This past weekend, a new electronic system was utilized to ensure track limits were not violated at the Hungarian Grand Prix. This electronic detection technology will prevent drivers from abusing track limits as well as monitor violations committed by drivers.
The FIA decided it was time to start using this type of technology because of certain criticism during the Austrian and British Grand Prix. Track limits were being abused consistently, so implementing a system that will keep drivers in check can prevent them from giving themselves an unfair racing advantage.
“It’s the FIA to blame for building circuits that make it faster to run off the track than on the track,” German racing Driver Sebastian Vettel told Autosport. “It’s quite disappointing.”
FIA is now doing everything they can to maintain a fair environment on every course. This is why they have installed loops 1.6m from the track edge to alert officials when a car has all four wheels off the track in two designated locations.
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“It’s good. Then we don’t rely on the marshals or on the TV and if you were broadcast in that moment or not,” commented Fernando Alonso. “It’s technology that is there already so it’s good to use it. In Formula 1 you should have the maximum of everything.”
With this new technology implemented, fatal accidents like these can be avoided because driving along the course kerb will be documented on the tracking system’s software. The computerized technology will mitigate suspension failures for drivers caused from driving over the ‘sausage kerbs’ now used at a number of circuits.
“We’ve talked about it before in the drivers briefing. It’s a good idea, hopefully it works correctly. I think we’d all prefer not to have to have that system but we do have to have that system,” McLaren’s Jenson Button told Crash.net. “The way things are all the kerbs are pretty similar at all the circuits now so they’re easy to run over on exits, so we need something. We need a limit to stop us from going over there.”
With these limitations, the F1 racing scene can develop into a much safer sport. This is not the first time FIA has geared their technology to ensure racer safety though. Over a month ago, the organization began using biometric data and cockpit cameras to heighten driver safety.