F1 News

Update | FIA chances strict 'track limits' after taking away 125 laptimes

24 October 2020 at 09:38
Last update 24 October 2020 at 09:38
  • GPblog.com

The FIA race management have decided to be stricter on exceeding track limits this season. This has already played an important role in qualifying. However, nowhere have the drivers had to pay as much attention to this as in Portimao.

For this weekend, the FIA announced that it was tightening up the rules in Portimao a little more. Instead of the drivers being allowed to get four wheels on the kerbstones, they now have to stay within the lines of the circuit with the whole car.

Turn 1 and turn 4 are big culprits

On the circuit of Portimao, this will be maintained in turns 1, 4 and 12, and especially in the first two turns it is a challenge for the drivers. On Friday a total of 125 laps were deleted from drivers by the stewards. Most of them were in turn 4.

Turn 1 also contributed to this, but turn 12 proved to be so full throttle so easily that it is no problem here. With so many reduced lap times, it is almost inevitable that drivers will go wrong again if they look for the limit during qualifying.

Update | 09:38: The FIA seems to realise that this is a problematic situation and will influence the outcome of the qualification too much. That is why it announced on Saturday morning that it will again use the usual rules for exceeding track limits. Drivers must now touch the kerbstones with at least one tyre.