Bottas: Track Limits Still Cause Issues, No Clear Fix

Valtteri Bottas acknowledges ongoing track limit controversies, pointing out some drivers are exploiting grey areas in the regulations.

Valtteri Bottas isn’t surprised that track limit issues continue to arise. The Stake F1 driver believes that some drivers take advantage of certain grey areas in the regulations, but he doesn’t see it as a major problem.

“It has always been very clear,” Bottas said. “There’s no drama. Some drivers are just pushing the boundaries of the rules a bit more and making the most of it, but the rules are clear.”

Having been involved in such an incident himself, Bottas wasn’t particularly bothered by the penalties imposed on his rival: “I thought it would be borderline. I was about 50/50 on it. I didn’t even complain over the radio. In the end, they made their decision, and it didn’t change my race much anyway, so I wasn’t too concerned.”

Bottas doesn’t believe there’s an issue with consistency but feels that the regulations aren’t always well-crafted: “I think it’s always been like this. With rotating stewards, they try to be consistent.”

“They follow the guidelines, but it’s not always possible, as every incident, overtake, and circuit is different. As long as we have different stewards, we will have differing opinions. The FIA is aware that this can be an issue at times, and they’re trying to find a solution for the future.”

The Finn thinks that using the apex as the reference point is what’s causing some of these problems: “It’s a bit of an issue. But if you leave the track, you’re not allowed to gain an advantage, which isn’t always easy to measure—who’s gaining more or less.”

“It’s always been like that. I think now, with the current guidelines, people are making sure they’re leading at the apex, whether they make the corner or not, which isn’t really how racing should be done. But I don’t have a solution for that.”