F1 News: FIA Makes Last Minute Changes At British Grand Prix After Austrian Success

Alex Harrington | Jul 4, 2024

Mercedes

Following the recent success at the Austrian Grand Prix, the FIA has introduced similar changes to the Silverstone circuit just in time for the British Grand Prix. Aimed at better managing track limits, these modifications include adjustments to gravel placements and kerb sizes, critical for enhancing the racing experience and safety.

The newly implemented changes, tested first at the Austrian Grand Prix, have been tailored to deter drivers from excessively running off the track without facing significant consequences. At the fast-paced right-hander at Copse, for example, while gravel has not been added, the placement of the track limits white line now mirrors the Austrian model, painted onto the exit kerb with a narrowed gap of just 1.5 meters to the far edge. Additionally, a blue visibility line has been painted along the kerbs, consistent with the changes seen in Austria.

At Stowe, known for its high speed, the gravel trap has been relocated significantly closer to the track, adjusted between six and eight meters in specific areas. This adjustment was made with the added consideration of feedback from MotoGP riders, who are scheduled to race on the track in August.

Other noteworthy adjustments at Silverstone include the removal of the right-hand combination kerb at Village (Turn 3) and the inclusion of new gravel traps at Chapel and the beginning section of the Club complex. Furthermore, the approach from asphalt to grass in various runoff areas has been precisely tailored, with specific adjustments like a reduced asphalt runoff width to 1.7 meters on the right-hand side at Chapel.

However, these changes have sparked mixed reactions among drivers. Oscar Piastri, driving for McLaren, openly criticized certain aspects of the Austrian Grand Prix's track limits after being caught out himself.

"I think for me there's two points. The first one is if there is space for a car to go off that we monitor it in a fair way. The evidence that led to my lap being deleted was from a helicopter that was only on me for that lap, which is a bit painful when there's other people that potentially also went off that didn't have a helicopter on them."

Piastri also suggested that simply widening the track limit line could mitigate such issues:

"But the easiest way to get rid of that is make the white line 20cm wider [at that point] and not have to worry about it at all."

Furthermore, Piastri discussed the appeal of risk-taking from a spectator’s viewpoint:

 "I'll repeat my point from last week: I think the camera shot of that with half my wheel hanging off the concrete, almost in the gravel, for me that's a really cool shot that everyone wants to see. So I think, yeah, it was just a shame that with all the work we did in a lot of other corners that we still left quite enough space for what is ultimately quite a painful issue for everybody.

"Of course, it's painful for me because I got it deleted, but I think for all the fans as well, I don't think anyone wants to see ‘are they in, are they out?’ There's a white line there when if I went half a meter wider I would have completely trashed my floor, my car and not done a lap anyway, so I think there's a couple of points on that."

Moving forward, according to Motorsport.com, the FIA has planned to implement these changes not only at the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone but also at other circuits facing similar issues with track limits.