F1 track limits explained: What are they as FIA deliver Piastri verdict at Austrian GP (2024)

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F1 track limits

Andrew McLeanSaturday 29 June 2024 17:31 Updated: 17:36

Photo: © IMAGO

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McLaren star Oscar Piastri has become the latest victim of Formula 1's ongoing track limits saga having had his lap time deleted in Q3 during Austrian GP qualifying.

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The Australian driver did slightly dip a wheel in the gravel, but even TV replays left the matter up for debate on whether or not all four of his wheels had actually crossed the line.

F1 HEADLINES: Horner blasted in bitter feud as FIA declare last minute CHANGE for Austrian GP

READ MORE: F1 Qualifying Results: McLaren take fight to Verstappen as 'mighty lap' secures pole

Speaking to the media after qualifying, Piastri branded the decision to delete the lap as 'embarrassing', with Sky Sports F1's pundits speculating that McLaren could fight the decision.

Earlier in the weekend, Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton had also suffered from the track limits problem in sprint qualifying.

The seven-time world champion had his first hot lap in SQ1 deleted, which put him at risk of an early exit from the session.

Hamilton was forced to do another lap on the same set of tyres but, in the end, just scraped through into SQ2.

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READ MORE: FIA announce Verstappen penalty verdict after Austrian GP mishap

Track limits in recent years have proved to be a challenge for drivers and F1 in 2024 has been no different.

From the very first race in Bahrain, the drivers were caught out, with Pierre Gasly among the victims for Alpine during the season's opening qualifying session - where drivers were severely punished at turn four for running wide.

So, what exactly are track limits? Here’s everything you need to know about one of the most contentious issues in F1.

READ MORE: F1 Explained: A beginner's guide to all the key terms and definitions

What is the track limit in F1?

The track limit is the white line which defines the edge of the circuit, but as well as acting as a boundary for the field of play, it is also a key safety feature.

If track limits were not in place, drivers could theoretically make use of all of the asphalt run-off areas that are common to modern F1 tracks in order to find a faster route around the facility.

In theory, they should be relatively easy to police, but, as is often the case in F1, it is never quite as simple as that.

A driver is usually deemed to have ‘exceeded track limits’ if they put all four wheels over the agreed boundary. Although this is usually the white line, the outside edge of the kerbing has previously also been used to mark this point.

If an offence is committed at a place on the track where the stewards believe an advantage could have been gained through this action, warnings and then penalties can be applied.

READ MORE: F1 Explained: How does points scoring system work?

How are track limits decided and enforced?

Track limits vary from race to race depending on the nature of the track, with the FIA deciding the exact boundaries before any action gets underway.

Race stewards enforce track limit rules throughout the Grand Prix weekend, including during practice and qualifying, but there is naturally a greater focus during the competitive action.

Drivers can regularly be heard complaining about the actions of other racers over the course of the weekend, and they can also be expected to vehemently protest their own innocence if things go the other way.

Max Verstappen has been one of the most vocal critics of the way track limits are enforced, suggesting there should be more nuance if no advantage is gained.

“It sounds very easy but it's not,” he said after the Austrian Grand Prix last year.“When you go that quickly through a corner and some of them are a bit blind.

“If you have a bit more understeer, tyres are wearing, it's easy to just go over the white lines but do you actually gain time? Maybe yes, maybe not."

READ MORE: F1 Explained: What is a pit stop and how does it work?

What are the penalties for exceeding track limits?

Penalties for track limits vary from session to session and can change depending on location.

Any track limits infringements in practice or qualifying results in the lap time being deleted. If the infringement occurs in the final corner, the next lap time can also be deleted if stewards deem the driver to have gained from carrying more speed through the corner.

There is more grace during a race, with drivers receiving two warnings before they are shown a black and white flag for a third.

If the regulations are flouted for a fourth time, a five-second time penalty is awarded. This happened to Lando Norris and Sebastian Vettel at the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix while Yuki Tsunoda received the same fate in the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Any more and a 10-second penalty is awarded, as Nico Hulkenberg found to his cost in the opening race of the 2023 season in Bahrain.

In theory, if drivers egregiously continued to breach track limits, they could receive a disqualification; however, that is highly unlikely.

READ MORE: F1 Flags Explained: What do the different colours mean?

Which tracks have the biggest issues with track limits and why?

The Austrian Grand Prix is particularly synonymous with track limit breaches, with a record 64 warnings given to drivers.

Hulkenberg’s 10-second penalty in Bahrain was the biggest ever handed out for one race as the German got used to being back in the co*ckpit.

There had been concerns that the changes to the Jeddah Corniche circuit for 2023 would result in more track limit issues at the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, but the event passed without many problems.

Williams driver Logan Sargeant was unhappy after he felt the rules were applied differently in practice and qualifying, resulting in his Q1 exit.

“Yeah, I guess I just put my front left on the paint a bit on the pit entry,” he said. “It’s frustrating because there’s been no policing of track limits all weekend, and then we have no reference coming to qualifying. I do what I’d done all weekend and it gets deleted.”

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