Charles Leclerc calls for permanent track limits fix but opposes 'unfair penalties'

Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc secured his first podium of the 2024 Formula 1 championship in the second round of the season, which was held last weekend over 50 laps of the 6.174-kilometre Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia. Over the weekend on the shores of the Red Sea, the controversial issue of track limits resurfaced once again. It’s a topic on which the International Federation seems unable to find a solution that fully satisfies the teams and drivers of the top category in motorsport. According to several reports in the International media, there was an idea to toughen the penalties, making it a 10-second penalty for exceeding the track limits.

The opinion of those directly involved, namely the drivers who take to the track to race every weekend, certainly did not confirm the idea proposed by the FIA, considering it unnecessary and inadequate to solve this problem. For example, looking back at the 2023 Formula 1 season, we undoubtedly remember how over the three days of the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, about 1200 cases related to exceeding the track limits were recorded.

We are therefore facing a situation that is difficult to manage from the point of view of the race stewards, who, as a result, have expressed the need to have a significantly longer time frame available in order to confirm the final results of a race, requesting at least 5 hours to provide their approval regarding the final overall classification of drivers at the end of a Formula 1 event.

F1, Track Limits: Charles Leclerc Argues Against the Idea of Increased Penalties

To resolve the situation, various figures within the paddock have proposed a return to the past, as putting gravel outside the track would both slow down the cars and cause any car exceeding the track limits to become stuck. Such a “trap” would undoubtedly raise the drivers’ attention, discouraging them from exploiting extra parts of the track that could end their race or cause them to lose significant time. The same goes for speed bump kerbs, the raised curbs that can damage the car.

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Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has weighed in on the discussion, expressing his dissatisfaction with the hypothetical increase of penalties. The Monegasque driver firmly believes that the FIA’s intervention should be targeted to correct and assist Formula 1 drivers. Hence, allowing them to clearly observe the track limits, as, in the current state, the white lines that delineate the action area for drivers on various circuits within the calendar are often not clearly visible.

For this reason, Charles Leclerc strongly disagrees with the possible increase in penalties, stating that the current 5-second penalties prescribed by the regulations are already an exaggerated sanction considering the difficulties in identifying the track limits while driving. George Russell, the 26-year-old British driver from the German team, shares the same opinion. The director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association works closely with Alex Wurz, the association’s president, and Anastasia Fowle, the legal consultant.

The heir to the Mercedes empire, given the upcoming departure of Lewis Hamilton from the Brackley team at the end of the current season, supports Charles Leclerc’s observations. Moreover, it’s difficult to notice the poor visibility that one “enjoys” aboard an F1 car on television. A driver’s position is too low, and frequently being able to see the track limits lines is a real challenge for them. The view is indeed blocked by the car’s tires, which, traveling about 70 centimeters from the reference plane (the track surface), severely limits the visual perspective.

Fortunately, not many circuits present these restrictive visual constraints. Consequently, resolving this type of problem should not be too complicated. The tests carried out with the help of artificial intelligence at the end of the 2023 Formula 1 competitive season in Yas Marina, capable of detecting track limit violations through real-time analysis modules, seem to have been labeled by the drivers as a measure for its own sake. Why? Simple: the cause of the problem needs to be addressed rather than increasing the penalties to make it easier for stewards to impose them.