After the discussion about the track limits in Bahrain, which unfortunately played a crucial role in the decisive moment in the battle for victory between
Max Verstappen and
Lewis Hamilton, the
FIA has decided to tighten the rules even more for the race in
Imola. However, not all drivers think this is necessary.
"This has been discussed for years, hasn't it?" is the rhetorical question from
Kimi Raikkonen at the press conference in Imola when asked about this topic. In his opinion track limits are an inherent problem in modern
Formula 1 and you can't get rid of them that quickly.
There is no perfect solution
The Finn is right about that. Since the advent of the tarmac run-off lanes, many efforts have been made to enforce the track limits, but no solution has been found yet. A couple of years ago they tried with the raised yellow kerbstones, but that led to some dangerous situations. As a result they now largely trust that the drivers will colour within the lines themselves.
Raikkonen thinks that only the return of grass and gravel beds can completely solve this problem, but you also have to take into account other racing classes. According to him the problem is made bigger than it is. In Bahrain he did not understand why there was confusion.
"I thought the rules were clear during last race, but apparently that didn't apply to everyone. It was a big story after Bahrain, but in my opinion it was clear what you could and could not do," the Finn from Alfa Romeo said.