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via Imago

via Imago

Sadly, despite the incredible on-track action and overtaking throughout the race one aspect of the race took the shine away. The penalties levied out for track limit infringements. The entire weekend was marred with it all thanks to the trick turns 9 & 10. The scenario was extremely confusing for drivers and the teams so one can’t even imagine the state of the fans. Well, we wouldn’t come across a lot of accounts of the fans. However, thanks to Pierre Gasly, we have a first-hand account of his grandma’s confusion, especially with the entire debacle surrounding Lewis Hamilton in SQ1.

The Frenchman was among many who faced a demotion in his final standing after the Austrian GP race. Gasly was bumped from P9 to P10 among many other top 10 finishers. However, the most confusing, probably for all but definitely for Gasly’s grandmother was the SQ1 debacle with Hamilton. Gasly revealed this to the media, slamming the FIA.

via Reuters

According to Racefans.net, Pierre said, “When you have 43 lap times in qualifying deleted, it just doesn’t seem right. I had my grandma [watching] in front of the TV she didn’t understand a thing. She was like, ‘What the hell is actually going on? Lewis [Hamilton] is once P1 then two seconds later he’s P18’. It just doesn’t seem right, but we’ll see.”

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Read More: Pierre Gasly Rues Over the Handicap for Modern Day F1 After 3 Anonymous Days for Alpine: “You Don’t Really Learn..”

However, this scenario might soon change, especially after the 2023 edition of the Austrian GP.

After 1200 violations Lewis Hamilton and Co. might be better off in the next year’s Austrian GP

1200 violations and 20 penalties, 8 during the race and 12 post-race. The incredible numbers showcase that turns 9 & 10 were a problem for every driver on the and not just a handful of them. While making these stats public, the FIA also put in a suggestion for the Austrian GP track operators which might help counteract this problem.

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via Reuters

In the official statement, the FIA urged the track operators to add a gravel pit on the problem corners. In fact, the FIA urged them to do so even before the 2023 edition. They reiterated it with their official statement, however, there is only one problem.

The gravel pit will only satisfy the needs of Formula 1 and will hinder the other racing competitions conducted on the Red Bull Ring. Which include and are not limited to Moto GP.

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However, now that the Austrian GP is locked till 2030, let’s hope the track operators and the governing body can come to a compromise. Otherwise, the Red Bull Ring will soon become synonymous with these track limit violation penalties.

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