FIA is like: Human rights violations: nothing to see here Track limit violations: we might have to cancel this one
That being saod, cancelling Qatar F1 would be fine by me
Caring at all about minor violations of the track limits, as it seems like everyone involved didn’t for the previous 20 years of F1 before this recent round of nonsense began, adds nothing but annoyances to the sport.
I think for qualifying the minor violations should still result in a laptime being deleted. For the race, I think only clear, excessive violations of track limits should be punished.
For the race, I think only clear, excessive violations of track limits should be punished.
What’s excessive then? Maybe they can let the race director and stewards decide based on current mood, again. We had clear rules applying to all for only two seasons. That’s enough. Right?
That would be far too sensible. I guess the problem there is that if there is no clear cut limit teams who get penalised would start appealing decisions and it would be utter chaos.
Seems like an odd take to me. The drivers are the ones colouring outside the lines. Why should the track change?
Make the off track penalty harsher. At some point (10, 20, 30seconds?) whatever gain a driver may get from going off will be completely cancelled.
Could also remotely cap the power to the car by 20% for a lap.
Because it’s better to fix a problem rather than rule around it. Drivers will always try to get as close to the line as possible (literally in this case) so change the tracks to allow them to go harder or to make it too costly to risk.
Also people don’t like races to be decided by penalties because it seems too arbitrary and isn’t as exciting. Fix the track, improve the experience!
I completely agree.
Time penalties, while better than nothing, are far less exciting than actual racing. Especially when penalties have to be issued after a session ends.
Drivers don’t generally exceed track limits more than once at Monaco.
Making the penalty isn’t going to do anything when the punishment is handed out laps later when the driver doesn’t even know which corner they went off at. The best way to enforce track limits is with a physical barrier, be that kerb, grass or armco. I think Hamilton wasn’t getting any track limit violations until they moved the track in and effectively got rid of any physical barrier. When it’s just a white line you can’t see and you go over my millimetres, there’s no way to know you’re within limits unless you drastically reduce the amount you push, something only Max could really get away with.
The best way to enforce track limits is with a physical barrier
Or we can stop acting like we’re living in the last century and put technology in place that exists already. Helmets can be fitted with HUDs and sensors can be installed on the cars and at corners which need policing. With processing power that exists in current embedded systems, a virtual representation of track limits to an extremely accurate degree can be projected onto the visor in real time.
Feel like there would be a lot of push back on that, it sounds too much like a driver aid.
it sounds too much like a driver aid.
It’s an aid but one that’s merely offsetting the reduced field of view.
We’ve had walls for millennias. Way simpler than AR visors and holographic lines. They work great too, just look at baku and Monaco.
We’ve had walls for millennias. Way simpler than AR visors and holographic lines.
Maybe horseback riding is more for you?
Walls mean a track becomes deadly for motorcycle racing. F1 is supposed to be at the forefront of technology anyway and spin-offs of such tech could be used in real cars when driving in misty conditions.
Fair enough, then we don’t race on moto gp tracks as we agree it’s too dangerous for them. There’s plenty of tracks where they don’t get out of the lines because it’s either slower or your race is done if you go over. Lines and penalties don’t work no matter what we argue here. Every single driver will tell you they want a physical limit not a theoretical one. The problem is track design not driver visibility. They go out by centimeters at worse, that’s not the kind of thing an AR visor will fix.
Gotta make room for more American gp
Question: since these cars are the sizes of SUVs these days, will smaller cars be able to stay withing the lines?
The current cars are also able to stay within the track limits, the problem is more that from the seating position the lines are hard to see and apparently the drivers rely to feeling the kerb vibrations to a large degree.
It’s a track design issue. The drivers just go as fast as possible and no matter what we say, lines won’t actually deter them. The curbs barely affect the car now so there’s no danger to go hard and maybe too wide. Even with smaller cars drivers haven’t seen the lines under their tire since at least the mid 90’s anyway.
Even with smaller cars drivers haven’t seen the lines under their tire since at least the mid 90’s anyway.
F1 drivers say in interviews that especially with the 2022 regulation cars (bigger wheels, that flap on top of them) the lines are hard to see. They can actually compare to 2021 cars.
Okay I have a proposal, giant gluel traps. If the driver goes off track they get stuck in a glue trap. Not sticking enough to fully stop them but enough to slow them down and lose a second or two. Plus if they are made removable then they can be taken up for other racing events. Plus it will have the added side effect of keeping track invaders off the track by trapping them like flies.
Seriously this will keep happening until the divers have some immediate negative impact that affects the race.
That’s basically what gravel pits do. The problem is large flat curbs that don’t upset the car. Just put walls, we race in Baku and Monaco no problem there.
