Bizarre number of track limits exceeded: Stewards show no mercy

No fewer than 43 drivers saw a lap time disappear because of exceeding a track limit and four drivers received a five-second penalty. It is therefore not surprising that the discussion about the track limits is a hot topic again.

Reports of track limits were all over the place at Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix. The Red Bull Ring has always been known for track limits being a problem here. Going a little wide here has an advantage when entering the next straight. The stewards were critical this weekend.

There is no margin for error with these stewards, because in 2022 the FIA will take its task seriously. However, this resulted in no less than 43 lap times being deleted. In the FIA document Lewis Hamilton was the first to lose a lap time and Sebastian Vettel the last.

Only four drivers were within the limits throughout the race: George Russell, Valtteri Bottas, Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso. Four other drivers went too far. Guanyu Zhou, Sebastian Vettel, Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris received a five second penalty for exceeding the track limits too often.

Verstappen complained after the Grand Prix about the attitude of the stewards. According to the reigning world champion, the stewards should not be so stubborn and should talk to the drivers. In Formula 2, the picture was even more dire. The entire top ten moved because of penalties handed out at the end of the race.