Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur recently spoke about the track limit rules and said that the FIA should fix them before they create any more irritation for teams, drivers, and fans. During the 2023 F1 Qatar GP, there were loads of drivers who were noted for exceeding track limits during qualifying and race sessions, which not only caused lap times to be deleted but also annoyed drivers quite a lot.
According to Race Fans, the Ferrari team principal's biggest concern at the Qatar GP was the track limit issue. He complained that tracks like the Red Bull Ring and Lusail Circuit attracting many track limit violations were resolved by the race stewards several hours after the race ends.
He said:
"Honestly, for me, the situation about the tyres is one thing, but I would say that the biggest issue for me of the weekend is track limits. You know when you are going to Spielberg that you will have issues with track limits and we had issues with track limits. You get the results two hours after the race.
"And when we came before the weekend [in Qatar], we told them exactly the same that it will be the festival. And it was the festival."
Furthermore, Vasseur also stated how drivers can lose concentration during the last few laps and violate the track limits, but they cannot be blamed for this situation. Instead, this rule system should be fixed by the FIA.
The Ferrari team boss added:
"On top of this, I think the drivers at the end, perhaps they lost a little bit of concentration. Some guys, the last 10 laps, they were doing strikes every single lap. But you can’t blame them on this situation, it is that we have to find a solution."
F1 pundit compares the two Ferrari drivers
Former F1 driver-turned-pundit Ralf Schumacher recently compared Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc. The two Ferrari drivers have been quite equal in terms of performances and points in 2023. While Sainz has been slightly better than Leclerc, Schumacher feels the latter has more natural talent than the former.
He told the Formula1.de YouTube channel:
"Leclerc is now a bit at a crossroads, I think. He has to look now, because it’s no use having the eternal talent that is super fast but he doesn’t get it right in the end. Charles wants to make the difference with all his might and then runs over his car and also makes mistakes.
"Sainz is more level-headed. Sainz is not as blessed with talent as Leclerc. I’m pretty sure of that."
Carlos Sainz is fifth in the drivers' championship with 153 points, while Charles Leclerc is sixth with 145 points.