Track limits in F1 has been a controversial subject of late, with the FIA trying to combat the issue of drivers exceeding the marked out white lines by imposing time penalties on those that stray beyond the stipulated markings, even trialling electronic sensors to allow the situation to be monitored more closely at the 2016 Hungarian Grand Prix earlier this season.
However, Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner believes the current stance of the sport’s governing body is not entirely clear, proffering that targeting specific corners only for this treatment instead of handing out a one rule for all mandate, makes the situation more confusing for the teams. The Arden Motorsport co-founder would instead like to see the FIA put a more concise ruling in place that will ensure complete clarity for everyone, instead of making things more complicated when the solution could be quite simple.
“My frustration is come up with something that’s simple, and there’s a white line that goes all the way around the circuit, so one very easy way of dealing with it is that, if you have all four wheels over that line, you’re out.
“In other sports it seems to work, be it with a ball or a foot or whatever it may be, but there’s a reluctance to have done that [in Formula One], which is fair enough.
“[But] if there’s a reluctance to do that, then you have got to allow the drivers to use what’s there rather than saying you can have one rule for turn one and another for turn 17.
“That’s too confusing for us within the paddock, let alone for the fans.
“To say ‘oh, he’s a bit out there but he’s a bit more out there’… that for me isn’t clear and we need to move away from [it], so come up with something simple or let them do what they like.”
