F1 warned of potential French GP crisis

Ewan Gale
Sunday 17 July 2022 16:30

F1 has been warned over a potential track-limits crisis at the upcoming French Grand Prix.

The topic took centre stage amongst the drivers at the Austrian Grand Prix, with Max Verstappen leading the criticism of the FIA's policing at the event as "a joke".

Over 40 incidents of drivers leaving the track were acknowledged by the sport's governing body, with numerous drivers handed penalties for excessively abusing the boundaries at the Red Bull Ring.

But Red Bull team principal Christian Horner fears the problem will only be worse when F1 returns to Paul Ricard next weekend.

“The problem is the nature of the circuit [Red Bull Ring], it invites the drivers to use the track limits and of course, there were many, many drivers that were infringing that over the weekend [in Austria[," explained Horner.

“My concern isn’t so much here. I think [Paul] Ricard will be a bigger issue.”

Asked why he believed the next venue would pose more of an issue, Horner replied: “There is genuine time gain to be had and you’ve got acres of Tarmac there so it’s just inviting you to run offline.”