BUDAPEST, Hungary -- The FIA has tightened its rules around track limits at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix to penalise drivers who attempt to benefit from running wide at Turns 4 and 11 of the Hungaroring.
Timing loops have been placed on the exit kerbs of the two corners to monitor when a car strays beyond the track limits by more than 20cm. In qualifying times will be deleted if a driver is detected crossing the loop and in the race three violations will result in a warning before a fourth leads to a drive-through penalty.
"We will be adopting a "zero tolerance" approach to cars leaving the track at Turns 4 and 11 during qualifying," the FIA said in a statement after discussing the issue with the drivers at their briefing on Friday evening. "Please note that this will be judged by the use of timing loops in the kerbs and, to ensure that we see no false crossings, we would like to make it clear that the loops are set up to register a crossing when a car is approximately 20cm beyond the while line. Every lap time achieved by leaving the track will be deleted in accordance with Article 12.3.1.d of the Sporting Code.
"During the race, and in accordance with Article 27.4 of the Sporting Regulations, any driver who is judged to have left the track three times at these corners (when counted cumulatively) will be shown a black and white flag, one further crossing will result in a report being made to the stewards for not having made every reasonable effort to use the track. As discussed, this is likely to result in a drive-through penalty for any driver concerned.
"However, if we are satisfied that a driver left the track at these points for reasons beyond his control, having been forced off the track for example, lap times will not be deleted during qualifying nor will such a crossing be counted towards a drivers total in the race."
The new system appears to be a step forward in terms of clarity and follows the installation of severe kerbs in Austria to prevent drivers running wide and monitoring via marshals and video footage in Silverstone.