Arrivabene, Wolff and Horner against Whiting on track limits

Yesterday it was Strategy Group meeting in Geneva, he had taken some very important decisions regarding the technical and sporting regulations of Formula 1: they had ranged from Halo, through the limitations in the radio teams, concluding with the track limits.

Just in the last two races in Great Britain and Hungary, the FIA ​​had used the hard fist against those who went with all four wheels beyond the white line gaining from the exit, canceling the time in qualifying and penalizing in the race (after three warnings). This rule, however, did not apply to all corners and, in fact, had generated great confusion among the fans, who did not understand where the drivers could go over the line without earning and where not: for this very reason yesterday the Strategy Group had decided to delete this rule, leaving the pilots free to make trajectories without track constraints.

In the first free practice session the decision taken yesterday was applied, not penalizing anyone who gained an advantage by going wide. During the afternoon session, however, a bit of a surprise Charlie Whiting started sending warnings to anyone who broke the track limits rule: all with a statement issued just before the second session, in which it was declared that non-compliance with track limits would no longer be tolerated. “During the first session many drivers seemed to be doing nothing no effort to stay on track at the exit of turn 1, in fact a driver left the track fourteen times. For this reason, for the second session and for the third session, any driver who leaves the track three times at turn 1 will be reported to the stewards for not having done everything possible to use the track" reads Charlie Whiting's official press release to the team. In short, the quantity of track limits recorded in the first session, ninety-three to be exact, did not leave the race director satisfied and he immediately wanted to take action.

The first to be called back by the stewards was Sergio Perez who, in the second session, went beyond the limits of the track three times. Other drivers received warnings, including Kimi Raikkonen.

The team principals are not satisfied with Charlie Withing's choice Maurizio Arrivabene (Ferrari), Toto Wolff (Mercedes) and Christian Horner (Red Bull), after the conclusion of the second session they went to Bernie Ecclestone's motorhome to ask for explanations to the head of Formula 1. An annoyed Maurizio Arrivabene commented on the story as follows: “We're not there. Just yesterday we had discussed that we would try to do a sort of test weekend, given that during this weekend we are on a track where the escape routes are adequate and, instead, all the track limits have been reported to the stewards as if nothing had been said. At this point we go to Bernie (Ecclestone, ed.)”.

Gianluca D'Alessandro