July 03, (THEWILL) – As THEWILL reported on Sunday, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen secured his fifth consecutive victory at the Austrian Grand Prix, demonstrating his dominant form as he started from pole position and set the fastest lap.
However, the race was marred by controversy surrounding the enforcement of track limits. Even with Formula One’s reputation as a technological sport, race control struggled to keep up with the number of incidents. The FIA reported over 1,200 potential breaches of the rule during the 71-lap race, leading to a flurry of post-race penalties and changes to the results.
The delayed application of penalties raised questions about the sport’s use of technology and instant solutions, with some calling for the implementation of sensors and transponders to avoid the need for manual review.
A total of nine out of the 20 drivers faced penalties, either during the race or following a protest by Aston Martin. The issue of track limits was particularly evident during qualifying, where 47 laps were deleted for exceeding the boundaries. Sergio Perez of Red Bull, who began in 15th place due to a penalty, managed to secure a third-place finish.
In the race, drivers were given warnings for two breaches, followed by a black and white flag for the third offence. A fourth violation resulted in a referral to the stewards and a five-second penalty. Alpine’s Esteban Ocon received a cumulative 30-second time penalty after incurring multiple sanctions.
The problem was partly attributed to the circuit design, which features large asphalt runoff areas instead of gravel traps, and poor peripheral visibility made it challenging for drivers to discern the track limits, especially when following other cars in their aerodynamic wake.
It sparked discussions about the need for improvements in track limit enforcement. Christian Horner, Verstappen noted that the ongoing track limits issue portrays the sport in an amateurish light. Former McLaren mechanic, Marc Priestley, suggested that the use of sensors and transponders could provide an instant and definitive solution.
While the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has been stricter in enforcing the rules, they also acknowledged the need for the circuit to consider implementing gravel traps at the exit of problematic turns nine and 10, despite the challenges it may pose to other racing series that use the same track.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
