Max Verstappen says there isn’t much more he can do to make sure he respects the track limits, after an error in the last lap of the Portuguese Grand Prix cost him a championship point .

After the last race, the Red Bull driver said it was “strange” that he was losing the bonus point for the fastest lap because his time was taken out for running wide at turn 14. The drivers were informed on Saturday before the race of the change of track. limits were applied. This was the second guidance change over the weekend.

Verstappen appeared to ignore a mid-weekend change in the enforcement of track limits on two occasions this year. During the Bahraini Grand Prix, he expressed his surprise on his team’s radio at the loosening of turn four restrictions, which Lewis Hamilton has consistently exploited. He later passed Hamilton running off track around the corner and had to give way, which cost him the victory.

But Verstappen doubts he can do much more to improve his respect for track limits. “I don’t think there is anything to do to be on top,” he said. “In Bahrain there were misunderstandings between the teams about what was allowed and what was not.

“You can also see it differently. I’m just trying to get everything out of the car when we’re not at the same level as Mercedes.

“But I [could] also easily not to be in that subject of using track limits or anything. But then I [would be] quite comfortably behind a Mercedes that I don’t like. I always try to get the best possible result from it. “

During the Portuguese Grand Prix weekend, Verstappen also violated the track limits in qualifying.

“I’ve been out of bounds twice where it basically cost me a pole and a fastest lap. But it’s also because I’m not satisfied with either second or third.

Track limits have been discussed over the three race weekends so far this year. Verstappen acknowledged that enforcing the restrictions is more difficult on some circuits than others, especially when F1 visits tracks that are also used for bike racing.

“Some tracks are just a little harder to control, really, with track limits,” he said. “I think we have to find a solution.

“Of course I understand some tracks that we race on with Moto GP and of course they want curbs that are a little different from what we like.

“But I think we have to find an intermediate lane that works for both, because with our cornering speeds we can really take over the whole track because of the grip we have with the cars, which sometimes makes it very. difficult to really judge the limits of the trail. “

Physical deterrents to prevent drivers from running on a large scale, such as gravel traps, should be used where possible, Verstappen said.

“For my part, I think we should try to put in a little more gravel in places,” he said. “Of course, sometimes that’s not what the tracks want because when you have track days people go, the gravel gets on the track, they have to clean it up, it all costs money to put back in place.

“But I think it’s sometimes a little confusing also from the outside where some places where you run on a sidewalk, some places are guarded with a white line. I think we can make it better by making sure there is a hard limit when you step off a curb or whatever.

Announcement | Become a supporter and go ad-free

Spanish Grand Prix 2021

Browse all articles from the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix