03 July 2023 , 09:53
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Christian Horner has branded F1 as "amateurish" after there were 1,200 track limits violations at the Austrian Grand Prix.
The sheer number of violations meant that the race results were not classified until late on Sunday evening, with eight drivers hit with post-race penalties. It was a situation that left Horner and many others on the grid furious as it became increasingly farcical.
Track limits penalties were a theme of the weekend, with Friday's qualifying session also riddled with incidents. Red Bull managed to avoid those pitfalls though, with Max Verstappen surging to yet another dominant victory.
Team-mate Sergio Perez secured the final podium position after fighting his way back through the grid. While he was delighted to see his team extend their lead at the top of the championship, Horner was still left furious by F1's decision-making.
"I think it made us as a sport look a little bit amateurish with so many infringements. The problem is, it's very difficult for the drivers to see they can't see the white line from the car. So you're just purely doing it on feel, and the circuit invites you to go there," he said.
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"So I think that it is something that needs to be looked at for next year to perhaps add more of a deterrent for the drivers to be drawn onto that part of the circuit. There might be a bit of gravel on the other side of the kerb - it just needs tidying up.
"Max has had tremendous pace all weekend. The strategy we took was slightly different to our competitors so it meant he had to make the overtakes on track as well. I think he was waving at Charles as he passed him! So a stunning weekend."
HAVE YOUR SAY! Does F1 need to rethink its track limits rules? Comment below.
Max Verstappen also took aim at the sport for the farcical number of infractions (XPB Images/PA Images)Verstappen had also been highly critical of the stewards following qualifying. In a prelude to Horner's comments, the Dutchman also insisted that he and his fellow drivers had been left looking like "amateurs".
"I think today looked very silly – it almost looked like we were amateurs out there. The amount lap times that were getting deleted... I don't think it was a good look today. Of course, people can say, 'Yeah, then stay within the white lines'," he said.
"Well, if it was that easy then you can take my car and try it. I don't think we're all idiots. We don't do this on purpose. But with these speeds and these high-speed corners, it's so hard to judge the white line really."
Eight drivers were punished by the stewards for track limits, with Esteban Ocon handed a stunning 30 seconds worth of penalties. And the FIA insisted that the weekend had been particularly difficult.
“During the Grand Prix, Race Control was tasked with reviewing well over 1,200 instances where a car was reported as potentially leaving the track. In order to address the issue events we will renew our recommendation to add a gravel trap at the exit of Turns 9 and 10," an FIA spokesperson said.
“We note that while this is not a straightforward solution in relation to other series that race here, it has proved to be very effective at other corners and circuits with similar issues.”