In the round-up: The United States Grand Prix prompted some drivers and commentators to urge the Circuit of the Americas to install more gravel traps, but Max Verstappen isn’t convinced that would be the best solution.
In brief
Gravel traps may not be right for Austin – Verstappen
Oscar Piastri, who was one of five drivers to receive penalties for infringements related to track limits last weekend, urged the Austin track operators to change the run-offs to reduce the number of controversial incidents which occur, as other venues have done successfully. “The easiest bit would be just put gravel there and no one’s going to go off,” he said.
However Verstappen doubts that would be a practical solution for the track which also hosts a round of the Moto GP world championship. “It might help, but we have to deal with bikes as well that race here,” he said. “They don’t like the gravel, so then you have to remove it again,” he added, referring to the solution used at the Red Bull Ring.
Verstappen also pointed out amateur drivers who use the circuit may not want gravel traps. “People spinning off, of course, on track days, you have amateur drivers, professional drivers. It does cost a lot of money when you have to do that, and not every track can do that throughout the year.
“Yes, it would work, but on the other hand, I’m not sure how sustainable that is for the season.”
Macau Grand Prix entry list announced
The Macau Grand Prix promoters have published the entry list for this year’s edition of the race, the first time it will be run to Formula Regional European regulations.Ferrari Driver Academy member Dino Beganovic will be the highest-ranked driver from this year’s FIA Formula 3 championship on the grid. His fellow FDA members Tuukka Taponen and James Wharton, who both debuted in F3 late this year, will also participate. No place has been announced for Ferrari-backed Formula Regional European champion Rafael Camara, though two seats are yet to be filled.
Red Bull Junior Team members Oliver Goethe, who took the Formula 2 seat vacated by Franco Colapinto earlier this year, and Enzo Deligny have also entered. McLaren juniors Alex Dunne and Ugo Ugochukwu are also among the confirmed drivers.
Other notable names on the list include Rintaro Sato, son of ex-Formula 1 driver and two-times Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato, and this year’s Italian and UAE Formula 4 champion James Wharton.
Zagazeta moves to DAMS in F3
FIA Formula 3 newcomers DAMS have confirmed Mathias Zagazeta as their first driver for the 2025 season. Zagazeta scored a single win during his rookie season, in the partially-reversed grid sprint race at Silverstone.
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Gaming companies downsize sponsorship for 2024 grand prix (Macau Business)
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On Sunday a penalty for another driver moved @Max33Verstappen onto the podium at the United States Grand Prix.
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Comment of the day
Formula 1 will have a branded DRS zone at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. What else could the series flog to sponsors?
“This gap in the rear wing had been brought to you by Boeing.”
Moi
Happy birthday!
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On this day in motorsport
- 20 years ago today Rubens Barrichello took pole position for his home race at Interlagos
Jere (@jerejj)
23rd October 2024, 7:18
I’m surprised COTA didn’t go for the same compromise solution for this year’s edition as Red Bull Ring & Hungaroring, i.e., have a small gravel portion beside curbing at every problem corner exit (T1, 9, 11, 12, 15, 19, & 20) to make going wide beyond the white line automatically slower compared to staying within track limits.
This easily removable gravel portion thing is definitely equally viable for COTA as it is for the circuits mentioned above, which is different from Max’s argument that’s solely about gravel all the way around.
Nick T.
23rd October 2024, 21:00
We just need Tusken raiders posted around the track taking pot shots. I prefer this solution.
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
23rd October 2024, 7:53
At Macau they race cars and bikes throughout the same weekend. Put a wall there!
MacLeod (@macleod)
23rd October 2024, 8:19
I think Max is thinking of filling the whole corner with gravel. BUT I think just a strip of 2-3 meter width to slow down a driver a lot when leaving the track but has asfalt behind it so getting stuck isn’t possible (like Lewis) which is strange as that turn had the most track limit deletions ….
An Sionnach
23rd October 2024, 10:45
It would make the job of stewarding easier, although they really do need to change the rules so it’s no longer necessary to police track limits where there’s full gravel. It might be different where it’s partial as you wouldn’t want to end up with a situation where a driver finds a short cut around the track and no penalty can be applied for it!
