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Andrew McLean
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Track limits in recent years have proved to be a challenge for drivers and F1 in 2024 has been no different.
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From the very first race in Bahrain, the drivers were caught out, with Pierre Gasly among the victims for Alpine during the season's opening qualifying session - where drivers were severely punished at turn four for running wide.
So, what exactly are track limits? Here’s everything you need to know about one of the most contentious issues in F1.
READ MORE: F1 Explained: A beginner's guide to all the key terms and definitions
What is the track limit in F1?
The track limit is the white line which defines the edge of the circuit, but as well as acting as a boundary for the field of play, it is also a key safety feature.
If track limits were not in place, drivers could theoretically make use of all of the asphalt run-off areas that are common to modern F1 tracks in order to find a faster route around the facility.
In theory, they should be relatively easy to police, but, as is often the case in F1, it is never quite as simple as that.
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A driver is usually deemed to have ‘exceeded track limits’ if they put all four wheels over the agreed boundary. Although this is usually the white line, the outside edge of the kerbing has previously also been used to mark this point.
If an offence is committed at a place on the track where the stewards believe an advantage could have been gained through this action, warnings and then penalties can be applied.
READ MORE: F1 Explained: How does points scoring system work?
How are track limits decided and enforced?
Track limits vary from race to race depending on the nature of the track, with the FIA deciding the exact boundaries before any action gets underway.
Race stewards enforce track limit rules throughout the Grand Prix weekend, including during practice and qualifying, but there is naturally a greater focus during the competitive action.
Drivers can regularly be heard complaining about the actions of other racers over the course of the weekend, and they can also be expected to vehemently protest their own innocence if things go the other way.
Max Verstappen has been one of the most vocal critics of the way track limits are enforced, suggesting there should be more nuance if no advantage is gained.
“It sounds very easy but it's not,” he said after the Austrian Grand Prix last year.“When you go that quickly through a corner and some of them are a bit blind.
“If you have a bit more understeer, tyres are wearing, it's easy to just go over the white lines but do you actually gain time? Maybe yes, maybe not."
READ MORE: F1 Explained: What is a pit stop and how does it work?
What are the penalties for exceeding track limits?
Penalties for track limits vary from session to session and can change depending on location.
Any track limits infringements in practice or qualifying results in the lap time being deleted. If the infringement occurs in the final corner, the next lap time can also be deleted if stewards deem the driver to have gained from carrying more speed through the corner.
There is more grace during a race, with drivers receiving two warnings before they are shown a black and white flag for a third.
If the regulations are flouted for a fourth time, a five-second time penalty is awarded. This happened to Lando Norris and Sebastian Vettel at the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix while Yuki Tsunoda received the same fate in the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Any more and a 10-second penalty is awarded, as Nico Hulkenberg found to his cost in the opening race of the 2023 season in Bahrain.
In theory, if drivers egregiously continued to breach track limits, they could receive a disqualification; however, that is highly unlikely.
READ MORE: F1 Flags Explained: What do the different colours mean?
Which tracks have the biggest issues with track limits and why?
The Austrian Grand Prix is particularly synonymous with track limit breaches, with a record 64 warnings given to drivers.
Hulkenberg’s 10-second penalty in Bahrain was the biggest ever handed out for one race as the German got used to being back in the co*ckpit.
There had been concerns that the changes to the Jeddah Corniche circuit for 2023 would result in more track limit issues at the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, but the event passed without many problems.
Williams driver Logan Sargeant was unhappy after he felt the rules were applied differently in practice and qualifying, resulting in his Q1 exit.
“Yeah, I guess I just put my front left on the paint a bit on the pit entry,” he said. “It’s frustrating because there’s been no policing of track limits all weekend, and then we have no reference coming to qualifying. I do what I’d done all weekend and it gets deleted.”
READ MORE: What is downforce and why is it important in F1?
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F1 Race Calendar 2024
- GP BAHRAIN29 Feb - 2 MarMax VerstappenGP SAUDI ARABIA7 - 9 MarMax VerstappenGP AUSTRALIA22 - 24 MarCarlos SainzGP JAPAN5 - 7 AprMax VerstappenGP CHINA19 - 21 AprMax VerstappenGP USA3 - 5 MayLando NorrisGP ITALY17 - 19 MayMax VerstappenGP MONACO24 - 26 MayCharles LeclercGP CANADA7 - 9 JunMax VerstappenGP SPAIN21 - 23 JunMax VerstappenGP AUSTRIA28 - 30 JunGeorge RussellGP GREAT BRITAIN5 - 7 JulLewis HamiltonGP HUNGARY19 - 21 JulGP BELGIUM26 - 28 JulGP NETHERLANDS23 - 25 AugGP ITALY30 Aug - 1 Sep
Complete kalender 2024
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F1 Standings
- Driver
- Constructors
Driver Standings 2024
- 01 Max VERSTAPPENRed Bull Racing25502 Lando NORRISMcLaren17103 Charles LECLERCFerrari15004 Carlos SAINZFerrari14605 Oscar PIASTRIMcLaren124
Full drivers
Constructor Standings 2024
- 01 Red Bull Racing Great Britain37302 Ferrari Italy30203 McLaren Great Britain29504 Mercedes Great Britain22105 Aston Martin Great Britain68
Full constructors
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Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Teams
- Aston Martin
- BWT Alpine
- Ferrari
- Haas F1 Team
- McLaren
- Mercedes
- Red Bull Racing
- Stake F1 Team
- Visa Cash App RB
- Williams
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- AWS Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips. We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi. With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
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