Verstappen, George Russell and Fernando Alonso have been all summoned to clarify their actions within the Mexico Metropolis pitlane because the pack massed on the finish of Q1.
All three escaped sanctions for pitlane impeding across the guidelines requirement to drive to a most laptime (or minimal pace) when not on push laps, which has been in place because the 2023 Italian Grand Prix.
They have been all cleared right here partly as a result of the stewards and FIA race path officers really feel it’s safer to have pitlane bottle necks moderately than a possible crash between automobiles on totally different run plans.
Gradual pitlane driving additionally occurred in qualifying for final month’s Singapore GP, the place once more Verstappen’s actions have been assessed and he was additionally cleared because the stewards there felt the present guidelines don’t adequately cowl what is going on.
That is that with a purpose to respect the brand new requirement to remain beneath a most laptime delta to keep away from site visitors issues in qualifying, the place main pace variations between automobiles on scorching and sluggish laps could be harmful and danger collisions.
The drivers are as an alternative slowing within the pitlane to depart gaps to automobiles forward to keep away from the nonetheless prevalent ‘soiled air’ aerodynamic impact on their automobile dealing with.
When requested if he felt the utmost lap time is an effective answer or if there’s a higher different by Motorsport.com within the post-qualifying press convention in Mexico, Verstappen replied: “I believe it is all imperfect in the mean time.
Picture by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Pictures
Esteban Ocon, Alpine A523, Logan Sargeant, Williams FW45, out of the pit lane
“So, we have to give you one thing else, nevertheless it’s laborious.
“The factor I do not perceive is like everyone seems to be making an attempt to make a spot now within the pitlane, which is the one place the place we will achieve this.
“So, I do not actually perceive how one can be impeding somebody.
“For me, I believe now we have to be slightly bit extra lenient with that, understanding that it is a secure surroundings.
“I imply, we’re driving actually sluggish, it is the one place the place we will make a spot
“[As Red Bull drivers] we drive out of the field and [from] the start of the pitlane, we did not know what different individuals are doing. So, you might be continually then making an attempt to evaluate a spot.
“You do not need to begin a lap inside three [or] 4 seconds of somebody, as a result of that is actually dangerous for following.
“However, however, if we would not have had this sort of minimal laptime, then perhaps you may have some impeding into the final sector once more.
“So, it is simply all fairly powerful, I assume, to discover a good compromise.”
Picture by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Pictures
Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Ferrari, pole man Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari, Max Verstappen, Crimson Bull Racing, within the submit Qualifying Press Convention
Leclerc, who clinched pole forward of Carlos Sainz and Verstappen in Mexico, stated that for him “the most important factor that we removed is [a] harmful state of affairs, particularly in final sectors” with the utmost laptime requirement.
He added: “Not essentially for right here, as a result of the final sector is fairly low pace [in Mexico] however in Spa, for instance, generally we can have distinction of pace between automobiles that shall be loopy.
“And with that, I believe it has been fairly a great answer for that. Alternatively, it has created different issues that aren’t nice.
“Clearly the top of the pitlane. However that is, I believe, the least of the issues.
“The largest one which I discover myself quite a bit in, particularly in Q1, [is where] you’ve got obtained two automobiles which can be in a distinct sequence and should you get out the pits and also you cross the protection automobile line two concurrently a automobile out on observe, then you might be principally achieved, as a result of each of the automobiles are respecting the [maximum] lap time and you can’t open the hole.
“You simply need to both struggle the automobile, like I did in Qatar with Fernando, or your lap is completed.
“So, that is one thing that will probably be good to take a look at it, as a result of there’s a little bit of randomness in that which isn’t nice.
“And once more, on the factor on the finish of the pitlane, it’s the solely place the place we will open the hole so troublesome to do in any other case.”
Talking alongside Verstappen and Leclerc, Sainz revealed F1 drivers “already had a few concepts to enhance it for subsequent yr”, however added, “it wants some altering rules and stuff like that that requires a distinct yr and a change from the FIA guidelines”.
Sainz additionally recommended that if “we’d qualify with tougher tyres and we might do so much sooner out laps, clearly the [maximum] lap time does not come into play”.
He concluded: “However the issue would nonetheless be there as a result of there’s too many automobiles for the six-to-eight second hole that each automobile chases.
“In case you multiply 20 automobiles by eight seconds, you are all the time going to have site visitors sooner or later in Q1 or Q2. So, yeah, it isn’t a straightforward state of affairs.”