Now things have settled down, have people revised their opinions on stewarding this time around? There were many close calls that would need detailed examination of both footage and telemetry. When this happens in any sport it looks a bit silly, like a man who’s offside because his finger tip is, or a rugby game where there’s a pile of men on the ball and the TMO can take their pick of infringements to call. At least the US GP can’t have been at that level of existential silliness, as, whether people like it or not, the rules are easier to observe accurately.
Doh
23rd October 2024, 8:19
Nobody cares for Max’s opinion on track limits anymore since he routinely abuses track limits to pass or stay ahead if rivals. Of course he would prefer no gravel. Makes it easier for him to get away with going off all the time
Craig
23rd October 2024, 9:00
I’d argue he’d prefer not to have gravel there as it’d be harder to defend his favoured “run the person overtaking you off track and play ignorance” tactic.
Arthur
23rd October 2024, 14:30
If there would have been gravel there, then Lando would not have continued to try to pass around the outside … a remark also made by pundit Karun Chandhok. And of course if Max would have been braking too late, then he would end up in the gravel himself and Lando would have a free pass. :-)
Osnola
23rd October 2024, 18:39
The most track limit collecting “strikes” are norris and lewis. It was norris who passed outside track..
So nice try but wrong driver.
Mayrton
24th October 2024, 7:16
Quite the opposite. He seems to be very well aware of the regulations and also able to exploit them to the maximum, … remember he didn’t create these rules. On contrast.. a lot of fans, also surprisingly on this forum, are not very well aware of the rules and the media taps into them to create stories out of non issues and clear situations. They exist because of traffic and clicks, make no mistake.
Take last weekend. It is blatantly clear, and I havent heard a single experts disagree with Lando’s penalty, that you can not overtake off track. Max had the apex, thus the corner. Lando went around off track. Simple slam dunk penalty and staggering his team let him down in not immediately ordering him to give up the place. Moreover it should have been a 10s penalty.
Max may have been marginally off track in that action (certainly not a case of T-boning an opponent carrying too much speed), but that is a totally separate case. He should have gotten a warning for track limits (like the one others had already received building up to the black & white for too many infringements and eventually leading to a penalty).
We can of course debate the value of these rules and whether we should continue with them or not. But these are the 2024 regulations. You do not show up with a car that is too heavy, long or wide either. You stay within the currently valid regulatory framework. The only real drama in this example is the inability of McLaren to guide their drivers properly. They left so much on the track this season. They really need to up their game.
MacLeod (@macleod)
24th October 2024, 7:59
Max got a warning of leaving track while Lando lost his warning (and got a penaulty for it if he did) as the stewards found Lando couldn’t stay on track because Max was there.
David West
23rd October 2024, 10:18
I think what’s unsustainable is being allowed to dive bomb into a corner and claim it’s yours because you got to the apex first, while making no attempt to actually stay on the track. Once more drivers start doing this the FIA will have to take action or we will get a lot of crashes.
baasbas
23rd October 2024, 11:18
@David West
You can’t be serious about this, right?
Nick T.
23rd October 2024, 20:59
lol. Come on, David.
Coward Anonymous
23rd October 2024, 10:51
We live in the world of gimmick and tech, why bother with one strike, two strike etc? Out of the track? Multiply time spent outside of the track with some multiplier and punish automatically. If not the driver’s fault, do the same math, but punish who was to blame.
Snowy (@snowy666)
23rd October 2024, 11:45
Not sure gravel is needed. That said, they need to do something, because as the rules stand Verstappen has carte blanche to deliberately outbrake himself into corners to prevent legitimate overtakes and engineer penalties. You hear the glee in his voice over the radio every time he does it. Easy to see, the stewards can check his brake telemetry and the lift off the brake will be there plain as day…
Nick T.
23rd October 2024, 20:58
More interesting news is that despite Perez’s denials about retiring and that he’ll be racing next season, Marko keeps releasing comments that strongly suggest he wants him gone and that if he fails to meet his performance clauses (I can’t see how he could do), it won’t be up to him.