It is not the first time that Austria has seen a hail of reports regarding infringements of track limits. What happened on Sunday for Spielberg, however, it's really too much. The FIA has slavishly respected the procedures, but when doing so becomes ridiculous, it is not the control that is fallacious, but the rule itself. We need imminent change.
FIA and the three-zero inspection
1200. This is the number of infringements that the Federation yes she found herself having to check after the conclusion of Austrian Grand Prix. The alert, or rather, the appeal came from Aston Martin, who didn't think twice about pointing out to the race direction that not all drivers who did not respect the track limits were penalised. The English team acted cleverly, moving Alonso up to fifth place at the expense of Sainz, who put in a very solid performance which testifies to the recovery of a lost Ferrari.
What caused a sensation, however, was the amount of video that the commissioners found themselves having to analyze after all the drivers had crossed the finish line. 1200 infringements to be viewed frame after frame, with the awareness - or stress - of not being able to make mistakes to avoid further appeals. An examination which, obviously, it took hours, five to be precise. It is unacceptable that fans, spectators of all types, professionals and drivers should have to wait a long time before being able to know the result of a race. Those who proclaim themselves the "pinnacle of motorsport" should perhaps avoid certain figures, or not boast of a name that they currently don't deserve.
Why such a long process?
Eight drivers paid the price for going off the track. The relegations involved Sainz, Hamilton and Gasly. But why does it take so long to evaluate everything? The answer lies in the process architecture. The first step is the reporting of the sensors, which passes through the hands of the race director, who delegates the review to the commissioners. Three steps that would be able to tire even the most experienced of gears. The impossibility of using sensors that independently certify the violation makes manual control mandatory, and here is the flaw.
Creating an odyssey of checks before giving the final judgment in true NASA style is not practicable. But let's admit that, and probably so, inevitably the process cannot be streamlined. To that point makes you wonder if the best way to keep 20 pilots within the limits is via a white line approaching at 250 km/h (two hundred and fifty) is the best of ideas. Probably not. The Red Bull ring has a contract until 2030, and he'd better hurry up and find a solution to adapt the route to certain "standards of decency".
Contributory negligence: it's not just the FIA involved
The track is what it is, and the FIA does not own it. The only thing he can do about the tracks is certify their regularity according to very rigid standards - softer for recent tracks, no one knows why -, and push for structural changes to make every weekend easier for everyone. And that's exactly what he did. After the 2022 race, in fact, the Federation urged the organizers, of which it is part Red Bull (as deduced from the name of the circuit), to modify the escape routes of turns 9 and 10. In particular, with the addition of gravel.
What solution should be adopted to replace track limits?
Now, not only cars race at the Ring, the thorniest issue in fact concerns motorbikes. The alternative of putting a gravel strip for cars would be potentially catastrophic for two-wheelers, as the transition from layers of different consistency often causes overturning. However, the option of alternating gravel and asphalt would not be sustainable in terms of costs depending on the motor category in question.
In short, the choice seems to be either black or white, and the alternative of a gravel escape route doesn't seem crazy. In fact, we must consider that the travel speed of two wheels with an empty tank is around 130/140 km/h, therefore it would not be foolish to add good old gravel, which what's more, it slows down more than asphalt. All that remains is to wait and see if the organization and management will find a solution before 28 June 2024, when F1 will roar back to the Austrian peaks.
SOURCE: formulapassion; sports courier
