Formula 1 drivers have highlighted a lack of visibility and tactile feedback as the reason they exceed track limits this season.
A reinterpretation of the regulations this year has seen a hard and fast approach taken when it comes to exceeding the bounds of the racing surface.
Where once there was leniency at some locations, and seemingly no consistency, from the beginning of 2022 the white line has been considered the edge of the track.
It’s a move which looked to end the ambiguity over drivers gaining a lasting advantage by leaving the racing surface but has introduced other considerations.
That includes the fact that, in may instances, tracks do not naturally punish drivers for mistakes, leaving officials to step in and hand out warnings and, ultimately, penalties.
In Austria, that saw the unusual occurrence where Sergio Perez had his lap time deleted following the conclusion of Qualifying, while in Hungary the Mexican had a lap time deleted before being reinstated.
“I think if we really take it easy, then it would be easy [to stay within track limits],” said Sebastian Vettel.
“But we’re going as fast as we can and mistakes can happen, or sometimes it’s very difficult to judge five centimetres or 10 centimetres from the inside of the car where you don’t actually see the lines.
“So I think, given that we can’t see much, we’re doing pretty well.
“And I think if we’re really out by a metre or more than I think it’s something went wrong, but if we’re out by a couple of centimetres still a very good judgement, but obviously not good enough.”
Charles Leclerc suggested some leniency was called for, suggesting the edge of the kerb would offer drivers a tactile way to know whether they’re in or out of bounds.
“The kerb, you could actually feel it,” the Ferrari driver explained.
“Sometimes last year, we use the curb as a reference for the for the track limits and where you can actually feel it on the steering wheel.
“Also when you’re on the limits of the curb, you can also feel it, so it’s much easier to be very, very precise.
“With the white line, we are so low that, Seb said, five centimetres out and you don’t really realise it as a driver.”
Lando Norris, who was penalised for track limits in Austria, shared the opinion of his race-winning peers.
“When you’re going whatever speeds, it’s just not an easy thing to do, especially when you have wind involved or you’re following cars and hit a curb or something or bump,” he reasoned.
“Judging it so precisely is, it’s just a very difficult thing to do.
“And when you’re sitting centimetres off the ground, and especially with this year’s car compared to last year’s, your first judgement is obviously a visual of where you can actually see the line.
“You can only see the actual racetrack probably 10/15 metres in front of you, it’s the first chance you actually get to see the actual track.
“But then we also just use your feeling of where you think you are, and when you’re in the car, when you’re reacting to things, judging things by such a small margin is tough.
“It’s nice when you have gravel because it’s just there’s a limit there – if you’re in the gravel or you’ve made the mistake and you lose a lot of time,” he added.
“You have a sausage curb exit of Turn 1 in Austria, if you go over it you lose time. But like the last two corners, if you go off, you go off.
“So I understand it, it’s just yeah… you wish there was just gravel on the exit of every corner and if you go off and you’re in the gravel and that’s your penalty.”
Formula 1 returns from its summer break next weekend with the Belgian Grand Prix, opening practice for which begins at 22:00 AEST on Friday.
Discussion about this post