Austria & Qatar in trouble over track-limits problem:

Austria had 80+ some-odd(I forgot the #)track limit infractions during the race.

Qatar had 53 track limit infractions during the race.

Yeah, the FIA need to clamp down on these 2 tracks with track limit infractions. Gravel or grass on certain turns need to be added instead of a runoff.

 

I watch the German GT series on Youtube (DTM and Masters), where track limits are not enforced most of the time !!!
The races are excellent, but by most standards, the marshalling is very poor, and it's a "free for all" situation at most circuits.
Drivers short-cut corners, and use massively the run-off areas to suit themselves in all inpunity. It's total carnage !!
Apart from deliberate contact eliminating an opponent, very rarely a driver gets a time penalty for on track behaviour.
The Red Bull Ring, mentioned by Mohamed Ben Sulayem, is one of the worst place.
Some overtakings take place 20 meters from the track on the tarmaced run-off. Absolutelu shocking !!
It may be OK in a BoP national series, but not for a World Championship.
I hope the threat of these circuits being excluded from the Fi calendar will make their organisers think.

 

Why bother designing circuits then ?

They may as well not bother with limits, or kerbs, and race "point-to-point" like the aircraft do !!

 

One big issue is how drivers can't see the limit when they get there. they are guessing. With a real wall it extends higher than eye level. At Cota I can exceed track limits without penalty. At T8/T9 at willow springs after the white line is dirt and you loose time and maybe control if you drive in the dirt. Perhaps the answer is variable surface textures. At Laguna seca they have some pro motorcycle races so for safety the curbing is epoxy painted with sand in the paint. That gives use car guys grip and we can drive on the curbs. Other tracks the curbs are just painted and slippery. Perhaps the FIA can design corner with tarmac for safety but variable surfaces so when car exceeds limits onto a polished painted slick surface time is lost of a spin occurs but then the remaining runoff is grip textured to slow down the out of control car? That would act like a gravel trap without the mess and less yellow flags.

 

20+ years ago, there were natural penalties to going off - you'd get stuck, or damage your car, or worse.

Paved runoff reduced the natural deterrence, so we need stewards to act as referees and dole out artificial penalties for exceeding artificial track limits.

Paved runoff has also made for lower quality racing. Safer perhaps. But it has changed the risk calculus when pushing hard or overtaking.

 

I am all for brining back the "natural" penalties.

 

And I hate it. A lot of these run offs are for safety purposes, but still allow cars to stay in the race. Going 60 feet outside the track as the driving line is ridiculous.

You want to see track limits. Watch WRC rallying. You go off the "track" you fall off a cliff sometimes.

 

50 years earlier, both tires stayed on the tarmac (inside the white lines) so that the driver would survive to race another day.

No, use an electronic detection system that goes to zero power for 5 seconds for every track limit violation.

Sprinkler systems for the off track tarmac.