Alesi: “More clarity is needed” on track limits

Max Verstappen did he do well to return the position to Lewis Hamilton ?

He certainly had to take it upon himself, but he knows that time is on his side. There are 22 Grands Prix remaining and, given the Bahrain weekend, we can bet on a reversal of the balance of power with Mercedes. It had to happen one day. Therefore, with Red Bull, they did well to play the great lords, so to speak.

Do the rules seem clear enough to you?

No ! I don't think the spectators really understood why Lewis, who returns to the track after his second stop, goes well beyond the limits of the track without being sanctioned, when Max is immediately informed to return the place he came from. to win using the same off-piste trajectory! For me, there needs to be more clarity. If the driver puts all four tires outside the limits of the track, the sanction must be immediate.

What should the rule be?

After the Spa tragedy where Anthoine Hubert lost his life (in FIA F2 in 2019. Editor’s note), I put forward the idea of ​​“protecting” the key turns, because there are always some on the circuits. Places where you should not cut or go wide. Whether the guy saves time or not, the sanction for putting all four wheels outside the limits of the track should be immediate: a drive-through (passage through the pits)!

It would have the merit of being clear and not leaving the door open to interpretation and controversy. When Lewis leaves the pits, he knows that now is the time to make a difference. He benefited from putting his four wheels behind the dividing line.