Insight: How far is too far when it comes to Formula 1 track limits?

The Red Bull Ring may only have eight official corners, but there is bound to be one major talking point during this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix.

The track is well known for catching out Formula 1 drivers who don’t respect track limits.

The 2.688-mile circuit is one of the shortest tracks on the F1 calendar and Lewis Hamilton claimed pole position for the 2015 race with a time of just 1m08.455s. With resurfacing and ultra soft tyres that is expected to drop to around 64secs in a dry qualifying session.

The final two right handers that form Turns 7 and 8 at the Spielberg track are often places where drivers run wide and the FIA has been quick to hand out punishments to those who do since the race returned to the calendar.

Hamilton was one of a number of drivers to have a laptime deleted during qualifying for the 2014 Austrian Grand Prix, which proved costly for the world champion as he spun under braking for Turn 2 on his next lap and was confined to ninth on the grid as a result.

In the recent FIA European Formula 3 meeting at the Red Bull Ring, 96 laps were deleted for track limits offences during qualifying for the event and warnings were quickly issued to drivers across the three races.

Callum Ilott, a British F3 driver who competes for Van Amersfoot Racing, was critical of the decision to hand out so many penalties during that event.

The 17-year-old confirmed to JAonF1 that the recent resurfacing of the Red Bull Ring, a development which could well bring down laptimes even further at this weekend’s race, might have been made staying within the limits of the track more difficult for the F3 field.

He said: “We compete across a range of circuits in F3; from Pau where there is no run off to F1 tracks such as Red Bull Ring where we’ve got huge stretches of tarmac run off.

“The Red Bull Ring had recently been resurfaced and we were the first major meeting on the new asphalt which could have been a factor. The circuit had also installed sausage kerbs on the outside of the circuit.

“I feel the depth and positioning of these kerbs wasn’t helpful. If we ran wide, say right up on to the sausage kerb, the whole width of our car could be off the main circuit and we would be considered outside the track limits. From a feel perspective you cannot feel a white line but you can feel a kerb or sausage.

“Also, just as a driver you want to hit the apex of a corner and don’t always achieve it, sometimes you cannot be exact on a white line if you cannot see or feel it beneath you."

Respect for track limits has long been an issue in motorsport, but the problem has become more widespread in recent years as large asphalt run-off areas have replaced gravel traps.

Last year the FIA Drivers’ Commission, which is chaired by nine-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen, discussed the idea of implementing a mandatory course for young drivers after they graduate from karting and increased awareness around track limits was reportedly one of the topics that would be included.

Ilott believes that consistent calls from race officials at all levels of motorsport would help young drivers to understand just how far they can push when it comes to track limits.

He said: “It’s hard to have a solution to fit all categories and stewards in different series can see things differently. That makes it hard to know as young drivers what or where the limit is.

“I think you just need to use common sense and consistency. If you run wide to avoid an accident and don’t gain an advantage, I don’t think that warrants a warning.

“If you benefit or gain time that’s fair enough, a warning and subsequent penalty is to be accepted.”

The FIA together with its Drivers Commission, is understood to be trying to pair new kerbs with electronic measures to impose track limits, as higher kerbs alone are a problem from a safety point of view.

Kristensen and former F1 driver Emanuele Pirto spoke passionately about getting young drivers into good habits when the topic of track limits came up at last week's FIA Sport Conference.