F1 Drivers Draw the Line at 43, Calling Out Stewards’ ‘Joke’ at Austrian GP

The Austrian GP lived up to its hype, but two words kept F1 fans wondering throughout the week. Talks about the track limits in the Red Bull Ring were a constant source of debate among the drivers and the fans alike. Moreover, the FIA penalized several drivers for exceeding these track limits, both in the qualifying and during Sunday’s race.

Friday’s qualifying saw lap times deleted, and ultimately Sergio Perez was even handed a grid penalty as the stewards failed to notice his RB-18 going off the track in Q2.

Following this, 43 separate incidents of drivers exceeding the track limits were noted in Sunday’s showdown. Stewards awarded a 5-second penalty to the likes of Lando Norris, Zhou Guanyu, Sebastian Vettel, and Pierre Gasly. The Red Bull Ring has several fast corners and a tricky layout. So, drivers struggled to keep their car inside the white line.

Runner-up Max Verstappen was certainly not happy with the FIA’s decisions. He said, “The track limits debate this weekend has been a bit of a joke, not only in F1 but in F2 and F3.” 

“It’s easy to say from the outside, yeah, but you just have to stay within the white lines It sounds very easy, but it’s not, because when you go that quick through a corner and some of them are a bit blind, you have a bit more understeer, tyres are wearing, and it’s easy to go over the white line.”

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Almost every driver on the grid received a warning for exceeding the limit. But, the Dutchman believes that the penalty for crossing the white line in Austria was not appropriate.

Several F1 drivers have their say on the track limits in the Austrian GP

Lando Norris enjoyed a productive race at Spielberg. Despite suffering damages to his car and a five-second penalty, he came home to finish 7th. However, like many, he was also left frustrated after losing time because of the FIA’s decision regarding track limits.

The Brit stated, “I had one in Turn 1 or wherever my penalty was, Turn 1, and I just like locked up the front tyre, I hit the sausage [kerb], I’ve lost like a second up the hill – and then I just get track limits for that. I’ve been punished enough, because I’ve lost one second. It’s a bit stupid, some of them.”

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Mick Schumacher joined in to criticize the track limits. According to him, the incident in Austria has highlighted a problem that has been present during his days in F2 as well. He thinks the FIA must address this issue and improve as the season progresses.

Furthermore, Lewis Hamilton also complained on the radio about these limits. He was in disbelief about the regulations, like the rest of the drivers. His old rival Sebastian Vettel, meanwhile, received a 5-second penalty for going off the track. However, he only realized this during an interview after the race.

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After complaints from several drivers on the grid, it will be interesting to see what the FIA does. In the meantime, do you think the FIA should be lenient in a circuit like Austria?