Formula 1 drivers will have their lap times eliminated if they overshoot the track at any of the three corners at Portimao, at this weekend’s Portuguese Grand Prix.
Formula 1 visited the Algarve circuit for the first time last year. The Portimao track has not changed since the race last October. But ahead of this weekend’s round, Formula 1 race director Michael Masi has indicated that the track boundaries will be strictly controlled on three problematic corners at this level in 20220.
Any lap time achieved during a practice session or race by exiting the track and cutting behind the red and white buzzer at the exit of Turn 1 or Turn 4 will result in this time being eliminated.
Similarly, any lap time obtained when exiting the track at the exit of the last lap (the 15th, in the photo) will result in the cancellation of that lap time AND the next lap time. A driver will be considered to have left the track if no part of the car remains in contact with the track.
The decision is the same that had to be made on Saturday and Sunday of last year, after Friday’s practice, when the white line in Turns 1 and 4 looked like the limit … with no less than 125 lap times erased during the two sessions!
As usual, drivers will receive a black and white flag if they cross the track limits three times, at any turn, during the race. Any other infraction will be reported to the stewards and may result in a 5 second penalty. This is what happened to Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) in Imola.
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