The 2023 F1 Austrian GP is underway at the Red Bull ring and it is surely an exhilarating one for the fans so far. Red Bull star Max Verstappen is leading the grand prix at this moment with a comfortable lead under his belt. For a change today, Ferrari man Charles Leclerc also got into the lead for a while, which was the first for Max since the last 249 laps this season, which he lead on the trout.
Leclerc and Carlos Sainz currently complete the podium place ahead of Norris and Alonso. As it stands, Red Bull and Ferrari have come out on top this weekend. This is considering the practice sessions, shootout, sprint, and the main race. The Maranello team brought some key changes ahead of this weekend and they seem to pay off really well. However, the highlight of this weekend still remains the penalties that have been handed over to the drivers for various reasons.
Right from the qualifying session, the stewards have been coming really harsh on the drivers regarding the track limits. This weekend saw more time deletions than any other fans might have seen so far. Red Bull driver Sergio Perez was compelled to start from 15th place owing to the same. Moreover, the penalties for impeding drivers have also been a highlight this weekend. So much so that the starting grid was significantly revised ahead of the final race owing to the handed penalties.
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Hamilton, Norris, Albon, and other F1 drivers receive 5-second penalties
The race is currently underway with 50 laps done and running. Though there are exceptional actions going around the track, there is no guarantee that a driver will earn the points depending on the place he finishes. This is for the simple reason that there might be an addition in the final times of the drivers if they haven’t already served the same in the pitlane. It may push them down in the order.
As of now, several drivers have been given time penalties for exceeding track limits. This includes Yuki Tsunoda, Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris, Alex Albon, and others. Moreover, the drivers are also actively reporting fellow pilots for the same, as can be heard on the radio chatter. Following the same, there has been a plethora of reactions coming in on social media about the same from fans and even the teams as well.
It remains to be seen as to what will be the final implications of the same. How it will affect the overall dynamic of the grid post-finish? Tell us what you think about the strict application of track limits in qualifying and races. Comment below.
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