

The action-packed Austrian GP weekend was full of drama from start to finish. The weekend saw two races and as many qualifying with various scenarios coming to the fold. However, throughout the chaos, there was one constant for every driver on the grid, the track limit infringement on turns 9 & 10. These two turns have been the bane of every F1 driver’s existence every time we go racing on the Red Bull Ring, and rightly so. The 2023 Austrian GP race was proof of that as the penalties for track limit violations completely changed the race order for Lewis Hamilton and Co. However, the FIA is suggesting to change this scenario for the future.

During the Austrian GP race alone there were a total of 1200 possible track limit infringements. The massive track violations took the stewards a considerable amount of time to review and penalize. After their review, a total of 20 penalties were dished out, 8 during the race and 12 post-race. This results in various changes on the final grid including the top 10 for Carlos Sainz, Hamilton, and Pierre Gasly. Esteban Ocon was the worst-hit driver with a 30-second penalty to his race time despite finishing only P12. However, now that the Austrian GP is locked in till 2030, the FIA wants to make some changes.

The FIA has proposed a gravel bed on the exit of the menacing turns 9 & 10. As reported by Motorsport-Total, the FIA made this suggestion several times before the 2023 race weekend as well.

The governing body reiterated this fact in their official state outlining the 1200 infringements. The first solution to this persistent problem is a gravel bed for the coming year.

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However, the gravel bed solution is limited to Formula 1 and the Red Bull Ring isn’t. This is exactly the primary reason behind the track operators’ reluctance.

Lewis Hamilton and Co. might still earn penalties during the 2024 Austrian GP as well because of a conflict of interest

Hamilton and Co. suffered as many as two place drops for two drivers. This scenario needs rectification as it can have massive repercussions in the coming years. The gravel bed is the solution according to the FIA. However, the governing body is speaking from a very narrow field of perspective and the Red Bull Ring is not a racing track for Formula 1 alone. This is where the problem lies.

The Red Bull Ring also hosts many other racing competitions including Moto GP. The track operators argue the gravel bed will be a massive risk for MotoGP. This is exactly why there has been and continues to be reluctance over a gravel bed on the nagging corners.

Perhaps a temporary solution will be in everyone’s best interest.

For now, turns 9 & 10 continue to be the headline makers from the Austrian GP. Let’s hope this scenario changes come the 2024 Austrian GP.

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