Infotainment Factory: F1 drivers slam Austrian Grand Prix 'joke'

Formula 1 drivers, including world champion Max Verstappen, have hit out at the controversial policing of track limits in the sport, labelling the Austrian Grand Prix a "joke".

A total of 43 track limit breaches were recorded at the Red Bull Ring, a circuit that often sees drivers running wide, particularly at the final two corners.

Four drivers - Sebastian Vettel, Lando Norris, Pierre Gasly and Zhou Guanyu were given five-second penalties for exceeding the limit of three allowable breaches.

F1 has cracked down on track limits in 2022, resulting in more penalties. The drivers, however, feel that the black and white approach isn't working.

"The track limits debate this weekend has been a bit of a joke, not only in F1 but in F2 and F3," said Verstappen.

"It's easy to say from the outside, yeah, but you just have to stay within the white lines. It sounds very easy, but it's not, because when you go that quick through a corner and some of them are a bit blind, you have a bit more understeer, tyres are wearing, and it's easy to go over the white line.

"But do you actually gain time? Maybe yes, maybe not. To be honest, it's only like two or three corners where you can go a bit wider.

"I don't think we should have this, you went 1mm over, that's a penalty or whatever. Then just add a wall or bring some gravel back."

Max Verstappen in action at the Austrian Grand Prix.

Norris acknowledged that penalties were warranted for running wide at the last turn, but felt that his own case was harshly dealt with.

"I had one in Turn 1, and I just like locked up the front tyre, I hit the sausage [kerb], I've lost like a second up the hill - and then I just get track limits for that," Norris said.

"I've been punished enough, because I've lost one second. It's a bit stupid, some of them. And it's life and it's the same for everyone, and we want consistency and so on."

Norris' call for consistency comes days after Mercedes driver George Russell complained that the switch to two race directors for 2022 had become a problem.

Australia's Michael Masi was axed as race director after the controversial finish to the 2021 world championship, with his job split between Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas.

But Russell said that move meant there was a lack of consistency, calling for one person to do the job full time.

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