The white lines are virtually impossible to see from the cockpit while the curbs are easier to see and hence it is easier to judge the position of the car with respect to the curb. Also the putting all 4 wheels on the curb is generally slower than staying on the road so the drivers have have incentive to not cross the curb. This will both limit the number of track limit violations and make the job for both the drivers and race control easier
I can see the logic in what you’re saying, but my concern is that using the curbs leaves things too open to interpretation to be consistent. Curbs aren’t on all parts of the track, and they aren’t the same across all tracks.
Really, the issue of exceeding the white line isn’t a rules issue, it’s a team issue. The teams build and operate their cars around a huge number of regulations. They’ve simply decided that this one doesn’t have enough of an impact to warrant the investment. More races like Austria and they might start to take track limits seriously.
Or, this is a problem specific to the Red Bull Ring and modifying the track will prevent it from reoccuring. I don’t recall this frequency of penalties occuring on other tracks this year.
Considering the teams have regulations on the size of the car and in a ground effect era the cars have to be as low as possible, so I don’t see how teams can improve the white line visibility situation
The cars “have to be as low as possible” just like they “have to stay within track limits”. The reason ride hight is prioritized over visibility is because of the ROI. If penalties for exceeding track limits have enough of an impact, the teams will implement solutions.
What’s the difference between the curbs and the lines? They’re both artificial boundaries.
The white lines are virtually impossible to see from the cockpit while the curbs are easier to see and hence it is easier to judge the position of the car with respect to the curb. Also the putting all 4 wheels on the curb is generally slower than staying on the road so the drivers have have incentive to not cross the curb. This will both limit the number of track limit violations and make the job for both the drivers and race control easier
I can see the logic in what you’re saying, but my concern is that using the curbs leaves things too open to interpretation to be consistent. Curbs aren’t on all parts of the track, and they aren’t the same across all tracks.
Really, the issue of exceeding the white line isn’t a rules issue, it’s a team issue. The teams build and operate their cars around a huge number of regulations. They’ve simply decided that this one doesn’t have enough of an impact to warrant the investment. More races like Austria and they might start to take track limits seriously.
Or, this is a problem specific to the Red Bull Ring and modifying the track will prevent it from reoccuring. I don’t recall this frequency of penalties occuring on other tracks this year.
Considering the teams have regulations on the size of the car and in a ground effect era the cars have to be as low as possible, so I don’t see how teams can improve the white line visibility situation
The cars “have to be as low as possible” just like they “have to stay within track limits”. The reason ride hight is prioritized over visibility is because of the ROI. If penalties for exceeding track limits have enough of an impact, the teams will implement solutions.
Drivers can feel the curbs, they can’t see the white lines.
Right. So, when you feel the curbs you know you’ve exceeded the white lines.