Seventy-six laps had been deleted in FP1 in Austin as drivers strayed past the painted whereas strains defining the sting of the observe with all 4 wheels.
This led to issues that observe limits can be a significant speaking level for the second spherical in a row, with the Qatar weekend dogged by laps being deleted in qualifying and penalties dished out within the GP.
Amid stress from opponents in the course of the Friday night time drivers’ briefing within the USA, the FIA considerably widened the strains at Turns 9, 12 and 19 to permit for “additional margin”, per the governing physique.
Within the 19-lap dash race, 17 laps had been deleted. This discount left drivers to reward the fast response however they had been insistent {that a} longer-term resolution wanted to be launched.
Requested by Autosport for his verdict, Valtteri Bottas stated: “It makes it barely simpler. There’s only a bit extra flexibility on the road.
“However nonetheless, the difficulty is it’s a observe that there is a number of corners the place if you happen to go large, you achieve a bonus, and everyone seems to be pushing the restrict. So there must be a tough restrict, whether or not it is a gravel strip, or whether or not it is a sausage kerb. It’s the difficulty with the observe.”
Photograph by: Mark Sutton
Sir Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W14
Whereas the refined white strains had been seen as a realistic fast repair to briefly quash the difficulty, it permits for criticism {that a} earlier arduous and quick rule may be negotiated when drivers ought to simply be extra disciplined.
Bottas’ response to this was: “That is been a giant dialogue level and was within the drivers’ assembly.
“For now, the FIA stands agency for the white line rule that’s in all places. [The new line is] nonetheless a white line.
“Ultimately, there must be a tough restrict – for instance in Austria, the place they added gavel [after 1200 possible track limit breaches were identified during the 2023 GP], It simply fixes the difficulty.”
Alpine racer Pierre Gasly, added: “Long run, we have got to discover a resolution as a result of it was by no means so nice. However we’re all engaged on it, attempting to enhance it for subsequent yr.
“[Readjusting for] as we speak was good as a result of, fairly than making the observe extra slender, they made it wider so you possibly can carry extra pace and have a bit extra freedom and it simply feels nicer to drive.”
However Pink Bull’s Sergio Perez reckons drivers had been nonetheless getting away unpunished for exceeding the brand new observe limits to depart the championship missing consistency.
He stated: “Nonetheless I noticed simply briefly a couple of events the place drivers must be punished and so they did not.
“Nonetheless we aren’t capable of finding any consistency there… no matter I say isn’t going to vary something.”