During the Austrian Grand Prix, 16 of the 20 drivers broke the child limits (also called “track limits”) a total of 43 times. Pierre Gasly, Lando Norris, Sebastian Vettel and Guanyu Zhou broke the limits four times each and all received five second time penalties. Red Bull boss Christian Horner believes the problem lies in the design of the track because it invites the drivers to use the track boundaries. He believes that the problem is not a passing phenomenon, and that it is far from only relevant in Austria. – I think the problem will be even greater at Paul Ricard because it is actually possible to gain time there. And there are large areas of asphalt that invite the drivers to drive outside the route, Horner said last week, according to Motorsport.com. ASPHALT: The track in Le Castellet is characterized by large paved areas. Photo: CHRISTOPHE SIMON / AFP – Enormous pit stop Helga’s French Grand Prix starts at the Paul Ricard track in Le Castellet outside Marseille. The track is frequently used as a test facility for cars, which affects both the route and the entire surrounding area. – This means that there are huge de-parking areas. It is also flat, which makes it tempting to use more of the width. It will tempt even more than it did in Austria, says Henning Isdal, expert in Viaplay, to news. AFRAID: Viaplay expert Henning Isdal is afraid of how the track boundaries will affect the race in France. Photo: Rune Bendiksen / Viaplay Isdal thinks it was almost comical with all the time penalties as a result of breaking the track boundaries in Austria two weeks ago. – It should not be the case that it affects the results in the race. I am afraid of France. The expert still does not think the FIA should remove the race from the calendar. – In France, Formula 1 has had a nomadic existence, they have had races on several tracks, and Paul Ricard is the track that has enabled the French Grand Prix to be maintained. That’s where they have resources, says Isdal. Want higher road shoulders Isdal thinks it is difficult to answer what can be done to overcome the problem. He is nevertheless clear that there is one thing that can have something to say about how many violations of the lane boundaries occur. – It depends on the construction of the road shoulders. Some are very high and profiled, and which it pays not to drive over. Elsewhere they are quite flat. Then there is no problem driving over them, and you can make a profit by doing so. He says that this is something the International Motor Sports Federation (FIA) must focus on in the future. – This is something the FIA must include in every single track. There is course approval every year. In recent years, there may not have been as much focus on this as on the insurance side. But now they have to take a closer look at this, the expert believes. FLAT: The shoulders, or “kerbs”, on the Paul Ricard circuit are lower than elsewhere. Photo: Francois Mori / AP – Clearly defined Haas driver Mick Schumacher shares the concern for this weekend’s race. After the race in Austria, he said that the organizer should look at the rules before the race in France, but Formula 1 will stick to the planned limits, according to Autosport.com. WANTS CHANGE: Haas driver Mick Schumacher Photo: JOHANN GRODER / AFP – It seems a bit strange that you get a penalty of five seconds for being one centimeter off the track, and in most cases you don’t count anything on the lap times, something that is worse, believes Schumacher. Isdal explains that the regulations have clear and definitive limit values for what is permitted. He believes it will be difficult to create a set of regulations based on discretion. – Incidents happen on the track, for example position battles between drivers, where the discretion of the judges decides. But for other things it is very clearly defined, and so it almost has to be.
ttn-69
Penalties rained down in the previous Formula 1 round – now fear of a new chaos – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule
