The Red Bull Ring (here is the preview of the race), a circuit owned by Red Bull, which is located in the town of Spielberg, to solve the serious problems of track limits, follows the example of Imola and Montreal.
THE track limits have caused numerous problems for drivers, teams and the FIA itself in the recent past. They distorted numerous races and, like last year, they upset an entire ranking hours after the conclusion of the Grand Prix. All this also happened due to legitimate reports from the Aston Martin team.
In the past, precisely in turn 9, the problem of track limits it was solved by means of tall bollards. After protests from Max Verstappen who claimed that those artefacts were dangerous after they had damaged his car twice in free practice and after a further protest from Mercedes, they were hastily modified.
Austrian GP 2024: ghia against i track limits
As announced by Ernst Wolf, CEO of the Red Bull Ring, gravel has been placed in turns 9 and 10. For Wolf, this action will solve the main problem of the Austrian track: anyone who goes over will not be penalized by the race judges, but from the gravel.
The War of the track limitscertainly cannot be said to be over. The gravel will certainly reduce the problem but at the same time it can damage the cars and cause stones to be brought onto the track, creating a further danger for the drivers. This could lead to the interruption of the race with the entry of the Safety Car to allow the stewards to clear the asphalt.
Asphalt escape routes are a lifesaver for drivers and teams. A small error will not result in damage to the floor or the front wing of the single-seater but, at the same time, forces the Federation to check every millimeter of the tire to see if it touches or goes beyond the white line that delimits the track. Gravel is a panacea for Formula 1 fans old style given that the slightest error by a pilot is severely punished. In short, the future of F1, in this case, is its past.
Crediti foto: F1